My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal.
“I’ll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?” I said, thinking he’d be so excited to put his own stamp on things.
“That’s okay, mom. You put money in. I don’t want to waste mine,” he sweetly sang as he colored. “I want to fill my bank all the way up.”
Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought.
I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need — and even want to do it himself.
But of course he doesn’t really understand yet. “There’s a big disconnect between the people ‘over there’ and my piggy bank,” said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle.
“There’s nothing wrong with the child. There’s just no connection.”
As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: “Try not to do it now,” Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need “should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.”
She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving:
* Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand.
* Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won’t be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope （like this writer just did）.
* Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year.
* Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to.
At her house, Hoefle said, “When you got something new, you gave something up.” Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. “There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids’ lives.”
So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I’ll make sure he understands why they should be filled—gradually.When the writer asked her son to give money to help the poor, he __________.
| A．declined to donate |
| B．sang a sweet song |
| C．put all his money in a bank |
| D．seemed very surprised |
Hoefle’s attitude towards children’s unwillingness to donate money can be best described as “_______”.
| A．critical | B．tolerant | C．positive | D．worried |
Which of the following is Hoefle’s approach to educating kids about charity?
| A．Giving courses about charity. |
| B．Setting a rule for children to give. |
| C．Inviting a lot of poor people home. |
| D．Giving children enough real life chances. |
What can we learn about the writer from the passage?
| A．She often makes donations for people in need. |
| B．She taught her son a lesson over dinner that evening. |
| C．She is at a loss as for what she should do next. |
| D．She invited a parenting educator home for advice. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Kids, please help those in need. |
| B．Why are kids unwilling to donate? |
| C．Kindness is lost in the young generation. |
| D．How can we help kids learn generosity? |
By day he is just a normal cat but when the lights go out, he glows (发光) in the dark.
Scientists have genetically modified (更改) a cat as part of an experiment that could lead to treatments for diseases.
Named Mr. Green Genes, he looks like a six-month-old cat but, under ultraviolet (紫外线的) light, his eyes, gums (牙龈) and tongue glow green. That is the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans, US.
Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent (荧光的) cat in the US and probably the world, said Betsy Dresser, the center's director.
The researchers made him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into a cat's genetic sequence (次序).
If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to treat diseases via gene therapy (治疗).
The gene, which was added to Mr. Green Genes' DNA, has no effect on his health, Ms Dresser said.
Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic makeup is similar to that of humans, said Dr Martha Gomez, a scientist at the center.
To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, the researchers settled on one that would glow.
The gene "is just a marker"， said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis. Lyons is familiar with the center's work.
"The glowing part is the fun part," she said.
Glowing creatures made international news earlier this month when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists who had discovered the gene through their work with jellyfish (水母).
51. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. A Glowing Cat B. Mr. Green Genes
C. One Cat’s Life D. An experiment on cats
52. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Fortunately, scientists have found ways to treat diseases via gene therapy.
B. Scientists think cats’ genetic makeup is the same as that of human beings.
C. Three scientists who had discovered the gene were given Nobel Prize in Physics.
D. Scientists have managed to introduce a gene into a cat’s genetic sequence.
53. What does “settled on” most probably mean in Paragraph 9?
A. chose B. killed C. took D. raised
54. From the passage we can see that ____.
A. Mr. Green Genes was made by researchers to treat diseases
B. the cat named Mr. Green Genes can glow when it is dark
C. Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent cat in the world
D. Mr. Green Genes is a cat of seven months old up to now
55. Which of the following is WRONG according to the text?
A. The gene added to Mr. Green Genes’ DNA doesn’t affect its health at all.
B. The scientists came up with the idea of the glowing genes totally for fun.
C. Earlier this month glowing creatures became news all through the world.
D. Scientists had discovered the gene from the jellyfish they worked with.
Chinese students aren’t the only ones who have a sleep loss problem. In Australia, teenagers are also missing out on, on average, one hour’s sleep every night during the school week.
Organized activities and homework push bedtimes later, the first large-scale Australian study of children’s sleeping habits has revealed (显示). Their sleep deprivation (剥夺) is enough to cause “serious drop-offs in school performance, attention and memory”, and governments should consider later or flexible school start times, said the study’s leader, Tim Olds.
His survey, of more than 4,000 children aged 9 to 18, found those who slept least did not watch more television but spent their time socializing (相处) with family or friends or listening to music.
“Almost all children get up at 7 or 7:15 — they have to get to school on time,” said Olds. He favors a later start over an earlier finish because he believes organized sports and activities would still consume the latter end of the day.
Olds’ research also establishes lack of sleep as a cause of weight gain in children, and a possible source of future problems with depression, anxiety and increased susceptibility (易感性) to illness.
It was already known that overweight children sleep less, but Professor Olds found sleep duration(时长) was strongly linked to weight across the full range of body sizes. The thinnest children sleep 20 minutes more than the obese. This showed being overweight had no specific effect on sleep patterns, and it was more likely that shorter sleep times stimulate (刺激) appetite and make kids hungry.
The US National Sleep Foundation says teenagers aged 13 to 18 need eight to nine hours’ sleep a night. Younger school-aged kids need 9 to 11 hours.
