The saying that children don’t like reading any more has been proved untrue. A new study finds that 75 percent of kids between five and 17 say that although they love technology, they still want to read books．
The Kids & Family Reading Report also says that 62 percent of kids prefer reading printed books rather than those on a computer．At the same time, those who search an author’s website or use the Internet to find books by a particular author, are more likely to read books for fun every day．
The study also once again proves that the time kids spend reading books for fun decreases after the age of eight and continues to drop through the teen years．The report is a follow-up to a 2006 study．But this time the focus is on the role of technology and when kids’ interest in reading starts to drop．
“Despite the fact that after the age of eight more children go online daily than read for fun daily, high frequency Internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day,” says Heather Carter, a writer of the report．
One in four kids between five and 17 say they read books for fun every day and more than half of kids say they read books for fun at least two to three times a week．One of the key reasons kids say they don’t read more often is that they have trouble finding books they like - a requirement that parents underestimate(低估)．
The study also finds that parents have a strong influence on kids’ reading, but only about half of all parents begin reading to their kids before their first birthday．The percent of children who are read to every day drops from 38 percent among five-to eight-year-olds to 23 percent among nine-to 11-year-olds - exactly the same time that kids’ daily reading for fun starts to drop．
“Parents’ engagement in their child’s reading from birth all the way through the teen years can have a great influence on how often their children read and how much they enjoy reading,” adds Carter．What can we learn from the text?
| A．Children don’t like reading any more after the age of 8. |
| B．Most children like reading as well as going online. |
| C．All kids like reading e – books instead of printed ones. |
| D．Most children like going online instead of reading. |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．the study of kids’ reading has been made before |
| B．most parents begin reading to their kids from their birth |
| C．all kids like to get information using the Internet |
| D．nowadays all children still like to read books |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The kids who often go online don’t like reading books. |
| B．Parents should teach their kids reading from an early age. |
| C．Sometimes it is difficult for kids to get the books they like. |
| D．When kids get older, parents spend more time with them. |
According to the text, contributes a lot to children’s interest in reading.
| A．the Internet | B．parents’ engagement |
| C．short supply of books | D．new technology |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Do kids still like reading? | B．Kids’ interest in reading drops |
| C．New technology on kids’ reading | D．Parents’ influence on kids’ reading |
A green house is a building made of glass which is used for keeping warm when the outside temperature is low. In a similar way there are several gases in the atmosphere (mixture of gases that surround the earth) which trap the heat produced by the sun and prevent it from escaping. These gases are known as “greenhouse gases”. And the way in which they trap heat in the atmosphere is called the “greenhouse effect”. This is not simply air pollution. Most of the main greenhouse gases exist naturally in small amounts in our atmosphere, and without them the earth would be 30 degrees colder and human life would not exist. In other words, the greenhouse effect is a natural course which is to some degree helpful to us.
The problem is that in the last century and a half, we have been putting too many of these gases into the earth’s atmosphere by burning large quantities of coal and oil and by cutting down forest. The rapid increase in greenhouse gases is making the world warmer. The world’s temperature has already gone up by half a degree this century, and the sea level has risen by 10 centimetres. If the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubles, there will probably be a rise in the earth’s temperature of between I and 4℃;. This may seem a small increase, but it would be enough to cause major changes in geography and agriculture. Large areas of the world would be flooded, and some areas would become dry and unable to produce crops. It is important, too, to consider that there may be a delay of about 30 years in the greenhouse effect. This means that we are probably experiencing only now the effect of the gases put into the atmosphere before the 1960s. Since then, our use of these gases has greatly increased. According to the passage, we can know “greenhouse effect” means_______.
| A．the way in which gases are used for keeping plants warm |
| B．a natural course that is to a certain degree useful to us |
| C．the way “greenhouse gases” trap heat on the earth |
| D．the whole course in which greenhouse gases prevent heat |
If there were no greenhouse effect,_______.
| A．all plants would not grow on our planet |
| B．soil would reduce the temperature by 30 degrees |
| C．man would breathe the cleaner air |
| D．people couldn’t live in the earth |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．Burning too much coal and oil produces lots of greenhouse gases. |
| B．It has become warm on the earth now than in the past. |
| C．Gases put into the atmosphere now will affect the earth years later. |
| D．The temperature in a greenhouse is as high as that in the atmosphere. |
Suppose the earth’s temperature rose by 3 degrees, _______.
| A．great harm will be done to mankind |
| B．the sea level would go up by 10 centimeters |
| C．all the land in the world would be flooded |
| D．crops would be unable to grow on the earth |
This passage mainly deals with ________.
| A．the concept (概念) and the harm of the greenhouse |
| B．the relation between greenhouse gases and man |
| C．the concept and change of greenhouse effect |
| D．the effect of the rise of the earth’s temperature |
A long time ago, before there was any money (coins or paper money), people got the things that they needed by trading or exchanging. Salt was one of the first items used to exchange for other items. Later, some of the common things that were used for exchanging were tea leaves, shells, feathers, animal teeth, tobacco, and blankets. Around 3000 BC, barley, a type of grain, was used for exchanging.
