There were smiling children all the way. Charily they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive. I decided to wave hack.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.I looked forward to the return journey. The author expected the train trip to be________
| A．adventurous |
| B．pleasant |
| C．exciting |
| D．dull |
What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
| A．The friendly country people. |
| B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph?
| A．choose |
| B．enjoy |
| C．prepare for |
| D．carry on |
Where was the writer going?
| A．Johore Baru. |
| B．The Causeway. |
| C．Butterworth . |
| D．Singapore. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Comfort in traveling by train. |
| B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. |
| D．Smiles brighten people up. |
The saying that children don’t like reading any more has been proved untrue. A new study finds that 75 percent of kids between five and 17 say that although they love technology, they still want to read books．
The Kids & Family Reading Report also says that 62 percent of kids prefer reading printed books rather than those on a computer．At the same time, those who search an author’s website or use the Internet to find books by a particular author, are more likely to read books for fun every day．
The study also once again proves that the time kids spend reading books for fun decreases after the age of eight and continues to drop through the teen years．The report is a follow-up to a 2006 study．But this time the focus is on the role of technology and when kids’ interest in reading starts to drop．
“Despite the fact that after the age of eight more children go online daily than read for fun daily, high frequency Internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day,” says Heather Carter, a writer of the report．
One in four kids between five and 17 say they read books for fun every day and more than half of kids say they read books for fun at least two to three times a week．One of the key reasons kids say they don’t read more often is that they have trouble finding books they like - a requirement that parents underestimate(低估)．
The study also finds that parents have a strong influence on kids’ reading, but only about half of all parents begin reading to their kids before their first birthday．The percent of children who are read to every day drops from 38 percent among five-to eight-year-olds to 23 percent among nine-to 11-year-olds - exactly the same time that kids’ daily reading for fun starts to drop．
“Parents’ engagement in their child’s reading from birth all the way through the teen years can have a great influence on how often their children read and how much they enjoy reading,” adds Carter．What can we learn from the text?
| A．Children don’t like reading any more after the age of 8. |
| B．Most children like reading as well as going online. |
| C．All kids like reading e – books instead of printed ones. |
| D．Most children like going online instead of reading. |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．the study of kids’ reading has been made before |
| B．most parents begin reading to their kids from their birth |
| C．all kids like to get information using the Internet |
| D．nowadays all children still like to read books |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The kids who often go online don’t like reading books. |
| B．Parents should teach their kids reading from an early age. |
| C．Sometimes it is difficult for kids to get the books they like. |
| D．When kids get older, parents spend more time with them. |
According to the text,contributes a lot to children’s interest in reading.
| A．the Internet | B．parents’ engagement |
| C．short supply of books | D．new technology |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Do kids still like reading? | B．Kids’ interest in reading drops |
| C．New technology on kids’ reading | D．Parents’ influence on kids’ reading |
Researchers found that compared with teens who spent much of their free time in front of TV sets, those who were physically active often had higher self-respect, better grades and were less likely to have risky behavior like taking drugs, smoking, or drinking．The findings, based on a national survey of nearly 12,000 middle and high school students, were published in a journal．
"Across the board, children who engaged in any kind of activity were belier off than kids who watched a lot of TV," said study co author professor Penny Gordon Larsen of the University of North Carolina．
Other studies have linked certain content of television programs, such as violence and sex, to children’s behavior．But beyond this issue, Gordon-Larsen said that kids who spend hours watching TV "miss opportunities" to develop skills, learn teamwork and have other experiences that their more active peers benefit from．
That doesn’t mean, however, that kids have to be on the football team． The study found that some activities like skating and skateboarding——which adults sometimes frown upon——were also related to better self respect and less risk taking．
That skaters were better behaved than TV watchers might come as a surprise to some adults who consider these teens to be bad, according to Gordon-Larsen．Skateboarding is forbidden in many public areas, and some communities oppose building skating parks．But if kids who like to skate have nowhere to do it, "it’s a shame," said Gordon-Larsen．
Not only should parents encourage their kids to engage iii the physical activities they enjoy, she said, but schools and communities should also do more to create opportunities for children to be active．From the passage we know that .
