Traditional fairytales are being abandoned by parents because they are too scary for their young children, a study found.
Research revealed one in five parents has ditched old classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel in favour of more modern books. One third of parents said their children have been left in tears after hearing the horrible details of Little Red Riding Hood. And nearly half of mothers and fathers refuse to read Rumplestiltskin to their kids as the themes of the story are kidnapping and execution. Similarly, Goldilocks and the Three Bears was also a tale likely to be left on the book shelf as parents felt it forgives stealing.
The survey of 2,000 adults was conducted to mark the launch of the hit US drama GRIMM, which starts tonight at 9 p.m. on Watch, and sees six episodes(片段) based on traditional fairytales. The poll found a quarter of parents polled wouldn’t consider reading a fairytale to their child until they had reached the age of five, as they prompt too many awkward questions from their offspring(后代子孙).
Steve Hornsey, General Manager of Watch, said: “Bedtime stories are supposed to soothe children and send them off to sleep soundly. But as we see in GRIMM, fairytales can be dark and dramatic tales so it’s understandable that parents worry about reading them to young children.”
“As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five year old with an over active imagination could take things too seriously. Despite the dark nature of classic fairytales, as we see in GRIMM, good will triumph over evil and there is always a moral to the story.”
The study also found two thirds of mums and dads try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares.
However, half of parents said traditional tales are more likely to have a strong moral message than a lot of modern kids’ books, such as The Gruffalo, The Hungary Caterpillar and the Mr. Men books.Why don’t some parents want to read Rumplestiltskin to their kids?
| A．Rumplestiltskin is too long. |
| B．Rumplestiltskin is too difficult. |
| C．Rumplestiltskin forgives stealing. |
| D．Rumplestiltskin may influence Children badly. |
We can learn from paragraph 3 that Grimm is ___________.
| A．a fairytales book |
| B．a movie for children |
| C．a play loved by children |
| D．a drama based on traditional fairytales |
The underlined word “soothe “in paragraph4 can be replaced by___________.
| A．put down | B．calm down | C．take down | D．come down |
What’s the author’s attitude towards traditional fairytales?
| A．Optimistic | B．Not mentioned |
| C．Casual | D．Disapproving |
After a lot of weightlifting and 25 exhausting days training, a 52-year-old woman recently became the first female “gripman” on San Francisco’s historic cable cars.
Fannie Barnes passed her written test and completed a final run under the watchful eye of a supervisor, Municipal Railway spokesman Alan Siegel said.
Deep calluses(茧) are already forming at the base of her fingers and there is a hole in her glove. Two other women quit after a single day with injured muscles. “Now they’re going to have to change the word from gripman to grip person, just because of me,” Barnes said earlier, “I’m so excited.”
After almost a year of serious workouts, Barns can pull more than 61 kilos, only 23 kilos less than her body weight. And she’ll need the muscle, for this is no modern, push-button technology. Every time a car starts up again after making a stop, the gripman must haul back on a lever controlling a device that grips the cable, which runs continuously at 14 kilometers per hour. If the grip slips, so does the car. A second person operates the brakes.
In addition to having to throw her weight around on the job, she’s got to throw out some attitude to men who were hard to convince. The city employs 76 men in the job.
“A lot of men said mean things to me and didn’t want to help train me. But I would like to thank the guys who were against me because they gave me even more inspiration to do it.” she said.
Not all the men were against her. Many of the male colleagues yelled out support as she did her training runs. One of her biggest tests was drizzly December morning. She first went down the Hyde Street Hill, considered the most dangerous incline on the cable car routes. “I had to have the will and I had to believe I could do it,” she said. “It was scary, but as I started going down full grip and felt that I was in control, I knew I was on my way,” Barnes already is a pioneer of sorts. She started working as a cable car conductor six years ago, collecting fares and assisting on the back brake. She is one of only three women to have that job. But she said she always wanted the job up front on the car. (400)
1. What is unusual about Fannie Barnes getting a job as a gripman?
A. She is the oldest one to work as a grpman.
B. She is the first women to work as a gripman.
C. She is the fattest women to work as a gripman.
D. She is the most suitable one to work as a gripman.
2. What did the 52-year-old woman do when she first began working on the city’s cable car?
A. As a gripman. B. As a conductor. C. As a brakeman. D. As a supervisor.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that Fannie Barnes is ________.
A. strong and easy-going B. strong-willed and self-confident
C. popular and humorous D. considerate and quick-tempered
阅读理解
A
Enjoy the sumptuous Easter lunch buffet and children will be given the lovely Easter chocolate eggs.
