Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting.But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day — which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way — by copying letters over and over again. Today’ s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself.Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility,_which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency — writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about onefourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.We can learn ________ from Paragraph 1.
A.teaching handwriting is a basic requirement in teaching job |
B.most teachers prefer to teach handwriting |
C.teachers spend little time in teaching handwriting |
D.a keyboard has taken the place of the handwriting entirely |
Which of the following is WRONG for traditional handwriting in the USA?
A.The students are taught by practicing a long period. |
B.The letters are repeated many times. |
C.Handwriting includes two skills. |
D.To write in cursive is taught first. |
The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A.easy to read | B.complex | C.unexpected | D.unreadable |
The best title for the passage is ________.
A.How to improve handwriting in school |
B.Right or wrong: the death of handwriting |
C.Handwriting involves two skills |
D.Handwriting lessons are on the way out |
The author’ s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is________.
A.negative | B.objective | C.critical | D.optimistic |
People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?
When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles (走道) between the shelves. You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you think about the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you’ve got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a “feel good” impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.
Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says “Buy me quickly!” to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say “Buy me quickly!” as you walk by. The expensive meat says “Buy me quickly!” The supermarket tells you what to buy.Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ______.
A.makes customers walk slowly and buy more |
B.can help customers get the things they want |
C.can make customers relaxed and happy |
D.can tell customers exactly where to go |
The manager knows ______.
A.where customers come from |
B.which customers like slow music |
C.where fresh meat should be put |
D.which customers like cheap meat |
When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will ______.
A.pay no attention to it | B.possibly buy some |
C.look for some cheap meat | D.feel uncomfortable |
If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ______.
A.you know where to get things |
B.it brings you good luck |
C.it makes you spend less money |
D.you’ll get a fresh impression |
Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ______.
A.the customers will buy more | B.it looks very expensive |
C.the customers come often | D.it seems cheap and fine |
Finally, I got a part – time job working at the local coffee shop. I had figured that the job would be easy. However, the actual situation was not what I had expected. The customers were hard to please. There was always too much sugar, too little ice, or not enough skimmed milk. However, I kept at it.
One rainy day, Hank, one of my regular customers, came in looking sad and defeated. I asked what the problem was and if we could help, but Hank wouldn’t tell me any details. He just said he felt like going to bed, pulling the sheets up over his head, and staying there for a few days. I knew exactly how he felt.
Before he left, I handed him a bag of his favorite type of doughnuts along with his iced coffee. He looked at me skeptically because he hadn’t ordered anything else except iced coffee.
“It’s on me,” I told him. “Have a nice day.”
He smiled and thanked me before turning around and heading back out into the rain.
The next day was a horrible one. The rain kept pouring down and I spent my afternoon hanging out the window, handing people their orders. What’s worse, no one felt like tipping that day.
However, around 7:00 pm, Hank drove up to the window. Instead of ordering anything, he handed me a single pink rose and a little note. He said that few people take the time to care about others nowadays and he was glad there were still people like me in the world. I was speechless and very touched; I hadn’t thought that I had done anything incredible.
The note read:
Christine,
Thanks for being so sweet, kind and thoughtful yesterday. I was sincerely touched by you. It is so nice to meet someone that’s nice, warm, sensitive and unselfish. Please don’t change your ways because I truly believe that you will excel. Have a great day!
Hank
Later, I did come across more complaining customers. But anytime I felt sad or just sick of coffee, I thought of Hank and his kindness. Then I would smile, hold my head up high, clear my throat and ask politely, “How can I help you?”How did the author feel after he began to work at the coffee shop?
A.Disappointed. | B.Confused. | C.Excited . | D.Satisfied. |
What happened to the regular customer of the author?
A.He was very sick and had to stay in bed for some days. |
B.He was not satisfied with the coffee served to him. |
C.He was anxious to stay at home for a long time. |
D.He was not feeling himself for some reasons. |
What does the underlined word “skeptically” probably mean in the passage?
A.questioningly | B.hopefully | C.anxiously | D.excitedly |
It was Hank who helped the author realize the importance of .
A.patience in one’s work |
B.being kind to regular customers |
C.taking time to care about others |
D.sticking to one’s own career |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.Coffee Shop Kindness | B.A Warm – hearted Man |
C.My Part – time Job | D.A Horrible Raining Day |
Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are.
Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now.
When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment.
When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more.
When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment. Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition.
Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural.How can we live with contentment?
A.To change our lifestyle. |
B.To have a motivation in life. |
C.To give less attention to what we are grateful for. |
D.To realize the difference between needs and desires. |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Make wise decisions. | B.Know the present situation |
C.Let go of regrets. | D.Remember the past. |
The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “__”.
