Have you ever thought about developing your kids’interests in a positive manner? Have you thought about using music to help them focus their energies on a wonderful pursuit (追求)? Do you realize that by doing so, you will better equip them in life? Your little child will love you all his or her life for the first music lessons that you may give.
Most kids have an interest in music. The only thing to do for you is to give direction to their interests so that they can focus on learning the fine art. Music teaches children to be persistent and disciplined. It also teaches them to try towards perfection and be a good team player. All this helps them not only in their studies but also in facing the challenges of life. Thus music at home and home recording are the first lessons you can present to your children.
How to maintain the interests of kids in various kinds of music and instruments? To solve this problem, it is important that at the beginning you bring home something that can hold the child’s interest for quite some time. This would include instruments such as electric guitar or drums. Encourage them to download music which is free over the Internet.
Another thing to remember is that no one becomes an expert overnight. Have patience with your child. No point in fussing over his skills too much. A few words of appreciation will mean the world to them. Ask for their opinions and stick to the choice for quite some time. Be generous in praise.
Music is the perfect gift you can present to your kids. It is never too late and the sooner you start, the better.The author uses three questions at the beginning of the passage to _____.
| A．test readers’ knowledge of music |
| B．show the effect of music on children |
| C．draw readers’ attention to the topic |
| D．ask readers to answer them |
The intended readers of the passage are _____.
| A．teachers | B．musicians | C．children | D．parents |
This passage is mainly about _____.
| A．how to direct children to pursue their interests |
| B．how to make children creative |
| C．how to draw children’s attention to music |
| D．how music affects children’s studies |
Visitors can find a small, old house called the O. Henry Museum in central Austin, Texas. William Sydney Porter(1862-1910)----better known as O. Henry, was one of America’s best loved writers of short stories. Beginning in 1893, he lived here. It was saved from destruction, moved, and turned into a museum in 1934. The museum is a good way to learn about the interesting life of him.
William Porter rented this house and lived with his wife and daughter for about two years. Many objects in the museum belonged to the Porters. Others did not, but are in the house to recreate the way it looked during their lifetime.
Porter worked at a pharmacy, farm, land office and bank. He also loved words and writing. The museum has special proof of Porter’s love of language---his dictionary. It’s said that he read every word in it. Porter started a small publication called “The Rolling Stone”. He wasn’t being published early on, so he published himself. His funny stories, poems, and drawings were published in the magazine. But it was too costly to continue for long, so he closed the project after about one year.
Other troubles would lead the Porters to leave Austin. Porter was accused of financial wrongdoing at the bank and lost his job. Fearing a trial, he fled the country. But he returned because his wife was dying. After her death, he faced trial and was found guilty. He served three and a half years in a federal prison in Ohio.
Porter would keep his time in prison a secret. But there was one good thing about it. It provided him with time to write. By the time of his release, he had published 14 stories and was becoming well-known as O. Henry.
Porter would later move to New York City and find great success there. He published over 380 stories in the last eight years of his life.What is the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 3?
| A．To attract more visitors to the O. Henry Museum. |
| B．To show the jobs O. Henry once did. |
| C．To show O. Henry’s early love of words and writing. |
| D．To introduce O. Henry’s publication called “The Rolling Stone”. |
Which of the following shows the right order of O. Henry?
a. He was committed to prison.
b. He settled down in central Austin.
c. His wife died.
d. He started a small publication called “The Rolling Stone”.
e. He moved to New York City.
| A．bdcae | B．bcade | C．bdcea | D．bacde |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Most of O. Henry’s short stories were finished in prison. |
| B．O. Henry didn’t start his career as a successful writer when living in central Austin. |
| C．O. Henry was born in a small, old house which is called the O. Henry Museum now. |
| D．O. Henry spent his last life in the small, old house in Texas. |
What does the author want to tell us in the passage?
| A．O. Henry’s experience in prison. |
| B．The objects in the O. Henry’s Museum |
| C．O. Henry’s achievement in literature. |
| D．A brief account of O. Henry’s life |
Many reasons can explain why football is so popular. All around the world, millions play the sport and many more like to watch it. Some would say that the simplicity of the game is the main reason for its popularity, but that can’t be true as, this way, marathons or races would be the most popular sports in the world. In fact, the most popular sport in the world is football.
