Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius.“ There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “ Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Edison invented the electric light. |
| B．Many other people have changed Edison’s life. |
| C．Edison has changed the life of many other people. |
| D．Few men in history can change other people’s life. |
Edison thought .
| A．he could be happy if he was a genius |
| B．genius plays the most important part in one’s success |
| C．hard work could do better than genius |
| D．genius could do better than hard work |
Edison was .
| A．very much interested in nature |
| B．interested in discovering the secrets of nature |
| C．interested in changing people’s ideas |
| D．uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature |
The last sentence in the passage most probably implies .
| A．life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings |
| B．Edison made 100 inventions in his life |
| C．Edison was able to live and work for 100 years |
| D．People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years’ work |
Children are often far more gifted than what their parents or teachers can realize.IQ tests do not measure creative talents.By depending on them to measure intelligence，therefore，we miss out on the talents of many of our most gifted youngsters.Most children start life with valuable creative potential.Unfortunately，many of them have it knocked out of them，so to speak，by the time they reach the 4th grade.It is not that parents and teachers deliberately squelch(限制) creativity；or rather，they fail to recognize it.By simply observing the child at work or at play，you may detect creativity，if you look for the following key signs：
*Curiosity.The child’s questioning is persistent and purposeful.He is not content with given explanations，and he would rather dig under the surface.
*Flexibility.If one approach doesn’t work，the child quickly thinks of another.
*Sensitivity to Problem.He is quick to see gaps in information.He is sensitive to contradictions between prior rules and what he hears or reads.
*Selffeeling.He has a feeling of being somebody in particular.He is selfmotivated，selfdirected，and can work alone for long periods provided it’s on his own project.
*Originality.He has surprising，uncommon，interesting ideas.His drawings and stories have a style that marks them as his own.
*Insight.He has easy access to realms(领域) of the mind that noncreative people visit only in their dreams.He toys with ideas that easily come to him.
Qualities like these count very little in IQ tests，which measure memory，vocabulary，mathematical ability and general reasoning.These abilities are valuable，and the creative child does usually have them.However，the child with a socalled genius IQ of 180 is in reality no more likely to be a genius than the child with a slightly aboveaverage IQ of 120.In fact，evidence suggests that some children with high IQs may develop memory and logical reasoning powers at the expense of insight，imagination，and adventurous qualities that are essential to geniuses.The main purpose of the passage is to tell us________.
| A．why IQ tests are not accurate |
| B．to encourage creativity in children |
| C．no to squelch creativity in children |
| D．the difference between intelligence and talents |
The author believes that IQ tests mainly measure ________.
| A．creative potential | B．talents |
| C．intelligence | D．general reasoning |
The passage doesn’t clearly state but implies that ________.
| A．the education nowadays does not provide much space for creativity |
| B．intelligence makes no contributions to creativity |
| C．signs of creativity in children are hard to detect |
| D．IQ tests are often used to measure children’s talents |
Which of the following best illustrates a child’s originality?
| A．He can tell whether a given explanation is convincing or not. |
| B．He can find different ways to solve a problem. |
| C．He can work on an interesting project with concentration. |
| D．He can draw a picture or tell a story in his own style. |
According to the passage，children with high IQs ________.
| A．may lack the qualities essential to geniuses |
| B．will probably turn into geniuses |
| C．are more likely to be geniuses than those with low IQs |
| D．also have qualities essential to geniuses |
A primary school has banned Valentine’s Day cards because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends.
Ashcombe Primary School in WestonsuperMare，Somerset，has told parents that cards declaring love can be “confusing” for children under the age of 11，who are still emotionally and socially developing.
In his February newsletter(简讯)，Peter Turner，head teacher，warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated.
He wrote，“We do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year.Some children and parents encourage a lot of talks about boyfriends and girlfriends.”
“We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend.”
Mr.Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine’s Day concept should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand.
His views were supported by Ruth Rice,46，who has twins Harriet and Olivia,9，at the school.
