Dear Reader,
I receive many letters from children and can’t answer them all—there wouldn’t be time enough in a day．That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter．I’ll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte’s Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse．That’s how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte’s Web, I like animals and my barn（谷仓）is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours．One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die．This made me sad．So I started thinking of ways to save a pig’s life．I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving．Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation（拯救）on a farm．Three years after I started writing it, it was published．（I am not a fast worker, as you can see.）
Sometimes I’m asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write．I started early—as soon as I could spell．In fact, I can’t remember any time in my life when I wasn’t busy writing．I don’t know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures．I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead．As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school．Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book．And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets．Much as I’d like to, I can’t go visiting．I can’t send books, either—you can find them in a bookstore or a library．Many children assume that a writer owns （or even makes） his own books．This is not true—books are made by the publisher．If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it．That’s why I can’t send books．And I do not send signatures—I leave that to the movie stars．I live most of the year in the country, in New England．From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains．I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events．In real life, a family doesn’t have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn’t spin words in her web．In real life, a swan doesn’t blow a trumpet．But real life is only one kind of life—there is also the life of the imagination．And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too—truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely：E.B．WhiteThe author wrote the letter because _________.
| A．he is not a fast worker |
| B．he was invited to answer the questions |
| C．he didn’t have enough time to answer all the letters |
| D．he felt sorry for not being able to send books to his readers |
What probably caused the writer to get interested in writing children’s book?
| A．Writing can be a way to earn his living． |
| B．The fact that he was not good at drawing． |
| C．His mother influence on his childhood. |
| D．The instinct of children. |
From Para.5, we can learn that ＿＿＿＿.
| A．many famous people like to visit schools |
| B．movie stars will send autographs to readers |
| C．many people think authors have copies of their own books |
| D．the author lives with his married son and three grandchildren |
In the last paragraph, the author is trying to tell us ____ .
| A．we only have one kind of life |
| B．there is no truth in imaginary tales |
| C．imaginary tales are based on our true life |
| D．fantastic characters and events only exist in imaginary tales |
A Nobel Prize is considered by most people one of the highest international honors a person can receive. As you know, the prizes were started by a Sweden called Sweden Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and lived from 1833 to 1896.
Alfred Nobel was a chemist and inventor. He made two important inventions, so he became very rich. Although he was rich, Nobel was not a happy man. He never married or had children. Also, he was a sick man in large part of his life. Nobel died at the age of sixty-three. When he died, he left a fund of $9,000,000. The money was to be used in giving prizes to those who made outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and the promotion(促进)of the world peace.
The first Nobel Prize were given on December 10th,1901, five years after Nobel’s death. Many famous people all over the world have been given Nobel Prizes for their achievements. Albert Einstein was one of them.
Each prize has three parts. The first part is a gold medal. Second, a winner of a Nobel Prize is given a diploma saying that he has been given the prize. The third part of the prize is a large amount of money---about $40，000.
Often a prize is given to just one person, but not always. Sometimes a prize is shared. It might be given to two or more people who have worked together. It is also sometimes true that a prize is not given at all if there is no outstanding achievement. In 1972, for example, not a Nobel Prize was given. It is the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm that decides whether to give the prize or not. Most people think that Nobel Prize is ____ a person can receive.
| A．the highest honor in the world |
| B．one of the highest international honors |
| C．a higher honor than others |
| D．as high as any other honor |
Alfred Nobel who started the Nobel Prize was _____.
| A．a rich, happy and lucky man |
| B．a poor, unhappy and unlucky man |
| C．a poor, happy and lucky man |
| D．a rich unhappy and unlucky man |
A Nobel Prize is made up of ___.
| A．a gold medal and a large amount of money |
| B．a gold medal and a diploma |
| C．a gold medal and a diploma and a large amount of money |
| D．a diploma and a large amount of money |
A Nobel Prize is given to ___ each year.
| A．just one person | B．one person |
| C．not always one person | D．three persons |
When he died, Nobel left an amount of money ____.
| A．to his wife and children |
| B．to the university he used to study in |
| C．to his parents and his studies |
| D．to be spent on setting five prizes |
It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways: that that they are too serious and too strict with their children; and they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust and they are easy to forget how they themselves felt when young.
For example, young people like to act right away without much thinking. It is one of their ways to show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset by something unexpected.
When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success, if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble; it is just that they feel cut off (隔绝)from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture of their own. And if their parents like their music of entertainment or clothes or their ways of speech, this will make young people especially happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control.
If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility, they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.This article is particularly written for ____.
| A．parents | B．both parents and their children |
| C．young people | D．teachers |
According to the text, young people tend to _____.
| A．ask for advice before they really start to do anything |
| B．doing things without thinking carefully ahead |
| C．be very strict with themselves |
| D．think in the same way as their parents do |
Young people like to have clothes, entertainment and music in their own way, because___.
| A．they want to make their parents angrily |
| B．they try to get their parents into trouble |
| C．they want to try on something new and look different from than older people |
| D．they know they are clever than the older people |
According to the text, young people want to make a new culture of their own, because ___.
| A．they don’t feel they belong to the world of older people |
| B．they do not want to get into trouble |
| C．they feel they are cleverer than the older people |
| D．they want to show they have grown up |
If a young man plans to control his own life, it’s better for him to ____.
| A．do everything according to his own wish |
| B．do everything the way his parents do |
| C．do everything under his parents’ control |
| D．do everything with a high sense of responsibility |
Can trees talk? Yes—but not in words. Scientists have reasons to believe that trees do communicate with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree(柳树) attacked in the woods by caterpillars(毛毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so terrible that the caterpillars got tired of the leaves and stopped eating them. The even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special vapor — a signal causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.
Communication, of course, doesn’t need to be always in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar(花蜜) for honey. So why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending messages?Why did Caterpillars stop eating the leaves of a willow tree? (No more than 15 words)
According to the passage, how do bees communicate with each other? (No more than 5 words)
What is the main idea of this passage? (No more than 5 words)
Homework is an important part of education. However, what is it about homework? What makes it important?
First, homework helps students learn. Homework produces higher learning ability by asking the student to read the same text many times.
Most of the time, homework will ask students to read other books. So children have to read and understand it by themselves. Sometimes, parents must help children with this type of learning. Children hope to use what they have read to solve questions and problems in the homework.
Good use of homework makes children know that learning can happen with or without the teacher.
As homework is finished, students learn to work out their own problems. Most students need a little help now and then, but doing homework is a way that children can learn to take care of themselves. If the student can do his or her own work, it is likely the ability he gets will be good for their future life.
Most homework gives room for additional(额外的) learning. Short answers, long answers and papers provide a way for students to learn things that interest them. Science can give the student a chance to go deeper into a field and have a better understanding. These things are almost impossible within the classroom education. If the project is done by a group, the students will also learn cooperation(合作).
Good study skills students get from homework and test preparation can be used easily in most work places.
Title: ________
| Benefits |
Ways |
| Make students repeat the same text. |
|
| Develop thinking ability |
Make students read other books. |
| Help students to work out |
|
| Be good for their future life |
|
| Learn more |
Give room for additional learning |
| Provide a way for students to learn |
|
| Help go deeper into a field and understand better |
|
| Help learn cooperation by working with a group |
|
| Get study skills |
Use the skills in their |
Going to the park with your family is a time-honored tradition during the warmer months whether you live in the city or in a rural area. The most common thing for kids to do at the park is to play on the playground equipment. This is great for kids. For parents, however, playground time is something not quite as exciting. It’s nice to socialize with other parents and enjoy watching the little ones at play, but grown-ups can’t easily participate in the playground fun. In order to make the most of spring and summer park trips parents might want to consider trying a few new activities.
Soft Frisbees and balls are great things to bring to the park and enjoy with kids. Parents can participate in playing catch. They can enjoy the fresh air and physical activity together. Other lawn games and toys like badminton can easily be taken to the park for an afternoon of fun.
If it is a breezy day, it might be just perfect for flying a kite. Kite flying is a wonderful family fun activity. Children who are too small to fly a kite themselves can have fun chasing it and helping older siblings hold the string. Slightly older children can enjoy learning to fly kites. Teens and parents can enjoy the challenge of making kites. Best of all, kites are inexpensive and can be used in almost any open space on a breezy day.
After these, the first thought might be to head home for a meal or a snack. However, bringing a snack or having a picnic can add an exciting element to the day out and can allow the family to enjoy more park time together. Everyday foods like sandwiches and apples can be very appetising. If you decide to pack a picnic, just remember to bring bags for any garbage you might produce!Why is the playground time not quite exciting for parents?
| A．There is no equipment for them. |
| B．They can’t interact with each other. |
| C．They can’t easily enjoy the fun. |
| D．They have to watch their kids. |
What does the underlined word “appetising” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Convenient. | B．Delicious. |
| C．Expensive. | D．Terrible. |
What can the smallest kids do with kites?
| A．Make a kite. | B．Fly a kite. |
| C．Watch a kite. | D．Chase a kite. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The benefits of parents playing with children. |
| B．Suitable weather for playing in the park. |
| C．Activities parents can do with their children in the park. |
| D．Kite flying during spring and summer. |