My son loves video games very much. He spends hours every day playing video games in his room. Is there any redeeming（补偿的）educational value to video games? Some seem like they could help him learn strategy. But I worry others may be too violent or numb（使麻木）his mind.
Cecilia
Some games may improve kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Games that require kids to actually move or manipulate（操纵）the game through their own physical movement can even get sedentary kids moving, though not as much as they could if they actually played outside or participated in sports or other outdoor acuities. Others, though, don’t have such benefits, and violent video games have been shown that they might increase kid’s aggressive behavior.
Like a lot of aspects of raising kids, when it comes to video games, the healthiest approach is actually self-control.
The American academy of Pediatrics(AAP) recommends that kids should spend no more than 2 hours each day on screen time, including watching TV or movies, or playing computer or video games. So consider setting limits at least that strict to keep game playing from affecting their schoolwork, household responsibilities, and the physical activity your son needs very day.
Make sure that he’s playing games which are suitable for his age group. All video games are rated and labeled by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Steer clear of（避开）any rated “M” for mature. Those are for ages 17 and older and can contain heavy-duty violence, strong language, and sexual content.
Try to keep the video game console（游戏机控制板）in a common area of the house, not your son’s room. That way you can catch any inappropriate content in the games he’s playing, and he’ll be in a position to interact with others in the house while he’s playing.
Make sure your son has appealing alternatives, too, such as sports, activities, opportunities to socialize with peers; and downtime to be creative. If you continue to have concerns about his video game activity, talk with your doctor.
Reviewed by：Mary L. Gavin, MDWhat is the opinion of Mary L. Gavin about playing video games?
| A．Whether it’s beneficial or harmful depends on what the video games are. |
| B．It always improves kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. |
| C．It will make kids more violent and increase their aggressive behavior. |
| D．Kids should give it up and put their hearts fully into their schoolwork. |
The underlined word “sedentary” in the first paragraph of the answer letter is the nearest in meaning to “______”.
| A．unhealthy | B．lively | C．bright | D．inactive |
According to Mary L. Gavin, which of the following is encouraged to do by parents?
| A．Keep the video game console out of their house. |
| B．Allow their children to play only such video games as rated “M” |
| C．Let kids play video games as much as possible if it doesn’t affect their lessons. |
| D．Help their children develop other healthy hobbies such as sports and painting. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Should children play video games? |
| B．Kids’ playing video games is harmful. |
| C．Is playing video games good for kids? |
| D．Help children choose video games. |
According to the dictionary definition of "create "，ordinary people are creative every day. To create means " to bring into being, to cause to exist"-something each of us does daily.
We are creative whenever we look at or think about something in a new way. First, this includes an awareness （意识）of our surroundings. It means using all of our senses to become aware of our world. This may be as simple as being aware of color and texture（质地），as well as taste, when we plan a meal. Above all, it is the ability to notice things that others might miss.
A second part of creativity is an ability to see relationships among things. If we believe the expression，"There is nothing new under the sun，" the creativity is remaking or recombining（重组）the old in new ways. For example, we might do this by finding a more effective way to study or a better way to arrange our furniture, or we might make a new combination of camera lenses and filters to create an unusual photograph.
A third part of creativity is the courage and drive to make use of our new ideas, to ask for them to achieve some new results. To think up a new idea is one thing; to put the idea to work is another.
These three parts of creativity are included in all the great works of geniuses, but they are also included in many of our day-to-day activities.Which of the following activities is NOT a creative one according to the passage?
| A．To prepare for a meal. |
| B．To arrange the furniture in a special way. |
| C．To buy some books from a bookstore. |
| D．To "write" a letter with the computer. |
"There is nothing new under the sun" really implies that __________.
| A．a new thing can only be created at the basis of earliest things |
| B．a new thing is only a tale |
| C．we can seldom create new things |
| D．we can hardly see really new things in the world |
What does the author think about the relationship between a new thought and its being put into practice?
| A．It's more difficult to create a new thought than to use it in practice. |
| B．To find a new thought will clearly lead to the production of a new thing. |
| C．A man with an excellent ability of practice can easily become an inventor. |
| D．One may come up with a new thought, but cannot put it into practice. |
The best title for this passage is __________.
| A．How to Cultivate One's Creativity |
| B．What Is Creativity |
| C．The Importance of Creativity |
| D．Creativity a Not Faraway Thing |
" Earthquake ！ " The word flashed in my brain. A roaring sound filled my ears. I tried to slide beneath my desk. The desk did a wild tap dance, slipping and sliding towards the centre of the room. I twisted my body and grabbed at the windowsill behind me, somehow kicking free of my dancing chair. I tried to stand. My legs skated a-way as if on a bucking escalator.
My fingers shook, grasped and held the windowsill tightly. Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animal. I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare. Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs and desks. One girl was screaming. A boy was trying to claw his way across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl. My grip froze me to the windowsill.
I cried aloud，" I'm going to die. I'm going to die. Save me, I'm not ready to die, I'm not ready ！" I hunched forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched fingers. I looked at the backs of my fingers and stupidly noticed the fragile pale hairs growing out of the pores. The fingers would soon cease to exist. Somehow the impending horror of my death was too terrible to even cry about.