The main reason for the popularity of any sport is the room for creativity inside the sport. Football has plenty of room for creativity as it enables players to use their bodies in unique ways to get hold of the ball and score while at the same time keeping the other team from scoring. In addition to this, the rules ensure that the game is clean and fair, thus encouraging new players to play it.
Another reason is that this game doesn’t require expensive equipment. All the kids in poor developing countries like playing it as all they need to play it is a ball and an empty playground, and that would ensure a quality time for a group of kids who want to enjoy their time. The Federation International de Football Association (FTFA) knows this fact and is always trying to keep the rules and regulations applicable for poorer countries.
For fans of the sport, it is very entertaining to watch the skills and talents of the players in professional matches. The outcome of a match can easily change in the dying moments of a game. Some matches are even better than watching a thriller, because you really have no idea what the result of the match will be.From the first paragraph, we know that marathons and races _______.
| A．are sports that are as simple as football |
| B．are sports that are simpler than football |
| C．are sports that people like watching most |
| D．are the most popular sports in the world |
We can learn from the text that _____.
| A．football is popular mainly because of its simplicity |
| B．the rules of football make the game safe and simple |
| C．football gives players room for creativity |
| D．playing football can help poor kids earn money |
This fact in the third paragraph refers to ______.
| A．kids need balls and empty playground to play in |
| B．the equipment in developing countries is very cheap |
| C．kids in developing countries enjoy playing football |
| D．kids in developing countries don’t keep football rules |
Many businesses today use conferences as a means of discussing new plans of the company. As people are paying more attention to the environment and green problems, more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their negative effect on the environment. Many businesses do this by using Web conferencing.
Web conferencing is a technology that allows people to communicate more effectively over the Internet. It’s an easy way of hosting and attending conferences without having to leave the office. Each of the people involved in a Web conference will be posted an invitation to the conference with the time and date of the Web conference on it. When the conference is ready to begin, all participants (参与者) must sit at their computers and they will be connected over the Internet.
With Web conferencing all participants attend conference from the comfort of their own desks. Obviously, in doing this no fuel is used in traveling to and from a conference, and less work is taken up in attending a conference.
Any material to be used during Web conference is simply e-mailed to all the participants before the conference. Participants can then either choose to print material or read it on screen. This not only saves paper but also greatly reduces mailing costs for the business.
As a conference hall or business center isn’t being used, it means that the only power that is used is the power that is used by the participants’ personal computers. Similarly, conference organizers don’t have to arrange for food or overnight accommodation. All this means that less energy is used.
Often in business some companies actively choose to do business with other companies that do many things to reduce their negative impact on the environment. And Web conferencing helps you show other businesses that you are willing to work hard for the green cause.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Ways of protecting the environment |
| B．Green benefits of Web conferencing |
| C．Ways of hosting a Web conference |
| D．Impact of Web conferencing on costs |
According to paragraph 1, many companies use Web conferencing because they ______.
| A．are interested in using any new technology. |
| B．believe that Web conferencing is more convenient. |
| C．want to do something to protect the environment . |
| D．haven’t enough money to hold a traditional conference. |
The participants of a Web conference _____.
| A．will be e-mailed an invitation before the conference. |
| B．are required to sit in an office together. |
| C．will receive many paper materials. |
| D．must have access to the Internet. |
Which of the following words best describes the author’s opinion about a Web conference?
| A．Useless | B．Environmentally friendly |
| C．Inconvenient | D．Money-consuming |
Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions or complete the statements in no more than 12 words.