She said，“Children at that age shouldn’t really be thinking about Valentine’s Day，and they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.”
“They are at an age when they are easily influenced and most parents including myself are with Mr.Turner.”
She added，“The cards caused too much competition.If someone gets a card and another doesn’t then he or she will be disappointed.”
However，Rajeev Takyar,40，who sells newspapers and has two children Jai,11，and Aryan,5，at the school，said he was “genuinely outraged”．
He said，“There are schools that have banned conkers(康克戏) and snowballs，and now Valentine’s Day cards.”
“I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills.How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise？It’s ridiculous.”
Alec Suttenwood，founder of the AntiPolitical Correctness Group，said of the ban，“It’s totally ridiculous.Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents.It’s just a bit of harmless fun.There is no difference between this and Mother’s or Father’s Day.”Valentine’s Day cards may cause confusion among young children because ________.
| A．they are too young to understand what love is |
| B．teachers haven’t taught them how to make friends |
| C．children shouldn’t learn about social relationships |
| D．students talk too much about boyfriends and girlfriends |
The underlined word “confiscated” in Paragraph 3 can probably be replaced by “________”．
| A．collected | B．destroyed | C．taken away | D．burnt away |
Ruth Rice was in favor of Mr.Turner’s view in that ________.
| A．children like to compare Valentine’s Day cards |
| B．children should focus their mind on their lessons |
| C．sending holiday cards wastes both time and money |
| D．making friends has a negative influence on children |
Which statement is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Most of English parents want children to have fun. |
| B．Children should learn how to develop social skills. |
| C．English schools don’t allow students to play games. |
| D．Some parents think it unreasonable to ban the cards. |
What is the best title of the text?
| A．School Bans Valentine’s Day Cards |
| B．Shall We Send Valentine’s Day Cards? |
| C．Different Opinions on Valentine’s Day Cards |
| D．Parents’ Concern About Valentine’s Day Cards |
Michelle Obama has launched her campaign against childhood obesity in the US，saying that it is a problem that concerns her both as the first lady and as a mother.
Mrs.Obama said that the campaign was designed to encourage people to live healthier lives，but admitted that she herself was not immune to the temptations of junk food.
“I love burgers and fries.And I love ice cream and cake.And so do most kids，” she said.But，she added，“We’re not talking about a lifestyle that excludes all that.”
“The question is how we help people balance their diet so that they’re not facing lifethreatening，preventable illnesses，but they’re enjoying their food，they’re eating their vegetables，they’re doing their running，walking and playing，and they still have time to get a good，fun meal every once in a while.”
One in three American children are overweight or obese，putting them at the higher risk of developing diabetes(糖尿病)，high blood pressure，high cholesterol(胆固醇) and other illnesses.
Billions of dollars are spent every year treating obesityrelated conditions.
“None of us wants this future for our kids，” Mrs.Obama said at the White House.
“We have to act，so let’s move.”
Her campaign has four parts：helping parents make better food choices，serving healthier food in school vending machines(自动售货机) and lunch menus，making healthy food more available and affordable，and encouraging children to exercise more.
The campaign，which Mrs.Obama starts，is aimed at solving the childhood obesity problem in a generation，so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
“This isn’t like a disease where we’re still waiting for the cure to be discovered.We know the cure for this，” she said at the opening ceremony.
