If you look for a book as a present for a child. You will be spoiled for choice even in a year when there is no new Harry Patten J.K Powling’s wizard. The past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books, which has set off a large quantity of films and an increased sales of classics such as The lard of the Rings.
Yet despite that , reading is increasingly unpopular among children. According to statistics in 1997 23% said they didn’t like reading in all. In 2003, 35% did . And around 6% of children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.
Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computes games. Maybe the books boom has affected only the top of the educational pile. Either way, Chancellor Cordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class. In his pre-budget report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.
Reading Recovery is aimed at six year olds, who receive four months of individual daily half-hour classes with a specially trained teacher. An evaluation either this year reported that children on the school made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress, and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.
International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school they read well, but read text often for fun than those elsewhere. Reading for fun matters because children who are been on reading can report lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success. According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?
| A．Many children’s books have been adapted from films. |
| B．Many high-quality children’s books have been published. [ |
| C．The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films. |
| D．The sales of presents for children have increased. |
Statistics suggested that .
| A．the number of top students increased with the use of computers |
| B．a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading |
| C．a minority of primacy school children read properly |
| D．a huge percentage of children read regularly |
What do we know about Reading Recovery?
| A．An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year. |
| B．Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking. |
| C．It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading. |
| D．Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading. |
Reading for fun is important because book-loving children _______.
| A．take greater advantage of the project |
| B．show the potential to enjoy a long life |
| C．are likely to succeed in their education. |
| D．would make excellent future researchers |
The aim of this text would probably be _______.
| A．to overcome primary school pupils reading difficulty. |
| B．to encourage the publication of more children’s books |
| C．to remind children of the importance of reading for fun |
| D．to introduce a way to improve early children reading |
The story of the day I lost my best friend to a car accident. The day a precious life was taken from us way too soon.
It was a bright and Sunny day in November. Thanksgiving had been celebrated only two days before. Since it was a holiday weekend I had been on the phone with Greg the night before many times. His dad didn't want him to come over because of the holiday. I guess he finally wore him down and he called and said, “I can stay”. So, my mom, brother, and I went to pick him up. He was always smiling. The complete opposite of my shy self, Greg was always the life of the party.
We got two large pizzas that Friday night. I’ve never known anyone in my entire life who loved to eat more than Greg. That’s the way he was though. He was just enjoying life. And if it meant gaining weight or whatever, so be it. He would sit back and put his hands on his belly and just laugh. We (Greg, David, and I) did so many funny things together and had such great times. Things we should have done and things we shouldn’t have done, I’ll “Never” forget.
On Saturday morning Dad took us out for breakfast. We all finished eating and followed my Dad up to the cashier. Greg asked Dad if he could have a candy bar. I looked at Greg shaking my head. He just laughed. After breakfast, Father took us to my Mom’s house.
When we got out at Mom’s house there was no one home. So, one of us grabbed a big wheel and rode it down the steep driveway into the street. Just boys being boys. Greg and I did it several times until the last time. The car hit him on the head, knocking him around 75-- 100 yards. My brother and I both ran screaming just yelling for help and crying. One of the neighbors called 911. I was in shock. That day was forever etched(铭刻) into our memories.
It still hurts to think about it. Wishing we could have grown old together. Wondering how it would have been. I’m sure It WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT.We can describe Greg as__________.
| A．impolite and greedy | B．easy-going and optimistic |
| C．shy and unconfident | D．friendly and brave |
Which shows the right order of the following events?
①Greg died of an accident while playing in the street.
②Greg went out for breakfast with the author.
③The author together with his bother and mom went to meet Greg.
④The three boys went out for Pizzas and had great fun.
⑤The author invited Greg to spend the weekend at his house.
| A．②①④③⑤ | B．⑤②③①④ |
| C．①②⑤④③ | D．⑤③④②① |
Why did the author shake his head hearing Greg’s request?
| A．He thought Greg was too impolite to his father. |
| B．He wondered why Greg liked eating so much. |
| C．He was afraid his father couldn’t afford it. |
| D．He was sure Greg would put on weight. |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims (声称)as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language all their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.What is a bird’s “territory”?
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other. |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears. |
How does the writer explain birds’ singing?
| A．By describing birds’ daily life. |
| B．By reporting experiment results. |
| C．By comparing birds with human beings. |
| D．By telling |
If you wish to dance with a certain lady, go to her, bow, and say, “May I have the pleasure of a dance?” If it is a formal dance with programs, she will tell you which dance she will have with you; if there are no programs, she will either rise and dance with you, or she may say, “I have this dance taken.” Or she may say, “I am sorry, I am not dancing this dance.” This may be a polite way of saying that she does not want to dance with you, or it may be that she is tired and wants to rest; you will have to judge which is her attitude.
