The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphone, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (怀旧的)skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to know well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?
| A．The absence of blackboard in classroom |
| B．The use of new technologies in teaching. |
| C．The lack of practice in handwriting. |
| D．The popular use of smartphones. |
Berninger’s study published in 2009 ___________.
| A．focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer. |
| B．indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper. |
| C．found that good essays are made up of long sentences. |
| D．discussed the importance of writing speed. |
Which of the following best shows the role of spelling?
| A．Spelling improves one’s memory of words. |
| B．Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability. |
| C．Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas. |
| D．Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas. |
What does “mind’s eye” in paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Window. | B．Soul |
| C．Picture. | D．Imagination. |
What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?
| A．Computers can help people with their choice of words. |
| B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching. |
| C．Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms. |
| D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade. |
Tang Dynasty poets sang for about three centuries in different tones. There were many famous poets living in the Tang period, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Li Shangyin. Poems of the Tang Dynasty edited in the Qing Dynasty is a collection of more than 48,900 poems that were written by over 2,200 poets. But it didn’t cover all the poems of the Tang Dynasty.
During the Tang Dynasty, poems were recited when lovers walked under the moonlight. Poems were also recited when soldiers fought on the battlefield. People recited them in the open air or at temple fairs.
Tang Dynasty poets wrote poems to win fame and also to develop their temperament(性情). They poured our deep feelings for their friends and criticized injustice in the world through poems.
In the Tang Dynasty scholars had to be poets. Their readers were not only people of high social position but also common people. Poets recited poems, women singers sang poems and other ranks of people, including old women and children, read Tang poems. This atmosphere affected foreigners who visited the country at that time. As a result, Tang poetry was introduced to some adjacent countries, like Japan and Vietnam.
Tang poetry is a most brilliant page in the history of ancient Chinese literature. It’s a miracle(奇迹) in the cultural history of mankind. The Tang Dynasty was a powerful empire with a vast territory. It inherited(继承) Chinese civilization that went back to ancient times, was combined with the best of other cultures and adopted the benefits of other nations in the world. Tang poetry wasn’t the only spiritual wealth created by the Tang Dynasty people. Philosophy and religion, handwriting and painting, and music and dance all gained new peaks of development. Tang poetry, however, was the jewel in the crown and its greatest achievement.We can conclude form the passage that ___ .
| A．only people in the Tang Dynasty created poems |
| B．in total there was four famous poets in the Tang Dynasty |
| C．the Tang Dynasty probably existed for about three centuries |
| D．in the Tang Dynasty most common people were poets |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Why the poets created poems? |
| B．Some other kinds of spiritual wealth in the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．The significance and influence if the Tang Dynasty. |
| D．The editors of Poems of the Tang Dynasty. |
The underlined word “adjacent”probably means ___ .
| A．strong |
| B．neighboring |
| C．poor |
| D．rich |
What does the author really want to tell us in Paragraph 4?
| A．Tang Dynasty poems were quite popular. |
| B．In the Tang Dynasty all scholars were poets. |
| C．Many foreigners came to our country during the Tang Dynasty. |
| D．in the Tang Dynasty many poems were sung by women singers. |
Strange stones of Costa Rica
One of the strangest mysteries in archacology was discovered in the Diquis River Delta, in southern Costa Rica. Since the 1930s, hundreds of stone balls have been found. They range in size from a few centimeters to over two metres in diameter.
Who made these perfect spheres(球体) and how they made them remains a mystery. Some researchers believe the stones were made by extreme heating followed by cooling. People could have polished the spheres with sand or leather. The ancient Costa Ricans had no written language so there is no written record of just how they made the spheres.
Almost all are made of granite (花岗岩), a hard stone created by volcanoes. The granite quarries(采石场) were 25 to 30 miles away from the largest stones, which weigh more than 10 tons each. Nobody knows how people moved them..
Many of the stones have been found near the remains of houses or graves. Some believed that the stones contained hidden treasures and a few have been smashed but nothing has been found inside. Despite these losses, the National Museum of Costa Rica has recorded 130 spheres. However, many stones are not included because they have been removed from their original sites and used as ornaments(装饰) in homes, gardens and churches. Clearly, there are also many stones that lie undiscovered.The stones were discovered ___ .
| A．near the volcanoes |
| B．in southern Costa Rica |
| C．in a grave |
| D．in churches |
The writer ___ in the passage.
| A．admires the spheres very much |
| B．doesn’ t believe the spheres were once made by humans |
| C．tells us a discovery |
| D．thinks highly of the spheres |
The underlined word ”polished” refers to “___”.
| A．buried |
| B．wrapped |
| C．made shining |
| D．made big |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The stone balls found in the Diquis River Delta are all very huge. |
| B．The stone balls were unearthed from the graves. |
| C．The local people show great interest in the stone balls. |
| D．There are a lot of treasures in the stone balls. |
The passage mainly tells us ___ .
| A．the stones are of great value. |
| B．the stones proved to be made by non-humans. |
| C．the stones are mystery. |
| D．the stone are ornaments. |
Tang Dynasty poets sang for about three centuries in different tones. There were many famous poets living in the Tang period, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Li Shangyin. Poems of the Tang Dynasty edited in the Qing Dynasty is a collection of more than 48,900 poems that were written by over 2,200 poets. But it didn’t cover all the poems of the Tang Dynasty.
During the Tang Dynasty, poems were recited when lovers walked under the moonlight. Poems were also recited when soldiers fought on the battlefield. People recited them in the open air or at temple fairs.