Suddenly, I became aware that the rocking had ceased. Perhaps I wasn't going to die.The roaring sound was made by __________.
| A．a wounded animal | B．people screaming |
| C．children running | D．an earthquake |
When the narrator clenches his fingers, he is __________.
| A．afraid | B．angry | C．injured | D．impatient |
Paragraph two describes the __________.
| A．injuries suffered by the narrator |
| B．effects of a bad nightmare |
| C．disorder in the classroom |
| D．narrator's fear of death |
At the end of the passage there is a feeling of __________.
| A．panic | B．hope |
| C．sorrow | D．excitement |
Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined （限于）to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic （器官的）disease, that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking, then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms （症状）often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. It may be caused by a virus （病毒）. It may be caused by a poisonous substance （物质）in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer's disease __________.
| A．is a terrible part of the aging process |
| B．is an organic disease that affects young and old |
| C．can be cured by physical treatment |
| D．causes forgetfulness |
All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer's disease EX-CEPT __________.
| A．forgetfulness | B．difficulty in speaking |
| C．loss of sight | D．loss of the ability to walk |
According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease?
| A．Poisons produced by the brain. |
| B．Getting old. |
| C．A virus. |
| D．Lack of exercise. |
The press of Alzheimer's disease can be slowed by __________.
| A．operation |
| B．a change in environment |
| C．medicines |
| D．physical treatment and exercise |
Tourism probably started in Roman times. Rich Romans visited friends and family who were working in another part of the Roman Empire. But when the empire broke down, this kind of tourism stopped.
In the early 17th century, the idea of the "Grand Tour" was born. Rich young English people sailed across the English Channel（英吉利海峡）. They visited the most beautiful and important European cities of the time, including Paris in France, and Rome and Venice（威尼斯）in Italy. Their tours lasted for two to four years, and the tourists stayed a few weeks or months in each city. The "Grand Tour" was an important part of young people's education-but only for the rich.
In the 18th century, tourism began to change. For example, people in the UK started to visit some towns, such as Bath to" take the waters". They believed that the water there was good for their health. So large and expensive hotels were built in these towns.
In the 19th century, travel became much more popular and faster. When the first railways were built in the 1820s, it was easier for people to travel between towns, so they started to go for holidays by the sea. And some started to have holidays in the countryside as cities became larger, noisier and dirtier.
Traveling by sea also became faster and safer when the first steamships were built. People began to travel more too far away countries.
The 20th century saw cars become more and more popular among ordinary people. Planes were made larger, so ticket prices dropped and more people used them.
Thus tourism grew. In 1949，Russian journalist Vladimir Raitz started a company called Horizon Holidays. The company organizes everything-plane tickets, hotel rooms, even food-and tourists pay for it all before they leave home. The package tour and modern tourist industry was born.
The first travel agency in China was set up as early as 1949. But tourism did not take off until 1978. In 2002，the industry was worth 500 billion yuan and became an important part of China's social development.In the early times, the travelers __________.
| A．all came from Roman | B．were very young and strong |
| C．had lots of money | D．traveled by boat |
__________ played the most important role in the tourism development.
| A．Education | B．Money |
| C．Transportation | D．People's ideas |
Modern tourism was born __________.
| A．in 1949 | B．in Roman times |
| C．in the early 17th century | D．in the 19th century |
The underlined phrase " take off" means __________.
| A．a plane rising into the air | B．develop very fast |
| C．remove hats and clothes | D．bring down the prices |
On a sunny day last August, Tim heard some shouting. Looking out to the sea carefully, he saw a couple of kids in a rowboat were being pulled out to sea.
Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search for a football. Once they'd rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair panicked and tried to row back to shore. But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control. Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves. " Everything went quiet in my head，" Tim recalls （回忆）. " I was trying to figure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line. "Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. "At one point, I considered turning back，" he says，" I wondered if I was putting my life at risk. " After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to yell to the boys，" Take down the umbrella ！ "
Christian made much effort to take down the umbrella. Then Tim was able to catch up and climb aboard the boat. He took over rowing, but the waves were almost too strong for him.
"Let's aim for the pier（码头），" Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it. Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. "Can you guys swim?" he cried. "A little bit，" the boys said.
Once they were in the water, Tim decided it would be safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swan to-ward land as water washed over the boys' faces.
"Are we almost there?" they asked again and again. "Yes，"Tim told them each time.
After 30minutes, they reached the pier.Why did the two boys go to the sea?
| A．To go boat rowing. |
| B．To get back their football. |
| C．To swim in the open water. |
| D．To test the umbrella as a sail. |
What does "it" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．The beach. | B．The water. |
| C．The boat. | D．The wind. |
Why did Tim raise his head regularly?
| A．To take in enough fresh air. |
| B．To consider turning back or not. |
| C．To check his distance from the boys. |
| D．To ask the boys to take down the umbrella. |
How did the two boys finally reach the pier?
| A．They were dragged to the pier by Tim. |
| B．They swam to the pier all by themselves. |
| C．They were washed to the pier by the waves. |
| D．They were carried to the pier by Tim on his back. |