Time：Mar, 28-mar 30, 2010 11:00 am—3:00 pm
Place：lucky corner coffee shop（hotel first floor）
Price：150 + 15% service charge
half price for children under 12 years old.
Reservations：Scitech hotel 65123388-2114 or 2164
Bring your family and friends along to The Palace Hotel this Easter and enjoy the traditional treats of the season. Forget about the calories and enjoy favourite goodies such as Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies and hot cross buns, which will be sold outside.Palm Court Coffee House every day from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.
PALM COURT COFFEE HOUSE
Friday, March 28-- lavish fish buffet for lunch and dinner priced at RMB 180 for adults, half price for children.
Sunday, March 30--Roast carving buffet priced at RMB 160 for adults, half price for children.
ROMA RISTORANTE ITALLANO
Sunday, March 30 --Delicious seafood lunch priced at RMB 198 for adults, children under 10 years half price. Youngsters can work off their extra energy in a special supervised play area next to the restaurant.
Prices are subject to a 15% surcharge
Reservations on 65128899, ext. 7492 for Roma Ristorante: ext. 7561 for Palm Court.
March 30th brings a fun-filled Easter entertainment program to the Crazy Sunday Brunch at the Patio Coffee Shop from 11:00 am-3:00 pm!
Children under 10 year old accompanying their parents will enjoy this special meal for free and can even win lots of treat prices in the Egg Painting Competition!
WE GUARANTEE You A Fun Easter Sunday
Please register your children for the contest no later the March 29th as space is limited.
For further information and reservations, please call 64376688 ext, 2873/2865 Holiday Inn Lido Beijing
RMB 150.00 + 15% Surcharge
Happy Easter
March 30 11:00—14:30
Hilton Hotel
The Easter Bunny is coming to town!
Join him for a special Easter Brunch at the Atrium cafe and enjoy traditional Easter favourites.
RMB 195 + 15% surcharge
Children under 12 years old free of charge. Surprise gift for the children at the Kid’s Corner.
1. The main purpose of the advertisements is to give information about .
A．weekend activities B．a holiday celebrations
C．the price for the meals in big hotelsD．Egg Painting Competition
2. It can be learned from the advertisements that the children can enjoy themselves most in .
A．Lido Holiday Inn B．Palace Hotel C．Scitech HotelD．Hilton Hotel
3. If you want to have an Easter meal on March 28, which hotel can you go to?
A．Scitech Hotel and Lido Holiday Inn B．The Palace Hotel and Hilton Hotel
C．Hilton Hotel and Lido Holiday Inn D．Scitech Hotel and the Palace Hotel
4. If you have Easter Brunch in Hiton Hotel you will pay RMB for it.
A．195 B．224.25 C．165.75D．97.5
If you're 70 and overweight, you may live longer
A few extra pounds might help you live longer if you're past your prime(壮年) but otherwise healthy, a new study finds.
Physicians routinely follow guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. Because weight depends on height, they use a standard measure called body mass index (BMI), which is calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared.
Healthy weight is defined as a BMI anywhere between 18.5 and 24.9 in adults, whereas 25 to 29.9 is overweight and 30+ is obese.
The new study suggests that in the elderly, these boundaries may be too narrow. While no one is questioning that extra fat poses health risks in young and middle-aged adults, it may reduce the impact of frailty and old age, geriatrician(老年医学专家) Dr. Thomas Yoshikawa told Reuters Health.
So far, nobody knows exactly how BMI affects lifespan in older people. Some researchers speculate that it acts as an energy reserve that can help the elderly cope with illness.
For the study, Australian researchers followed more than 9,000 men and women who were between 70 and 75 years old at the beginning. The participants reported their height and weight as well as various factors related to health and lifestyle. About 33 percent of the women and 44 percent of the men were overweight.
Over 10 years, more than 2,000 of the participants died. Women who had an active life and didn't smoke were the most likely to be alive at the end of the study.
But neither health nor lifestyle could fully explain why overweight people of both sexes survived longer than their normal-weight peers, who fared no better than obese individuals. In terms of survival, the best BMI was between 26 and 27, well within the overweight range.
The new results agree with earlier research showing that fat may be beneficial in old age.
1．We can learn from the passage that_________．
A. the heavier one is, the better
B. we shouldn’t lose weight when old
C. one should keep his weight within the recommended range
D. we shouldn’t worry about our weight if we are slightly fatter than normal when old
2．According to the passage, if a person is 1.5 metres in height and 67.5 kg in weight, his BMI is________.
