Separate lives, similar dreams
As we know, some children live in the countryside, and some live in the city. Their lives are a little different, but they also have many of the same dreams.
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In the countryside |
In the city |
Travel to school |
On foot |
By bus or car |
Classroom facilities(设施) |
Recorders and radios. |
Multimedia classrooms, VCD, DVD, TVs, recorders, radios, loud-speakers. |
Ways of learning |
Classes only, without many reference books. |
Many extra classes, tutor, lots of reference books. |
Eyesight |
Less than 45% are near-sighted. |
About 75% are near-sighted. |
After-class activities |
Playing with balls. |
English corners and other school clubs. |
Homework |
Homework can usually be finished at school. |
Homework never ends. |
Chores to do |
Washing, cleaning, farming, looking after younger sisters or brothers, cooking. |
Usually no chores. |
Family members |
Big families with three generations. |
Small families with three members. |
Ideal jobs |
Teachers, drivers, scientists, nurses, secretaries. |
Scientists, professors, doctors, computer programmers, managers, university presidents, the UN chief. |
The survey was done among the ______ between in the countryside and the city.
A.teachers. | B.students. | C.parents. | D.adults. |
. About ______ of children in the countryside have good eyesight, but only ______ of children in the city have good eyesight.
A.45%,75%. | B.55%,75%. | C.55%,25%. | D.45%,25%. |
Which of the following is not included in the survey?
A.Ideal jobs. | B.After-class activities. |
C.Ways of learning. | D.Results of tests. |
. A classroom in the countryside often has ______ according to the survey.
A. records. B. DVD. C. TVs. D. loud-speakers. Which of the following is WRONG according to the survey?
A.Children in the countryside often go to school on foot. |
B.Children in the city often have too much homework to do. |
C.Children in the countryside often have lots of chores to do. |
D.Children in the city are difficult to find ideal jobs. |
Christmas Eve means a warm get-together with friends, a candlelight dinner, or perhaps a celebration at a pub for students. But, for Cai Yingjie, the night has a different meaning: helping beggars(乞丐)and the homeless(people without homes).
Cai, who is a student in journalism at Tsinghua, could be found at Beijing’s Wudaokou Light Railway Station that special evening. When she saw an old beggar, she took the cold, rough hands of the woman with her warm, clean hands, and gave the woman some warm bread and helped her put on a pair of new gloves.
The woman was surprised for a few seconds, then burst into tears, saying “for the first time I feel respected”.
Cai said, “A beggar’s life is very hard. That’s why I want to help them.”
Cai was one of 14 Tsinghua students spendingChristmas Eve among the poor. They walked in the cold wind along the streets from 4to 7 pm on Friday, visiting 15 beggars in Beijing’s Haidian District.
They brought bread and gloves with them, and stopped to greet beggars and offer them some of the warm food. Each beggar greeted them with a look of surprise.
“I know the activity can’t help much, but it’s meant to show our respect and care for beggars and the homeless who have been neglected for so long,” said Sun, head of the group. “And Christmas is a good time for that.” What does Christmas Eve mean to the 14 Tsinghua students?
A.Taking 15 beggars to Tsinghua. |
B.Getting together with friends. |
C.Showing care to the beggars and the homeless. |
D.Selling bread and gloves to the beggars. |
What does the beggar mean by saying “for the first time I feel respected”?
A.The beggar has been waiting for Cai for long. |
B.The beggar hasn’t been shown care for so long. |
C.The beggar has been respecting Cai for a long time. |
D.This is the first time the beggar has seen Tsinghua students. |
What did each beggar feel when they received greetings?
A.Sad. | B.Amazed. |
C.Frightened. | D.Proud. |
The word “neglected” in the last passage means _______.
A.protected | B.found |
C.taken care of | D.given no enough care |
The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years. The Maya were so bright that they achieved a lot. They had farms, temples and cities with many buildings. They knew much about nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most people of that time.
In ancient Mexico there were many small clearings in the forest. In each clearing was a village with fields of crops around it. The Maya planted seeds after they cleared the land. A farmer was able to grow crops that produced for several people. But not every Maya had to be a farmer. Some were builders or priests (祭司).
The Maya believed in many gods. They built large temples to honor them. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was difficult because they had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today, many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the Maya worked hard to build the beautiful cities, very few of them lived in them. Usually, only the priests lived in the cities. The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler. Most Maya lived a simple life close to nature.
Measuring time correctly was important to the Maya, so Mayan priests made a system to keep track of time. They wrote numbers as dots ( … ) and bars ( — ). They also made a calendar (日历). The year was divided into 18 months of 20 days each with five days left over.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one knows why this happened. They may have died from a deadly disease. They may have left because the soil could no longer grow crops. The lost secrets of the Maya are still beyond the reach of modern people. They are still one of our greatest mysteries (神秘).The Maya lived better than most people of their times because _____.
A.they had skillful workers |
B.they believed in many gods |
C.they knew better about nature |
D.they could measure time correctly |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A.the calendar was first invented by the ancient Maya |
B.the ancient Mayan cities and temples were well built |
C.the ancient Mayan people led a happy life in the cities |
D.the priests were not highly respected by the ancient Maya |
The underlined word “they” in the passage refers to _____.
