Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides, following the rules, planning your next move, acting as a team member…. These are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones,which sharpens the hand-eye coordination(协调)needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to _____.
A.be a team leader |
B.obey the basic rules |
C.act as a grown-up |
D.predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can_____.
A.describe life in an exciting way |
B.turn real-life experiences into a play |
C.make learning life skills more interesting |
D.change people’s views of sporting events |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
A.It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
B.It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
C.It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
D.It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to _______.
A.bring fun to poor kids |
B.provide soccer balls for children |
C.give poor kids a chance for a better life |
D.appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet (彗星) is heading towards the Earth . Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth.
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere (大气层) with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned.
Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero .Crops are ruined. The sun won’t be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive.
Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same and?What is mainly described in the passage?
A.A historic discovery. | B.An event of imagination |
C.A research on space. | D.A scientific adventure. |
When the first piece hits the South Atlantic, it causes________ .
A.an earthquake | B.damages to cities |
C.an Earth explosion | D.huge waves |
Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long?
A.Because the land is covered with water |
B.Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth. |
C.Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero. |
D.Because wars break out among countries. |
By giving the example of dinosaurs, the author tries to prove________ .
A.animals could not live in the cold climate |
B.what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story |
C.the human beings will die out in 2094 |
D.the Earth could be hit by other objects in space |
Who is there among us who hasn’t dreamed of having his or her own small (maybe , several years later , even big )business , and having wonderful freedom , both from a boss and from the time clock ; the freedom to make up our own rules for our work , and our own plans —arranging our own hours of work ? That way work would be both painless and fun. Or, so we imagine.
Well, in fact it isn’t quite as simple as that. Yes , it is true that being the boss has its satisfactions and that you can arrange your working hours freely if you own your own small business . But in those early years of starting your own business, you shouldn’t think of a free day, not to mention flying off for a month’s vacation. It is not unusual for new business owners to work seventy or eighty hours a week , and if there is a day off , that day might need to be devoted to accounting (算账).
But this negative picture doesn’t destroy the beautiful hopes. The possibility of getting something wonderful in return—both material and mental—continues to drive that large number of people who start up small businesses each year in the United States.From the first paragraph, we know that everybody hopes________ .
A.to rule others | B.to be his or her own boss |
C.to get a time clock | D.to be free from work |
Most new business owners have to________ .
A.work more than 10 hours a day | B.devote himself to accounting |
C.fly to some places in the world | D.have a day off in a week |
The expression “negative picture” most probably means “________ “.
A.a terrible experience | B.a poor picture |
C.limited freedom | D.unpleasant situations |
The beautiful hopes will never be destroyed because________ .
A.people love beautiful things by nature |
B.people have a strong desire to seek personal gains |
C.small businesses make big money each year in the US |
D.small businesses have advantages over big companies |
8:30 PM
Outlook
Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up date with all that’s new in the world of entertainment. Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic, from stage to screen. There will be reports of the stars of the moment, the stars of the future and the stars of the past; The director with his new film, the designer with the latest fashion, and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook . The program is introduced by Fran Levine .
9:00 PM
Discovery
When a 10-year-old boy gets a first class degreein mathematics or an 8-year-old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses . Where does the quality of genius come from? Is it all in the genes (基因) or can any child be turned into a genius ? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future. what should they do? In this 30-minute film, Barry Johnson, the professor at School of Medicine , New York University will help you discover the answer .
10:00 PM
Science/Health
Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs? The answer is “yes”, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkinsand three other medical centers. After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure , they found that after 6 months , those devoted to weight loss—exercise and eating a low—salt , low-fat food—lost about 13 pounds and became fitter . Plus , 35% of them dropped into the “normal” category(范畴). This week, Dr. Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what’s achieved with Hypertension drugs.The main purpose of writing these three texts is________ .
A.to invite people to see films |
B.to invite people to topic discussions |
C.to attract more students to attend lectures |
D.to attract more people to watch TV programs |
From Outlook, you can get a great deal of information about________ .
A.stars | B.sports | C.entertainment | D.music |
Who will be most probably interested in Discovery?
A.Parents who want to send their children to a school of medicine. |
B.Children who are good at mathematics. |
C.Parents who want their child to become another Albert Einstein. |
D.Children who are interested in playing chess. |
In Science / Health; “Johns Hopkins” is________ .
A.a famous university | B.a medical center |
C.a well-known doctor | D.a drug company |
According to the third text, which of the following has almost the same effect as Hypertension drug?
A.Exercise plus a healthy diet. | B.Loss of thirteen pounds in weight.. |
C.Six months of exercise without drugs. | D.Low-salt and low-fat food. |
If a person forgets names, places or facts —and has trouble with everyday things like reading or shopping —it may not mean you are getting old. It could be Alzheimer’s disease. So it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you can.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But a drug called ARICEPT has been used by millions of people to help their symptoms (症状).
In studies, ARICEPT has been proved to work for Alzheimer’s . It has helped people improve their memory over time. It has also helped them to keep doing everyday things on their own.
Ask your doctor if ARICEPT is right for you or your loved one. It is the Number One drug for Alzheimer’s in the world. The sooner you know it’s Alzheimer’s, the better ARICEPT can help .
ARICEPT is good for many but may not be good for everyone. Some people may experience not sleeping well, feeling very tired, or not wanting to eat. In studies, these side effects weren’t serious at all and went away over time. Some people taking ARICEPT may feel light-headed. In this case you should tell your doctors because your condition may get worse.If one suffers from Alzheimer’s,________ .
A.he has trouble with his memory |
B.he can’t do everyday things on his own |
C.he often forgets things because he is old |
D.he can’t move about |
What is ARICEPT?
A.A medicine to cure Alzheimer’s |
B.A medicine to delay signs of aging. |
C.A medicine to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. |
D.A medicine to cure brain damage. |
One who is taking ARICEPT should go to see a doctor if he________ .
A.can’t fall asleep | B.feels tired out |
C.has no desire to eat | D.feels like a drunken man |
My teenage son Karl became withdrawnafter his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “Ilove my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands. “For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up .
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll .In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl . I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”By saying “Karl became withdrawn”, the author means that the boy changed entirely and________ .
A.preferred to stay alone at home | B.lost interest in his studies |
C.refused to talk to others | D.began to dislike his mother |
There was silence on the other end of the line because________ .
A.the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
B.the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
C.the speaker didn’t want the mother to recognize his voice |
D.the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
The sentence “…he even made the honor roll” means that “________ ”.
A.he was even on the list to be praised at the parent-teacher meeting |
B.he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades |
C.he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around |
D.he was even on the list of the best students at school |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Children in single-parent families often have mental problems. |
B.Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life. |
C.Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers. |
D.School education doesn’t work without full support from parents. |