Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new baby. They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's stomach.
In time, the labor pains come. But complications arise during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With alarm in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days go by. The little girl gets worse. The pediatric (儿科的) specialist tells the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.”
Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby, but now they plan a funeral. Michael keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. But kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not. If he doesn’t see his sister now, he may never see her alive.
She dresses him in an oversized suit and marches him into ICU. He looks like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and shouts, "Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed. Never disturb patients here.” The mother rises up strongly and said," He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"
Karen leads Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:" You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray…" Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate begins to calm down and becomes steady.
“Keep on singing, Michael.”encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away."
The next day, the very next day, the little girl is well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song". The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of Gods love!
Never give up on the people you love.What may the underlined words "the infant" refer to?
A.The baby | B.Karen | C.Mary | D.Michael |
What do we know about the little sister after she was born?
A.She was driven to St. Mary's shop. | B.A doctor came to see her in her house. |
C.She was very thin and couldn't speak. | D.She was in great danger. |
Why did Karen firmly let little Michael see his sister in ICU?
A.Because he could make his sister alive. |
B.Because his sister would be sent to a far hospital. |
C.Because his sister was going to die soon. |
D.Because his father wanted to take him away. |
What do we know about the head nurse?
A.The head nurse was careful. | B.The head nurse was rude. |
C.The head nurse was responsible. | D.The head nurse had no sympathy. |
What is the general idea of the text?
A.A boy’s singing saved his sister’s life. |
B.The little girl is well enough to go home. |
C.Michael's little sister is born with a serious disease. |
D.No children are allowed to enter the intensive care unit. |
If you look for a book as a present for a child,you will be spoiled for choice even in a year there is no new Harry Patten.J.K Rowling’s wizard is not alone .The past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books ,which has set off a large quantity of films and an increased sales of classics such as The lard of the Rings.
Yet despite that, reading is increasingly unpopular among children .According to statistics in 1997, 23% said they didn’t like reading at all.In 2003, 35% didn’t.And around 6% of the children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.
Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computes games.Maybe the books boom has affected only the top of the educational pile.Either way, Chancellor Cordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class .In his pre-budget report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.
Reading Recovery is aimed at six year olds, who receive four months of individual daily half-hour classes with a specially trained teacher.An evaluation this year reported that children on the school made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress ,and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.
International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school, they read well ,but read text often for fun than those elsewhere .Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can report lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success .According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage.
51.Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?
A.Many children’s books have been adapted from films.
B.Many high-quality children’s books have been published.
C.The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films.
D.The sales of presents for children have increased.
52.Statistics suggested that .
A.the number of top students increased with the use of computers
B.a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading
C.a minority of primary school children read properly
D.a huge percentage of children read regularly
53.What do we know about Reading Recovery?
A.An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year.
B.Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking.
C.It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading.
D.Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading.
54.Reading for fun is important because book-loving children _________.
A.take greater advantage of the project
B.show the potential to enjoy a long life
C.are likely to succeed in their education.
D.would make excellent future researchers
55.The aim of this text would probably be _________.
A.to overcome primary school pupils reading difficulty.
B.to encourage the publication of more children’s books
C.to remind children of the importance of reading for fun
D.to introduce a way to improve early children reading
Anyone who doubts that children are born with a healthy amount of ambition need spend only a few minutes with a baby eagerly learning to walk. No matter how many times the little ones stumble in their first efforts, most keep on trying, determined to master their amazing new skill. It is only several years later, many psychologists and teachers agree, that a good number of kids seem to lose their natural drive to succeed. For the parents of such kids, whose own ambition is often tied to their children’s success, it can be a painful experience.
Figuring out why the fire went out is the first step. Assuming that a kid doesn’t suffer from a learning disability, or isn’t involved in some family crisis(危机) at home, many educators attribute a sudden lack of motivation to a fear of failure or classmate pressure. “Everything is within the kids’ control; their intelligence is changeable,” says Lisa Blackwell, a research scientist at Columbia University. More than any teacher or workshop, Blackwell says, “parents can play a key role in conveying this message to their children by praising their effort, and progress rather than emphasizing their ‘smartness’ or praising high performance alone. Most of all, parents should let their kids know that mistakes are a part of learning.”
Some experts say our education system, with its strong emphasis on testing and separation of students into different levels of ability, also bears blame for the disappearance of drive in some kids. “These programs shut down the motivation of all kids who aren’t considered gifted and talented. They destroy their confidence,” says Jeff Howard, a social psychologist. Howard and other educators say it’s important to expose kids to a world beyond homework and tests, through volunteer work, sports, hobbies and other extracurriculum activities.
“The problem of the issue is that many students experience education as irrelevant to their life goals and ambitions,” says Michael Nakkual, a Harvard education professor. The key to getting kids to aim higher at school is to free them of the idea that class work is irrelevant, to show them how doing well at school can actually help them fulfill their dreams beyond it. They need to understand that you have to learn to walk before you can run.
46.According to the passage, the parents of kids with no ambition .
A.don’t do a very good job teaching them to walk
B.are to blame if the kids do poorly in school
C.feel pain because ambitions are connected to their success
D.should take part in extracurriculum activities with kids
47.The underlined part “the fire went out” probably means .