President Barack Obama praised his wife for solving what he called one of “the most urgent health issues facing the country”．
“This has enormous promise in improving the health of our children，in giving support to parents to make the kinds of healthy choices that are often very difficult，” he said.The best title of the passage would be “________”．
| A．The first lady begins to fight against childhood obesity |
| B．The most urgent health issues facing the country |
| C．The Obamas care about the health of fat children |
| D．The first lady can’t resist the temptations of junk food |
Why did Michelle Obama launch the campaign?
| A．To fight against adulthood obesity. |
| B．To help children to eat less junk food. |
| C．To encourage Americans to live more healthily. |
| D．To call on people to exercise more after work. |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．She is addicted to buying junk food. |
| B．She is also fond of junk food sometimes. |
| C．Many people are able to resist junk food. |
| D．Her immune system was not strong enough. |
What do we know about Americans?
| A．They all enjoy junk food. |
| B．They don’t eat their vegetables. |
| C．They have some time for exercise. |
| D．Many have obesityrelated illnesses. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．People don’t know the cure for obesity. |
| B．President Barack Obama supports his wife. |
| C．The campaign has solved the problem. |
| D．Obesity is the most urgent problem facing America. |
On May 23,1989, Stefania Follini came out from a cave at Carlsbad, New Mexico. She hadn’t seen the sun for eighteen and a half weeks. Stefania was in a research program, and the scientists in the program were studying body rhythms (节奏)。In this experiment Stefania had spent 130 days in a cave, 30 feet in depth.
During her time in the cave, Stefania had been completely alone except for two white mice. Her living place had been very comfortable, but there had been nothing to fell her the time. She’d had no clock or watches, no television or radio. There had been no natural light and the temperature had always been kept at 21℃.
The results were very interesting. Stefania had been in the cave for over four months, but she thought she had been there for only two. Her body clock had changed. She hadn't kept to a 24-hour day. She had stayed awake for 20-25 hours and then had slept for 10 hours. She had eaten fewer meals and had lost 17lbs in weight as a result! She had also become rather depressed (抑郁).
How had she spent her time in the cave? As part of the experiment she'd done some physical and mental tests. She'd recorded her daily activities and the results of the tests on a computer. This computer had been specially programmed for the project. Whenever she was free, she'd played cards, read books and listened to music. She'd also learned French from tapes.
The experiment showed that our body clocks are affected by light and temperature, For example, the pattern of day and night makes us wake up and go to sleep. However, People are affected in different ways. Some people wake up naturally at 5:00 am, but others don't start to wake up till 9:00 or 10;00 am. This affects the whole daily rhythm. As a result, the early risers are at their best in the late morning. The late risers, on the other hand, are tired during the day and only come to life in the afternoon or evening! Stefania stayed in the cave for a long time because___________.
| A．she was asked to do research on mice | B．she wanted to experience loneliness |
| C．she was the subject of a study | D．she needed to record her life |
What is a cause for the change of Stefania’s body clock?
| A．Eating fewer meals. | B．Having more hours of sleep |
| C．Lacking physical exercise. | D．Getting no natural light. |
Where does the text probably come from?
| A．A novel | B．A news story | C．A pet magazine | D．A travel guide |
It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth (收费站). “I’m paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me,” she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, “Some lady up ahead already paid your fare.”
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend’s refrigerator: “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. “I thought it was beautiful,” she said, explaining why she’d taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, “like a message from above.” Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn’t know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
“Here’s the idea,” Anne says. “Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly.” Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, “Kindness can build on itself as much as violence can.”
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours!Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her?
| A．She knew the car drivers well. |
| B．She wanted to show kindness. |
| C．She hoped to please others. |
| D．She had seven tickets. |
Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she .
| A．thought it was beautifully written |
| B．wanted to know what it really meant |
| C．decided to write it on a warehouse wall |
| D．wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom |
Who came up with the phrase according to the passage?
| A．Judy Foreman. | B．Natalie Smith. |
| C．Alice Johnson. | D．Anne Herbert. |
Which of the following statements is closest in the meaning to the underlined sentence above?
| A．Kindness and violence can change the world. |
| B．Kindness and violence can affect one’s behavior. |
| C．Kindness and violence can reproduce themselves. |
| D．Kindness and violence can shape one’s character. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．People should practice random kindness to those in need. |
| B．People who receive kindness are likely to offer it to others. |
| C．People should practice random kindness to strangers they meet. |
| D．People who receive kindness are likely to pay it back to the giver. |