Do not expect a lady whom you have invited to dance in advance for a dance to make any attempt to find you. It is her part to remain seated until you find her. Bow and say, “I believe this is my dance.”
At the end of a dance, thank your partner, but do not leave her until you have led her to a seat. Then, if you wish, you may excuse yourself, and go in search of your next partner.
If you cannot dance very well, it is always permissible to ask a lady if she is willing to sit out a dance with you. Sometimes during the evening, your hostess, the daughter of the hostess, and any guest of honor should all be asked by you to dance.When a lady says, “I am sorry I am not dancing this dance.”, she actually means.
| A．she is not willing to dance with you |
| B．she is too tired to dance with you |
| C．she is not good at dancing at all |
| D．either A or B |
If you have already made an appointment with a lady at the ball, .
| A．it is her duty to find you |
| B．it is still your duty to find her |
| C．it is both of your duty to find each other |
| D．you wait and wait until it is your turn to dance with her |
At the end of the dance, .
| A．you leave your partner and go to find your next partner |
| B．you thank your partner and leave her |
| C．you should introduce your partner to another gentleman |
| D．none of the above is right |
The underlined phrase “sit out” means .
| A．to dance slowly |
| B．to sit there and dance |
| C．to dance without moving |
| D．to remain seated during a dance |
Oyster
What is an Oyster card?
Oyster is the easiest way to pay for journeys on the bus, Tube, tram, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and National Rail journeys in London. You can store your travel cards, Bus&Tram Pass, season tickets and credit to pay for journeys as you go.
Where to get an Oyster card?
There are a number of ways for you to get an Oyster card：
• At over 3,900 Oyster Ticket stops
• At Tube and London Overground station ticket offices
• At some National Rail stations
• At London Travel information Centres
• Online at tfl. gov. uk/oyster
How to use an Oyster card?
To pay the correct fare on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services, you must always touch in on the yellow Oyster card reader at the start of your journey, and touch out at the end. If you don’t, a maximum cash Oyster fare will be changed. When using the bus or tram, you must only touch in at the start, but not at the end of your journey.
What happens if I don’t visit London very often?
Don’t worry. Any pay as you go credit on your card will not expire (过期), so you can keep it for your next visit or lend it to a friend.
Fares
Traveling by Tube from Central London (Zone l)to Heathrow (Zone 6)
Adult Oyster single fare
£ 4. 20 Monday to Friday 06:30 - 09:30 and 16:00 -19:00
£ 2. 70 at all other times including public holidays
Adult single cash fare £ 5.00
For further information, visit tfl.gov. uk /fares.You can get an Oyster card at the following places EXCEPT_____
A. on the website B. at an Oyster Ticket stop
C at a post office D. at a Tube stationWhich of the following is TRUE about Oyster cards?
| A．They are limited in use to the owners themselves. |
| B．On National Rail services you must touch them on the reader twice. |
| C．They are not suitable for those who don’t visit London often. |
| D．Oyster card Tube fares cost more on public holidays than on weekdays. |
Haperson with an Oyster card takes the 7 o’clock Tube from Central London to Heathrow for a week (no public holiday in between)，he should pay_____.
| A．£ 18.90 | B．£ 29.40 |
| C．£21.90 | D．£26.40 |
The passage is probably taken from a_______
| A．magzine | B．travel guide |
| C．textbook | D．novel |
Last week the manager of an old jeweler’s shop received a letter marked “personal”, so of course his secretary gave it to him unopened. As he was very busy, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. Then he opened it and a￡10 note fell out onto his desk. With the note was a short letter. This is what it said:
Dear sir,
In 1935 I got engaged. But unfortunately at that time there was a lot of unemployment and I lost my job. I was six months without a job and then I got work again. But of course I was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring. The assistant brought some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I did not know the size of my girl-friend’s finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring.
My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for her ring has been on my conscience (良心) all these years. At the time the ring cost ￡2 so I reckon (估计) that is about ￡10 at today’s price. And I am sending you that amount.
Yours truly,
A customer
“Well, well, well,” said the manager, “life is full of surprises!”The best headline for this article would be _______.
| A．A Customer Pays His Bill | B．An Old Jeweler’s Shop |
| C．The Manager and the Letter | D．A Letter with￡10 |
Why didn’t the secretary open the letter? Because _______.
| A．he was very busy |
| B．it was a personal letter |
| C．there was a ￡10 note in it |
| D．the letter was unimportant |
What happened to the writer of the letter in 1935?
A. He was engaged to a girl.
B. He was out of work for six months.
C. He lost a ring.
D. Both A and B.What was true about the assistant?
| A．She lost her job. |
| B．She was short of money. |
| C．She was called away while serving the customer. |
| D．She put one of the rings in her pocket. |