As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler(学龄前儿童)：
Develop social skills
As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and coworkers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop empathy(同情) for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.
Build selfconfidence
Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers(摩天大楼) or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Boost intellectual growth
Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound(堆) of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically(象征性地). This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.
Practice language skills
Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and promote communication skills.
Work out fears
Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children roleplay about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps kids vent(发泄) confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or compete with a new sibling(兄弟姐妹)．
To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.
For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures.Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful typical Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books-Bambi and Pinocchio.What's NOT the advantage of children having a good imagination?
| A．Understanding the other people's feelings and problems. |
| B．Expressing their feelings like anger. |
| C．Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential. |
| D．Helping them form a good habit of reading stories. |
What does the underlined word “Boost” mean?
| A．Improve. | B．Limit. | C．Push. | D．Praise. |
From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．
| A．Reader's Digest Young Families wins an iParenting Media Award |
| B．Disney edition of Peter Pan can be got online for free |
| C．the story of Peter Pan has been popular with kids |
| D．Bambi and Pinocchio are offered for free because of bad sales |
What's the purpose of writing the article?
| A．To tell readers the benefits of encouraging children's imagination. |
| B．To introduce some wonderful Disney stories to readers. |
| C．To provide ways of helping make kids more imaginative. |
| D．To persuade parents to buy the Disney edition of Peter Pan. |
The Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a palatial park on the central California coast and a National Historic Landmark．It was designed by architect Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst from 1919 until 1947．In 1957 , the Hearst Corporation donated the fortune to the state of California．Since that time it has been maintained as a state historic park where the estate and its considerable collection of art and antiques are open for public tours．Despite its location far from any urban center, the site attracts roughly one million visitors per year．
Guided Tours
There are several tours which highlight various parts of the castle and gardens．
●Tour One is recommended for first time visitors．It now includes the movie, Hearst Castle Building the Dream．
●Tour Two gives visitors a closer look at the main house's upper floors, Mr.Hearst's private suite, the libraries, and the kitchen．
●Tour Three looks at the Castle's North Wing, guest rooms and guest house Casa Del Monte．
●Tour Four features the impressive gardens and grounds, the largest guesthouse, the wine basement, and the Hidden Terrace．
●The evening tour is a special tour that allows visitors to experience the Castle at night as one of the Hearst's own visitors might have．
Ticket Prices
Hearst 
Castle accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover．Free day use parking is available for automobiles, motorcycles, tour buses and recreational vehicles．
| TOURS |
ADULT |
Ages 6 – 17 |
| Experience Tour |
$24 |
$12 |
| Tours 2, 3 or 4 |
$24 |
$12 |
| Evening tour |
$30 |
$15 |
* Children under 6 are free when accompanied by a paying adult．
Reservation Information
While tickets may be purchased at the Visitor Center upon arrival, tour reservations are strongly recommended and may be reserved online now or by calling 1 - 800 - 444 - 4445, see below for times．
| Reservation Call Center Hours |
||
| Dates |
Monday-Friday |
Saturday-Sunday |
| March-September |
8AM to 6PM |
8AM to 6PM |
| October-February |
9AM to 5PM |
9AM to 3PM |
Visit www．hearstcastle．org for more information．Who does the Hearst Castle belong to at present?
| A．William Randolph Hearst． | B．Julia Morgan． |
| C．The state of California． | D．The Hearst Corporation． |
If you are quite interested in wine, which tou
r will you choose?
| A．Tour One． | B．Tour Two． | C．Tour Three． | D．Tour Four． |
If a young couple take Tour One with their 5-year-old son, how much will they pay for the tickets?
| A．36． | B．60． | C．48． | D．75． |
Which of the following is the available time to book tickets by phone?
| A．At 8 AM on Monday in February． | B．At 9 AM on Sunday in March． |
| C．At 7 PM on Friday in September． | D．At 6 PM on Saturday in October． |
Everyone makes mistakes in life, but for whales and dolphins, the “mistake” of landing on the shore costs the highest price---their lives.
