When Jane put out the idea of homeschooling to her parents, the first reaction they gave was, “You are cutting the child off the world.’’ “Did the child really get cut off or did the child socialize better?”
The moment we hear of homeschooling, we think the child will have no opportunities to interact with peers. However, in my friend’s opinion, we forget that when attending a regular school, the child is not into socializing all the while. The child is restricted to so many other activities. Studies take a major role in a child’s life. The child hardly has the time to interact at school.
The child might be meeting and studying along with many peers; however, how many kids interact with all the kids in a class? But in homeschooling system, as my friend mentioned, the kid has all the time and can plan his day accordingly. During the day the child studies just like other school-going kids but with no burden of homework and project work, the child has so much free time in the evening as to effectively interact and play with peers. The quality time the child spends in education is really impressive.
Homeschooled kids have the opportunity to socialize more often as they have a lot of time in their hands. They can also make socializing a regular habit. Just as my friend said, her child goes to a neighboring park almost every day and has a set of friends who go there daily. Other children get back home to finish off homework and project work whereas her child who is already through with studies gets the opportunity to spend time with family members.
When I heard this, I really felt how lucky the child was. Definitely the child had a better opportunity to socialize when compared with my kid. However, I might not consider homeschooling for my kid, as I am so used to the conventional schooling system and feel regular schooling the safest bet.The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to_____________.
| A．express his views on homeschooling |
| B．explain what homeschooling is |
| C．share his ways of teaching his children |
| D．promote homeschooling |
What is the biggest advantage of homeschooled children?
| A．They will become braver. | B．They can be more popular. |
| C．They can socialize better. | D．They will know how to arrange time. |
What do we know about homeschooled children?
| A．They don’t interact with their peers often. |
| B．They have more spare time to play. |
| C．They are restricted to certain activities |
| D．They can’t gain enough knowledge. |
How does the passage mainly develop?
| A．By following the order of importance. |
| B．By following the order of time. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By presenting data. |
With their weakening bodies, advanced age or increasing pressure of work or study, people have been advised and usually persuaded to have health care products. Do you remember your first time to take a nutritional supplement(营养补充品)? What was your first impression?
Posted by Amy, Dec. 23, 2010 8:05 PM
Madeline on Dec. 24, 2010 7:25 PM
Years ago, as a young mom with two small children, I struggled to keep up with the demands of a busy life. One day, I woke up feeling so tired that I knew something had to change!
A friend gave me some Royal Jelly—an amazing substance(物质)from the beehive(蜂房). I was doubtful, but desperate…so I tried it! In time, I began to experience renewed energy and vitality(活力)like never before! Now, over two decades later, I travel all round the country, sharing my life-changing experience. I’m grateful for the energy to keep up and love to share this wonderful discovery with others.
Blanca on Dec. 25, 2010 7:02 PM
Ten years ago, when I was 73, my mind wanted to be busy and useful, but my body didn’t. I became tired and lethargic(无精打采的). That’s when my daughter Madeline tried to persuade me to try her special Royal Jelly. It made such a dramatic(巨大的)difference in her life, so she was sure it could help me too! Hesitating for 2 days, I gave in. She was right! I no longer felt worn out. I had a new, youthful zest(热情)for life and I’ve been OK — thanks to Royal Jelly!
Lori on Dec. 25, 2010 10:27 PM
When my mom Madeline was introduced to Royal Jelly, it affected my life, too! Mom gave me some o
f her fantastic Royal Jelly. Boy, things did turn around! I had more energy and stamina(耐力)and was finally able to keep up with high school and, eventually, college activities. Today, I’m a busy mom in my mid-thirties with two active boys and a new business! I have enough energy to do it all! I’m glad I took my Mom’s advice. .
.From the text, we learn that ________________. .
| A．Madeline became more than willing to take Royal Jelly at the very beginning |
| B．Lori was grateful partly because Royal Jelly helped him to improve his studies |
| C．Royal Jelly is a product that can help renew a person’s energy and vitality |
| D．Amy has benefited from Royal Jelly so she posted a topic about the product |
.
