The hottest“green”toy in Germany isn't made of organic or recycled materials.This one has a solar panel and only runs if kids remember to insert bright red “energy stones”that power the space station.Germany，a pioneer in many renewable energy initiatives，is also at the forefront of creating environmentfriendly toys aimed at making kids think about where energy comes from and how much of it they can use，raising awareness through play.A number of hightech green toys are on display at this year's Nuremberg toy fair，which runs through Sunday.
Among them，there are hydroelectricpowered(水电动力的)toy cars，and doll houses with wind turbines and rainwater catchers.The bright green “Future Planet”space station features an inner atrium(中庭)with a fan that is powered by a functioning solar cell.Its aim is to get kids to use their imagination about how energy will be created in the future.
Makers and retailers believe such toys will play an increasingly important role in their future—and that of our kids.“Energy is the question of the future and we are definitely thinking about this as we move ahead，”said Judith Schweinitz，a spokeswoman for Playmobil，maker of the solar panelfitted space station.“It is increasingly being brought into our play concept.”Green toys—which range from those made of sustainable materials to ones like the space station that just raise environmental awareness—make up only a sliver of the $ 84 billion international toy market，but their share is growing，studies indicate.Environmental research firm Earthsense，based in Syracuse，New York，predicts that green toys will account for about $ 1 billion，or 5 percent of U．S.toy sales in the next five years.Parents are smart and they want information about what's in the product.That's what's really driving the market.The hottest “green”toy in Germany is ________.
| A．made of rubbish |
| B．made of organic or recycled materials |
| C．equipped with a solar panel |
| D．driven by an advanced motor |
The purpose of making the green toys is to ________.
| A．raise kids' awareness about energy and environment |
| B．improve kids' imagination |
| C．give kids the knowledge of technology |
| D．improve the safety of toys |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the green toys ________.
| A．can help save little energy |
| B．are not accepted by parents |
| C．will sell well in the future |
| D．have not been produced |
Which of the following BEST describes the opinion of Earthsense about green
toys?
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Optimistic. |
| C．Disappointed. |
| D．Proud. |
Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like wild animals. They will soil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, fight other dogs and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal dog activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect its normal behavior to an outlet that is acceptable in the domestic (驯养的) setting.
One of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself is to train its obedience. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training pens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want it to do.
Training is also an easy way to establish the social rank order. When your dog obeys a simple request of “come here, sit,” it is showing obedience and respect for you. It is not necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the pack (群) by using extreme measure. You can teach your dog its subordinate (从属的) role by teaching it to show submission to you. Most dogs love performing tricks for you to pleasantly accept that you are in charge.
Training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained animal.Behavior problems of dogs are believed to _________.
| A．occur when they go wild |
| B．be just part of their nature |
| C．get worse in modern society |
| D．become a threat to the community |
The key to solving dogs’ behavior problems is to _________.
| A．teach the dog to perform clever tricks |
| B．make the dog aware of its owner’s authority |
| C．enable the dog to regain its normal behavior |
| D．provide the dog with a pattern accepted by its owner |
Why do pet dogs love performing tricks for their masters?
| A．To avoid being punished. |
| B．To show their affection for their masters. |
| C．To win leadership of the dog pack. |
| D．To show their willingness to obey. |
When a dog has received effective obedience training, its owner _________.
| A．can give the dog more freedom |
| B．will enjoy a better family life |
| C．can give the dog more rewards |
| D．will have more confidence in himself |
Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure of following that tradition, a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools are said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that help develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they have to follow the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The findings of the study are so against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warns that boys are being faded by the British education system because it has become too focused on girls. He criticizes teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argues that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female schoolmates do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys’ learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, writes the study’s author, Abigail James, from the University of Virginia.
Teachers can encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision to learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer what centers on violence and sexism, ” James writes.