| A．physically active kids get into less trouble |
| B．more skating parks are being built |
| C．kids who spend hours watching TV benefit a lot |
| D．kids who have nowhere to skate tend to take drugs |
If your kid is a football player, he is more likely to ____
| A．get into the habit of smoking or drinking |
| B．develop teamwork spirit |
| C．have risky behaviors |
| D．fail in the schoolwork |
This passage is mainly written to ___．
| A．offer some information to teachers and parents |
| B．persuade kids not to watch a lot of TV |
| C．urge the public to help children be active |
| D．show the author’s concern about children’s growth |
What does the underlined sentence "which adults sometimes frown upon" in the 4th paragraph mean?
| A．Some adults don’t understand the sports． |
| B．Some adults are impatient with kids． |
| C．Adults consider it dangerous to go skating or skateboarding. |
| D．Some adults think them related to bad behaviors. |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．kids are not expected to be active by some parents |
| B．professor Penny is a famous writer and journalist |
| C．skateboarding is popular in schools and communities |
| D．kids are not encouraged to join the football team |
8：30 PM
Outlook
Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up date with all that’s new in the world of entertainment . Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic , from stage to screen . There will be reports of the stars of the moment , the stars of the future and the stars of the past. The director with his new film , the designer with the latest fashion , and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook . The program is introduced by Fran Levine .
9:00 PM
Discovery
When a 10-year-old boy gets a first class degree in mathematics or an 8-year-old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses . Where does the quality of genius come from ? Is it all in the genes (基因) or can any child be turned into a genius ? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future, what should they do ? In this 30-minute film , Barry Johnson , the professor at School of Medicine , New York University, will help you discover the answer .
10:00 PM
Science/Health
Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs ? The answer is “yes”, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins and three other medical centers . After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure , they found that after 6 months , those devoted to weight loss—exercise and eating a low—salt , low-fat food lost about 13 pounds and became fitter . Plus , 35% of them dropped into the “normal” category. This week , Dr Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what’s achieved with hypertension drugs .The main purpose of writing the passage is to .
| A．invite people to see films |
| B．invite people to join in topic discussions |
| C．attract more students to attend lectures |
| D．attract more people to watch TV programs |
From Outlook , you can get a great deal of information about .
| A．story tellers | B．famous stars | C．film companies | D．music fans |
Who will be most probably interested in Discovery ?
| A．Parents who want to send their children to a school of medicine . |
| B．Children who are good at mathematics . |
| C．Parents who want their child to become an Albert Einstein . |
| D．Children who are interested in playing chess . |
“Johns Hopkins” is .
| A．a famous university | B．a medical center |
| C．a well-known doctor | D．a drug company |
According to the third text , which of the following has almost the same effect as hypertension drug ?
| A．Exercise plus a healthy diet . | B．Loss of thirteen pounds in weight . |
| C．Six months of exercise without drugs . | D．Low-salt and low-fat food . |
Robert Fredy was general manager of a large hotel in Ashbury park. New Jersey. One cold day two years ago when he stopped his car at a traffic light, Stephen Pear man, an out-of-work taxi and truck driver, walked up to Fredy’s car hoping to earn some change by washing his windshield．Like many motorists who try to keep the beggars off, Fredy turned on the wipers to show he wasn’t interested．
Pearman put his head close to the window．“Come on, mister．Give me a chance．I need a job,” he said．Something in Stephen Pearman’s voice moved Robert Fredy．In the seconds before traffic started moving again, Fredy handed a business card and told him to call if he was serious．
“My friends told me he was just pulling my leg, ”said Pearman．“But I said, “ No, he’s a
businessman．I need to give it a shot．”
Two days later,29-year-old Pearman appeared in the manager’s office of the big hotel．Fredy gave him a job and housing and lent him pocket money while training him．
Today, Pearman works full time setting up the hotel’s dining halls for business meetings．In the past two years, he has found a flat, married and repaid Fredy’s loans．
“Mr．Fredy gave me a second chance, “says Pearman, ” And I took advantage of it．I could have just come here a while, eaten up and left．But there is no future in washing windshields．”
Ordinarily, Fredy keeps away from the street people．“But Pearman seemed so honest and open, asking for a chance rather than just money,” Fredy says, “I don’t hand my business card to just anybody．But I’m glad I did in this case．”When Pearman first appeared before Fredy, ．
| A．Fredy took him as a beggar |
| B．Pearman was told to do it later |
| C．Fredy gladly agreed to let him do it |
| D．Pearman knew Fredy was a kind man |
When Fredy told Pearman to call if he was serious, he meant if .