People living along the coast of Australia and New Zealand have been shocked and saddened by the number of whales and dolphins that they have found on their beaches recently. Since November 28th, 96 whales and dolphins have died in Australia and 53 whales died in New Zealand. Although 20 whales were saved, some of these were not expected to live, as they were too weak to swim with the others back to sea.
Bob Brown, leader of Australia’s Green party, said the mass beaching was caused by the recent “sound bombing” of the ocean floor between the two countries. This is a method of testing for oil and gas reserves (储藏量).
But mass beaching of whales has long puzzled scientists. Typically most members of the stranded (搁浅) group will appear to be perfectly healthy. “Some researchers believe that close relationship within the group causes the problem, if one gets into trouble, the others will not leave” said Shery Gibney, a leading biologist in New Zealand. “Some will come in and try and assist it; if they get trapped on the beach, then more will come.”
Another common theory is that the whales’ navigation (导航) system are thought to break down in some way. It has been said that whales follow electromagnetic (电磁的) patterns in the sea-bed. The whales can get confused because these patterns sometimes change. That would be a bit like a new roundabout (环状交叉路) being built on a road you were used to driving on. You might be confused for a minute when you come to it for the first time, and you might even take a wrong turning before getting back on your route.
A different idea is that when whales chase fish for food they end up in shallow waters because they are not paying attention to where they are going.
And yet, from time to time a group will swim on purpose into shallow waters and end up on the beach, where they die. If returned to the sea, some whales often show great determination in restraining themselves.________ whales and dolphins would probably die in this mass beaching along the coast of Australia and New Zealand.
| A．Less than 100 | B．Less than 150 | C．More than 150 | D．149 |
Which of the following can be used to explain the term “sound bombing”?
| A．The terrible sound that is caused in the war between two countries. |
| B．Human activities that aim to explore the ocean floor. |
| C．The loud sound that whales and dolphins make. |
| D．The earthquakes that happen on the ocean floor. |
Which of the following couldn’t probably lead to the mass beaching of whales?
| A．A change in the electromagnetic patterns that whales follow. |
| B．New roundabout being built on a road. |
| C．Their full attention to the search for food. |
| D．Exploiting natural resources in oceans. |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．that whales and dolphins may make mistakes as well as human beings |
| B．how scientists have found the reasons for the mass beaching of whales |
| C．how human beings make use of the ocean resources |
| D．why the mass beaching of whales happens |
Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you’re looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially spoken English.
Here are some ads about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need.
Global English Center
﹡General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
﹡3-month (700yuan), 6-month (1,200yuan) and one year (2,000yuan) courses.
﹡Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day, Mon.---Fri.
﹡Experienced college English teachers.
﹡close to city center and bus stop.
Tel: 67605272 Add: 105 Zhongshan Road, 100082
Modern Language School
﹡Special courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills.
﹡Small classes (12-16 students) on Sat. & Sun. from 2:00p.m.---5:00p.m.
﹡Native English teachers from Canada and USA.
﹡Language lab and computer supplies.
﹡3-month course: 1,050 yuan.
﹡6-month course: 1,850 yuan.
Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675 Park Road, 100056
Tel: 67353019
The 21st Century English Training Center
﹡We specialize (专门研究) in effective teaching at all levels.
﹡We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan.
﹡We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holiday.
﹡Entrance exams: June 1 and December 1.
﹡Only 15-minute walk from city center.
Call 67801642 for more information.
The International House of English
﹡Three/ Six-month English courses for students of all levels at a very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week; convenient class hours: 9:00a.m. –12:00a.m. and 2:00p.m.—5:00p.m.
﹡A four-month evening programme for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes).
﹡Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers experienced in teaching English as a second/ foreign language.
﹡Free sightseeing and social activities.
