Maurice Sendak’s children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963, has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year.
The book’s main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper. Before long, Max’s room magically becomes a forest, and he sails away to a land where monsters(怪物，怪兽) live. Max isn’t scared, though, and becomes king of the wild things, but after a while, he begins feeling homesick. Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom.
Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis, an education professor, said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. “This allows children to shape the story themselves,” she said.
The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children, but experts say those words help improve children’s reading skills and challenge them.
Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. “The book talks about what all children go through, like ‘I was naughty but my mommy still loves me’,” Davis said.
The book also encourages children to face their fears. “I think it’s really good to show that Max makes friends with the monsters,” Davis said. “Kids can find out monsters aren’t always the thing under the bed that’s going to scare them. I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience.”
Since the book has been successful throughout the years, a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it. Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children. “You don’t want bad dreams over a book that’s extremely wonderful,” Davis said.Teachers and professors like the book because it helps children ______.
| A．understand pictures | B．improve reading skills |
| C．face their fear bravely | D．become more imaginative |
Why does the book contain some larger words?
| A．To make the story more formal. |
| B．To help challenge the children’s reading skills |
| C．To encourage children to learn more new words. |
| D．To help children better understand the story. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The character Max is brave enough in the story. |
| B．Max was sent to the forest as punishment. |
| C．People of all ages are in favor of the book. |
| D．The movie based on the book proves to be a great success. |
What does Davis think of the movie?
| A．She thinks children of all ages will love it. |
| B．She encourages children to see it to fight against their fear. |
| C．She worries that it might be too frightening for some children. |
| D．She believes it will be a better choice for children than the book. |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To advise parents to help children to improve their reading skills. |
| B．To comment on a famous children’s book. |
| C．To encourage children to face their fear and become more imaginative. |
| D．To introduce a movie based on a children’s book. |
I never thought I would have a lifechanging experience at WalMart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed，the checkout line I was standing in wasn’t moving as quickly as I wanted，and I glanced toward the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies，wearing glasses and a nice smile.I thought，well，he’s an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him.He greeted every customer before scanning the items.Sure，his words were the usual，“How’s it going？” But he did something different—he actually listened to people.Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was odd.I had grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit.After a while，you don’t give any thought to the question and just mumble something back.I could say，“I just found out I have six months to live，” and someone would reply，“Have a great day！”
But that wasn’t the end.
He gave them the change，walked around the counter，and extended his right hand in an act of friendship.He looked the customers in the eyes.“I sure want to thank you for shopping here today，” he told them.“You have a great day.Byebye.”
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless.There were smiles and some sheepish grins.All had been touched by his simple gesture—and in a place they never expected.They would gather their things and walk out，smiling.
Of course，he did the same to me and I got to know his name，Marty.
Who was that guy？It was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy’s body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because ________.
| A．the cashier couldn’t work as fast as others |
| B．there were some big purchases |
| C．the cashier did more than scanning the items |
| D．the writer was not patient enough |
According to the writer，when common people ask you “How’s it going？” ________.
| A．they don’t really care what you may answer |
| B．they are just practicing their conversation ability |
| C．they are inquiring about your private information |
| D．they don’t expect to hear any negative answers |
What was most customers’ reaction to Marty’s behaviors?
| A．They thought it priceless. |
| B．They were in some way moved. |
| C．They thought it awful and odd. |
| D．They felt somewhat offended. |
What does the writer intend to express through the text?
| A．Our everyday life is always full of surprises. |
| B．Most customers enjoy being treated this way. |
| C．Being different is a good way of doing business. |
| D．A little positive action can make a big difference. |
BERLIN(AP)—A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo’s director，police said.
The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and a neighboring storage building，where it fatally attacked the 43yearold keeper，said police spokesman Stefan Kirchner.
“It appears the gate wasn’t properly shut，” Kirchner told the Associated Press.
The zoo was evacuated and a SWAT(特警) team was called in，police said.But before it arrived the zoo’s director managed to kill the tiger by climbing onto the storage building and shooting it through a skylight using a rifle.
Kirchner said it was unlikely that members of the public had witnessed the incident.“This is the darkest day of my life，” the zoo’s director，Theo Pagel，was quoted as saying by Cologne newspaper Express.
