"Make-A-Wish” is one of the world's most well-known charities(慈善机构) . It makes wishes come true for childrenwho have serious illnesses. It gives them hope and joy and helps them forget about their health problems and have fun.
It all started in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christopher was a 7-year-old boy who was very sick. He always dreamed ofbecoming a police officer. Tommy Austin and Ron Cox, two police officers, made his wish come true. They gaveChristopher a tour of the city in a police helicopter(直升飞机)and made a real police uniform(制服) for him.
There are four kinds of wishes children usually have:
I wish to go. Children usually want to travel or go to a concert, a game or a park.
I wish to meet. Children sometimes want to meet their favourite actors, singers or
players.
I wish to be. Some children wish to become actors, singers or police officers.
I wish to have. They often want to have a computer, a game, a bike or many other things.
Let’shope more wishes will come true in the future. People who work in the charity always try for the best. Almost25 ,000 Volunteers help, work or give money. Will you be one of them?
"Make-A-Wish" is a charity to help _______.
| A．sick children | B．serious officers |
| C．famous actors | D．popular singers |
What did the two police officers do for Christopher?
| A．They gave him a computer. |
| B．They gave him a tour of the city. |
| C．They took him to a concert. |
| D．They took him to the hospital. |
Which kind of wishes does Christopher have?
| A．I wish to go. | B．I wish to meet. |
| C．I wish to be. | D．I wish to have. |
The purpose of the last paragraph is to _______.
| A．explain what " Make-A-Wish" is |
| B．encourage more people to join the charity |
| C．tell us how Christopher's wish came true |
| D．introduce different kinds of children's wishes |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Sick children just wish to get well. |
| B．Christopher and Tommy are two officers. |
| C．A few people are working for "Make-A-Wish". |
| D．"Make-A-Wish" has a history of over 30 years. |
The television news feature about Ben Heckmann, an eighth grader from Farmington, Minn, was breathless in its praise. “At 14, he has accomplished something many adults can’t achieve,” the reporter said, “Ben is a twice-published author.” But Ben’s two “Velvet Black” books, describing a fictional rock band, were not picked from a pile of manuscripts（手稿）by an eagle eyed publisher. They were self-published, at the cost of $400 by Ben’s parents.
Over the past five years, print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to avoid the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who could call himself a “published author.”
The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy equipment for a promising baseball player. But others see self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about hardship and perseverance. Mr. Robbins, a critic, thinks it is wonderful to start writing at a young age, but worries self-publishing sends the wrong message. “There are no prodigies(神童) in literature,” he said. “Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not.” Alan Rinzler, a publishing industry veteran, suggested parents hire a professional editor like him to work with their child to tear a manuscript apart and help make a better. Ben’s father, Ken, said Ben’s ambitions “weren’t to knock Harry Potter off the list,” but “to get that good feeling inside that you’ve done something.”
Ajla Dizdarevic, 12, who has self-published two books of poetry, has been on television and in local newspapers. “Being a published author,” she said, “was always a dream of mine.” Her new dream: three books by age 15.Which of the following is true of Ben?
| A．He has achieved something unusual for his age. |
| B．His self-published books were well received. |
| C．His manuscripts were favored by the publisher. |
| D．He was thought little of by the public media. |
What makes it possible for writers of all ages to self-publish their works?
| A．The rapid increase of online readership. |
| B．The increasing number of publishers. |
| C．The immediate access to marketing agencies. |
| D．The development of printing and publishing. |
Why do some parents pay the self-publishing bill?
| A．They want to offer opportunities to their children. |
| B．They want to give encouragement to their children. |
| C．They want to help their children avoid hardship. |
| D．They want to show love and care for their children. |
What dose Alan Rinzler suggest that children should do?
| A．Be forbidden to write books |
| B．Start writing at an early age |
| C．Be professionally guided |
| D．Learn from experience |
Why do some children self-publish works according to the last part?
| A．Just to achieve their dreams. |
| B．Just to earn more money. |
| C．Just to gain self-confidence. |
| D．Just to satisfy their parents. |
I usually doubt about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago.While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, 1 was struck by a report which concluded that today’s children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children between 9 and 17 have a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America’s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation (孤独) brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Given that we can’t turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation to cope.
