OnBoysDay，childrendonthavetogo-优题课

We live in a digital world now, and a student's technology needs have changed. For the early years, say when you are in primary school, you can get by with no technology at all. Even if you have a computer, it's a good idea to get children familiar with libraries. At this age, trips to the library are like family outings.
As you get closer to middle school, a computer with Internet access becomes more of a necessity. Teachers will often give assignments that require a student to use the Internet for research. After a computer, technology choices for students become more difficult to make – especially when it comes to cell-phones. Kids will beg their parents for a cell-phone, especially in middle school. For many parents, it's a safety issue: They want to know that their kids can reach them quickly if necessary. For teachers, cell phones can be used to record lessons when students are absent. But many teachers dislike cell-phones. Some kids send messages or have talks in the class. Sending messages also raises the problem of cheating on exams. More and more schools are now forbidding the use of cell-phones.
Many kids see iPods as necessary things to have. iPods are great for music, but do they do anything good for your children’s education? Maybe they do. That’s the opinion of Doug Johnson, an educator for 30 years. Johnson says that educators should accept all new forms of technology in the classroom, including iPods. “Some do more with their cell- phones than we can do with our laptops,” he jokes. “I don’t think we should be afraid. The truth is that it’s easier to change the way we teach than to change the technology habits of an entire generation.”
1. According to author, primary school children should___.
A. use the computer and the Internet regularly B. ask their parents to buy them cell-phones
C. buy iPods to listen to music D. go to libraries to read more books
2. Why do parents agree to buy their children cell-phones?
A. They want their children to be cool.
B. They think cell-phones be helpful to their study.
C. They want to keep in touch with their children.
D. They want their children to keep up to date.
3. The following are all reasons why many teachers dislike cell-phones EXCEPT ____.
A. cell-phones can be used to cheat on exams
B. schoolchildren will send messages during class
C. cell-phones can be used to record lessons
D. schoolchildren might talk on them during class
4. What does the underlined word “that” refers to?
A. iPods can be used to listen to music.
B. iPods can be helpful for children’s education.
C. iPods can be used to play games.
D. iPods are necessary for children’s lives.
5. We can infer from what Doug Johnson said that _____.
A. cell-phones are not useful to students
B. teachers should let students use cell-phones
C. it’s better for teachers to change their teaching methods
D. schoolchildren should follow the trends(潮流) of fashion

Claude and Louris are “giraffes”. So are police officers Hankins and Pearson. These men and women don’t look like giraffes; they look like you and me. Then, why do people call them “giraffes”?
A giraffe, they say, is an animal that sticks its neck out, can see places far away and has a large heart. It lives a quiet life and moves about in an easy and beautiful way. In the same way, a “giraffe” can be a person who likes to “stick his or her neck out” for other people, always watches for future happenings, has a warm heart for people around, and at the same time lives a quiet and beautiful life himself or herself.
“The Giraffe Project” is a 10-year-old group which finds and honors “giraffes” in the US and in the world. The group wants to teach people to do something to build a better world. The group members believe that a person shouldn’t draw his or her head back; instead, they tell people to “stick their neck out” and help others. Claude and Louris, Hankins and Pearson are only a few of the nearly 1,000 “giraffes” that the group found and honored.
Claude and Louris were getting old and they left their work with some money that they saved for future use. One day, however, they saw a homeless man looking for a place to keep warm and they decided that they should “stick their neck out” and give him some help. Today, they lived in Friends’ House, where they invite twelve homeless people to stay every night.
Police officers Hankins and Pearson work in a large city. They see crimes every day and their work is sometimes dangerous. They work hard for their money. However, these two men put their savings together and even borrowed money to start an educational center to teach young people in a poor part of the city. Hankins and Pearson are certainly “giraffes”.
1. Which of the following is true?
A. Some of the people around us look like giraffes.
B. Giraffes are the most beautiful animal in the world.
C. “Giraffes” is a beautiful name for those who are ready to help other people.
D. A “giraffe” is someone who can stick his neck out and see the future.
2. “The Giraffe Project” is a group _____.
A. of police officers B. which appeared ten years ago
C. of ten-year-old children D. which takes care of children
3. People call Claude and Hankins “giraffes” because they _____.
A. do what is needed for a good world B. are not afraid of dangerous work
C. found a home for some homeless people D. made money only for other people
4. What does “The Giraffe Project” do?
A. It tells people how to live a quiet life.
B. It helps the homeless and teaches the young people.
C. It tries to find 1,000 warm-hearted people in the US.
D. It shows people what their duty is for a better world.
5. The underlined word “crime” in the last paragraph has the similar meaning to ____.
A. mistake B. happiness C. failure D. wrongdoing

