One afternoon last week, I saw three tearful children from my son's school being comforted by teachers. That morning, my 11-year-old had stomach pains, retching（干呕）into a bowl. Talking to other mothers later, I heard about other children with stomachache or difficult sleeping the night before.
What caused so much pain? Sports day. Sports day might be necessary at a highly-competitive independent school, but not at a village primary school. For the children who can fly like the wind, sports day cause no problem. For those who are overweight or just not good at sport, it is nightmare（噩梦）. Even for those who enjoy running but fall halfway down the track in front of the entire school and their parents, it can prove a disease.
Why do we put our children through this annual suffering? Some may say competition is character building; or it's taking part, not winning, that's important; or that's a tradition of school life. I just felt great pity for those children in tears or in pain.
Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races, wild enthusiasm, lots of shouting - and were fun to watch. More importantly, the children who were not so fast or quick at passing the ball were hidden a little from everyone's eyes. Some of them also had the thrill of being on the winning side.
I wish that sports day could be abandoned and replaced with some other less competitive event. Perhaps an afternoon of team games, with a few races for those who want them, would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch.
| 1． |
What can we learn about the author's son from Paragraph 1?
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| 2． |
Sports day is still an annul event in this school probably because
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| 3． |
What does the author think about team games?
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| 4． |
What is the author's attitude towards sports day?
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Speed-reading is an indispensable skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and tweets to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Bombarded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope（应付）if we read word by word, line by line.
But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond intellectual stimulation.
A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smart phones. They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour.
Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the Slow Reading Club isn’t exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement initiated (发起) by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smart phones.
Slow readers, such as The Atlantic’s Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to empathize.
Some of these benefits have been backed up by science. For example, a study of 300 elderly people published by the journal Neurology last year showed that regular engagement in intellectually strenuous activities like reading slowed the rate of memory loss later in life.
Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted pattern in a quiet environment free of distractions. “Aim for 30 minutes a day,” advises Kelly from The Atlantic. “You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments – whenever you find yourself automatically firing up your laptop to check your favorite site, or scanning Twitter for something to pass the time – you pick up a meaningful work of literature,” Kelly said. “Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive(真实的), and also ensure you’ll never lose your place.”We prefer speed –reading because ____.
| A．we rely on e-mails and tweets too much. |
| B．we are busier than before |
| C．we have to read faster to get more information |
| D．we do not enjoy reading any more |
The aim of setting theSlow Reading Clubis to encourage people to _____.
| A．share their ideas about a certain book |
| B．read old-fashioned books |
| C．read as many books as possible |
| D．to enjoy slow reading |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．the benefits of regular reading hasn’t been proved |
| B．for elderly people ,a good reading habit helps slow memory loss |
| C．speed reading can improve concentration and reduce stress levels |
| D．more elderly people enjoy slow reading now |
According to the last paragraph, a kindle is probably________.
| A．a software for downloading e-books |
| B．a software that helps people read slowly |
| C．a website for people to exchange books |
| D．a website for people to share their ideas about a book |
What can be the best title of the passage？
| A．Enjoy Speed-reading | B．Enjoy Slow-Reading |
| C．Enjoy Effective Reading | D．Enjoy Online Reading |
Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight. But the opposite is true for men, whose longterm health benefits when they move in with a female partner.
Dieticians at Newcastle University said both partners try to please one another, and so change their dietary habits to suit their other half.
It leads men to eat more light meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables, while women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes like curry or rich pasta sauces, which may please their partner.
Women still have the strongest longterm influence over the couple's diet and lifestyle, as they still have the traditional role of shopper and cook in most households.
The report, by Newcastle University's Human Nutrition Research Centre, reviewed the finding of a variety of research projects from the UK, North America and Australia, which looked at the eating and lifestyle habits of couples.
The research shows that women are more likely to put on weight and increase their consumption of foods high in fat and sugar when they move in with their partner.
Women also use food as a comfort when dealing with emotional stress and have been found to gain weight when a relationship ends, while the same finding has not been observed in men.
Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author and registered dietician Dr. Amelia Lake said, “The research has shown that your partner is a strong influence on lifestyle and people who are trying to live healthier lives should take this factor into consideration.”According to the passage, moving in with a girlfriend, men ________.
| A．have few changes of their dietary habits |
| B．have to eat more unhealthy foods |
| C．don't like foods high in fat and sugar at all |
| D．try to eat foods that their girlfriends like |
The underlined word “light”(in Paragraph 3 ) probably means ________.
| A．not very heavy |
| B．gentle． |
| C．less in fat and sugar |
| D．not serious or important |
According to the report by Newcastle University's Human Nutrition Research Centre, ________.
| A．women put on weight only because they want to suit their other half |
| B．when men are faced with emotional stress, they will change their dietary habits |
| C．eating together in the evening is a good way to communicate for couples |
| D．it is wrong to change your dietary habits to suit your partner |
From the passage, we can infer that ________.
| A．women should pay more attention to their partner's influence on them |
| B．more men will play roles of shopper and cook in most households |
| C．couples will not change their dietary habits and lifestyle to please their partner |
| D．longterm health of men benefits when they move in with a female partner |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Don't be silly any more, women! |
| B．Which are better dietary habits? |
| C．Boyfriends make you fat |
| D．Dr. Amelia Lake and his study |
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the countryto go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼) and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
| A．Because they can live more comfortably there. |
| B．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life. |
| C．Because they mainly want to find work there. |
| D．Because they are sure of having a better life there. |
The underlined phrase “a residential area” means an area________.
| A．where people can buy things |
| B．which is suitable for living in |
| C．where people can do business |
| D．which is near a city center |
Which of the following statement is NOT true about the business district?
| A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district. |
| B．People usually work and live in the business district. |
| C．A business district usually lies in the city center downtown. |
| D．Nearly every major city has its own business district. |
In the United States, many people work in the center of a big city________.
| A．and live there |
| B．but live in the suburbs of the city |
| C．and live in another city |
| D．but live in rural areas |
We can infer that this movement from rural to urban areas ________.
| A．has been going on for more than 2,000 years |
| B．will surely continue in the future |
| C．may not continue in the future |
| D．has now stopped already |
Most young people enjoy some forms of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling, swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some forms—football, basketball, hockey, golf or tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks in high mountains? This astonishment is caused, probably, by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.
Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as others, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of different kinds which would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.
If we compare mountaineering with other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team game”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.
The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve in skills year by year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty. But it is not unusual for men of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they perhaps climb with more skills and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.What sports are popular among people in winter in the passage?
| A．Soccer and golf. | B．Skiing and skating. |
| C．Cycling and hockey. | D．Mountaineering. |
The underlined word “passion” in Paragraph 2 could best be replaced by _ _____.
| A．strong emotion | B．good way |
| C．better feeling | D．enough affection |
Mountaineering is a sport, not a game because_______.
| A．it has man-made rules |
| B．it is too dangerous for climbers |
| C．it is free for climbers to use their own methods |
| D．it can’t bring people joy or leisure |
We know from the passage that _______.
| A．mountaineering has no appeal for people |
| B．physical quality is more important than mental one for climbers |
| C．a mountain climber passes his best by the age of thirty |
| D．it is possible for an old man of fifty or sixty to climb the Alps |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Sports in winter | B．Team work in climbing |
| C．Mountaineering | D．The quality for mountaineering |
It was Thanksgiving morning. I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together on the top step.
“Any old papers, lady？” asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say “no” until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little sandals, wet with heavy snow.
“Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa.”
They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor. I served them cocoa and bread to fight against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started cooking.
The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, “Lady, are you rich？”
“Am I rich? Pity, no！”
I looked at my wornout slipcovers(椅套). The girl put her cup back in its saucer (碟) carefully and said, “Your cups match your saucers.” They left after that, holding their papers against the wind. They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful.
Plain blue china cups and saucers were only worth five pence. But they matched.
I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a regular job, these matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy marks of little sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Lady, are you rich? |
| B．A story of Thanksgiving Day |
| C．Don't forget how rich you are |
| D．Does cups and saucers match well? |
The writer let the two children come in and served them well because________.
| A．she wanted to sell old papers to them |
| B．she showed great pity and care on them |
| C．she wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving party |
| D．she had the same experience as them in the past |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The girl thought the writer was rich just because she wanted to make the writer happy. |
| B．The writer had thought she wasn't rich because her supplies were not expensive. |
| C．If cups and saucers match well, they are a best pair even though cheap. |
| D．After hearing what they said, the writer seemed to understand what a rich life was. |
The writer left the muddy marks of little sandals on the floor for a while to________.
| A．show that she was a kindhearted lady |
| B．leave room for readers to think about what being rich is |
| C．remind her that she shouldn't forget how rich she was |
| D．prove that she had understood what meant being rich |
It can be inferred from the text that whether you are rich depends on________.
| A．how much money you have made |
| B．what attitude you have had towards life |
| C．the way you help others |
| D．your social relationship |