Are the lives of city kids the same as those in villages? In lots of ways, they are very differen
t. But what are those differences?
Hu Peng from Wuhan and four of his friends decided to find out. Earlier this month, they went to live for a week in Caidian, a village near Wuhan. Hu and his Junior l classmates went door to door in Caidian and asked kids lots of questions. They want to learn more about village kids' everyday lives, so they asked questions like this: Do your parents teach you how to do the housework? How much money do you usually spend on dinner? What would you do if a thief came into your house? They also asked 150 city kids t
he same questions.
On April 12, the team gave a report to their class. They told about many differences between children's lives in cities and those of children in villages. The biggest difference is about independence. Hu's team found that 60 percent of city kids can't do much housework, but 90 percent of village kids can care for themselves.
City kids told Hu they care about schoolwork a lot, and the
y have no time for washing clothes or making their beds. Village kids said they help their parents a lot : cooking, cleaning the houses and feeding pigs. Hu's team also found that village kids have less pocket money. Many have never used computers. They like playing in rivers or on mountains. Some don't even like to make new friends.
Hu and his friends said their trip gave them more self- confidence (自信) because they have done something by themselves. But it also worried them a bit because they found they still have a lot to learn. "When we grow up, our parents can't take care of us," Hu said. "We have to learn to take care of ourselves. " Shen Guanquan, one of Hu's friends said, "When people learn to care for themselves, they learn to do lots of difficult things. "How many city kids went to learn about village kids' everyday lives?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
Their report showed that most city kids ＿＿.
| A．help their parents a lot | B．have less pocket money  |
| C．can take care of themselves | D．still have a lot to learn |
The underlined word "it" in the last paragraph means ＿＿.
| A．their trip | B．their report | C．a village kid | D．a city kid |
Hu Peng and his friends finished their report by ＿＿.
| A．visiting schools in the village |
| B．questioning village and city kids from door to door |
C．watching village  and city kids' everyday lives |
| D．questioning village and city kids' parents |
Working with a group of baboons (狒狒）in the Namibian desert, Dr. Alecia Carter of the Department of Zoology，Cambridge University set baboons learning tasks involving a novel food and a familiar food hidden in a box. Some baboons were given the chance to watch another baboon who already knew how to solve the task, while others had to learn for themselves. To work out how brave or anxious the baboons were, Dr. Carter presented them either with a novel food or a threat in the form of a model of a poisonous snake.
She found that personality had a major impact on learning. The braver baboons learnt, but the shy ones did not learn the task although they watched the baboon perform the task of finding the novel food just as long as the brave ones did. In effect, despite being made aware of what to do, they were still too shy to do what the experienced baboon did.
The same held true for anxious baboons compared with calm ones. The anxious individuals learnt the task by observing others while those who were relaxed did not, even though they spent more time watching.
This mismatch between collecting social information and using it shows that personality plays a key role in social learning in animals, something that has previously been ignored in studies on how animals learn to do things. The findings are significant because they suggest that animals may perform poorly in cognitive (认 知的）tasks not because they aren't clever enough to solve them，but because they are too shy or nervous to use the social information.
The findings may impact how we understand the formation of culture in societies through social learning. If some individuals are unable to get information from others because they don't associate with the knowledgeable individuals，or they are too shy to use the information once they have it，information may not travel between all group members, preventing the formation of a culture based on social learning.
| 1． |
What is the first paragraph mainly about?
|
| 2． |
According to the research, which baboons are more likely to complete a new learning task?
|
| 3． |
Which best illustrates the "mismatch" mentioned in Paragraph 4?
|
| 4． |
Dr. Carter's findings indicate that our culture might be formed through.
|
London’s newest skyscraper (摩天大楼)is called the Shard and it cost about 430 million pounds to build. At a height of almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in Europe. The Shard has completely changed the appearance of London. However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better.
The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire (尖顶)• He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren’t regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin，sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts (桅杆）of the ships that were once on the river Thames.
The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices.
Before building work began, a lot of people didn’t want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city.
Other critics don’t like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. Only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.
The Shard now dominates the London skyline. It is not certain, however, that ordinary London citizens will ever accept it as a valuable addition to the city.London’s newest skyscraper is called the Shard because of ._____
A. its cost
B its size
C .its shape
D .its heightWhen he designed the Shard, Piano wanted it to ._____
| A．change London’s skyline |
| B．inherit London’s tradition |
| C．imitate the Egyptian style |
| D．attract potential visitors |
The critics who refer to social division think the Shard_______ .
| A．is only preferred by the rich |
| B．is intended for wealthy people |
| C．is far away from the poor area |
| D．is popular only with Londoners |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Shard: Cheers and Claps |
| B．The Shard: Work of a Great Architect |
| C．The Shard: New Symbol of London? |
| D．The Shard: A Change for the Better? |
Before I had my son, I spent two years working with children with disabilities. I learned that shouting and threats of punishment would result in a disaster. Coming up against their behaviour could only make the job harder and their behaviour more extreme. I found something that worked, though.
There was a very naughty boy in the nursery and a teacher who was generally very confident with the children was asked to take charge of him. One day the boy joined a session in the room next to mine. His appearance created an atmosphere of tension. He spent the entire session running around, hitting and kicking, and destroying property.
I was in the craft room working with some other children when my co-worker told me that this boy’s teacher was in tears, and could not get control of the situation. As we were talking，the boy ran in. I told my co-worker that I would take care of him.
