Education is another area where the presence of arts and crafts is more than welcome. If children realize the importance of art and creativity from a young age, they can grow up to be more confident, more creative, and definitely more mature. Schools are the breeding（孕育）grounds for future painters and movie makers, and these arts should be encouraged wholesomely in such an environment.
Sadly, many parents do not understand why art is important for children, and subconsciously（潜意识地）force them to follow career paths that are common and conformist（墨守成规的）in nature. This is fair enough in its own way, because the world does need some standard blue collar and white collar jobs to continue its existence; but this is a choice that children should be allowed to make for themselves. The doors to creativity and expression must not be shut in their faces, even if it comes at a cost of making more money.
To put it more scientifically, here are some benefits of kids’ art activities that give a suitable answer to the question “Why is art important in schools?”
1.Exposure to art, music and drawings at an early age improves the amount of brain activity in children.
2.It increases the span of knowledge in the minds of children, thus making them sharper and more educated.
3.It builds up the levels of self-confidence, self-esteem（自尊）, motivation, cooperation and communication in children.
4.It helps children understand other people’s opinions and points of view as well.
5.It helps them sharpen their problem-solving skills, decision-making and gives them the possibility of really exploring their imaginations.According to the passage, it is generally accepted that ____.
| A．art plays a very important role in education of children |
| B．children are expected to be blue-collar or white-collar workers |
| C．schools should encourage children to learn arts and crafts |
| D．children should be allowed to make choices for themselves |
The writer holds the view that ____.
| A．schools should only bring up future painters and movie makers |
| B．children grow up to be more confident and more creative in schools |
| C．children should be encouraged to learn art to develop their creativity |
| D．art activities can help children solve all the problems they meet with |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Arts and crafts lessons are very popular in schools. |
| B．Art is not paid enough attention to in schools now. |
| C．Art activities improve the amount of brain activity. |
| D．Art education builds up the levels of self-confidence. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Importance of Art in Schools. |
| B．Relation between Art and Creativity. |
| C．Importance of Education. |
| D．Future of Children. |
The way we do things round here
Some years ago, I was hired by an American bank. I received a letter from the head of the Personnel Department that started, "Dear John, I am quite pleased that you have decided to join us." That "quite" saddened me. I thought he was saying "we're kind of pleased you decided to join us although I wish we had hired someone else." Then I discovered that in American English "quite" sometimes means "very", while in British English it means "fairly".
So the first lesson about working in other countries is to learn the language and by that I don't just mean the words people speak. It is body language, dress, manners, ideas and so on. The way people do things highlights many of the differences we see between cultures（文化）．
Some of these differences may be only on the surface-dress, food and hours of work-while others may be deeper and take longer to deal with. Mostly, it is just a question of getting used to the differences and accepting them, like the climate（气候），while getting on with business.
Some of the differences may be an improvement. People are more polite; the service is better; you ask for something to be done and it happens without having to ask again. However, other differences can be troubling, like punctuality（准时）．If you invite people to a party at 7 o'clock your guests will consider it polite to turn up exactly on time in Germany, five minutes early in the American Midwest, an hour early in Japan, 15 minutes afterwards in the UK, up to an hour afterwards in Italy and some time in the evening in Greece. I prefer not to use the word "late" because there is nothing wrong with the times people arrive. It is simply the accepted thing to do in their own country.The author was unhappy as mentioned in Paragraph 1 because he thought______．
| A．the American bank didn't think much of him |
| B．the American bank might hire another person |
| C．it's difficult to get used to American culture |
| D．it's easy to misunderstand Americans |
The word "highlights" in Paragraph 2 probably means_____.
| A．encourages | B．helps to narrow |
| C．increases | D．draws attention to |
According to the author, what should we do with most cultural differences?
| A．Ask the native people for help. |
| B．Understand and accept them. |
| C．Do things in our own way. |
| D．Do in-depth research. |
When invited to a party the people who are usually punctual are______.
| A．Italians | B．Germans | C．Greeks | D．the British |
While small may be beautiful, tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems, particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants.
The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB), which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall, has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants. Beds that are too small, shower heads that are too low, and restaurant tables with hardly any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height, it says.
But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average height of the population has been increasing yet the standard size of beds, doorways, and chairs has remained unchanged.
“The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king-size bed at 6′6″ (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6′3″ bed caters for less than half of the male population.” Said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy, “seven-foot beds would work fine.”
Similarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables, which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere.
Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses′ Caledoman Hotel in Edinburgh, 6′6″beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans.What is the purpose of the TPCGB campaign?
| A．To provide better services. |
| B．To rebuild hotels and restaurants. |
| C．To draw public attention to the needs of the tall. |
| D．To attract more people to become its members. |
Which of the following might be a bed of proper length according to Phil Heinricy?
| A．7′2″. | B．7′ | C．6′6″ | D．6′3″ |
What may happen to restaurants with small tables?
| A．They may lose some customers. |
| B．They may start businesses elsewhere. |
| C．They have to find easy chairs to match the tables. |
| D．They have to provide enough space for the long-legged. |
What change has already been made in a hotel in Edinburgh?
| A．Tall people pay more for larger beds. |
| B．6′6″beds have taken the place of 6′3″beds. |
| C．Special rooms are kept for Americans. |
| D．Guest rooms are standardized. |
Dear Reader，
Today I'm going to ask you to support Wikipedia with a donation. Sounds unusual: Why does one of the world's five most popular websites ask for financial support from its users?
Wikipedia is built differently from almost every other top 50.We have a small number of paid staff, just twentythree. Wikipedia content is free to use by anyone for any purpose. Wikipedia is run by the nonprofit Wikipedia Foundation, which I founded in 2003.