The first fast food restaurants opened in the United Sates at the end of the 1950s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the fast food industry continued to expand across the United Sates. Two aspects of American society that helped the fast food industry take off were teenagers and cars. Teenagers were the best workers to fill the low-skill jobs needed to work in fast food restaurants putting together hamburgers, taking orders and frying potatoes. Fast food chains also marketed themselves to people with cars by having drive-thru order windows and car hops. Car hops were waitresses who usually wore roller skates and brought the food outside the restaurant so that people could eat in their cars.
The trend of fast food chains hiring teenagers continues today. One out of every eight Americans has worked at McDonald’s, the largest fast food chain in the United States. Fast food chains used to be found only along highways or in business areas where people need to grab a quick lunch before returning to work. Today, however, fast food restaurants can be found in sports stadiums, airports, gas stations, malls; on college campuses, cruise ships; at K-Mart, Wal-Mart; and in hospital cafeterias.
The popularity of fast food in the United States is related to the idea that people would rather eat in a place they are familiar with rather than try a new place they know nothing about. This is the philosophy behind franchises(特许经营). When a person buys a franchise, they are paying for the use of the company’s name. This system has advantages and disadvantages for the person starting the restaurant. The new franchise owner is called the “franchisee”. The company selling its name is the “franchiser”. The franchiser brings experience, equipment, and a business plan to the deal. The franchisee puts up the money and does all the work. On the negative side, the franchiser gives up some control by not owning each restaurant or store directly. The franchisee gives up her or his ability to make personal decisions because she or he has to obey the rules of the company.
(Note: Answer the question or complete the statement in NO MORE THAN 12 WORDS.)Fast food chains hire teenagers because ________________________________________.
Fast food restaurants used to find its location according to _________________________.
According to the author, what’s the philosophy behind franchises?
What is the advantage of franchise to the franchisee?
Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A—F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.
| A. Forecasting Research B. Well-known Weather Forecasters C. Severe Weather Events D. Weather Forecasting E. The Forecasting Process F. Historical Background |
The task of predicting the weather that will be observed at a future time is called weather forecasting. As one of the primary objectives of the science of meteorology, weather forecasting has depended critically on the scientific and technological advances in meteorology that have taken place since the latter half of the 19th century.
Throughout most of history, forecasting efforts at any given site depended solely on observations that could be made at the site. With the development of the telegraph in the mid-1800s, weather forecasters were able to obtain observations from many distant locations within a few hours of the collection of such data. Weather forecasting was revolutionized in the 1920s by the work of a group of Norwegian scientists. This group provided a consistent and empirically based description of atmospheric circulation systems. Current weather-forecasting techniques were initiated by the theoretical work of American meteorologist Jule Charney in developing numerical weather prediction. Experimental numerical forecasts in 1950 proved so fruitful that they were soon adopted on a practical basis. Since then, computerized systems based on numerical models have become a central part of weather forecasting.
The process of making a weather forecast can be separated into three steps: observation and analysis, extrapolation to find the future state of the atmosphere, and prediction of particular variables. The standard extrapolation technique is to assume that weather features will continue to move as they have been moving. In some cases the third step simply consists of noting the results of extrapolation, but actual prediction usually involves considerable efforts beyond this.
Great attention is paid to weather forecasts during times of severe events (blizzard, hurricane and typhoon, tornado), and so forth. Accordingly, the National Weather Service (NWS) commits significant resources to the forecast of such events. Blizzards or strong extra-tropical cycles are handled through the usual forecast information channels, with the local NWS office issuing special advisories as appropriate.
A number of new observing systems are being developed for forecasting purposes. These include the Next-Generation Radar digital weather radar, which is intended to detect motions towards or away from the radar installation. In addition, automated systems are being developed for taking observations at surface stations and on board buoys, ships, and aircraft. The communications, processing, and display systems intended to govern this torrent of further data are still being elaborated.