| A．Pearman was really hardworking |
| B．Pearman was really looking for a job |
| C．Pearman’s conditions were truly scrious |
| D．Pearman was really interested in washing windshields |
By saying “he was just pulling my leg (paragraph 3)”, Pearman’s friends meant.
| A．Fredy knew Pearman intended to ask for a job |
| B．Fredy was making fun of Pearman |
| C．Fredy wanted to help the poor |
| D．Fredy was tired of being stopped |
Pearman is now .
| A．in charge of Fredy’s loans |
| B．still washing car windshields |
| C．full – time employed at the hotel |
| D．arranging dinner parties for the hotel |
What can we learn about Fredy?
| A．He helps those who will work hard themselves． |
| B．He likes to give his help to anyone in need． |
| C．He always gives help to the unemployed． |
| D．He is easily moved by poor people． |
Gu Changwei was the first Chinese cinematographer to be nominated (提名) for an Oscar, he is regarded by Zhang Yimou as the best cinematographer in China. Gu was behind the camera for many of Zhang Yimou’s famous films including the one that rocketed Zhang to fame: “Red Sorghum (高粱)”. And now this master of the visual has taken on his first directing role with the film “Peacock”. So Gu Changwei has come out from behind the camera into the spotlight (聚光灯).
Gu Changwei is very serious about his directing “Peacock”. To get the authentic atmosphere, Gu took his film crew to the city of Anyang in central China’s Henan province where the story takes place, to shoot the film. He chose all new actors because he didn’t want “star” appeal to weaken the power of the story, and he also had his actors trained in the local dialect. For this film Gu has been able to get out from behind the camera to manage every aspect of the film, and to realize his own ideals in movie-making.
“Peacock” is about the life of an average family in a small town in Henan province in the late 70s and early 80s. Gu chose this story for his first movie because he grew up during this same period and it struck a chord with him.
“Peacock” wrapped up production in June, 2004. It’s aimed at the foreign film market and will be entered in February’s Berlin Film Festival, and released in China at the same time. But at the end of last October, Gu took “Peacock” to his Alma Mater, the Beijing Film Academy, one of the most famous film colleges in China, to hold a preview. The film was warmly received by both teachers and students. The underlined word “cinematographer” refers to a person who _____.
| A．has been nominated for an Oscar | B．uses a camera to shoot films |
| C．directs first-class films | D．arranges for cinema shows |
Gu didn’t employ “stars” in his film because _____.
| A．stars usually stick to their own acting styles |
| B．the stars may not be able to speak the local dialect |
| C．the stars may share the audience’s attention with the story |
| D．it was not easy for him, a fresh hand, to invite stars to join him |
Gu chose such a story for his first movie because _____.
| A．he was born in the early 1970s |
| B．he grew up in Henan province |
| C．he was popular in Henan province |
| D．the story had to do with his own experience |
From the passage we can learn that “Peacock” _____.
| A．is the film for which Gu is likely to win an Oscar prize |
| B．has already become popular both at home and abroad |
| C．has its production started last summer |
| D．will be publicly shown in spring, 2005 |
Please choose a proper title for this passage.
| A．From behind the camera into the spotlight |
| B．Chinese cinematographer to be nominated for Oscar |
| C．New faces to appear in “Peacock” |
| D．“Peacock” to enter foreign film market |