A baby carrier is like a backpack for carrying a baby. Ann Moore introduced the idea of a baby carrier to American people nearly 50 years ago.
Ann spent two years in Africa in the early 1960s. She worked as a nurse there. Ann saw babies wrapped in bright cloth tied to their mothers’ backs. The babies snuggled (依偎) close to their mothers, and the mothers could use their hands to do other things.
In 1964, Ann had her own baby. She tried making a carrier like the one African mothers used. The carrier was like a backpack. Everywhere Ann went with her baby in the carrier, people asked, “Where can I buy one?” In 1965, Ann and her mother began to sell handmade carriers. Ann received a patent (专利) for the baby carrier in 1969. By that time, the baby carrier had leg holes and straps (带子) that could be made longer or shorter. It could also be worn on the back or front.
By 1979, the baby carriers were made in a factory. These baby carriers cost less to make and more than 25,000 were sold every month.
When Ann made her first baby carrier, she just wanted to keep her baby close and still have her hands free to do other things. Now all over the world babies ride in baby carriers, close to their parents, safe and happy.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案,并将其标号填入题前括号内。 Ann Moore made her first baby carrier in .
A.1964 | B.1965 |
C.1969 | D.1979 |
People asked Ann where they could buy a carrier because .
A.Ann looked kind and friendly |
B.Ann knew where to buy it |
C.they liked it and wanted to have one |
D.they couldn’t go to Africa |
What did Ann’s baby carrier look like?
A.It was a bag made of bright cloth. |
B.It was a bright cloth tied to the mother’s back. |
C.It was a big backpack which could be worn on the back or front. |
D.It was like a backpack with leg holes and adjustable (可调节的) straps. |
From the passage we can learn that people usually invent new things to .
A.start a family business |
B.show they are better than others |
C.help people in poor areas |
D.make their lives easier |
What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Baby carriers in Africa |
B.The mother of the baby carrier. |
C.Ann Moore’s family business |
D.How to make a baby carrier. |
We moved to a new area when our son was in Grade Five. Before we moved, we took him to spend half a day at his new school. There he saw his new classmates and teachers. He enjoyed the visit. During the almost 150-kilometre drive home, he told us that he had told some of the students the dace when we would move there. And he had also invited them to visit us.
The moving day, a Saturday, was a busy day. We arrived at our new house at noon. About an hour later, kids began to come and soon one of them invited our son to his house to play for the afternoon.
By the time he returned, he knew where most of the kids lived and the histories of their families.
On Monday morning, the doorbell rang just before the time he would leave for school. Then it rang again and again.
By the time he was ready, we had eight young boys waiting to walk to school with him on his first day. They all live near us.
I asked them if their parents had sent them. The answers surprised and pleased me, "No, we just came so that he would have someone to walk with." and "It is the right thing to do."
The friendships were formed(形成) from that day. We have lived here for nearly six years and the same group of kids still play together, go to parties on weekends together, and surfing the Internet together.
I am still thinking how welcoming and kind those kids are. And how lucky my son is to have them as friends.Before the family moved to the new area, the son was taken to his new school to ______.
A.invite the teachers to visit them | B.get to know it |
C.see if the school was far | D.play with his classmates |
Why did the doorbell ring again and again on Monday morning?
A.Because no one answered it. | B.Because it was time for school. |
C.Because kids were coming one by one. | D.Because there was something wrong with it. |
Which of the following is true?
A.The family moved to the new house on Saturday afternoon. |
B.The kids visited the house before the family arrived. |
C.The son knew the kids well before he got there. |
D.The son was invited to play in a kid’s house later that afternoon. |
The passage shows us that ______.
A.it’s easy to move to a new place | B.it’s kind of people to help a new comer |
C.it’s good to make new friends | D.it’s better to live in the same place |
"Tom? Are you in bed yet?" called Mrs White. There was no answer. Mrs White put down her book and went to her 14-year-old son’s room. Tom was sitting in front of a bright computer screen on which a colourful dragon jumped and shouted.
"Oh, Tom! You’re still playing on that computer. You must stop now. It’s half past eleven. If you don’t go to bed soon, you’ll be very tired tomorrow," said Mrs White.
"But I’ve nearly beaten the dragon," said Tom. Mrs White could see the excitement on her son’s face. She sat down beside him.
"You are always playing on that computer. You spend more time with this machine than with your family," she said with a smile. "What’s special about it? Show me what it can do!"
