The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand---a system of rapid handwriting, and now it's threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2011, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive (草写字母）.The rest? Block letters.
And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.
At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades.
There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?
It was at University of Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity (真实性）can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.
The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive (认知的）opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better-a lifelong benefit.
It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.
There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological (神经系统的)wiring, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.What is the author concerned about after 2011 SAT exams?
| A．Keyboarding. | B．Shorthand |
| C．Handwriting. | D．Block letters. |
A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to _________.
| A．prove how valuable handwriting is |
| B．explain what a famous poet he is |
| C．show how unique his poem is |
| D．stress how fascinating the documents are |
The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that_________.
| A．the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting |
| B．the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed xKb 1.Com |
| C．it doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills |
| D．the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one |
According to the author, when is a perfect time to learn handwriting?
| A．Kindergarten. | B．Primary school. | C．High school. | D．College. |
What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?
| A．Devotion. | B．Encouragement. | C．critical. | D．Objective. |
It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandra Ⅲ, the taxi slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, breaking the law and endangering your life that way.” I protested.
He looked at me, astonished, “Ashamed of myself? I am a law abiding(守法的) citizen and have no desire to get killed either.” He cut me off before I could protest.
“No, just listen to me before you complain. What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is? What it means?”
“Certainly,”I replied. “It’s a stop signal and means the traffic is rolling in the opposite direction.”
“Half-right,”said the driver, “But incomplete. It’s only an automatic(自动的) stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the street at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a stupid animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, sir,”he shouted, “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night,sir.”At the Alma Bridge,__________.
| A．the writer stopped the taxi and aid the driver |
| B．the taxi went through a red light again |
| C．there was a performance the writer had already watched |
| D．the writer began to criticize the driver |
To the taxi driver, a red light__________.
| A．was not a stop signal |
| B．should not work at midnight |
| C．sometimes made mistakes in judgment |
| D．didn’t always mean that there was cross traffic |
The main reason the driver dared to drive through the red light was that_______
_________.
A．he found there was no cross traffic there at that time |
| B．he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine |
| C．he knew no other driver would see him at this hour |
| D．he didn’t trust any brainless machine |
According to the passage, the driver thought of what he had done was____________.
| A．law abiding | B．law breaking |
| C．something to be proud of | D．something to be ashamed of |
When Omega was born in Uganda, she did two things: Smile and then sing. When Omega was 4 years old, her talent(天赋) for music was recognized, so she became one of the youngest members of the first African Children’s Choir(合唱团). She traveled the world with the choir, and it was f
rom this experience that she grew into a singer today. 
Although having a beautiful voice, she had to find other ways besides music to earn a living at first. When she was 16, her parents sent her to the USA to study. Like her mother, Omega wanted to become a doctor and do something meaningful in her country of Uganda.
Howeve
r, like many artists, music was so much a part of her that she had to choose. With encouragement from her family and friends, she opened her own production company(制作公司) after graduation. Since then, she has been working as an artist. Her songs make people feel good about life. Apart from that, she is also i
nterested in health care and education. Omega is one of those Ugandan females who are showing the world their valuable talents. Her experiences in the Choir helped Omega to ____.
| A．burst into song | B．recognize her music talent |
| C．travel the world | D．become a singer |
What is the meaning of the underlin
ed sentence in paragraph three?
| A．music was very important to her |
| B．music took her a lot of time |
| C．music cost her so much money |
| D．music was the last thing she would choose |
We can learn from the passage that Omega is ____.
| A．a good teacher | B．a famous African artist |
| C．a kind politician | D．a warm-hearted doctor |
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Grades: 6-8 Ages: 11-13 http:// /If a ten-year-old boy wants himself to be admired because of his speech ability, he may buy _______.
| A．Word Power |
| B．Word Smart Junior |
| C．Grammar Smart Junior |
| D．Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage |
By saying “You’ll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards”, the writer means “________”．
| A．You will be clearly familiar with grammar |
| B．You will know the history of grammar |
| C．You will know the make-up of grammar |
| D．You will learn about the future of grammar |
The four books are all about _______.
| A．fiction and mysteries | B．parenting and teaching |
| C．literature and arts | D．language study |
To Chinese immigrants, in the mid-1800s, California was “The Land of the Golden Mountain.” In their homeland they had heard the words, “There’s gold in California.” They sailed 7,000miles to join the gold rush and strike it rich．Between 1849 and 1882, more than 30,000 Chinese came to California．Most were men．They had been farmers in China．They came here to be miners and laborers．They ended up doing many other jobs, too.
Like many other immigrants, they did not plan to stay in America．They came because of their ties to their homeland and their families．They planned to return to China with their fortunes and help their families．
Only a few Chinese gold miners struck it rich．Most picked over the areas that had been mined already．But still, white miners resented the Chinese．Slowly, they drove the “yellow peril” from the mining camps．
By the end of the 1850s, many Chinese returned home．Those who stayed found other jobs.
Few women had come 
west in the gold rush．The Chinese saw a good business opportunity．They began doing the jobs women would have done．Many became house servants．Many more opened laundries.
The Chinese opened restaurants．Chop suey and show mein are popular Chinese-American dishes．The Chinese probably created these dishes to serve to the white miners.
Other Chinese became fishermen, farmers, and even cigar makers．Why did Chinese go to America in the mid-1800s?
| A．Because they could find good jobs there． |
| B．Because they had found gold there． |
| C．Because they could open laundries and restaurants there． |
| D．Because they heard there was gold there． |
The underlined word “resented” mean “________”.
| A．liked | B．helped | C．hated | D．served |
Which of the following was NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Some Chinese became drivers． |
| B．Many Chinese opened shops to help wash clothes. |
| C．Many Chinese picked gold around the old mines. |
| D．Many Chinese returned to China by the end of the 1850s. |
Which should be the title of the passage?
| A．Early Chinese immigrants in America |
| B．Dream to strike it rich |
| C．The difference between men and women |
| D．Gold miners in America |
While income worry is a rather common problem of the ahead, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face．Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one．This phenomenon(现象) is commonly k
nown as “Empty Nest Syndrome”.
In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return ho
me．Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them．The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries．Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do．This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response(回应) in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries．Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”．According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by_______.
| A．their earlier experience of feeling lonely |
| B．the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries |
| C．the common worry about their income |
| D．the geographical distance between parents and children |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to_______.
| A．live in the countries with more money. | B．seek a better place for their aged parents |
C．conti nue their studies abroad |
D．realize their dreams in foreign countries |
If young people go abroad, _______.
| A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all． |
| B．they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C．they cannot do what they should for their parents． |
| D．they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that _______.
| A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B．“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |