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 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 |
Rossman tells that any child who ______ will possibly be an automatic reader.
| A．turns off TV one night 4 weeks |
| B．reads books by the word quickly |
| C．spends an hour reading every day |
| D．gets the same grades as others in exams |
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 Reads Will Be Successful |
“Cool” is a word with many meanings．Its old meaning is used to express a temperature(温度) that is a little bit cold．As the world has changed，the word has had many different meanings now．
“Cool” can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything．
When you see a famous car in the street，maybe you will say，“It’s cool．”You may think，“He’s so cool，”when you see your favorite footballer．
We all maximize（扩大） the meaning of “cool”．You can use it instead of many words such as “new” or “surprising”．Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used．A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall（瀑布）they had visited．On one student’s paper was just the one sentence，“It’s so cool’’．Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt．
But the story also shows a scarcity（缺乏）of words．Without “cool”，some people have no words to show the same meaning．So it is quite important to keep some credibility（可信性）．Can you think of many other words that make your life as colorful as the word “cool”？ I can．And I think they are also very cool．We know that the word “cool’’ has had ________.
| A．only one meaning | B．no meanings |
| C．many different meanings | D．the same meaning |
In the passage，the word “express” means “________”.
| A．see | B．show |
| C．know | D．feel |
The writer takes an example to show he is ________ the way the word is used．
| A．pleased with | B．strange to |
| C．worried about | D．careful with |
In the passage，the writer suggests（暗示）that the word “cool”________．
| A．can be used instead of many words |
| B．usually means something interesting |
| C．can make your life colorful |
| D．may not be as cool as it seems |
Do you need friends? I'm sure your answer is "Yes, of course. Everybody does!" You need friends when you play and when you work. If you have friends, you will feel happy. If you have no friends. you will feel lonely (寂寞的).
Do you know how to make friends? There is only one good way — You make friends by being friendly. A friendly person is interested in other people. He is always helpful If you want to make friends with a new classmate, you can talk with him, tell him about the other classmates in your class and try your best to be helpful to him.We need friends __________.
| A．because we must play with them |
| B．because we must work with them |
| C．when we play and when we work |
| D．when we talk with them |
A friendly person is _________ other people.
| A．interested in | B．worried about |
| C．surprised at | D．like them |
If we want to make friends with a new classmate, ___________.
A. we can talk with them
B. we must try to help him
C. we can tell him about the other classmates in our class
D. A、B and C
A young man asked Albert Einstein, the great German scientist, what the secret of success is. The scientist told him that the secret of success is hard work. A few days later the young man asked the same question again. Einstein was very annoyed. He did not say anything, but wrote a few words on a piece of paper. On it was written: A=X+Y+Z.
“What does this mean?” asked the young man.
“A means “success”” explained the old scientist. “X stands for hard work ,Y for good method (方法) and Z means stop talking and get down to work.”The young man _________.
A. wanted to meet Einstein
B. wanted to be a great scientist like Einstein
C. wanted to know the secret of successIn Einstein’s opinion the secret of success was ________.
A. to work with great energy (精力)
B. to study hard day and night
C. to learn from great scientists“Y” stands for _______.
A. hard work
B. great energy
C. good mannerEinstein was a man who ______
A. liked to talk with young people
B. liked to help others
C. liked to work, but didn’t like to talk
Some Advice on Travel
1. Forget fashion! Always wear your most comfortable clothes when going on long journeys(旅行).
2. Traveling on trains and buses can be boring, so take a good book to read.
3. If you're going somewhere cold; remember to put on your warm clothes!
4.If you are going somewhere sunny, remember to bring your sun- block(防晒霜) and sunglasses.
5. Always take a camera with you to capture those special moments.
6. Be careful with your things whenever you go to a busy place, like a train station. There are many thieves there!
7. Most countries have lower prices for students, so if you are a student, take your student card with you.
8. Always leave room in your bag and buy presents on the way home.
9. Bus tours often stop at expensive shops along the way, save your money by buying presents at local shops.
10. If you travel abroad( 国外), remember to take your passport. Whatever you do, don't lose it!If you go to Hainan Island for a trip in summer, you should take ______ with you.
A. warm clothes and sports shoes
B. sunglasses and sun-block
C. fashionable(时尚的) clothes and a big bagAccording to the passage，______ is a good way to keep away from boredom(单调) while you're on a train or a bus.
A. taking a camera
C. listening to music
B. reading a good bookYou must always ____ while you are at busy places because there are often thieves there.
A. put your things away
B. look after your things well
C. give your things awayThe underlined word "capture" in this passage means ______ .
A. 拍摄 B. 感受 C. 抓住
Lisa likes movies. She went to the cinema yesterday and saw a good movie.
Henry likes camping. He camped by the lake with his family last weekend.
Grace had a good weekend. She went to the zoo and saw many animals there.
My cousin visited me last week. I took him to the art museum. We had a good time there.
Flying a kite is interesting for me. It is good for people’s health. I went to fly a kite yesterday.
Flying a kite is an interesting activity. It is cool to fly a kite on windy days.
Many children and animal lovers like to go to the zoo on weekends. They like buying food for their favorite animals and taking photos of them.
Many people like visiting museums nowadays. In museums, they can learn a lot.
What do people like to do in their free time? Many people like watching movies. Different people like different kinds of movies.
Camping is a good way to spend your free time. It helps you get fresh air and relax yourself.