A.enjoy | B.change | C.create | D.neglect |
What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?
A.Make time for simple pleasures. |
B.Learn from successful people. |
C.Focus on your future goals. |
D.Create chance to learn more. |
As many as 4 out of every 1,000 infants born today have permanent hearing loss. When parents learn that their child has hearing loss, they are faced with many difficult decisions. These decisions can include choosing therapies and schools, as well as finding financial help for hearing aids or cochlear implants (人工耳蜗). Help Me Hear Foundation is a public charity that gives the gift of hearing to deaf children from families existing on very low incomes around the world. The foundation offers life-changing services for impoverished families, and provides real help for children with hearing impairment who may otherwise be left behind in schools or society due to their lack of hearing.
Help Me Hear Foundation believes that a child’s first years of development are critical. Being able to hear is vital to human, and Help Me Hear Foundation seeks to provide a positive lasting impression on society through its programs. Help Me Hear Foundation has many goals, including relieving the burden on communities with hearing-impaired infants and children, and strengthening the social structure of families and neighborhoods.
Recipients of Help Me Hear Foundation’s benefits receive state-of-the-art hearing devices that otherwise would cost thousands of dollars per child over the course of their lifetime. The Foundation raises money through donations for hearing aids and cochlear implants, which saves recipients and their families on average over $50,000 on related expenses.
The Foundation tries to be a transparent charity, and wants to be a catalyst for allowing deaf and hearing-impaired children to develop in a typical fashion alongside their peers.
Needy families can obtain information on specific services, and find out about deafness education by visiting the Help Me Hear Foundation’s website. The website offers helpful information on how hearing aids work, and how hearing aids ease many of the learning and language challenges that hearing-impaired children deal with on a daily basis.Help Me Hear Foundation was probably set up to _____.
A.build schools for deaf children |
B.research deaf children’s behavior |
C.protect deaf children from being ignored |
D.offer real help to poor deaf children |
We learn from the text that _____.
A.the local government is in charge of the foundation |
B.the work of the foundation depends on donations |
C.even blind children can turn to the foundation |
D.poor deaf African children cannot get help from the foundation |
Visit the foundation’s website, and you will learn about _____.
A.the function of hearing aids |
B.the specific services the foundation needs |
C.the challenges that children face every day |
D.the prices of a variety of hearing aids |
For whom is the text most probably written?
A.Poor parents who have deaf children. |
B.Doctors who want to improve skills. |
C.Students who cannot see the blackboard clearly. |
D.Teachers who have deaf children in their class. |
The author writes the text mainly to _____.
A.tell how to avoid permanent hearing loss |
B.explain how hard a life deaf children live |
C.introduce Help Me Hear Foundation |
D.advise people to give money to Help Me Hear Foundation |
Homestay UK/Great Britain
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Chika and Tara from London, the United Kingdom
Information about the homestay host
Chika is 28 years old. She is away from home most of the time. Tara is 18 years old. She is at home every day. They both speak English.
Chika and Tara’s guests can stay for at least 5 nights and up to a maximum of 365 nights. Chika and Tara have no children living at home. It is a non-smoking residence(住宅). No pets live in this household.
Information about the homestay accommodation
The accommodation is in London. The name of the neighborhood is Greenwich. The distance to the city center is 1.6km. The next access point to public transport is at 15 m distance.
Three guests can stay in Tara and Chika’s house at the same time. The following accommodation is generally available:
Single room with shared use of the family bathroom
*Size: 12.0 ㎡
*Facilities: desk, Internet access, mirror, hairdryer and wardrobe(衣橱)
*Price per night per person: £20.00 per night(one single)
Twin room with shared use of the family bathroom
*Size: 15.0 ㎡
*Facilities: TV, desk, Internet access, mirror, hairdryer and wordrobe
*Price per night per person:
£20.00 per night(one guest)
£17.00 per night(two guests)
The room charge includes the following services: Internet access, regular room cleaning, breakfast, free use of the washing machine.
Additional available service at an extra charge: Pick-up service(£60.00 one-way); Lunch(£6.00 per person per day); Dinner(£6.00 per person per night)
Vegetarian(素食的) meals are available.Chika and Tara’s house would be a good choice for _______.
A.a pet lover | B.a heavy smoker |
C.a person who eats no meat | D.one who needs a one-night stay |
What do we know about Chika and Tara’s house?
A.It lies in the center of the city. |
B.It is not far away from Greenwich. |
C.Public transport is convenient there. |
D.The distance from the house to London is 1.6 km. |
If Mary chooses a twin room and pick-up service(two-way), how much should she pay per day?
A.£140. | B.£137. | C.£80. | D.£77 |