I closed the door. He was full of energy, throwing things around and making a huge mess. But I could see that he was doing all these to annoy me. He needed connection, and this was the only way he knew how to ask for it. So I sat back down and kept quiet. Then he slowed down and began making a rocket. I talked to him about it. We continued like this for a few minutes before I slipped into the conversation:
“So what happened today?”
It was purely a question, no blame or anger in my tone. I believe that if I had criticized him, the gate that was slowly opening would have shut firmly closed. He told me that the teacher didn’t let him do what he knew well due to safety but asked him to do what he disliked. He also admitted that he had enjoyed making her run around and saw it as a game. I explained that his teacher had not seen it as a game and was very upset. This again was stated simply as a fact. I suggested that next time he had a session, he talk about what he hoped to do at the start，which might be easier for everyone. He agreed and was quiet for a moment. Then he looked at me with tears in his eyes before quietly asking if he could go to find his teacher to apologize.The boy made trouble for his teacher because he_____ .
| A．was accused of destroying property |
| B．was told not to yell at other children |
| C．was made to do things against his will |
| D．was blamed for creating an air of tension |
Why didn’t the author do anything about the boy’s bad behavior at first?
| A．She didn’t want to make it worse. |
| B．She didn’t mind the huge mess at all. |
| C．She was tired of shouting and threats. |
| D．She hadn’t thought of a coping strategy. |
The author managed to get the boy to talk to her by _____.
| A．playing games with him |
| B．giving him a good suggestion |
| C．describing his teacher’s feelings |
| D．avoiding making critical remarks |
Why did the boy have tears in his eyes in the end?
| A．He was sorry about his reputation. |
| B．He was regretful about his behavior. |
| C．He was fearful of the author’s warning. |
| D．He was sad for the author’s misunderstanding. |
Which boy hasn’t dreamed of being a cool secret agent (特工)? The wonderful fighting abilities and the world-saving adventures are much more colourful than most people’s everyday lives. Well, Cody Banks is just like any other boy，except that he is not just dreaming. He has a big secret his friends never know about. He was trained to be a spy (间谍）by a special CIA programme，which was made to look like a summer camp. He learned high-speed driving，hand-to-hand fighting and the use of high-tech tools.
After proving he could become a young hero by saving a baby from a runaway car，Banks gets his first real task. He must make friends with a popular girl at school，Natalie Connors. Then，he must spy on her father，a scientist who has developed a dangerous technology (技术).Banks must stop a group of bad people from forcing Natalie’s father into using the technology to endanger the world.
The CIA may have taught him first-class self-defence moves，but they didn’t show him how to talk to girls. Banks has zero ability when it comes to dealing with girls. How can he get around his problem and get an invitation to the girl’s upcoming birthday party? Will he finally become Natalie’s boyfriend and find out whatever he can about her father’s work?
Agent Cody Banks has everything that young people are interested in: big explosions, breath-taking performances and funny girl-dating experiences. It was listed No.2 in the American box office last week.
“This story is interesting and fun for the whole family to enjoy，and especially cool for young boys，” said Paul Perkins, a film reviewer in theUS.What is Banks’ first real task?
| A．To test a high-tech tool. | B．To save a baby from a car. |
| C．To study a new technology. | D．To watch a scientist secretly. |
Banks wanted to go to Natalie’s birthday party to______ .
| A．meet her father | B．know more people |
| C．make friends with her | D．steal some information |
What is considered as a great danger in the text?
| A．The technology developed by Natalie’s father. |
| B． An explosion set off by some bad people. |
| C．The CIA’s training of boys for its tasks. |
| D．Secret agents’ spying on scientists. |
What is the purpose of the text?
A. Making known the work of the CIA. B.Telling the story about a cool boy.
C. Showing the dark side of science.D.Introducing a new film.
Metrorall (地铁)
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out .Up to two children under age five may travel
Free with a paying customer .
Farecard machines are in every station .Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the stations and farecard machines only provide up to $5 in change.
Get one ticket of unlimited Metrorall rides with a One Day Pass .Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations .Use it after 9:30 a,m. until closing on weekdays , and all day on weekends and holidays .
Hours of service
Open 5am Mon-Fri 7a.m Sat-Sun
Open midnight Sun-Thur.
Last train times vary .
Train times Posted in stations
Metrobus
When paying with exact charge , the fare is $1.35.When paying with a SmarTripⓇcard , the fare is
1.25.
Fares
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare .On Metrorail and Metrobus , use a senior/disabled farecard or Smar/Trip Ⓡcard .For more information about buying senior .disabled farecard , SmarTripⓇcards and passes , please visit MetroOpensDoors .com or call 202-637-7000and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorall services by calling 202-962-1100.
Travel tips (提示)
. Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a.m. and between 4and 6p.m.
. If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost &Found at 202-962-1195,What should you know about farecard machines?
| A．They start selling tickets at 9:30 a.m. |
| B．They are connected to change machines . |
| C．They offer special service to the elderly . |
| D．They make change for no more than $5. |
At what time does Metroarll stop service on Saturday ?
| A．At midnight . |
| B．At 3 a.m. |
| C．At 5 a.m. |
| D．At 7a.m. |
What is good about a SmarTripⓇcard ?
A. It is convenient for old people .
B. It saves money for its users
C It can be bought at any train
D. It is sold on the InternetWhich number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?
| A．202-962-1195 |
| B．202-962-1100 |
| C．202-637-7000 |
| D．202-637-8000 |