The paper said on its website that the Siberian tiger was a 4yearold male called Tltai that came to Cologne Zoo from an animal park in England.In November it fathered three cubs with a 7yearold Siberian tiger called Hanya，according to the zoo’s website.
Police said the zoo reopened after Saturday’s incident，which occurred around noon.However，a planned latenight opening of the zoo has been canceled.
Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in Germany.It was founded in 1860 and houses some 10,000 animals comprising more than 700 different species.Which of the following can be the best title of the news text?
| A．Tiger Escaped，Killed a Keeper in German Zoo |
| B．Tiger Escaped in German Zoo，Shot Dead |
| C．German Zoo Keeper Shot Escaped Tiger |
| D．People Killed in One of the Oldest Zoos in Germany |
According to the police，what was the direct reason for the incident?
| A．The zoo keeper was a new hand. |
| B．A gate was not closed appropriately. |
| C．The zoo had neglected the secret passage. |
| D．It was very dark when the incident happened. |
What did the zoo do after the incident?
| A．They honored the killed person in a way. |
| B．They paid SWAT for their timely help. |
| C．They returned the tiger’s three cubs to England. |
| D．They called off the latenight opening. |
What can we learn about the Cologne Zoo?
| A．It keeps a large variety of species. |
| B．It is one of the largest zoos in Germany. |
| C．It has a history of more than 700 years. |
| D．No such incident has happened before. |
While learning the science lessons，I used to get a doubt—why ear，nose，tongue and eyes should be called as special senses？The basic reason is that these are the channels through which we maintain contact with the surroundings.Though apparently it may feel like these are individual sensory organs，they do show some connectivity.Interestingly，our hearing is less sharp after we eat a heavy food.Isn’t it good for a sound nap after a stomachfull meal？That does not mean we go deaf after a meal，but the hearing pitch(强度) does change after a heavy meal.
We usually give credit of the taste to our tongue，but do you know that unless saliva(唾液) dissolves something，our tongue cannot recognize the taste of the food eaten.Taste is nothing but the food chemicals dissolved in the saliva being sensed by the taste buds present on the tongue.Try_to_dry_off_your_tongue_and_mouth_with_a_tissue_paper_and_then_taste_something.
Women are much better smellers than men.They are born with this characteristic ability and can correctly pinpoint the exact fragrance of the sample.We all can store almost 50,000 different scents(气味)，which are strongly tied to the memories.
Pupils(瞳孔) do not respond to light alone，but to the slightest bit of noise around too.Thus surgeons，watchmakers and those professionals who have to perform a much delicate job do prefer to have a soundfree environment.Even a small noise can dilate(扩大) their pupils，change the focus and blur(使模糊) their vision.If you do not wear glasses or contact lens due to having a 6/6 vision，you are just among the one third of the human population.It is now statistically proved that only one third of the population has perfect vision，rest all are either wearing glasses or are trying to read with a compromised vision.
Each and every one of us has a particular or individualistic or characteristic smell，which is unique to us，except for the identical twins.This smell is very subtle(微妙的) yet can be sensed even by a newborn.It may be due to this scent that the newborn recognizes the presence of his parents around.Many of us can pinpoint the smell of our significant friends and colleagues.A significant part of this phenomenon is guided by genetics but it is also modified by the environment，diet and personal hygiene.This all together creates the unique chemistry that is individualistic for each person.We can learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
| A．after a full meal our hearing is as good as before |
| B．all sensory organs are connected and can be exchanged |
| C．sensory organs’ functions can never be changed for their particular character |
| D．we feel and learn about the world around us through our eyes，ears，nose and tongue |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The functions of sensory organs. |
| B．The connectivity of sensory organs. |
| C．A newborn’s senses of the sensory organs. |
| D．The differences of senses between women and men. |
What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2?