The world’s first metal money was developed by the Sumerians who melted silver into small bars all weighing the same. This was around 1000 BC. About three hundred years later, people started using coins as official money.
Around 640 BC, people in the ancient kingdom of Lydia ( which was in Turkey) created special coins of exact with and purity (纯度). They were made of gold and silver and were stamped with a lion’s head.
Later, other empires such as Greece, Persia, and Rome adopted the concept of coins and started developing their own in many different shapes and different metals.
Around the year 1000, the Chinese started using paper money. The Chinese were the first to use paper money. The Europeans discovered this thanks to Marco Polo who went to China in 1295. the Chinese had different values for the paper notes which were made by the Chinese government.
Around 1661, Sweden became the first European country to make paper money. Until 1850, the Spanish dollar was the coin most widely used throughout the world.What is the best title for this passage?
| A． The history of money |
| B． How people traded in the past |
| C． The invention of paper money |
| D． The use of coins around the world |
We learn that before coins and paper money were used, _____.
| A． barley had always been used for exchanging |
| B． only a few people knew how to trade with others |
| C． salt was the most widely used item for exchanging |
| D． many kinds of things were used for exchanging |
According to the passage, when did people start using coins as official money?
A. Around 1300 BC. B. Around 1000 BC.
C. Around 700 BC. D. Around 640 BC.The underlined word “adopted” in Paragraph 4 probably means “____”.
| A． replaced | B． changed |
| C． accepted | D． invented |
Which of the following countries first started to use paper money?
| A．Spain | B．China | C．Sweden | D．Lydia |
Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area, official figures showed.
"The country’s natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels. What do we know about the IUCN?
| A．A union for listing animals and plants on the earth |
| B．A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife |
| C．An organization concerning the protection of rare species’ survival |
| D．A government made up officials, scientists and experts |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．All the protection methods can’t work. |
| B．The IUCN does most of the protection. |
| C．The efforts China makes has paid off. |
| D．Enough is done in wildlife protection. |
Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?
| A．Bad weather | B．Over-hunting | C．Warmer oceans | D．Habitat destruction |
Which of the sentence is NOT true?
| A．China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources. |
| B．China has set up a lot of natural reserves. |
| C．The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area. |
| D．The rate of China’s natural reserves is lower than the average of the world. |
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin （顽童） was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car, Paul?” he asked.
Paul answered, “Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He wished he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?”
“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Paul, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again．“Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled （残疾） brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it… Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.The street urchin was very surprised when __________.
| A．he saw the shining car | B．Paul told him about the car |
| C．he was walking around the car | D．Paul received an expensive car |
From the story we know that the urchin __________.
| A．wished to give his brother a car |
| B．wished Paul’s brother to give him a car |
| C．wished Paul could be a brother like that |
| D．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s |
The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ______.
| A．to show he had a rich friend | B．to show his neighbors the car |
| C．to let his brother ride in the car | D．to tell his brother about his wish |
We can infer from the story that __________.
| A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin |
| B．the urchin’s wish came true in the end |
| C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother |
| D．the urchin had a deep love for his brother |
Everybody knows that words can carry messages. People communicate with words. Books, magazines, TV, radio and films all help us to communicate with others. They all help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.
Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you put up your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask a question. You shake your head, and people know you are saying “No”. You nod and people know you are saying “Yes”.
Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs with arrows on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?
People can communicate in many ways without words. For example, an artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, about the sea and many other things.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．It is a most popular way for man to communicate with words. |
| B．Words are the only way for man to communicate. |
| C．Using radio is one of the ways for man to communicate. |
| D．TV can help people to know the world better. |
Besides words, which can also be used to express oneself?
| A．Sign language. | B．Smile. | C．Head shaking. | D．Nodding. |
Which of the following signs is usually used to show you the direction?
| A．Picture. | B．A number. | C．A kind of color. | D．An arrow. |
According to the passage, how does an artist often express himself?
| A．He writes articles. | B．He gives reports. | C．He sings songs. | D．He draws pictures. |