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? |
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品 ) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said five cents each. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store., selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always ran his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ The customer is always right.” Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A．earn more money for his family |
| B．learn something from a salesman |
| C．get away from the farm |
| D．get enough to eat. |
. The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C．the knives were made in Germany, where labour (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D．the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________ make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A．His business skills and his wealth. |
| B．The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D．His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |
A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely falling below 16℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources : land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run it actually reduces the world’ s wood supply.Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests. Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they________.
| A．reflect more heat into the atmosphere |
| B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world |
| C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than 16℃ |
| D．absorb the heat from the sun, reducing the effect of heat from the sun on the earth |
What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．We will lose much more than we can gain. |
| B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests. |
| C．People have a strong desire for resources. |
| D．Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests. |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A．we can get enough resources without rainforests |
| B．there is great medicine potential in rainforests |
| C．we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land |
| D．the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns |
. What might be the best title for the text?
| A．How to Save Rainforests? |
| B．How to Protect Nature? |
| C．Rainforests and the Environment. |
| D．Rainforests and Medical Development. |
Animals are natural resources that people have wasted all through our history.
Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the earth forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.
Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.
Animals are more than beautiful or interesting or a source of food. Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying one kind of animal can create many problems.
For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks(鹰), the farmers’ stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied(繁殖) quickly.
Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.
Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid the killing of any animal or plant on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.Why do people kill animals?
| A．They kill animals for something they need. |
| B．They kill animals to raise some money. |
| C．Animals destroy their natural resources. |
| D．Animals create many problems. |
Animals are important to us mainly because ______.
| A．they give us a source of food |
| B．they are beautiful and lovely |
| C．they keep the balance of nature |
| D．they give us a lot of pleasure |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．People care much about animals because they need them. |
| B．Once a certain kind of animal is gone forever, there will never be any more. |
| C．Killing all rats and mice may cause some new problems. |
| D．People must not kill any animal or plant. |
“If you want to see a thing well，reach out and touch it！”
That may seem a strange thing to say.But touching things can help you to see them better.
Your eyes can tell you that glass ball is round.But by holding it in your hands，you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is.You can feel how heavy the glass is.
When you feel all these about the ball，you really see it.
With your skin，you can feel better.For example，your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket.You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand，too.
You can even feel sounds against your skin.Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.
All children soon learn what “Don't touch！” means.They hear it often.Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up.In shops，we touch things we might buy，such as food，clothes and so on.To see something well，we have to touch it.
The bottoms of our feet can feel things，too.You know this when you walk on warm sand，cool grass or a bad floor.All feel different under your feet.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling.
One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin.Feel the shoes on your feet，the clothes on your body，the air on your skin.At first，it is not easy to feel these things.You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking.But today some museums have some things to touch.Their signs say，“Do touch! There you can feel everything on show.If you want to see better，reach out and touch.Then you'll really see！”By touching things ________.
| A．you will have a strange feeling |
| B．you will learn how to reach out |
| C．you can tell the difference between them |
| D．you can tell what colors they are |
When people buy things in shops，they often ________.
| A．try them on first |
| B．put their right hand on them |
| C．just has a look |
| D．feel and touch them |
Why does it say，“At first，it is not easy to feel these things？”
| A．The things are used by people，too. |
| B．People are used to the things. |
| C．People know how to use the things. |
| D．The things are easy to feel. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A．Touching by Feeling | B．To See or to Feel |
| C．To See Better — Feel | D．Ways of Feeling |
In recent years，American students have fallen behind in many subjects like math，science and reading. In 2005，the U.S. was number nine among the developed countries in the number of students graduating from high school.
American education officials are searching for new ways to help students learn again. One tool that is getting some attention is the use of video games.
Sixteenyearold John Diaz says he loves playing video games but doesn't like traditional schoolwork. During his summer vacation，Diaz is continuing his studies at home. That is because his courses are available on his home computer.
Florida Virtual School's head master，Julie Young，says the school teaches students with the technology they most enjoy using in and out of school.“We have so many students who feel free in our school，” Young said, “They lose interest when they go to school. And we're very hopeful that Conspiracy Code will attract the learners to really get into the detail of learning.”
Conspiracy Code is a video game that teaches U.S. history. Students guide two heroes in a quest to stop a conspiracy to change the past. Along the way，students learn about events such as the Civil War，and report back to their teacher who is a spy ．
John Diaz says he enjoys American history now.“I like to do the game every day，” he said.In the first paragraph，we can learn that American students________.
| A．do better in science than reading |
| B．do not want to go to college |
| C．have been less interested in studies recently |
| D．do worst in math among the developed countries |
How does John Diaz continue to study in summer vacation?
| A．By having an experienced tutor. |
| B．By going to a vacation camp. |
| C．By studying on the computer. |
| D．By watching videos. |
Conspiracy Code is a video game that________.
| A．introduces the ways of finding a spy |
| B．teaches students American history |
| C．helps students learn computers |
| D．trains people to become heroes |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Video games becoming new teaching tools. |
| B．How Conspiracy Code helps students study. |
| C．How Florida Virtual School teaches students. |
| D．American officials caring about education. |