| A．Our tongues can’t be dried while eating something. |
| B．If your tongue is dried without any saliva on it，it will not work. |
| C．A tissue paper is the only thing that can be used to dry our tongues. |
| D．If your tongue is dried with a tissue paper，it may work as well as before. |
Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where：Tahua，Bolivia
How much：About $95 a night
Why it’s cool：You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood，but salt？That’s something few can claim.Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses(床垫) and blankets)．The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni，a prehistoric driedup lake which is the world’s biggest salt flat.Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks，and glue them together with a paste (糊) of wet salt that hardens when it dries.When rain starts to dissolve the hotel，the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where：Vythiri，India
How much：About $240 a night
Why it’s cool：Taking a pulley(滑轮)operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure.As you look out of your open window—there is no glass！—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy(罩篷)．Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel，or just sit on your bamboo bed and read.You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn “elevator”．
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where：Cottonwood，Idaho
How much：$92 a night
Why it’s cool：This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet.Sweet_Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly.Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side.You can relax in the main bedroom，go up a few steps of the loft(阁楼) in Willy’s head，or hang out inside his nose.Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters，there is also a toilet in the 12foottall fire hydrant(消防栓) outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where：Ayvali，Turkey
How much：Between $130 and $475 a night
Why it’s cool：This is caveman cool！Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago，when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash.But your stay will be much more modern.Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel，and the white volcanic ash，called tufa，keeps the rooms cool，about 65 in summer.(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
| A．It is located on a prehistoric lake. |
| B．It should be protected against the rain. |
| C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt. |
| D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel. |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
| A．Being expensive. |
| B．Being comfortable. |
| C．Being natural. |
| D．Being unique. |
What does the underlined words “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A．The name of the hotel.
B．The name of the hotel owner.
C．The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D．The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
A．Tayka Hotel de Sal.
B．Green Magic Nature Resort.
C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel.
How to deal successfully with a child who shows outstanding musical ability？It’s not always clear how best to develop and encourage his gift.Many parents may even fail to recognise and respond to their children’s need until frustration explodes into difficult or uncooperative(不合作的) behaviour.And while most schools are equipped to deal with children who are specially able in academic subjects，the musically gifted require special understanding which may not always be available in an ordinary school—especially one where music is regarded as a secondary activity.Such children may well benefit from the education offered by a specialist music school.
The five music schools in Britain are a relatively recent introduction.They aim to provide an environment in which gifted children aged between seven and eighteen can develop their skills to the full under the guidance of professional musicians.
Children at specialist music schools spend between one third and one half of an average day on musical activities，for example，individual lessons，orchestras，chamber(室内音乐的) groups，voice training，conducting and theory.They also spend several hours a day practising in properly equipped private rooms，sometimes with a teacher.The rest of their time is taken up with the subjects：English，maths，basic sciences and languages.All five British specialist schools are independent，classes are small by normal school standards，with a high teacher/pupil ratio(比率)．Most children attending specialist schools tend to be boarders，leaving home to live，eat and sleep fulltime at school.
What are the disadvantages？An obvious problem is the cost；the fees are high(￡12,000￡17,000 a year for boarders)．However，each school will make every effort with scholarships and other forms of financial assistance，to help parents of outstandingly gifted children to find the necessary fees.Secondly，not all parents want to send their children to boarding school，especially at a very early age.Almost all the directors of the specialist schools express doubts about the wisdom of admitting children as young as seven into such an intense and disciplined(守纪律的) environment.They stress，however，that their main aim is to turn out “rounded and wellbalanced” individuals.
There is little doubt that setting musically gifted children apart from an early age can cause stress.Early signs of musical ability may disappear in their teenage years，while natural competitiveness and the pressure to succeed can lead to a deep sense of failure.But all specialist schools do keep a close watch on the progress of individual pupils，and offer help and advice if needed.If a child’s musical ability is not recognized，________.
| A．the child may misbehave |
| B．the ability may fade away |
| C．the child may lose interest |
| D．the parents may become anxious |
What problem may musically gifted children face in ordinary schools?
| A．Their academic work may suffer. |
| B．Schools lack musical equipment. |
| C．Music is not seen as an important subject. |
| D．Parents and teachers do not work together. |
What makes specialist music schools different from other schools?
| A．Their working day is longer. |
| B．A range of musical training is offered. |
| C．More than half the day is spent on music. |
| D．The children have mostly onetoone lessons. |
What do most school directors see as a possible disadvantage for pupils?
| A．Poor children may not be included. |
| B．They may lose their individuality. |
| C．There may be a discipline problem. |
| D．They may not be mature enough on arrival. |