Reading is the key to school success and，like any skill，it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking. Educators call it “automaticity(自动性)”.
A child learns to read by sounding out the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With practice, he stumbles less and less, reading by the phrase. With automaticity, he doesn’t have to think about the meaning of words, so he can give all his attention to the meaning of the text.
It can begin as early as first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.
According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount(数量)of time a child spends reading, not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity. It can happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.
You can test yourself by reading something new which is suitable for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, you probably are an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.“ Reading is the key to school success” means that reading______.
| A．helps school develop faster |
| B．is a key to a successful school |
| C．helps students go to a key school |
| D．can improve students’ learning results |
Children with “automaticity” can read faster because they______.
| A．know how to read the words |
| B．do not have to think while reading |
| C．read by themselves without any help |
| D．pay attention to the meaning of the text |
The underlined word “stumble” in the passage means “______” in Chinese.
| A．结结巴巴地读 | B．全神贯注地读 |
| C．心不在焉地读 | D．声情并茂地读 |
The best title for the passage is “______”.
| A．IQ is the Key to the Automaticity |
| B．TV is Bad for Children’s Reading |
| C．Automaticity Depends on Practice |
| D．Automatic Readers Will Be Successful |
【2014年江苏省宿迁市中考】
Jenny wanted to encourage students to read more famous books, so she decided to put an introduction to some interesting children’s story books in the school newspaper.
The Little Prince (《小王子》is a famous work written by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In the book, the little prince leaves his own planet to explore the universe (宇宙). In his journey, he finds that the adult world is really strange and boring. Finally, he goes back to his planet which is full of love. The book is really popular throughout the world.
Charlotte’s Web (《夏洛特的网》is a famous children’s novel written by American author E. B. White. The novel tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte on a farm. When Wilbur is in danger of being killed for his meat by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages to praise Wilbur in her web and saves him. Wilbur becomes famous in the village and he is safe in the end. When it came out in 1952, the book was welcomed by both adults and children. And it is still very popular today.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (《爱德华的奇妙之旅》is a 2006 novel written by Kate DiCamillo. The book is about an unusual journey of a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. He travels from one place to another, meeting many people. During his journey, he learns to love and finally finds love again. This book is popular nowadays and was mentioned many times in the famous South Korean TV series My love from the Star (《来自星星的你》. The warm and sweet story will surely make you understand more about love. Jenny introduced some interesting children’s story books to ________.
| A．encourage students to read more |
| B．encourage students to write more |
| C．show off the books she has read |
| D．make money by selling books |
The underlined word “praise” properly means “________” in Chinese.
| A．欺骗 | B．批评 | C．赞扬 | D．攻击 |
Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The three books mentioned in the passage are popular today. |
| B．The writers of the three books are all Americans. |
| C．When Charlotte’s Web came out, it was only popular with adults. |
| D．My Love from the Star is a famous Chinese TV series. |
【2014年江苏省宿迁市中考】
As an old Chinese saying goes, food is what matters most to people. A Bite of China Season Two, all about the history and culture of eating and cooking in China, broadcast on CCTV-1 from April 18 to June 6. Food plays an important role in our daily life. It is also one of the most important parts of Chinese culture. Besides the rich food culture in China, A Bite of China Season Two also wants to show the joys and sadnesses of ordinary Chinese in changing times through food.
The documentary makes viewers long for home and the tastes of childhood. One Weibo user wrote, “A Bite of China Season Two makes me have so many words to say. It makes me think of my parents and grandmother. I remember my father taught me how to fish when I was a kid. I haven’t been home for a long time, so I’ve decided to go back in a few days.”
The documentary uses food as a window to introduce China to the world. Viewers can see how Chinese people love life by loving food. The new season is not just an introduction to food. It also explores the relationship between Chinese people and their food. Anyone who wants to know more about Chinese food culture and Chinese society should have a bite of the programme. What type of TV programme is A Bite of China Season Two?
| A．A cartoon. | B．A documentary. |
| C．A comedy. | D．A chat show |
When did the programme begin on CCTV-1?
| A．April 6. | B．April 18. |
| C．June 6. | D．July 6. |
What’s the main idea of the programme?
| A．The development of Chinese history. |
| B．An introdution to Chinese culture. |
| C．The history and culture of Chinese food. |
| D．Feelings of ordinary Chinese. |
【2014年吉林省中考】
Our new foreign students are going to arrive very soon, and here are some ways to communicate with them politely.