A．30 B．25 C．45 D． 28
3. What does the author want to tell us most?
A. Fatness has little to do with diseases in old age.
B. Fatness is not always bad.
C. Fatness may be beneficial instead of harmful in old age.
D. Overweight people of both sexes survive longer than their normal-weight peers.
The Grand Canyon (峡谷) in Arizona extends four hundred fifty kilometers. The canyons look as if they formed as the earth split apart. They were actually cut by rivers.
Looking at the Grand Canyon is like looking back in time. Forty million years ago, the Colorado River began cutting through the area. At the same time, the surrounding land was pushed up by forces deep within the Earth. Rain, snow, ice, wind, and plant roots rubbed away at the top of the new canyon. Below, the flowing river continued to uncover more and more levels of ancient rock. Their appearance changes endlessly -- with the light, the time of year, and the weather.
The Grand Canyon has several weather environments. The top is often much different from the bottom. On some winter days, for example, you may find cold winds and snow at the top. But at the bottom, you may find warm winds and flowers.
The Grand Canyon is known as one of the seven wonders of the natural world. About five million people visit the canyon each year. Most visitors walk along paths part way down into the canyon. Some visitors ride mules to the bottom and back.
There are several other ways to visit the Grand Canyon. Hundreds of thousands of people see the canyon by air each year. They pay a helicopter or airplane pilot to fly them above and around the canyon.
About twenty thousand people a year see the Grand Canyon from the Colorado River itself. They ride boats over the rapid, rocky water. These trips last from one week to three weeks.
Visitors can see the Grand Canyon in still another way. A huge glass walkway, called the Skywalk, extends from the edge and is hanging above the bottom of the canyon.
Some people say the Skywalk is an engineering wonder. However, other people have criticized the Skywalk and future development. They say it harms a national treasure and reduces the enjoyment of nature in the Grand Canyon.
1. We can learn from the first paragraph ____________.
A. the Grand Canyon is the most beautiful place in America
B. the Grand Canyon is four hundred fifty kilometers long
C. the Grand Canyon used to be a dried river
D. the Grand Canyon used to be a deep opening in the earth
2. According to the passage, people can visit the Grand Canyon in ______ ways.
A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6
3. We can learn that the author of the passage hold a(n) ______ attitude towards the Skywalk.
A. positive B. negative C. objective D. critical
4. All the following are true about the Grand Canyon EXCEPT ____________.
A. The top of the Grand Canyon is always cold.
B. The Grand Canyon displays different colors in different times.
C. The Grand Canyon is as old as forty million years old.
D. Every year more people see the Grand Canyon by air than by boat.
Many of the employees think their career path and plans begin during their employment or when they already secured a job. But basically, if we look at what becomes of a person, you can root it from the upbringing of the person, to be more specific, from childhood.
As parents, we usually groom our children’s future according to what we are or what we wanted to be. We buy them toys and educational materials according to what we dream our children would become someday. For example, we know that becoming a teacher means a lot of sacrifices and lots of time worked but the pay is not satisfying. Thus, if we see this profession not favorable financially, we discourage our children from becoming teachers. However, the earliest exposure of children is usually in the medical field profession (every time they visit the hospital for consultation or any medical requirements) and the education or teaching profession (by the time they start attending classes). Information other than the two professions mentioned came from the parents and later exposure or experiences when they grew up and learn of their interest according to their special skills.
In career pathing, the parents’ role plays a major part for the individual’s success in identifying their chosen career. The best way is to support the child’s interest and not forcing them to take courses that the parents wanted for themselves. Support can be provided by helping them read materials on their field of interest, exposing them to the career and providing information as to the advantages and great efforts that one may take to accomplish their chosen field. This is not difficult nowadays. The internet and the publications are now very affordable and even the media provides the information for the different careers that our children may take. There are shows and programs that can provide a picture of the different field. But before you go to your television and change the channel of what your child is watching, check first if the program is fit for their age and maturity.
1. The underlined word “groom” in the second paragraph can be replaced by ___________.
A. take care of B. prepare C. expect D. feed
2. Why does the parents’ role play a major part for the individual’s success in identifying their chosen career?
A. Because the best approach is to support the child’s interest.
B. Because parents can help them read materials on their interest.
C. Because parents can provide them with needed information.
D. Because parents’ help and support is extremely important.
3. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. The earlier, the better B. Work from childhood
C. Career Path Begins During Childhood D. Parent’s support in choosing a career
4. It can be inferred that __________.
A. parents play a major part in helping their children choose their career
B. parents have a great effect on their children’s life
C. one’s early education is very important
D. getting information about jobs is not difficult nowadays because of the internet