Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study, looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人）may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedroomsAccording to the California study, the low-scoring group might_____
| A．have watched a lot of TV |
| B．not be interested in math |
| C．be unable to go to college |
| D．have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
| A．Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
| B．Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest |
| C．TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
| D．The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
| A．More time should be spent on computers. |
| B．Children should be forbidden from watching TV. |
| C．'IV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms, |
| D．Further studies on high-achieving students should be done |
What would be the best title for this text?
A. Computers or Television
B Effects of Television on Children
C. Studies on TV and College Education
D. Television and Children's Learning Habits
TANG Dynasty writer Du Mu once wrote in a poem titled Qingming: "The ceaseless drizzle drips all the dismal day; So broken-hearted fares the traveler on the way.Where can a wine house be found to drown his sadness ?A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance."
Qingming, the traditional tomb-sweeping day on the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on April 4 this year. Qingming Jie was proclaimed a Chinese national holiday in 2008. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have departed (去世). People visit their ancestors’ graves to sweep away the dirt and get rid of any weeds. They also leave offerings (祭品) of food and flowers, and burn incense (香) and paper money. Chinese tombs are usually built in the woods or on mountains, far from the city. It is believed that an area that faces south, with many pine trees, is a proper place for a tomb. People believe such a place will make the ancestors happy, and in return, they will look after the living family.
Nowadays, more and more residents are choosing environmental-friendly ways to spend the holiday such as flower sacrifices and memorial ceremonies on the Internet or at home. As one of the traditional ways to celebrate Tomb-sweeping Day – burning paper or incense – isn't exactly good for air quality.
In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere.
Many people fly kites on Tomb Sweeping Day. They are usually made from a bamboo crossbow with coloured paper. The kite vibrates and buzzes as it rises into the sky, counterbalanced by its tail. Large kites can be as broad as three metres across, with a tail of six to ten metres. Most kites have a rectangular shape, and many have patterns of crabs, centipedes, butterflies, dragonflies, or Chinese characters such as "good fortune" or "long life". (361words)What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．The cultural difference between the east and the west. |
| B．The traditional customs on tomb-sweeping day. |
| C．Various ways to care for the dead in the world. |
| D．Qingming Festival |
All of the following practices are mentioned on tomb-sweeping day EXCEPT_____ .
| A．Weeping over the passed-away. |
| B．Flying kites made from bamboo and paper |
| C．Sending flowers to their ancestors’ graves. |
| D．Burning incense and paper money for the dead. |
Which of the following is correct according to passage?
| A．Du Mu ,the well-known poet in Song Dynasty wrote a poem about Qing Ming. |
| B．Qingming Festival used to be a Chinese national holiday. |
| C．People have the custom of flying kites on Qing Ming. |
| D．Those whose ancestors were buried in proper places will have a bright future. |
The writer write the passage in order to____________ .
| A．enable us to observe traditional tomb-sweeping day. |
| B．show traditional and present ways to spend Qingming Festival . |
| C．educate people to show their respect to the ancestors |
| D．raise people’s awareness of environmental protection. |
I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast，I had to have cereal，eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch，while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess，my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself，just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9：00 each night and up at 7：45 the next morning. So while my friends slept，my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years，our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing，red for failing. My mother, however，would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background，I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was __________.
| A．not generous at all | B．very strict with her children |
| C．very mean with money matters | D．very cruel to her children |
Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids. |
| B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother. |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| D．Letting mother know where they were. |
It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
A the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies
B. mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law
C. all the other kids studied better than the writer
D. the writer’s family lived a miserable life
London—coffee protects mice from radiation and could get the same way in humans, according to Indian scientists.
Scientist at India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center discovered that mice injected with caffeine (咖啡因)remained alive after high doses(剂量)of normally lethal radiation.
Although the study was limited to animals, Kachadillilli George, head of the research team, believes the findings could have implications (something suggested ) for humans .
“It does suggest that coffee might have some beneficial effects in protecting against radiation,” he told New Scientist magazine late last month.
George and his team injected 471 mice with caffeine and left them uncovered to 7.5 grays of gamma radiation(伽玛射线),enough to kill most mice. But 25 days later 70 percent of the mice that had received 80 milligrams(毫克)of caffeine per kilogram of body weight were still alive.
