Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables (音节), they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check these in a dictionar
y. The writer thinks that .
| A．choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English |
| B．dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English |
| C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly |
| D．using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing |
According to the passage, which of the following is wrong?
| A．Dictionaries have little effect on learning to speak English. |
| B．Whatever new words you meet while reading, never use dictionaries. |
| C．Small two-language dictionaries have serious defects (缺陷). |
| D．Reading something for the first time, you’d better not use dictionaries. |
When in the reading does the writer advise students to use a good dictionary?
| A．At the beginning of the reading |
B．At the end of the readi ng |
| C．During the first reading |
| D．After the first reading |
This passage mainly tells us .
| A．students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries |
| B．what were the defects of small two-language dictionaries |
| C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries |
| D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it |
Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．How to make good use of a dictionary. |
B．When to use a dic tionary. |
| C．How to improve spoken English. |
| D．How to practise reading fast. |
For some minutes, all was quiet in the street. Then, from across the street, someone came walking at a slow pace.
It looked like a man of middle height, dressed in a big raincoat, a soft hat and rubber soled boots or shoes, and making little sound while walking: at most a soft, sliding sound. No one was in sight. It was a street with two rows of about fifty small houses, and there were three lamps on either side. The lamp nearest the child’s house could be seen clearly, but the others were almost hidden by the smoky air. A car passed the end of the street and its lights showed faintly, but clearly enough the wrinkled skin of a woman’s small face. The car disappeared as the woman, wrapped up in her coat, reached the doorway of the child’s house.
She put a key into the lock quickly, pushed the door open and stepped inside, then close the door without looking round. She began to breathe hard.
She leaned against the door for a moment, then straightened up as if with an effort, and walked towards the door of the front room, the passage leading to the kitchen, and the narrow staircase. She hesitated outside the door, and then went up the stairs, quickly but with hardly a sound. There was enough light from the narrow hall to show the four doors leading off a small landing. She pushed each door open in turn and shone a torch inside, and the light fell upon beds, walls, furniture, a bathroom band basin, a mirror which flashed brightness back; but this was not what the woman was looking for. She turned away and went downstairs and hesitated again at the foot of the stairs, then turned towards the kitchen. Clearly there was nothing there, or in the small wash-room, that she wanted. Two rooms remained; the front room and a smaller one next to it. She opened the front room door. After a moment, she saw the child’s bed and the child.The lights of the car passing the end of the street showed that _______.
| A．a woman was walking by herself up the street |
| B．a man was walking up the street |
| C．a man was driving by himself up the street |
| D．a woman was driving the car |
When she got into the house, the woman ______.
| A．went upstairs at once | B．seemed tired |
| C．started breathing again | D．felt excited |
What the woman was looking for was _______.
| A．furniture | B．a bathroom-basin |
| C．a room | D．a child |
From the description above we can see that the woman was _______.
| A．old and earnest | B． energetic and cold |
| C．young and powerful | D． weak and hopeless |
If there is one thing I am sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives－the big political stories，the coverage of the wars，earthquakes and other disasters，will continue much the same.I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though.It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因)engineering. In the future，I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do－as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It's quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(传送)electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I am pretty sure that it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu，making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read－sports and international news，etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media(媒体)．They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers，but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen of sound in the air. And as for the Internet，it is never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.What will probably be on in the newspaper made by yourself?
| A．Sports and international news. |
| B．A menu of important news. |
| C．The most important news. |
| D．What you are interested in. |
From the text，we can infer that________.
| A．newspapers will win the competition among the different media |
| B． some media will die out |
| C．television will take the place of newspapers |
| D．newspapers will stay with us together with other media |
The underlined phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means________.
| A．compete with | B．depend on |
| C．fight with | D．kill of |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．The Best Way to Get News |
| B．The Future of Newspapers |
| C．Make Your Own Newspaper |
| D．The Changes of Media |
Each time I see a balloon(气球), my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. "Yes, honey. Of course." she said.
"Can we write him a letter?"
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, "Yes."
My heart jumped. "How? Does the mailman go there?" I asked.
"No, but I have an idea." Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.
"Just wait, honey. You'll see." Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.
"Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three."
The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.
Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he'd persevere, dart up, and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary. I prayed to be a balloon.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An unforgettable experience |
| B．A great father |
| C．Fly to paradise |
| D．The strong red balloon |
When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother _________.
A．believed it easy to do so
B．thought her a creative girl
C felt it hard to answer
D．found it easy to lieWhen the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she _________.
| A．jumped with joy |
| B．became excited |
| C．started writing immediately |
| D．was worried that it couldn't be delivered |
In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?
| A．An incurable disease. |
| B．An unforgettable memory. |
| C．The failures her father experienced |
| D．The hard time her father had. |
Free Fun Guides
Free Admission to Hundreds of Museums Sept. 25
What a weekend! This Saturday, Sept. 25, hundreds of U.S. museums are admission free for the Smithsonian’s yearly Museum Day.
Unlike previous Museum Day celebrations, you must sign up for a free ticket that admits two people to any of the participating museums. That means filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you. Not bad for a free offer that will give you admission to museums such as the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the Air & Space Museum in San Diego.
Free Books for Kids @ Barnes & Noble!
If your kids love to read — and we hope they do! — be sure to sign them up for Barnes & Noble’s summer reading programs so they can earn a free book!
It’s easy for kids ages 12 and under to participate. For Barnes & Noble’s Passport to Summer Reading program, just download and print out your passport. Read any eight books, make a list of them on the back of the passport and bring it to any Barnes & Noble by September 7. Choose your free book from the list.
FREE Night of Theater Across the U.S. in October
It’s the yearly run of the Free Night of Theater, when hundreds of theaters in 120 U.S. cities give away thousands of tickets to local productions.
While the kickoff date is October 15, many of the theaters start releasing their free tickets by Oct.1 or in waves during the month of October for performance dates throughout the month. Ticket seekers are limited to two tickets for one performance.
Find your city on the Free Night of Theater Website and check the listings for performances, their dates and their ticket giveaway times and locations.What is new about this year’s Museum Day?
| A．People must buy tickets for visiting a museum. |
| B．Two museums offer free admission. |
| C．People will get free tickets online. |
| D．People can visit museums online and get a small gift. |
Which of the following shows the similarity between Museum Day and Free Night of Theater?
| A．They take place once a year. |
| B．The same number of free tickets is given away. |
| C．The tickets can be used in any U.S. city. |
| D．They last for the same length of time. |
The main purpose of the passage is to___________.
| A．give guidance on how to have some fun |
| B．help people who are very poor |
| C．introduce ways to save money |
| D．provide information about free things to do |
How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend. Making new friends comes easy for some people. But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.
Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
Start a conversation.
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends. Do not wait to be spoken to. You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.
Do things together.
Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you. The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.
Enjoy your friendship.
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. Try not to find fault with your friends. Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.
How to Make Friends
It’s ______ for us to have a good friend.
Many of us have ___ in making and keeping friends.
Below are some suggestions.
I．Associate with others.
Go to public places to meet new persons.
Be active to make people know you.
II．Start a conversation.
Speak to other people actively by making small talk.
III．Do things together.
Choose friends who have __ with you
Have an aimless___with your friends for pleasure.
IV．Let it grow.
Avoid pressing your new friend with calls, messages or visits all the time.
Give time to your friend to adapt to you.
V．Enjoy your friendship.
Try not to find _ with your friends.
Let your friends be themselves
Strive to improve yourself.