Wikipedia's driven by a global community (群体) of more than 150,000 volunteers, all devoted to sharing knowledge freely. More than 275 million people come to our website every month to access information, free of charge and free of advertising.
Your donation helps us in several ways. Most importantly, you will help us cover the increasing cost of managing global traffic to one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Funds also help us improve the software that runs Wikipedia, making it easier to search, easier to read, and easier to write for. We're bent on growing the free knowledge movement worldwide, by employing new volunteers, and building strategic (战略的) partnerships with institutes of culture and learning.
Wikipedia is different. It's the largest encyclopedia (百科全书) in history, all written by volunteers.
Like a national park or a school, we don't believe advertising should have a place in Wikipedia. We want to keep it free and strong, but we need the support of thousands of people like you, for your donation will help keep Wikipedia free for the whole world.
Thank you!
Jimmy WalesIn the letter, Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikimedia Foundation tries to ________.
| A．compare some top websites |
| B．explain how Wikipedia works |
| C．introduce a new website to the readers |
| D．appeal to Wikipedia users to make donations |
Which of the following is TRUE about Wikipedia?
| A．Due to its less popularity, Wikipedia is no longer attractive to advertising at all. |
| B．Over 275 million people come to Wikipedia to access information for free weekly. |
| C．Wikipedia, the world's most popular website, is run by the Wikipedia Foundation. |
| D．Unlike others, Wikipedia, the largest encyclopedia in history, is written by volunteers. |
From the letter we can know donations will help do the following for Wikipedia EXCEPT ________.
| A．take on some new volunteers |
| B．develop an effective new software |
| C．access free knowledge more easily |
| D．cover the increasing cost of management |
It can be inferred from the letter that ________.
| A．Wikipedia aims to give free access to the sum of all human knowledge |
| B．those donating to Wikipedia will be eventually employed as its volunteers |
| C．most websites including Wikipedia rely on financial supports from its users |
| D．supported by Wikipedia Foundation, Wikipedia wants to be free from advertisements |
●Health, Wellness and the Politics of Food
9:00-9:45a.m. Blue Tent
Panelists(成员): Jami Bernard, David Kamp, Marion Nestle and Peter Singer.
Hosted by Denise Gray, science writer for The New York Times.
How does what we eat not only affect our bodies, but also the world? The food and nutrition experts debate the role that the diet plays in both personal and global health, and present a look at food politics.
● Sports writing: For the Love of the Game
9:50-10:35a.m. Blue Tent
Panelists: Christine Brennan, Ira Rosen, Joe Wallace and Joe Drape.
Hosted by William C. Rhoden, sports writer for The New York Times.
Whether catching that key moment of victory or defeat, or covering breaking news, sports writers are anything but audience. Listen as some professionals discuss the special experience in reporting of sports news.
● The Art of the Review
11:15-12:00a.m. Green Tent
Panelists: John Freeman, Barry Gewen, David Orr, Celia McGee and Jennifer Schuessler.
Hosted by Sam Tanenhaus, editor for The New York Times Book Review.
How much of an effect does the book review have on book sales? Join this group of critics as they discuss the reality of the book review and bestseller lists, and how they choose books for review.
● New York Writers, New York Stories
3:00-3:45p.m. Green Tent
Panelists: Cindy Adams, Richard Cohen, Ric Klass and Lauren Redniss.If you like sports writing, you will most probably_______.
| A．go to Blue Tent at 11:15a.m. |
| B．enjoy Jami Bernard’s talk |
| C．listen to Christine Brennan |
| D．attend the Art of the Review |
Sam Tanenhaus is in charge of ______.
| A．The Art of the Review |
| B．Health, Wellness and the Politics of Food |
| C．New York Writers, New York Stories |
| D．Sports Writing: For the Love of the Game |
We can learn from the text that_______________.
| A．sports writers are a type of audience |
| B．New York Times is a gold mine company |
| C．Denise Grady will discuss political policy |
| D．book reviews may affect book sales |
Just outside the northern Italian town of Bra, there rises a church tower with a clock that is a half hour slow. Though not far from the industrial city of Turin, Bra smells of roses, and leisure(悠闲) is the law. It is both the home of an international movement that promotes slow food and one of Italian cities that have joined the slow cities. In Bra, population 27,866, the town fathers have declared that all small food shops be closed every Thursday and Sunday. They forbid cars in the town square. All fruits and vegetables served in local schools must be organic(有机的). And as the movement goes well, the slow concept gradually spreads across Europe.
The argument for a Slow Europe is not only that it is good, but also that it can work. The Slow City Movement, which started in 1999, has improved local economies(经济) by promoting local goods and tourism. Young Italians are moving from larger cities to Bra, where unemployment is only 5 percent, about half the nationwide rate. Slow food and wine festivals draw thousands of tourists every year. Shops are doing well, many with sales rising at a rate of 15% per year. “This is our answer to the world.” says Paolo Samrnini, the founder of Slow Cities.
France is in favor of slow economics. Most outsiders have long been doubtful of the French model: short hours and long vacations. Yet the French are more productive than those in the United States and Britain, and have been for years.
The mystery of French productivity has risen an Europewide debate about the advantages of working more slowly.The church clock that is a half hour slow severs as a symbol of ________.
| A．industrial development | B．slow movement |
| C．global economy | D．city growth |
The low unemployment in Bra proves that ________.
| A．the population is not large |
| B．tourism brings great job chance |
| C．the Slow City Movement is successful |
| D．the slow concept works well only in its birth place |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．British workers work longer hours than the French |
| B．French workers work longer hours than the Italians |
| C．Italian workers are less productive than the Americans |
| D．American workers are more productive than the British |
The increased French productivity tends to ________.
| A．favor a fast life style |
| B．throw doubt on slow economics |
| C．encourage a slow economic growth |
| D．confirm advantages of slow economics |