On the contrary all 196 mice that had been left uncovered to the same radiation but had not been given any caffeine died.George and his team drew the conclusion from.
| A．the magazine | B．their invention | C．the experiment | D．their experience |
From the news, we knowcan be protected from radiation.
| A．both mice and humans | B．only mice |
| C．only humans | D．neither humans nor mice |
From paragraph 5, we know 30 percent of the mice died 25 days later. The reason was probably that.
| A．these mice had been given only 80 milligrams of caffeine |
| B．these mice hadn’t been injected with caffeine |
| C．these mice were very big and strong |
| D．these mice hadn’t been given enough caffeine |
Which is the best title of the article?
| A．Human and Mice | B．New Radiation Defense—Coffee |
| C．Deadly Radiation—Gamma Radiation | D．Mice Died of Caffeine |
In paragraph 2,the underlined word “ lethal ”means.
| A．causing death | B．lively | C．exciting | D．rich |
Most lives saved from sinking ferryCao Min couldn’t believe she was experiencing exactly what she had seen years ago in the film “Titanic”.
Cao and her two children from Anhui Province were traveling on board the “Liaoludu 7”on February 22.They were among the first people on the ship who were rescued by lifeboats. Cao’s one-year-old son was the youngest passenger on board.
The “Liaoludu 7”was traveling in the Bohai Straits(渤海海峡)from Lushun in Liaoning Province to the port city of Longkou in Shandong Province. It suddenly lost its power at 2:30 pm and tilted(倾斜)on its side. With 81 people on board, the ferry(渡船)began to sink.
“I was so scared that my legs couldn’t move forward. They kept shaking even when I was asked to jump onto a “ lifeboat.” Cao recalled.
Upon receiving the urgent appeal, China Marine Search and Rescue Center(中国海上搜救中心)immediately informed the State Council(国务院).The center sent eight lifeboats to the sinking ship and asked for help form the Ministry of Agriculture, the Navy and nearby fishing boats.
After more than four hours of fighting against strong winds and freezing ocean water, the passengers were recovered. All but four survived. These four died after spending too long in the freezing waters, according to a spokesperson for the Beijing-based center.
(From 21st Century, Mar.3, 2003)How many people survived the disaster?
| A．4 | B．81 | C．85 | D．77 |
Who do you think were the first people rescued?
| A．Women and children | B．Women | C．Children | D．Men |
Which of the following is Not true?
| A．The accident happened from Longkou in Shandong Province to Lushun in Liaoning Province. |
| B．The fighting of the people on board against the strong winds and freezing ocean water lasted several hours. |
| C．Cao and her children fortunately were saved. |
| D．But for the State Council, the passengers and the crew would have lost their lives. |
For years and years people have been saying that the railways are dead. “ We can do without railways.” People say…as if motorcars and planes have made the railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow, that they lose money, and that they’re dying .But this is far from the truth: in these days of expensive oil, the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they are cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What is more, it takes you from the heart of a city into the heart of another. It doesn’t leave you up as a plane does, miles and miles from the city center. It doesn’t hold you up as a car does, in endless traffic jams, and a single train carry goods which a plane or a motorcar could never do.
Far from being dead, the railways are very much alive. Modern railway lines give you a smooth, untroubled journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep in comfort, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time? And we are only at the beginning, for we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, trains traveling at 150 miles an hour and more. Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorcars we can’t use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can’t fly for the same reason..Some people think the railways are unnecessary for many reasons except that.
| A．planes and motorcars have taken the place of trains |
| B．oil is expensive today |
| C．trains are slow |
| D．railways lose money |
According to the writer, which of the following is Not true?
| A．It is cheaper to travel by train than by plane. |
| B．The railway station is usually at the center of the city. |
| C．When you get off the plane you will find yourself right in the city center. |
| D．No motorcar or plane can carry as many goods as a train does. |
The writer thinks that the railways, far from being dead, are very much alive because.
| A．we can have a smooth and untroubled journey |
| B．we’ll not have enough money to fly in planes |
| C．we can now travel in super-fast train |
| D．all of the above |
The best title for this passage may be””
| A．Not the End but the Beginning |
| B．Which is the Best: Train, Motorcar or Plane |
| C．Trains are More Competitive than Motorcars or Planes |
| D．Oh, Super-fast Trains |