A.the motivation was suddenly lost
B.the fear of failure was suddenly gone
C.the learning disability was suddenly lost
D.the fire was suddenly gone
48.All the following can contribute to a sudden lack of ambition except .
A.learning disability B.classmate pressure
C.emphasis on testing D.extracurricular activities
49.What is the most important thing for parents in motivating their kids?
A.By punishing kids who don’t display ambition.
B.By emphasizing smartness and high performance.
C.By telling kids that mistakes are a part of learning.
D.By praising the effort and progress they have made.
50.We can infer from the passage that .
A.children who have lost their ambition will never succeed in life
B.school performance has much to do with students’ later success
C.both the parents and the school are to blame for the lost ambition
D.younger kids learning to walk are more ambitious than older ones
As I was reading a recent story in Slate on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruining their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled children who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment: my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we too are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the Slate story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought, what planet is she living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story despairs(绝望) that he can’t afford to get a Ph.D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations are slowly adjusting, but today’s 20-somethings grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be expanding. Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful-for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day-than on longing for some kind of luxury life.
41.What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
A.They expect everything to be easy for them.
B.They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans.
C.They are reluctant to face all of the challenges.
D.They are burdened by student loans.
42.The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means .
A.baby production B.pleasant
C.baby comfort D.essential
43.Which of the following is not one of the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A.They can’t have children for at least a decade to buy a house.
B.They have only one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C.They can’t buy a house until 40 because of student loans.
D.They despair at not being able to afford a Ph.D. in literature.
44.What’s the author’s attitude towards the 20-somthings with high expectation in Paragraph 5?
A.Intolerant.
B.Negative.
C.Unbelieving.
D.Understanding.
45.What is the best title for this passage?
A.How Young People Afford to Continue Their Study
B.Why Young People Can’t Afford to Buy a House
C.When Young People’s High Hopes Create Despair
D.What the 20-somethings’ High Expectations Are
Limit the use of private cars, improve public transport and encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion(拥挤) during the 2008 Olympics, experts from foreign countries advised Beijing on Friday.
Professor Nigel Wilson, of the civil and environmental engineering department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he was "supportive to the limiting of private cars during the Olympic Games", saying that in foreign countries, the method is also adopted during big events, but he was unsure about the approach.
The government planned to keep an average of more than one million cars off the roads to improve traffic flow during the Olympics, said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Committee, at the China Planning Network First Urban Transportation Congress.
Sharing Wilson's view, Dr. Yoshitsugu Hayashi, dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies of Nagoya University, believed the reduction in car use should be achieved not by banning, but through incentives.
"Drivers who don't use their private cars could be given points," he said, "and the points could be exchanged for goods from online shopping."
Wetzel stressed limiting the use of company cars. "Governmental officials should also be encouraged to use public transportation or ride bicycles," he said, adding that he himself is a bicycle-rider in London.
Matthew Martimo, director of Traffic Engineering with Citilabs, said the bicycle was China's advantage. "Limiting private cars is an idea worth trying but it is just a temporary solution," he said. "The real cause of congestion is high density of people in Beijing and many have cars."
Beijing, with a population of 15 million, is home to more than three million automobiles, and the number is rising by 1,000 a day.
Professor Wilson said the Olympic Games was a great opportunity for Beijing to think about traffic problems and develop transportation, adding that the city had already been making public transport more efficient. Beijing has promised to stretch its 114-kilometer city railway to 200 kilometers before the opening of the Olympic Games.
“We are looking forward to borrowing Beijing's experiences and drawing from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics,” said Wetzel.
51. The underlined word incentives in paragraph 4 means_______.
A. something that encourages people to try B. online shopping
C. points could be exchanged for goods D. award
52.It can be seen from the passage that ______.
A. the government planned to forbid over 1 million cars to run on the roads during the Olympics.
B. banning private cars is the best way to solve traffic congestion in Beijing
C. Beijing now has 200 kilometers of city railway
D. the use of company cars will not be limited
53. Why did Wetzel stress “ he himself is a bicycle-rider in London”?
A. To limit the use of company cars.
B. To encourage governmental officials to use public transportation or ride bicycles.
C. To show that riding bicycles is good for health.
D. To show that he loves riding bicycles.
54. Which of the following may be the reason for the traffic congestion in Beijing?
A. The 2008 Beijing Olympic games.
B. The number of cars in Beijing is rising by 1,000 a day.
C. The large population in Beijing and the large number of cars.
D. Public transport in Beijing is not efficient.
55. The purpose of the passage is ________.
A. to limit the use of private cars, improve public transport
B. to encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion during the 2008 Olympics
C. to borrow Beijing's experiences and draw from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics
D. to tell the advice given by foreign experts on traffic congestion during 2008 Beijing Olympics
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, carrier, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of the dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories fleshed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it, ” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside,
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bernett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes. Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack. Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.
46. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?
A. College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Belser.
B. Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.
C. Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.
D. His present busy life washed away his children memories.
47. Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that _________.
A. Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing
B. Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday
C. Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address
D. Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together
48. Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?
A. Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.
B. Because he had no children or relatives.
C. Because he thought he had to keep his word.
D. Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.
49. Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?
A. He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.
B. He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.
C. He had missed his son and his family for days.
D. He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.
50. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. The Good Old Times B. What He Valued Most
C. An Old Gold Watch D. The Lost Childhood Days