Say Yes to Reading
Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boy’s Life 2012 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.
The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words— 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories(类别)：
● 8 years old and younger
● 9 and 10 years old
● 11 years old and older
First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift certificate(礼券) good for any product in the Boy Scouts official retail catalog(零售目录). Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift certificate and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate.
Everyone who enters will get a free patch(眼罩). In coming years, you’ll have the chance to earn different patches.
The contest is open to all Boys’ Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry. Send your report to:
Boys’ Life Reading Contest
S306
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Entries(参赛作品) must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2012 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Winners of the 2011 reading contest will be announced in the July 2012 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.
And the 2010 first-place winners are:
8 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER
Tyler Bergmann chose “Can You Keep a Secret?” by PJ Petersen as his favorite book. “It talks about honesty and the importance of being trust-worthy, which really matter between friends,” Tyler writes.
9 AND 10 YREARS OLD
Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones” by Rick Riordan. Writes Nathaniel: “As I read, I learned about places I have never been and things I have only imagined.”
11 YEARS OLD AND OLDER
Devin MacGoy, 12 chose “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Grane. “A reader can take away many lessons,” Devin writes.The purpose of the passage is to ________.
| A．persuade kids to enter a contest |
| B．ask kids to read more books |
| C．encourage kids to buy Boys’ Life |
| D．advertise some children’s books |
According to the passage, _________.
| A．each first-place winner will get $100 |
| B．the report should have 500 at least |
| C．whoever enters will get a patch for free |
| D．one can copy some words from the book |
Who learns something about friendship from reading a book?
| A．Tyler Bergmann | B．Nathaniel Griffis |
| C．Devin MacGoy | D．PJ Petersen |
After Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones”, he might be ________.
| A．puzzled | B．worried | C．bored | D．excited |
The week after Jane's birthday, Barbara and Mary were away. Jane decided to have a late birthday party. She telephoned several friends. She asked some to bring records, some to bring food and others to bring something to drink. She rang another friend to see if she could borrow his record player. She herself bought some food and drink to get the party going. She took up all the carpets (地毯) so that they could dance. She did not know whether Barbara and Mary would have approved (赞成), but as long as she was careful, she was sure that they would not mind. She warned the two people in the flat above and invited them down.
“Oh, ” said Jane, surprised. “What's all this about? ”
The first guests arrived soon after eight. The music was soon playing loudly and they started dancing. Some of Jane's friends brought other friends with them. As more and more people arrived,the noise increased. People started shouting at each other, so they turned the music up. This made it more difficult to hear each other above the music, so they shouted more loudly. At half past ten the bell rang. “Turn down the music!” someone shouted. “Someone probably called the police.” When Jane opened the door, there was a policeman standing there. She started to apologize, “I'm sorry about all the noise, officer. But you see, it was my birthday last week and I'm having a party.” “Never mind about that, miss. We're here because of something much more important.”
“Well, there's been a report of burglary (盗窃行为). We think the thief may have come to your party, pretending to be a friend of someone here. ”When did Jane have the party?
| A．On her birthday. | B．After her birthday. |
| C．Before Barbara and Mary left. | D．As soon as she telephone her friends. |
Why did people shout at each other at the party?
| A．They got rather angry with each other. |
| B．They were very glad to make new friends. |
| C．They became too excited while dancing. |
| D．They couldn't hear each other because of the music. |
What reason did Jane think the policeman came for?
| A．They made too much noise. |
| B．A thief was among the guests. |
| C．He had some important things to do. |
| D．He was interested in birthday parties. |
Nanjing-style paper cutting is an important part of Chinese paper cutting. It is known for its different designs, simplistic but graceful shapes, finely cut lines and unique skills. Zhang Fanglin is a leading figure in the Nanjing-style paper cutting. Zhang was born in a paper-cutting family. He is the fourth generation to continue the family’s paper-cutting skills. Taught by his father, he began to learn paper cutting in his childhood. In 1963 when he was only 14 years old, he started his artistic career in a local folk handicraft factory. Over the past decades, Zhang has created many works and developed excellent skills. In 1985, Zhang was admitted into Nanjing Municipal Fine Arts Company, creating and designing paper cuts. Throughout his artistic career, Zhang has absorbed characteristics and elements（元素）of various styles of paper cutting and created a large number of creative paper-cutting works. Thanks to his great contributions, he won many national prizes and was awarded the title of “National Master Artist in Handicraft Art”.