A.the Mayan people | B.the Mayan villages |
C.the Mayan cities | D.the lost secrets of the Maya |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.The Life of the Maya | B.The Cities of the Maya |
C.The Mystery of the Maya | D.The Belief of the Maya |
Are you a team person? Are you at your best as part of a small, tightly united group of dedicated workers? If so, the future may hold more for you than you think.
High technology, some predicted, would make team work a thing of the past. That’s happening in those areas of business and data processing where one person and a computer can replace a team of workers.
But, elsewhere, teamwork is very much alive. High technology has led to a new type of teamwork in a number of fields, including advertising, scientific research, engineering design, architecture and ocean exploration. Through computer networking, scientists, engineers and technicians at different locations---often thousands of miles apart---can work on the same project at once. They can exchange ideas, try out different designs and test their results.
Examples? An engineering team can now design and try out a robot system, a new manufacturing process, or an entire factory before it is built. An architectural team can do the same with a building or a bridge. A medical team can simulate (模拟) a dangerous operation before performing it on a patient.
Of course, computer–assisted team effort doesn’t end with investigation and simulation. It now usually continues into actual design, manufacturing and testing. “Computer–aided design (CAD) and computer–aided manufacture (CAM) are breaking down barriers between traditional design and manufacturing functions,” explains Dr. Prakash Rao, an engineering manager at General Electric. “Interdisciplinary teams and engineers follow a product from concept to production. Everything is interconnected like a network.”
Sometimes a computer–aided effort can extend beyond production. A team that produces robots may use them to explore space and ocean depth. For high–technology team work, the future seems limitless.The underlined part “hold more” most probably means to .
A.maintain more chances | B.give more rights |
C.make more regulations | D.store more information |
According to the passage, the writer believes that .
A.teamwork requires more use of computers than that of human beings |
B.teamwork will be completely replaced by computers |
C.the concept of teamwork is still alive and no longer the same as the past |
D.high technology would make teamwork a thing of the past |
The examples given by the writer in Paragraph 4 serve .
A.to prove high technology has a promising future |
B.to explain his idea of new type of teamwork is reasonable |
C.to show that it tends to be an end to teamwork soon |
D.to indicate the computer—assisted team effort just means investigation and simulation. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Many fields of science and technology are now using computers effectively. |
B.No details are given in the passage about barriers between traditional design and manufacturing functions. |
C.Experts from different fields have to cooperate to develop a product from concept to production. |
D.High technology is nothing but a new type of teamwork plus CAD and CAM. |
The author’s attitude to towards the introduction of the computer to teamwork is of .
A.objection | B.indifference | C.support | D.doubt |
Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement.
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in purple cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(效忠宣誓).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (核心) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.What’s the article mainly about?
A.An American graduation ceremony. |
B.The opening ceremony of a sports meeting. |
C.A presentation of college diplomas. |
D.A US college’s farewell party. |
According to the text, which of the following statements about the author is TRUE?
A.Hollywood superstars went to attend the ceremony. |
B.Every single senior became a superstar at the ceremony. |
C.When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were cheers. |
D.All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives. |
The right order of the following events is________.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates.
b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played.
d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.
A.b-c-a-d-e | B.b-d-c-e-a | C.e-d-b-a-c | D.e-d-c-b-a |
From the text, we can infer that_______.
A.foreign exchange students could get a diploma |
B.a diploma guarantees a bright future |
C.the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life |
D.everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma |
Read this article and find out which one is a must-read for your children for Thanksgiving.
Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit
Clifford has to stay home with his neighbors, as Emily Elizabeth’s family goes visiting her grandmother. At first, Clifford feels lonely, thinking of his own family, but then he decides to visit his mother too. He travels many miles, crosses bridges, and he even gets into the subway! Follow Clifford’s trip to the big city! At http://www.powells.com. it is $3.99. The author is Norman Bridwell. It is for children aged 4-8.
The Magic Tree House
The Magic Tree House describes how Jack and Annie return back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the pilgrims(移民) as well as Squanto, a native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as their adventures and excitements. It is for ages 4-8. The book costs
$2.50 at http://www.powells.com. The author is Sal Murdocca.
Franklin’s Thanksgiving
Franklin thinks that there will be an over-abundance of food for Thanksgiving dinner. So he invites his teacher and friends for Thanksgiving dinner. It costs $2.50 at www.Powells.com. The book is for children aged 4-8. The author is Paulette Bourgeois.
The First Thanksgiving
The First Thanksgiving is for ages 4-8 and it tells about the story of the pilgrims’ learning languages. It is beautifully illustrated with plenty of beautiful watercolors(水彩画). The author is James Waiting and the price of the book is $2.50. You can find it on http://www.powells.com.Clifford travels to the big city probably because ________.
A.he is eager to visit his grandmother | B.he is not happy at home |
C.he misses his neighbors very much | D.he likes traveling very much |
If you are interested in the pilgrims’ life you can read ________.
A.Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit | B.The Magic Tree House |
C.Franklin’s Thanksgiving | D.The First Thanksgiving |
Kids can understand The First Thanksgiving better with the help of ________.
A.teachers | B.other readers | C.pictures | D.computers |