"I think this is a great computer, Mum!" he said happily. "The hardware (硬件) is good. There’s so much memory and it has some wonderful software programs. This game, ’Dragon Player’, is my favourite, but I sometimes borrow games from Daniel and other friends. I don’t have to worry about any infected(感染) disks because I have a virus(病毒) detector (探测器) which can go over any disk and check it for viruses. Let me show you!" Tom began tapping. The screen changed in answer to his orders.
"Oh, Tom," laughed Mrs White. "I’m sure it’s a wonderful computer, but I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about."When Mrs White was calling Tom, he was ______.
A.playing computer games in’ his bedroom | B.playing with a dragon in his bedroom |
C.playing "Dragon Player" in the study | D.lying in bed reading a book |
Tom was excited because ______.
A.the computer has a good memory | B.the hardware is good |
C.he had nearly won the game | D.his mother came to see him |
What do we know about Mrs White?
A.She loves her son too much. |
B.She loves computer games too. |
C.She is very hard on his son. |
D.She is as wonderful as the computer game. |
"Spending as little as $5 a day on someone else can make you happier," the researchers from a team at the University(大学)of British Columbia and Harvard Business School reported.
Their experiments on 600 volunteers in the US showed people were feeling happier when they spent money on others.
The team asked their 600 volunteers about their income(收入),their daily costs, gifts for others and donations to charity. "No matter how much money each person made, those who spent money on others could get greater happiness than those who spent money only on themselves," Dunn said.
Dunn’s team also surveyed 16 workers at a company in Boston after they received an award of between $3,000 and $8,000. "Of course they felt happy after receiving the awards," they wrote in their report. "But when they gave the people in need $5, they were happier."
"The findings showed that as little as $5 could be enough to produce happiness on a whole day," Dunn said. There were ______ people in all who took part in the experiments.
The underlined word "experiments" means ______ in Chinese.
A.会议 | B.表演 | C.实验 | D.化验 |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
A.Money is not important for people. |
B.Money really can "buy" happiness if you spend it on others. |
C.We should try our best to give our money to more people in need. |
D.Spend all the money on others and you’ll feel happier. |
When Kyle walked into Ernie’s Pet World, he looked very worried. He walked quickly to the front counter(柜台). The owner of the shop, Ernie, jumped out to greet Kyle. He was the shop’s first shopper of the day.
"Good morning, sir!" Ernie said. "What can I help you with?"
"Well, I...," Kyle started to say.
"Wait, don’t tell me," Ernie interrupted (打断) him. "You’re looking for a … a little dog... for
your daughter ’s birthday. Right?"
"No T really, l just..."
Ernie didn’t let him finish. "Ah, I’ve got it, You just moved into a new house, and you want some fish for it. I have some very nice tanks over here."
"In fact, I..." Kyle was starting to look very nervous (紧张的). His face had a strange expression(表情)on it.
"No fish? Ah, a cat! You look like a cat person. At Ernie’s Pet World, we have the best kinds. Take a look at this Persian—long, white hair, and look at that cute expression. She’s looking at you. She’s thinking, ‘Take me home. Take me home.’ Would you like some cat food and toys as well?"
"No, thank you," Kyle said. By this time, he was walking up and down. He had a pained (痛苦的) look on his face. "Really, I’m not interested in cats or fish or little dogs."
"What do you want, then?" Ernie asked.
Kyle looked like he was going to cry. "I just want to know if I can use your bathroom!" he finally said. What does the writer want to tell us?
A.A good pet owner. | B.A funny story. |
C.A wonderful shopkeeper. | D.A strange pet shop. |
What was true about Ernie’s Pet World?
A.The shop was not busy. | B.Kyle went there often. |
C.The shop was about to close. | D.Kyle knew the shop owner well. |
What do you think of Ernie?
A.He is careful. | B.He is helpful. |
C.He likes talking. | D.He is clever. |
Why did Kyle look anxious and pained?
A.He wanted to get a cat very much. | B.He didn’t like animals. |
C.He was late for work. | D.He was not comfortable. |
Tom can’t join the summer camp because he _______.
A.doesn’t speak English well | B.doesn’t like the university |
C.is 20 years old | D.isn’t a Canadian |
How much will you pay when you visit Tate Modem Art Gallery with your parents?
A.¥5 | B.¥10. | C.¥15 | D.It’s free. |
Where can we see the above reading?
A.On a poster. | B.In a textbook. | C.In a letter. | D.In a guide book. |