As a leading figure, Zhang Fanglin has been invited to more than 30 countries and regions around the world, showcasing his paper-cutting skills. In the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Zhang showcased his new creations of gold foil-embedded paper cutting works. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Chinese paper cutting. | B．Nanjing-style paper cutting. |
| C．A paper cutting family. | D．A paper cutting artist. |
How old was Zhang Fanglin when he was admitted into Nanjing Municipal Fine Arts Company?
| A．36. | B．14. | C．22. | D．18. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Nanjing-style paper cutting is the most important part of Chinese paper cutting. |
| B．Zhang is a creative artist who knows different styles of paper cutting well. |
| C．Zhang won many international prizes because of his great contributions. |
| D．All the members of the family taught Zhang how to design paper cuts. |
Buying insurance (保险) is a way in which people can protect themselves against large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay small sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only a few will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out of the small sums of money it has collected.
The first modern fire insurance company was formed in London, England, in the 1760s. A great fire had just destroyed most of the city, and people wanted protection against further losses. The first company grew rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752, and then a new kind of insurance for farmers was suggested. The new insurance would provide protection against the loss of crops from storms.
Later on another new insurance company was started in America. This company, which offered life insurance, collected small sums of money regularly from many different men. If a man died, his family was given a large sum of money.
Over the years, insurance companies have offered new kinds of insurance protection. The new kinds of insurance cover losses from such accidents as car and plane crashes. Today, most people have some kind of insurance. Who helped set up the first company in America?
| A．Benjamin Franklin. | B．Businessmen. |
| C．The first insurance company in London. | D．Farmers. |
Insurance means ____.
| A．Protection against the losses from the storms |
| B．protection against illness |
| C．Protection against accidents |
| D．all of the above |
The first modern insurance company offered ____.
| A．life insurance | B．fire insurance | C．a new kind of insurance | D．both A and B |
Why do most people buy some kind of insurance today?
| A．Insurance will keep their homes from burning. |
| B．People can protect themselves against large losses. |
| C．Insurance will pay for safety. |
| D．The insurance companies grow rapidly. |
Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning.
Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water:
At the Lake or Pond
·Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision— lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore.
·Ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken glass, or rubbish.
·Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes.
·Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm.
·Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol(饮酒). Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water.
At the Beach
·Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty. Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides(暗流). Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions.
·Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over.
·Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel（顺行地） to the shore or should tread （踩）water and call for a lifeguard's help.
Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning.Which is the right behavior when swimming at the beach?
| A．Go off the water without a lifeguard on duty |
| B．Go on swimming in a heavy rain |
| C．Go off the water after checking the water conditions |
| D．Call for help if caught in a dangerous wave |
A child should_________ at a lake.
| A．swim on his/her own |
| B．be careful about weeds and grass |
| C．swim without shoes on |
| D．drink only a little wine |
Swimming at a beach is more dangerous than in a pool because.
| A．there are no lifeguards at a beach |
| B．there are currents and tides at a beach |
| C．the waters of a beach are more calm. |
| D．the waters of a pool are warmer |
The passage is probably written for .
| A．students at school |
| B．kids who want to learn swimming |
| C．parents with little children |
| D．coaches who teach kids to swim |
In which column(栏目) of a magazine can you find this passage?
| A．Education | B．Science | C．Entertainment | D．Sports |
Do you want to visit Disney World? However, will you worry about your pet if you go to Disney World? To meet the needs of these people, a pet hotel has been built near the Disney World Resort in Florida.
The new pet hotel is named Best Friends Pet Care Resort and it is mainly open to dogs and cats. It has an area of 4,645㎡. About 270 dogs and 30 cats can be kept there at the same time. Besides dogs and cats, it can also provide services for birds, pigs and rabbits. However, it can’t take care of snakes and turtles(乌龟) now.
Best Friend Pet Care Resort is a very expensive hotel. There are several types of dog rooms, such as rooms with air-conditioners（空调） and VIP rooms. There is even a “private dog park”. Owners can have a high-quality vacation with their dogs there. The cats are kept in the “Kitty City”. The “Kitty City” is very comfortable and clean. Workers there will clean it once a day.
Apart from having good equipment, Best Friends Pet Care Resort also have other plans to meet the psychological (心理上的) needs of pets. Workers play music to the pets, walk with them, play with them and even read stories to them before they go to bed.
“We aim to make sure that pets will have a fun vacation here, just like their owners at Disney World,” said the manager of the resort. How many kinds of animals can be kept in Best Friends Pet Care Resort?
| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
About Best Friends Pet Care Resort, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．It covers about 4,645 ㎡. |
| B．It can keep more than 300 pets. |
| C．Owners don’t need to pay much for keeping pets there. |
| D．There is a “private dog park” in the resort as well. |
How often do the workers clean the “Kitty City”?
| A．Once a day. | B．Twice a day. | C．Once a week. | D．Twice a week. |
Workers from the pet care resort read stories to pets in order to .
| A．provide pets with good equipment |
| B．meet the psychological needs of pets |
| C．teach pets to learn more knowledge |
| D．make pets’ owners satisfied with their service |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Relationship between Owners and Pets |
| B．Popular Pets All Over the World |
| C．How to Take Care of your Pets |
| D．Pet Care Resort in Florida |