There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority（优先）it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities（复杂）of spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: “ This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is illegible（难以辨认的）.” It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil’s technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation（动力）to seek improvement.Teachers are different in their opinions about ___________.
| A．the difficulties in teaching spelling |
| B．the role of spelling in general language development |
| C．the complexities of the basic writing skills |
| D．the necessity of teaching spelling |
The expression “play safe” probably means ____________.
| A．to write carefully | B．to do as the teachers say |
| C．to use dictionaries frequently | D．to avoid using words one is not sure of |
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that___________.
| A．students will be able to express their ideas more freely |
| B．students will have more confidence in writing |
| C．teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes |
| D．students will learn to be independent of teachers |
The writer seems to think that the teacher’s judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is____________.
| A．unfair | B．reasonable | C．foolish | D．careless |
The major point discussed in the passage is_____________.
| A．the importance of developing writing skills |
| B．the complexities of spelling |
| C．the correct way of marking compositions |
| D．the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition |
“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium（千年）, was made up of three parts——“The Fellowship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever, he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon listening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural（乡村的）class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them, Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves（侏儒）. On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible.
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft（草稿）. The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwin asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers—new and old —after their publication.What can we learn from the text?
| A．“The Lord of the Rings” didn’t sell well in the last millennium. |
| B．People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works. |
| C．Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English. |
| D．Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa. |
What can we learn about “Hobbit” that Tolkien created in his works?
| A．Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas. |
| B．Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong. |
| C．Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles. |
| D．Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves. |
Which of the following helped most in making “The Hobbit” published?
| A．One of Tolkien’s students. | B．Stanley Unwin’s son. |
| C．Allen & Unwin. | D．Bilbo Baggins. |
What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．“The Lord of the Rings” and its writer. |
| B．A completely new masterwork in the new millennium. |
| C．A famous professor at Oxford University. |
| D．The power of the magic ring. |
Which of the following shows the right order of Mr. J.R.R.Tolkien’s life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published.
b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World WarⅠ
d. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. His work “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world.
f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.
| A．f-d-b-c-a-e | B．f-c-d-b-e-a | C．f-d-c-b-a-e | D．d-f-c-a-b-e |
Let us begin by saying what does not cause our dreams. Our dreams do not come from “another world ”. They are not messages from outside source. They are not a look into the future , either ．
All our dreams have something to do with our feelings, fears, longings, wishes, needs and memories. If a person is hungry , or tired or cold , his dreams may include a feeling of this kind ．If the covers on your body , such as a quilt or a blanket have slipped off your bed , you may dream that you are sleeping on the ice and snow. The material for the dream you will have tonight is likely to come from the experience you have today.
So the subject of your dream usually comes from something that has effect on you while you are sleeping （feeling of cold, a noise, a discomfort, etc．） and it may also use your past experiences and the wishes and the interests you have now．This is why children are likely to dream of fairies, older children of school examinations, hungry people of food, home-sick soldiers of their families and prisoners of freedom．
To show you how this is happening while you are asleep and how your needs and wishes can all be joined together in a dream , here is the story of the experiment．A man was asleep and the back of his hand was rubbed with a piece of absorbed cotton．He would dream he was in hospital and his charming girlfriend was visiting him , sitting on the bed and feeling gently his hands!
There are some scientists who have made a special study of why we dream, what we dream and what those dreams mean．Their explanations of dreams , though a bit reasonable, is not accepted by everyone but it offers an interesting approach to the problem．They believe that dreams are mostly expressions of wishes that do not come true．In other words, dreams are a way of having your wishes carried out． From the passage we know that our dreams ___________.
| A．are imagination of our daily life |
| B．are man’s curious look into the future |
| C．have nothing to do with our feelings |
| D．are to some degree connected with our feelings |
Older children often dream of examinations probably because ___________.
| A．they are interested in exams |
| B．they are often worried about their studies |
| C．they hope for a better life |
| D．they show much interest in their studies |
According to the writer , the explanation of dreams that some scientists made ___________.