Which of the following is true of Blanca?
| A．She replied to the topic on Christmas Eve. |
| B．She tried Royal Jelly without hesitation. |
| C．She is now supposed to be in her seventies. |
| D．She was the second one to reply to the topic. |
.
. What’s the relationship between the Royal Jelly takers?
| A．Lori and Blanca are Madeline’s grandchildren. |
| B．Madeline is Blanca’s daughter and Lori’s mother. |
| C．Blanca is Lori and Madeline’s great grandmother. |
| D．They have no blood relationship but friendship. |
.
Where can we most probably read this text?
| A．In a sports club. | B．On an Internet page. |
| C．In a fiction. | D．In a travel magazine. |
The Hawaiian Islands are in the Pacific Ocean almost 4,000, kilometres west of California. Tourism is very important to Hawaii. The tropical weather and beaches bring people from all over the world. But Hawaii is also experiencing problems from the downturn(经济衰退).
Last year was the first year since 2004 that Hawaii has had fewer than seven million visitors. The state had 6,800,000 arrivals in 2008. That was a decrease of 10% from the year before. State officials expect a decrease this year of another 2%. And they expect no growth in the economy through most of the year.
The Hawaiian Islands were formed millions of years ago by hot liquid rock flowing from undersea volcanoes. Visitors can still watch the process take place on the largest island, which like the state is named Hawaii. People usually just call it the Big Island.
Experts say Polynesian people first sailed to Hawaii about 2,000 years ago. A king ruled the islands when the 18th century British explorer James Cook arrived. At first, Hawaiians treated Captain Cook like a god. But in the end, he was killed on the Big Island in 1779.
Britain gave the islands their independence in 1843. Then, fifty years later, a group of American businessmen ousted the ruler and founded the Republic of Hawaii. It became an American territory in 1900.
That was three years after the United States set up a naval base at Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, which served as the command base for American operations in the Pacific during World War Two.
After the war, most Hawaiians required that Hawaii should be an independent state. In Congress(国会), though, there was resistance 
from southern states because of Hawaii’s non-white native population. But Congress passed the Hawaii Statehood Bill in 1959. Hawaiians accepted it, and on August 21st, President Eisen
hower declared Hawaii the fiftieth state..The number of visitors to Hawaii in 2009 is expected to be about _________.
| A．5,984,000 | B．6,664,000 | C．6,800,000 | D．6,936,000 |
.When did the US set up a naval base at Pearl Harbor?
| A．In 1893. | B．In 1897. | C．In 1900. | D．In 1959. |
.What does the underlined word “ousted” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Forced out. | B．Picked out. | C．Elected. | D．Became. |
.Which of the following is the correct order in the history of Hawaii?
a. It was ruled by a Polynesian king. b. It became an American territory.
c. The Republic of Hawaii was founded. d. It was under the rule of the British.
e. It became independent in 1843. f. It joined the United States.
| A．a, b, d, c, e, f | B．a, e, d, c, b, f | C．a, d, e, c, b, f | D．a, e, e, d, b, f |
Once upon a time two brothers who lived on neighbouring farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious one in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed .
Then the long cooperoration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to
find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days’ work" he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with. Could I help you?"
"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek(河沟) at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow（草地） between us and he took his bulldozer（推土机） to the river levee（堤） and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. I want you to build me a fence — an 8-foot fence — so I won't need to see his place or his face any more. Cool him down , anyhow."
The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."
The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing, and hammering.
About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped.
There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge — a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work — and his younger brother, was coming across, his hand spread out ..
"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."
The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.