Farming was once the chief way of life in nearly every country. People cannot live without food, and nearly all their food comes from crops and animals raised on farms. Not many people farm for a living any more, but farming remains the most important work in the world.
Before the nineteenth century, the typical American family lived on a small farm. They raised pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, and planted corn, fruits, garden vegetables, and wheat. Everyone worked long and hard, but the results were often poor. Families barely harvested enough food for themselves. This situation began to change during the last half of the 1800's and it changed remarkably(明显地) in the next century.
Scientific methods and labor-saving machinery have made farming increasingly productive. The development of improved plant varieties and fertilizers has helped double and even triple the production of some major crops. More scientific animal care and animal raising have helped increase the amount of meat and products that animals produce. At the same time, the use of tractors and other modern farm equipment has sharply reduced the need for farm labor.
As farming has become less important as a way of life in the United States, it has become more important as a source which offers materials to industry. Today's successful farmers are experts not just in agriculture but also in accounting, marketing, and finance. Farms that are not run in a similar way have great difficulty surviving.
1. We are told in the first paragraph about ____.
A. the history of farming B. the importance of farming
C. the development of farming D. the changes of farming
2. Which of the following describes American farming before the 19th century?
A. Farmers didn’t work hard on their farms.
B. Farmers used tractors to help them.
C. Farming was the main way of living for most people.
D. Farmers could supply materials to industry.
3. Crop production has increased greatly now thanks to all the following EXCEPT __.
A. scientific methods B. labor- saving machinery
C. farmers’ hard work D. chemical fertilizers
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Traditional American farming. B. The increase in the number of crops in the US.
C. Modern farming methods. D. American farmers’ hard work.
5. The passage mainly talks about_____.
A. the advantages of American farming B. the changes in American farming
C. the situation of American farms D. how rapidly farming has developed

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分, 满分40分）
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
1. One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.
A. to film a scene on the sea B. to find an actor and an actress
C. to watch a beautiful sunset D. to meet the audience
2. Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
A. Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.
B. Because he was angry with his crew.
C. Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.
D. Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.
3. The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.
A. it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine
B. when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening
C. it was more moving than a sunrise
D. the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset
4 After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands ______.
A. because he was moved to tears
B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards
C. as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined
D. because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine
5. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.
B. If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go.
C. The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.
D. The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.

There is nothing else but economy that occupies the minds of Americans at present times of economic crisis（危机）. The statistics on unemployment，housing costs and consumer confidence keep coming and coming，leaving people not just scared to spend money but also very stressed and emotionally exhausted. This stress has an effect on everything，starting with our sleep，mood，physical health，relationships and eating habits.
“Time of economic stress leads to increase rates of depression(忧郁)，”says Dr. Christopher Palmer，director of continuing education at McLean Hospital in Belmont，Massachusetts. “It worsens illness in people who have been constantly depressed. But it also causes new cases of depression. Just the fear of losing one’s job can put people over the edge. ”
And，without any doubt，just depression alone can create a variety of bad health effects.
●Sleep
33 percent of Americans reported that they have lost sleep due to the economic crisis. 26 percent say they are sleeping less than 6 hours per night，which is considered to be at least one hour less than the most favorable 7 to 8 hours recommended by sleep experts.
●Mental health，stress and heart attack
80 percent of Americans reported that last year the economy is a huge source of stress; 49 percent said the situation makes them feel nervous or anxious; 48 percent reported that they feel very sad and have developed depression.
Nearly twice the risk of heart attack or death was found in patients with the highest levels of depression or anxiety. Among those individuals，a 10 percent higher rise of heart attack or death was found in those whose anxiety rose over time.
●Relationships
The chances of violent behavior are nearly 6 times higher for individuals who are left without a job. Workplace stress can lead to domestic violence.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Now Americans don’t dare to spend money.
B. Now all Americans have problems in sleeping.
C. Economy is the most troubling problem for Americans now.
D. Economic crisis has destroyed many American families.
2. How does the economic crisis affect most Americans according to the passage?
A. They sleep fewer than six hours. B. They sleep less than the proper amount.
C. Diseases caused by economy make them sleepless.D. They lose sleep at night.
3. If a person is out of work，he might__________. .
A. become more violent B. get divorced C. get rid of workplace stress D. go mad
4. The best title of this passage is probably______________. .
A. The World Economic Crisis Is Getting Worse
B. Economic Crisis Affects Our Health
C. Economic Crisis Causes Trouble to Sleep
D. Ordinary People Suffer Greatly in Economic Crisis
5.What does the underlined word “favorable” mean?
A. proper B. perfect C. useful D. fashionable