How close do you stand when you talk to a friend? You can stand close to people in the Middle East but don’t stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.
Do you know How to touch people correctly? Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can’t move away! But in Britain many people don’t like other people to touch them at all.
Do you look at people when you talk? In some places, it isn’t polite to look at people when you talk, but in other countries it isn’t polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the US, people usually look at each other when they talk.
And how do you say goodbye? That’s easy, wave（挥手） to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it’s not at all polite! In fact, it’s very rude!
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。From the passage, we should give more personal space.
| A．people in the Middle East |
| B．people in North America |
| C．people in the South America |
| D．people in North China |
The underlined word “touch” means in Chinese.
| A．触碰 | B．打击 | C．感动 | D．震撼 |
We can’t wave to say goodbye in .
| A．America | B．Japan |
| C．Britain | D．Greece |
How many ways are given to communicate with foreign students?
| A．Two | B．Three |
| C．Four | D．Five |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Saying goodbye | B．Touching people |
| C．Looking at people | D．communicating politely |
【2014年内蒙古通辽市中考】
The world is not only hungry, it will also be thirsty for water. About 97% of water on the earth is sea water, or salty water. Man（人类） can only drink or use the other 3% of the fresh water which comes from rivers, lakes and underground.
The sea is very big. Look at the map of the world, there is more sea than land. It covers about three quarters of the earth, it looks very beautiful when the sun is shining on it. But it can be terrible when there is a strong wind.
The sea water is salty. There is one “sea” called the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is not a sea. It’s a big lake in the Jordan Valley. It’s the saltiest lake in the world. It’s near the city of Jericho. It’s about 80 kilometers long, between 4.8 and 17.7 kilometers wide. The river Jordan runs into the Dead Sea. Fish can’t live in the Dead Sea and plants can’t grow near it. People can’t swim well in the Dead Sea, but they can float （漂浮） on the water. The water is very blue and the air is clean. In winter, people come to the Dead Sea to enjoy the sunshine.
根据上述信息完成下面各个选项。Does the fresh water come from rivers, lakes and underground?
| A． Yes, it does. | B． No, it doesn’t. |
| C． Yes, it is. | D． No, it can’t. |
The Dead Sea is ．
| A． a small sea | B． a big sea |
| C． a big lake | D． a small lake |
The passage tells us the sea covers about of the earth．
| A． 3% | B． 25% | C． 75% | D． 97% |
The Dead Sea is about ．
| A． 2 kilometers wide | B． 80 kilometers long |
| C． 11 kilometers deep | D． 17.7 kilometers high |
Why can’t fish live in the Dead Sea?
| A． Because there is no water in the Dead Sea. |
| B． Because the water in the Dead Sea is dirty. |
| C． Because the water in the Dead Sea is salty. |
| D． Because the water in the Dead Sea is very cold. |
【2012年广东深圳】Information is received into our brain by attention, and its quality determines (决定) how wellitwill be processed, saved and used afterwards.
All information we receive is chosen by our attention. Factors (因素) affecting (影响) our attention are personal interest, experience, ability, feelings, knowledge, environment, timing, and so on. The same information may attract different forms and levels of attention from different people. Some people can get and save the information easily; some may have great difficulty; while others may just turn a blind eye to it. To the same information, one may even pay different levels of attention at different times. But if the facts work together, the quality of attention may be better. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that somebody with average intelligence (智力) can have excellent performances in some fields.
The good news is that a person's attention can be shaped, trained and made stronger by effective exercise. With this in mind, we should keep improving the quality of our attention."it" in Paragraph 1 means _______.
| A．information | B．brain |
| C．attention | D．quality |
All information we receive depends on _______.
| A．information itself | B．our attention |
| C．our intelligence | D．the environment |
Which is not the factor that affects our attention according to the passage?
| A．Interest and experience. |
| B．Experience and knowledge. |
| C．Ability and feelings. |
| D．Food and drinks. |
About attention, which of the following statements is right?
| A．People always have the same level of attention. |
| B．People pay the same attention to the same information. |
| C．A person may pay different levels of attention to the same information at different times. |
| D．All factors affecting attention never work together. |
According to the passage, _______ can help people to make their attention better.
| A．speaking more | B．effective exercise |
| C．hard work | D．high intelligence |