"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more bridges to build.".What was the life for the two brothers before the conflict ?
| A．They live a poor , miserable life . |
| B．They were friendly neighbours ,helping each other . |
| C．They never speak to each other . |
| D．They live together as one family. |
.The underlined word “spite” in paragraph 4 probably means ______________.
| A．try to please | B．make angry on purpose |
| C．laught at | D．look down upon |
..Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage ?
| A．The younger brother used his bulldozer to dig a creek . |
| B．After the conflict John was angry with his younger brother. |
| C．At first the carpenter planned to build an 8-foot fence as John asked him to. |
| D．The two brothers made peace at last . |
.The best title for this passage is _______________.
| A．A Fine Piece of Work | B．A Clever Carpenter |
| C．A Conflict between Two Brothers | D．Two Brothers |
Satellites are an important part of our ordinary lives．For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite．Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving．Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls．
Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to US through satellites．Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location．
We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another．They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator．Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place．This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed
that the earth rotates．A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天线)facing the earth．Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit，So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position．This usually happens about every five or six days．
Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired．Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time．This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and
they can crash into each other．Which of the following is NOT done by satellites according to the passage?
| A．Sending information for weather forecast． |
| B．Taking photographs of the Earth． |
| C．Sending TV pictures． |
| D．Providing food for airplane pilots． |
What’s the speed the earth rotates at?
| A．35,880 kilometers per hour． | B．335,880 kilometers per hour． |
| C．11,000 kilometers per hour． | D．110,000 kilometers per hour |
Why does the satellite move around the world at the same speed as the Earth rotates?
| A．In order to take photographs． |
| B．In order to stay in a certain position in the orbit． |
| C．In order to move away from its orbit． |
D．In order to send television pictu res． |
What does the underlined word “This” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?
| A．A satellite． | B．A little rocket． |
| C．A satellite seems to stay in the same place in the sky． | |
| D．The satellite puts the rockets in the right position． |
Which is true of satellites?
| A．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years． |
| B．Every time a satellite gets broken，it is brought back to the Earth to be repaired． |
| C．A broken satellite is never left in space． |
| D．They often crash into each other． |
Some people love eating food right after it is cooked. I prefer food just take out from the freezer. Fruit, candy, nuts, chocolate, cake with butter cream frosting(糖霜),even peas, all of them taste delicious when frozen. In fact, I often eat them that way.
I was a kid when I picked up the habit. In my family, lots of things were thrown into the freezer —finally, two freezers—to prevent them from going bad. Among them were some of the candies my sisters and I had collected on Halloween.
If we eat when they are still warm, we’ll find ourselves taking the cookies more than we should. It’s better if we can put them into the freezer and wait. That way we’ll eat less and enjoy them more because they are hard and chewing becomes a slower, more patient effort. That’s the point about frozen butter-cream frosting. Put it in your mouth at room temperature, and it’s gone very quickly. But when it’s frozen, you can enjoy the taste much longer as it melts(融化) in your mouth.
The freezer treats a lot of fruits kindly. Take frozen grapes for example, I keep a bowl of grapes in my freezer. They become a little icy, and somehow their sweetness is improved. They are perfect and healthy dessert(点心).This is the same with oranges, apples, bananas…You might think bananas would get super-hard when frozen. Wrong! They become cool, creamy and sweet. If you have wisely covered some or all of the bananas with melted chocolate before putting them into the freezer, they will have a double taste.
As long as you aren’t eating anything that truly has to be hot, go ahead and experiment. What is the passage intended to tell us ____________.
| A．Fruit should be frozen before one eats it. | B．Frozen food is better than hot food. |
| C．The author prefers frozen food. | D．Hot food is not healthy. |
The author began to enjoy frozen food when he _________.
| A．was young | B．learned cooking | C．got married | D．got a fever |
Why does the author NOT advise us to take hot cookies?
| A．Because they need more time to prepare. |
| B．Because the taste is not good when they are hot. |
| C．Because they are too delicious to avoid our overeating. |
| D．Because we may eat them quickly and enjoy them less. |
What does the underlined word “it” in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．The taste | B．Butter cream | C．The cookie | D．Frozen butter cream frosting |
Which of the following is the advice the author gives on eating fruit?
| A．Make bananas hard. | B．Keep grapes in a bowl. |
| C．Mix kinds of fruits together. | D．Add melted chocolate to bananas. |