Single-sex education also makes it less likely that boys would feel they have to follow the tradition that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys find themselves pushed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reports.The author believes that a single-sex school will _________.
| A．force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men” |
| B．help to develop masculine aggressiveness in boys |
| C．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
| D．naturally make boys accept the traditional image of a man |
It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _________.
| A．perform relatively better |
| B．grow up more healthily |
| C．behave more responsibly |
| D．receive a better education |
What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
| A．It fails more boys than girls academically. |
| B．It focuses more on mixed school education. |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need. |
| D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls. |
According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _________.
| A．teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys |
| B．boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded |
| C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| D．teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit |
Our site specializes in European cycling tours, Bike & Boat Tours, Road Bike Tours and now River Cruises (航行) throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
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River Cruises
We now offer river cruises throughout the world’s most famous waterways. Whether it is a European river or a river cruise in China, one of our cruises is certain to attract you.The text is mainly written to _________.
| A．introduce fantastic tour places |
| B．invite readers to join in the tours |
| C．compare boat tours with bike tours |
| D．Encourage readers to have adventures |
Which countries have been added to “Bike Europe and Beyond”?
| A．America & New Zealand. | B．New Zealand & China. |
| C．Vietnam & America. | D．China & Vietnam. |
Which of the following require(s) certain cycling experience?
| A．Road Bike Tours. |
| B．Bike & Boat Trips. |
| C．Luxury Boat Tours. |
| D．Bike Europe and Beyond. |
The text is probably taken from a _________.
| A．newspaper | B．textbook |
| C．website | D．Magazine |
Grammarphobia is the fear of grammar. This fear attacks almost everybody at one time or another, and it's most likely to strike during English or language arts classes. Even people who love reading and writing have been known to get feverish and insecure when they are aware of the possibility of turning in homework with grammar or spelling mistakes. Though writing may be enjoyable, being corrected is definitely not!
Grammarphobes, it's time to put your fears behind you. Grammar isn't that dreadful (可怕的). Here's why.
Let's assume you like hearing and telling stories and that you enjoy joking with friends. You probably also like emailing and instantmessaging. Well, what do you think makes all these possible? Grammar!
Grammar is simply the art of putting words together to make sentences. Whenever you use words to express yourself, you're using grammar. You do this all the time without even thinking.
So why think about it? Because good grammar helps you convey the ideas you intend. If your words aren't right, or if they are not in the right order, the person you are talking to might get the wrong idea. This can have embarrassing results.
Grammar helps us understand each other. It's like a manual (手册) for assembling the words in your head. You have to put your words together the right way if you want them to make sense. They can't do what you want if they aren't put together correctly.
What if everybody you know had a different manual? How would you agree on what others' words mean? People with different grammar manuals might be speaking different languages.
Communicating is similar to playing cards. To make sense, we have to play the same game, by the same rules. What are the rules for playing the game of English? You already know most of them without having to open a book.Grammarphobes refer to people who ________.
| A．consider grammar to be boring |
| B．are afraid of making grammar mistakes |
| C．mind grammar too much in writing |
| D．are worried about grammar homework |
The underlined word “assembling” in Paragraph 6 may mean ________.
| A．directing | B．remembering |
| C．looking for | D．bringing together |
What does playing cards have in common with communicating?
| A．Both can be learned easily. |
| B．Both can be interesting games. |
| C．Both need standards. |
| D．Both can make sense for our life. |
What might be the main idea of the passage?
| A．Grammar is not horrible. |
| B．Forgetting grammar when writing. |
| C．Improving grammar through writing. |
| D．What is grammarphobia? |
I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese. For Christmas I prayed for the boy, Robert. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried in panic. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?
On Christmas Eve, my mother created abundant Chinese food. And then they arrived—the minister's family and all my relatives. Robert greeted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into disappointment. My relatives licked (舔) the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. Robert and his family waited patiently for a large plate to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert made a face. Then my father reached his chopsticks just below the fish eye and picked out the soft meat. “Amy, your favorite，” he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and burped (打嗝) loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. “It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied，” explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddish face. The minister managed to bring up a quiet burp. I was shocked into silence for the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt. “But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.”
It was not until years later that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the purpose behind her particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen excellent Chinese food.When the writer found out the minister's family would come for Christmas Eve dinner, she cried mainly because ________.
| A．she worried about their shabby Chinese Christmas |
| B．she worried about their Chinese relatives lacking American manners |
| C．she worried about being laughed at |
| D．she worried about meeting the minister's family |
What does “he was not worthy of existence” probably mean? It means ________.
| A．he should not exist |
| B．he was worthless |
| C．the writer was not interested in his existence |
| D．the writer expected his coming |
The dinner threw the writer deeper into disappointment mainly because ________.
| A．she childishly expected all of them to act in the same way as Americans did at table |
| B．her father reached his chopsticks to pick fish for her |
| C．her father leaned back and burped loudly |
| D．her relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．the writer appreciated her mother's lesson years later |
| B．the mother prepared to show Chinese different food culture |
| C．the writer must be proud that she is different |
| D．the minister's family really enjoyed the food |