On that basis, Professor Olds said, half of Australian children are under-sleeping on weekdays and a quarter on weekends.
46. The Australian students surveyed don’t sleep enough because they spend more time on the following EXCEPT _____.
A. organized activities and homework
B. communication with friends and family
C. watching television programs
D. enjoying music
47. What effects does lack of sleep directly have on the students according to the survey?
A. They become overweight but begin to eat less than before.
B. They feel more depressed and anxious about their school work.
C. They are more likely to be affected with illness in the future.
D. They pay less attention in class and their memory declines.
48. Which of the following suggestions did Mr. Olds raise?
A. The students should go to bed earlier to have longer sleeping time.
B. The students should participate less in organized activities.
C. The school should put off the start time in the morning.
D. The school should finish earlier in the afternoon.
49. What does "obese" in the sixth paragraph mean?
A. average B. fatC. sleepless D. overeating
50. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Australian students usually take part in activities in the afternoon.
B. More students are short of sleep on weekends than on weekdays.
C. Being overweight has an effect on the length of the sleeping time.
D. The survey suggests that teenagers need 8-9 hours’ sleep a night.
People living on parts of the south coast of England face a serious problem. In 1933, the owners of a large hotel and of several houses discovered, to their surprise that their gardens had disappeared overnight. The sea had eaten into the soft limestone cliff (悬崖) on which they had been built. While experts were studying the problem, the hotel and several houses disappeared altogether, sliding down the cliff and into the sea.
Erosion (侵蚀) of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious in recent years. Dozens of homes have had to be abandoned as the sea has crept farther and farther inland. Experts have studied the areas most affected and have drawn up a map for local people, forecasting the year in which their homes will be eaten up by the hungry sea.
Angry owners have called on the Government to erect sea defenses to protect their homes. Government surveyors have pointed out that in most cases, this is impossible. New sea walls would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents further along the coast, shifting the problem from one area to another. The danger is likely to continue, they say, until the waves reach an inland area of hard rock, which will not be eaten as limestone is. Meanwhile, if you want to buy a cheap house with an uncertain future, apply to a house agent in one of the threatened areas on the south coast of England. You can get a house for a knockdown price but it may turn out to be a knockdown home. What is the cause of the problem that people living on parts of the south coast of England face?
| A．The rising of the sea level. |
| B．The experts’ short of knowledge. |
| C．The washing-away of limestone cliff. |
| D．The disappearance of hotels, houses and gardens. |
The erosion of the white cliffs in the south of England ________.
| A．will soon become a problem for people living in central England |
| B．has now become a threat to the local residents |
| C．can be stopped if proper measures are taken |
| D．is quickly changing the map of England |
The experts’ study on the problem of erosion can ________.
| A．warn people whose homes are in danger |
| B．provide an effective way to slow it down |
| C．help to its eventual solution |
| D．lead to its eventual solution(www.nmet168.com) |
It is not feasible to build sea defenses to protect against erosion because ________.
| A．house agents along the coast do not support the idea |
| B．it is too costly and will endanger neighboring areas |
| C．the government is too slow in taking action |
| D．they will be easily knocked down by waves and currents |
Play is the basic business of childhood, and in recent years research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest infancy (婴儿), every child needs opportunity and the right materials for play, and the main tools of play are toys. The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and play. To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often, and will come back to again, and again. Therefore it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development.
In recent years research on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited (遗传的) abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life. So a baby’s ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated. A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully.
In the next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds. Every type of suitable toys should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability: Bricks and jigsaws (七巧板) and construction toys; painting, scribbling (涂鸦) and making things; sand and water play;toys for imaginative and pretending play — the first social games for learning to play and get on with others.
But at the third stage of play development — from five to seven or eight years old — the child is at school. But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school. It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys.
Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child. But once reading has been mastered, then books become the main source of learning. Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed — to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun.according to the first passage we know that as a child grows up________.
| A．he should be allowed to choose his own toys |
| B．he should be given the same toys |
| C．he should be given different toys |
| D．he should be given fewer and fewer toys |
according to the passage, the abilities a child has inherited from his parents________.
| A．determine his character |
| B．will not change after the age of three |
| C．partly determine the standard he is likely to reach |
| D．to a large extent determine the choice of toys |
We learn from the passage that a child has boundless curiosity________.
| A．when he is two | B．when he is around four |
| C．when he is six | D．when he is eight |
The passage is mainly about________.
| A．the importance of pre-school education | B．the importance of schooling |
| C．the role of play in a child’s development | D．the choice of toys for youngster |
It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can’t imagine we will do without him when he’s gone. Bill Masters almost single-handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today. In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors. Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill’s leadership; we are increasing our share with each passing month.
As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company’s competitive areas. But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work. The speech was made ________.
| A．at a welcome meeting | B．after someone died |
| C．when somebody was leaving | D．when they had a new manager |
How long did Masters work there?
| A．37 years. | B．Less than 5 years. |
| C．About six years. | D．Since he began to work. |
When Bill started to work in Houston area, he had to help him.
| A．many people | B．nobody | C．about 37 people | D．very few people |
Bill increased the company’s sale________.
| A．by 37 per cent every month | B．to the second largest in the area |
| C．to be the fifth largest in the area | D．five times as much as before |