At the top of the list,nurturing (培育) is a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later.They will then have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It’s not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you deal with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable,but it doesn’t have to ruin your life.What does the author thinks of the conclusion that people in America are unhappier than 50 years ago?
| A．Surprising | B．Confusing | C．Illogical | D．Questionable |
What does the author mean by saying “ we can’t turn the clock back(Para. 3)?
| A．It’s impossible to slow down the pace of the change. |
| B．The social reality children are facing cannot be changed. |
| C．Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten. |
| D．It’s impossible to forget the past. |
According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children 50 years ago __________.
| A．were less isolated physically |
| B．were probably less self-centered |
| C．probably suffered less from anxiety |
| D．were considered less individualistic |
What is the first and most important thing parents should do to help their children?
| A．To provide them with a safer environment. |
| B．To lower their expectations for them. |
| C．To get them more involved socially. |
| D．To set a good model for them to follow. |
What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
| A．Anxiety, though always unavoidable, can be coped with. |
| B．Children’s anxiety has been enormously exaggerated(夸大). |
| C．Children’s anxiety can be removed with more parental care. |
| D．Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature. |
The day when the jobs were handed out was one of the most exciting moments for all the children in the class. It took place during the first week of the term. Every kid was given a job for which they would be responsible for the rest of that school year.
Some jobs were more interesting than others, and the children were eager to be given one of the best ones. When giving them out, the teacher took into account which pupils had been most responsible during the previous year. During the previous year Rita had carried out the teacher’s instructions perfectly. All the children knew Rita would be given the best job.
But there was a big surprise. Each child received a normal job. But Rita’s job was very different. She was given a little box containing some sand and one ant. Though the teacher insisted that this ant was very special, Rita felt disappointed. Most of her classmates felt sorry for her. Even her father became very angry with the teacher and he encouraged Rita to pay no attention to this insignificant pet. However, Rita preferred to show the teacher her error by doing something special with that job of little interest.
Rita started investigating all about her little ant and gave the ant the best food, and it grew quite a bit bigger.
One day, a man, who looked very important, came into their classroom and declared, “Your class has been chosen to accompany me, this summer, on a journey to the tropical rain forest, where we will investigate all kinds of insects. Among all the schools of this region, your class has best cared for the little ant.”
That day the school was filled with joy and celebration. Everyone thanked Rita for having been so patient and responsible. And many children learnt that to be given the most important task you have to know how to be responsible even in what are the smallest tasks.What did the teacher base his decision on when giving out jobs to the children?
| A．Their characters and interests. |
| B．Their class performance during the previous year. |
| C．Their working performance during the previous year. |
| D．Their ability of managing their accounts during the previous year. |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．Each child got an important job. |
| B．Each child got an interesting job. |
| C．The perfect student got the job of everyone’s preference． |
| D．The most responsible student got the job of least interest. |
What is Rita’s attitude to her father’s suggestion?
| A．Negative. | B．Uncertain. | C．Totally positive. | D．Acceptive. |
We can infer that the man who made the declaration is a _________.
| A．hunter | B．director | C．biologist | D．principal |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Never complain about life. |
| B．Small tasks can lead to fortunes. |
| C．Men are best known by their friends. |
| D．Responsibility and intelligence bring good luck. |
The fourth round of heavy smog to hit Beijing in four weeks has sent more people to the hospital with respiratory（呼吸的） illnesses and led to calls for laws to control the pollution.
Pan Shiyi, a celebrity real estate developer said he is planning to propose (提案) a Clean Air Act to the local government. As a representative to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, he started an online survey at 9:20 a.m. Within three hours, more than 25,000 web users, or 99 percent of total respondents（应答者）, welcomed his proposal on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter.
They have good reasons to stand alongside Pan. The latest round of haze（雾霾）reduced visibility to under 500 meters in many parts of the city. The smog has also led to a great increase in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children and the elderly. Anxious parents and doctors almost all blame the smoggy air for the illnesses. Though most schoolchildren are home for the winter holidays, the bad air can easily move indoors. Besides, ordinary medical masks fail to provide adequate protection, so some people have turned to gas masks and respirators（呼吸器）.