Tang Dynasty poets wrote poems to win fame and also to develop their temperament(性情). They poured our deep feelings for their friends and criticized injustice in the world through poems.
In the Tang Dynasty scholars had to be poets. Their readers were not only people of high social position but also common people. Poets recited poems, women singers sang poems and other ranks of people, including old women and children, read Tang poems. This atmosphere affected foreigners who visited the country at that time. As a result, Tang poetry was introduced to some adjacent countries, like Japan and Vietnam.
Tang poetry is a most brilliant page in the history of ancient Chinese literature. It’s a miracle(奇迹) in the cultural history of mankind. The Tang Dynasty was a powerful empire with a vast territory. It inherited(继承) Chinese civilization that went back to ancient times, was combined with the best of other cultures and adopted the benefits of other nations in the world. Tang poetry wasn’t the only spiritual wealth created by the Tang Dynasty people. Philosophy and religion, handwriting and painting, and music and dance all gained new peaks of development. Tang poetry, however, was the jewel in the crown and its greatest achievement.We can conclude form the passage that ___ .
| A．only people in the Tang Dynasty created poems |
| B．in total there was four famous poets in the Tang Dynasty |
| C．the Tang Dynasty probably existed for about three centuries |
| D．in the Tang Dynasty most common people were poets |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Why the poets created poems? |
| B．Some other kinds of spiritual wealth in the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．The significance and influence if the Tang Dynasty. |
| D．The editors of Poems of the Tang Dynasty. |
The underlined word “adjacent”probably means ___ .
| A．strong |
| B．neighboring |
| C．poor |
| D．rich |
What does the author really want to tell us in Paragraph 4?
| A．Tang Dynasty poems were quite popular. |
| B．In the Tang Dynasty all scholars were poets. |
| C．Many foreigners came to our country during the Tang Dynasty. |
| D．in the Tang Dynasty many poems were sung by women singers. |
Computers are very important to modern life. Many people think that in the future computers will be used in lots of everyday life. It is thought that we won’t have to go shopping because we will be able to get most things which are sold in shops on the Internet. There will be no more books because we will be able to get all texts from computers. The Internet will be used to play games, see films and buy food. Most telephone calls will be made by computers, too.
Some people are glad about these new ways of shopping and communicating. Others do not think that computers will replace our old ways.
Let’s look at books, for example. Some people think that one day we will not read books made of paper. Instead, we will buy and read books using computers. We will read texts on small pocket computers. The computers will keep many different books in them at the same time. We won’t need to turn lots of pages and paper will be saved. Computerized(计算机化) books will be used more and more.
Is Internet shopping such a pleasure as going to the shop? Many people say it is not. It is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy. It is also unlikely that many people will want to read large texts on our computers. Because paper books will perhaps be more friendly. Maybe computers won’t change these two habits.In paragraph 1 it is thought people will use computers for ___.
| A．playing games, shopping and making telephone calls |
| B．making telephone calls, having meals and seeing films |
| C．seeing films, buying food, and going for holidays |
| D．playing games, making telephone calls and seeing the doctor |
Which reason for using computerizes books is NOT said in the passage?
| A．Computerized books won’t be very expensive. |
| B．Computers can keep many different books in them. |
| C．We won’t have lots of pages. |
| D．We won’t need any paper. |
Paragraph 4 tells ___.
| A．about the old and new ways of shopping and communicating |
| B．if the Internet will change our habits |
| C．about computerized books |
| D．about future uses of computers |
The title for this passage is ___ .
| A．Computers will replace shops and books |
| B．Computers are the future |
| C．Computers will do everything for man |
| D．How computers change our habits |
Strange stones of Costa Rica
One of the strangest mysteries in archacology was discovered in the Diquis River Delta, in southern Costa Rica. Since the 1930s, hundreds of stone balls have been found. They range in size from a few centimeters to over two metres in diameter.
Who made these perfect spheres(球体) and how they made them remains a mystery. Some researchers believe the stones were made by extreme heating followed by cooling. People could have polished the spheres with sand or leather. The ancient Costa Ricans had no written language so there is no written record of just how they made the spheres.
Almost all are made of granite (花岗岩), a hard stone created by volcanoes. The granite quarries(采石场) were 25 to 30 miles away from the largest stones, which weigh more than 10 tons each. Nobody knows how people moved them..
Many of the stones have been found near the remains of houses or graves. Some believed that the stones contained hidden treasures and a few have been smashed but nothing has been found inside. Despite these losses, the National Museum of Costa Rica has recorded 130 spheres. However, many stones are not included because they have been removed from their original sites and used as ornaments(装饰) in homes, gardens and churches. Clearly, there are also many stones that lie undiscovered.The stones were discovered ___ .
| A．near the volcanoes |
| B．in southern Costa Rica |
| C．in a grave |
| D．in churches |
The writer ___ in the passage.
| A．admires the spheres very much |
| B．doesn’ t believe the spheres were once made by humans |
| C．tells us a discovery |
| D．thinks highly of the spheres |
The underlined word ”polished” refers to “___”.
| A．buried |
| B．wrapped |
| C．made shining |
| D．made big |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The stone balls found in the Diquis River Delta are all very huge. |
| B．The stone balls were unearthed from the graves. |
| C．The local people show great interest in the stone balls. |
| D．There are a lot of treasures in the stone balls. |
The passage mainly tells us ___ .
| A．the stones are of great value. |
| B．the stones proved to be made by non-humans. |
| C．the stones are mystery. |
| D．the stone are ornaments. |