For further information call 57432308.You work from 9:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. every day. Which school will you choose?
| A．Global English Center and Modern Languange School. |
| B．Global English Center and the International House. |
| C．Modern Languange School and the 21st Century. |
| D．The 21st Century and the International House. |
The 21st Century’s difference from the other three schools is that ________ .
| A．its teaching quality is better |
| B．it is nearest to the city center |
| C．its courses are more advanced |
| D．it requires an entrance examination |
You will probably prefer to go to the International House because it ________ .
| A．offers sightseeing and social activities |
| B．has a special course in spoken English |
| C．costs less than the other schools |
| D．has native English teachers |
Modern Language School runs only _______ .
| A．big classes | B．special classes | C．normal classes | D．small classes |
A Battery’s Nightmare
Portable electronics that can be carried about easily are only as good as their batteries (电池) and, let’s face it, batteries aren’t very good, especially when compared with, say, petrol, which packs 100 times a battery’s energy into an equal space. That’s why a large group of mechanical engineers (centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but with partners at other universities and companies) are hard at work in an effort to replace batteries with a tiny engine that runs on fuel. Imagine a battery-free life! When the fuel runs out in your mobile phone, you just fill up and go.
The engine---about the size of a ten-cent coin---starts with a combustion chamber (燃烧室) that burns hydrogen. Its tiny parts are etched (蚀刻) onto silicon wafers (硅片) in the same manner that computer parts are etched onto integrated circuits (集成电路). The first engine is made up of five wafers. And since these wafers could be produced in much the same way as computer chips, they could probably be produced quite cheaply.
But the devil in all this nice detail is efficiency. Tiny engine parts don’t always behave like the bigger parts of the first engine. Something between the parts can slow down the works, according to Columbia University Professor LucFrechette, one of the engine’s designers. Extreme heat from the combustion chamber is also a problem, often leaking to other parts of the engine.
The scientists’ goal is to create an engine that will operate 10 times better than batteries operate. Frechette says that a complete system, with all parts in place and working, will be set up in the next couple of years, but commercial models aren’t likely until at least the end of the next ten years.According to the passage, the title suggests that _______ .
| A．batteries should be greatly improved |
| B．petrol will be used instead of batteries |
| C．the time of batteries will be gone forever |
| D．pollution problems caused by batteries must be solved |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “devil” in paragraph 3?
| A．Problem | B．Advantage | C．Invention | D．Technique |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The new invention doesn’t need any fuel. |
| B．The new engine has been produced in large quantities. |
| C．The new invention is much cheaper than the battery. |
| D．The new engine needs to be improved before it’s on sale. |
Dear mommy and daddy,
I write this letter to you in hopes that you should consider your method of parenting me before I arrive. I am a joyous child. I expect love and respect, order and discipline. When I arrive, I will seem very small to you. Even though I don’t look like an adult, please understand that I am a human being.
Even though I will not speak words to you, I will know you with my heart. I will feel all your feelings, absorb your thoughts. I will come to know you more than you may know yourself. Do not be misled (误导) by my silence. I am open, growing and learning more rapidly than you can imagine.
I will keep in heart all that I see, so please give me sweet music and language that tells me how much I am loved. Give me silence to rest my ears. I will absorb all that I feel, so please wrap life in love.
I am waiting patiently to be with you. I am so happy to have the opportunity to be alive. Maybe when you see me you will remember how precious life is too!
Your joyous childAccording to the letter, why did the child write this letter?
| A．Because the child wanted to apologize to its parents. |
| B．Because the child wanted the parents to consider the method of being parents. |
| C．Because the child expressed the happiness of having such parents. |
| D．Because the child wanted to show how much it understood its parents. |
According to the text, we can infer the “child” is in fact _______ .
| A．a lovely boy | B．a joyous child |
| C．an unborn baby | D．a lovely girl |
The child in the text required all the following EXCEPT that ________ .
| A．it should be looked on as a human being |
| B．it would like to be loved by its parents |
| C．it wanted to be with the parents an soon as possible |
| D．it wanted a place full of beautiful music and love language |
The letter is likely to be printed in the part of ______ in a magazine.
| A．“Baby’s world” | B．“Current news” |
| C．“Young parent center” | D．“Science and our life” |