The causes of the scary smog are rather mysterious, though experts blame excessive emissions and the mountains around Beijing that trap pollution in winter, unless there is adequate wind to clear it away. Some critics have pointed fingers at China’s top two oil firms, China National Petroleum Corp and China Petrochemical Corporation, saying the companies’ outdated production technologies produce large quantities of substandard, high-polluting gas fuel.
Meanwhile, concerned Beijingers have moved their brainstorming sessions to cyberspace. If Pan’s proposal for a Clean Air Act is adopted, netizens say the new law should include items providing for “car-free days” in times of smog, higher standards for vehicle fuel, stricter restrictions on industrial and exhaust gas emissions, and more effective protection for the public.
Beijing is not the only city that has ever lost the blue sky. Five days of thick fog caused thousands of deaths in Britain in December 1952, urging the government to pass the first Clean Air Act in 1956, which introduced smokeless zones and cleaner fuels to reduce pollution. That may provide some experience for Beijing to refer to. What can we learn from the passage?
| A．People are clear about the causes of the smoggy weather. |
| B．Children staying indoors will not get respiratory illnesses. |
| C．Smog is worse for people with lower resistance to diseases. |
| D．Masks can give people protection against the smoggy weather. |
Britain is mentioned in the last paragraph to ______.
| A．suggest Beijing should learn from other countries |
| B．let people know many places have this problem |
| C．tell people the situation in Britain is worse |
| D．call on the government to pass Britain’s Clean Air Act |
What’s the best title for this passage？
| A．The Use of Gas masks and Respirators |
| B．Beijingers Call for Clean Air Act |
| C．Effective Protection for Blue Sky |
| D．The Mysterious Causes of the Scary Smog |
An Australian researcher is urging parents to load up their teenager’s backpack and make them walk to school.
Professor Leon Straker says students who walk or cycle to school are less likely to have back and neck pain. But the study of 1,202 Western Australian 14yearold found that 72% of students travelled to school by car or bus. Straker says the study suggests walking or cycling while carrying a schoolbag helps improve trunk (躯干) and spinal (脊柱的) muscle strength.
This helps reduce back pain because greater muscle strength improves support for the back during load carrying .Despite advocating that parents get their children moving，Straker warns bag load should not exceed (超过) 15% of body weight.
Straker says the study also stresses that neck pain is as common as back pain among young teenagers. This is an area that has been largely ignored，he says，but can be an important indicator of neck pain into adulthood.
For the study，students were asked a series of questions such as how long they carried their bags for，how they carried their schoolbags，the method of travel，and their perceptions(感觉) about the bag’s weight.
Straker says about half of all participants experienced back and neck pain，with slightly more females reporting neck pain. However，the gender (性别) difference may also be due to the fact that females have lower pain tolerance.
Studies from the 1980s found carrying a bag over one shoulder was most common among teenagers. However in this study 85% of participants carried their bag over both shoulders.
Straker believes the change has been driven partly through education campaigns，but also by increasing fashion status of backpacks and improved design.In the opinion of Leon Straker，parents should________.
| A．reduce the load of their children’s schoolbags |
| B．put more books in their children’s schoolbags |
| C．get their children’s schoolbags ready for school |
| D．ask their children to walk to school carrying schoolbags |
If a child weighs 40 kilograms，the weight of his schoolbag should be________.
| A．no more than 15 kg |
| B．less than 6 kg |
| C．as heavy as 9 kg |
| D．more than 6 kg |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．most of the students in Australia walk to school |
| B．neck pain is uncommon among young teenagers |
| C．walking while carrying a backpack helps reduce back pain |
| D．males are more likely to experience back pain than females |
According to the passage，what change has taken place since the 1980s?
| A．How students carry their schoolbags. |
| B．How heavy students’ schoolbags are. |
| C．How students go to school every day. |
| D．How long students carry their schoolbags for. |