| A．is considered interesting , but unreasonable |
| B．gives a good answer to the question why we dream |
| C．has some value , though not fully convincing |
| D．has been proved by the findings of their studies |
What is the best title for this passage ?
| A．Why People Dream ? | B．New Findings about Dreams |
| C．Dream Makes Hopes | D．What Dreams Mean ? |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine，newspaper，radio and television ads，promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs，slim the face，smooth wrinkles，or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than moneymaking things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable，and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public，it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug，FDA(Food and Drug Administration)can require proof under the Food，Drug，and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device，FDA has no authority to require the proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health，FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily，or it can take legal action，including seizure (查封) of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor，which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously，most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings (法律诉讼)，and new devices appear continually. Before buying，it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are________.
| A．objective | B．costly | C．unreliable | D．illegal |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．The court is in charge of removing dangerous products.
B．New products are more likely to be questionable.
C．The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D．The promoters usually just care about profits.FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product________.
| A．if it is a drug |
| B．if it is a device |
| C．if its consumers make complaints |
| D．if its distributors challenge FDA's authority |
The Relaxacisor is mentioned as________.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
■United States Capitol
It serves as the seat of government for the US Congress. It is located in Washington, D. C., on top of Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Officially, both the east and west sides of the Capitol are referred to as “fronts”. Historically, however, the east front was initially the side of the building intended for the arrival of visitors and famous guests.
Phone: (202) 225-6827
Official website: www.aoc.gov
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
■International Spy Museum
It is a privately owned museum dedicated to the field of espionage located in Washington. D. C., The museum was built by The Malrite Company at a cost of US $ 40 million. Despite being one of the few museums in Washington that charges admission fees, it has been popular since its opening in July 2002.
Phone: (202) 393-7798
Official website: www.spymuseum.org
Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
■National Museum of Natural History
It is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year. The museum’s collections total over 125 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites（陨石），and human cultural artifacts, making it the largest such museum anywhere. It is the second most popular of all of the Smithsonian museums and is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists—the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of the natural and cultural history in the world.
Phone: (202) 633-1000
Official website: www.mnh.si.edu
■Jefferson Memorial
It is a presidential memorial in Washington, D. C., dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third president of the United States. The neoclassical building was designed by John Russell Pope. It was built by Philadelphia contractor John Mc. Shain. Construction began in 1939, the building was completed in 1942, and the bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947. When completed, the memorial occupied one of the last significant sites left in the city.
Phone: (202) 426-6821
Official website: www.mps.gov/thjeWhich admission is free?
| A．United States Capitol |
| B．Jefferson Memorial |
| C．International Spy Museum |
| D．National Museum of Natural History |
Visitors can learn more about ________ in the Jefferson Memorial.
| A．the third American president | B．the US government |
| C．rock collections | D．natural history |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A science textbook | B．A tourist guide |
| C．A museum guide | D．A history report |
I was riding my special motorbike this past weekend and stopped at a convenience store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.”
He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the convenience store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.” I told her about some of the other things I do (ski, travel the world by myself, etc.). As her father was taking her off my bike, she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things, and I will too.” Her father turned away as a tear of joy rolled down his cheek. He hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” I believed what he said. Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.How did the father feel at first when the author invited his daughter for a ride?
| A．He felt surprised because he didn’t know the author. |
| B．He was happy because his daughter could gain excitement. |
| C．He was moved because the author was willing to help his daughter. |
| D．He felt nervous because he was worried about his daughter’s safety. |
What can we know about the author?
| A．He was a disabled man. |
| B．He usually drove too fast. |
| C．He worked in a convenience store. |
| D．He often helped people who were in trouble. |
According to the passage, the girl _______.
| A．used to be a completely healthy person |
| B．was not allowed to do some fierce sports |
| C．usually felt sad about life due to her disability |
| D．was unwilling to communicate with a stranger |
What did the author’s gift refer to according to the girl’s father?
| A．The motorbike. | B．The wheelchair. | C．The blessing. | D．The ride. |