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Recreational tree climbing is taking root in the eco-tourism industry, and it’s sending guys like Tim Kovar to far off reaches of the globe. Kovar, a tree-climbing instructor, recently returned to the U. S. from Brazil, where he spent time developing a tree-climbing operation thanks to the“slow travel”movement.
Slow travel, is like the slow food movement, the practice of giving fast food in favor of homegrown cooking—the kind that takes hours to prepare and enjoy. Likewise, slow travel urges visitors to experience a place’s natural surroundings and learn about the ecology in a way not afforded by extreme games.
“Tree climbing is a slow activity, ” says Kovar. “It’s not something you do quickly and then you’re on to the next thing or event. ”There is no such thing as a quick climb, especially for beginners. This wasn’t a race against the clock or the fellow climbers. In fact, tree climbing is unlikely to ever become a feature of the extreme games. Many climbers refuse competition. There has already been so much competition in the world.
“When you stand below the tree, it can be amazing, ” Rusel DeMaria says, looking affectionately up at Michael’s Triumph, a 150-foot-tall tree. But reaching the treetop, he adds, is an entirely different feeling. Likewise, his wife, Viola Brumbaugh, kneels on the ground and asks Michael’s Triumph for permission to climb. “It goes a lot smoother that way, ”she says.
And climbing has been included into many educational programs. New Tribe offers guided climbs through its school, Tree Climbing Northwest, where “we teach enough tree biology and forest ecology to raise awareness in our students, ” says New Tribe president Sophis Sparks. “We know that the tree climbing experience deepens personal appreciation for trees. After climbing, people value trees more and are motivated to support preservation. This is not just to preserve their playground. ”
Perhaps that is why he struggles with the term “recreational tree climbing, ” saying, “I prefer to call it inspirational tree climbing. ”
What do slow travel and the slow food movement have in common?
| A．They take people a long time. |
| B．They are related to the eco-tourism industry. |
| C．They advocate protecting nature. |
| D．They cost people little money. |
What do we know about tree climbing from the passage?
| A．People compete to see who can climb to the top first. |
| B．It favors the experience of enjoying nature. |
| C．It is a kind of extreme sport and needs a lot of effort. |
| D．People view it as a challenge to climb the tallest tree in a forest. |
Which one of the advantages is not mentioned about tree climbing from the passage?
| A．There are many educational programs in tree climbing. |
| B．It favors the experience of enjoying nature. |
| C．After climbing, people value trees more. |
| D．Tree climbing is another travel. |
Sophia Sparks prefers the term “inspirational tree climbing” because it .
| A．provides people with more chances to play outside |
| B．makes people realize they should protect trees |
| C．deepens personal love between each other |
| D．brings a lot of pleasure to life |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Tree-climbing travelling |
| B．Slow travel movements |
| C．Dangers of climbing |
| D．Respect for nature |
As a youngster, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons at my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania. Surrounded by miles of winding stone walls, the house and field provided endless hours of fun for a city kid like me. I was used to tidy living rooms that seemed to whisper, "Not to be touched!"
I can still remember one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first visit to the farm, I had wanted more than anything to be allowed to climb the stone walls surrounding the houses. My parents would never approve. The walls were old; some stones were missing, others loose and falling. Still, my idea to climb across those walls grew so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I had all my courage to enter the living room, where the adults had gathered after Sunday dinner.
"I, uh-I want to climb the stone walls," I said. Everyone looked up. "Can I climb the stone walls? "Immediately voices of disagreement went up from the women in the room. "Heavens, no!" You'll hurt yourself!" I wasn't too disappointed; the response was just as I'd expected. But before I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather's loud voice. "Now hold on just a minute," I heard him say. "Let the boy climb the stone walls. He has to learn to do things for himself."
"Go," he said to me, "and come and see me when you get back." For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls -and had the time of my life. Later I met with my grandfather to tell him about my adventures. I'll never forget what he said. "Fred," he said, smiling, "You made this day a special day just by being yourself. Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are."
Many years have passed since then, and today I host the television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, seen by millions of children throughout America. There have been changes over the years, but one thing remains the same: my message to children at the end of almost every visit. "There's only one person in this whole world like you," the kids can count on hearing me say, "and people can like you exactly as you are.”When the writer was small, he lived.
| A．in the city | B．on the farm |
| C．with his grandparents | D．away from his parents |
The writer enjoyed his visits to the farm because.
| A．there were old stone walls. | B．it was an exciting place for him. |
| C．he liked his grandfather. | D．the living room there was clean |
The underlined word “approve” in paragraph 2 means.
| A．prove | B．suppose | C．allow | D．mind |
We can learn from the passage that the writer was.
| A．adventurous | B．funny | C．smart | D．talkative |
Here are six steps to better studying.
Pay attention in class
Do you have trouble paying attention in class? Are you sitting next to a loud person? Tell your teacher or parents about any problem that is preventing you from paying attention.
Take good notes
Write down facts that your teacher mentions or writes on the board. Try to use good handwriting so you can read your notes later. It’s a good idea to keep your notes organized by subject.
Plan ahead for tests and projects
Waiting until Thursday night to study for Friday’s test will make it hard to do your best. One of the best ways to make sure that doesn’t happen is to plan ahead. Write down your test dates. You can then plan how much to do after school each day, and how much time to spend on each topic.
Break it up
When there’s a lot to study, it can help to break things into several parts. Let’s say you have a spelling test on 20 words. Instead of thinking about all of the words at once, try breaking them down into five-word groups and work on one or two different groups each night.
Ask for help
You can’t study effectively if you don’t understand the material. Be sure to ask your teacher for help. If you’re at home when the confusion occurs, your morn or dad might be able to help.
Sleep tight
So the test is tomorrow and you’ve followed your study plan—but suddenly you can’t remember anything! Don’t panic. Your brain needs time to digest all the information you’ve given it. Try to get a good night’s sleep and you’ll be surprised by what comes back to you in the morning.We know from the passage that a loud person is.
| A．a student who always answers questions loudly in class |
| B．someone who likes to talk with others in a loud voice |
| C．a student who likes speaking with others in class |
| D．a person who makes a lot of noise in public places |
According to the author, which of the following is an effective studying method?
| A．Don’t try to review everything you have learned in one go. |
| B．Try to review what you’ve learned in one go. |
| C．To read all your notes the night before the test. |
| D．Try to remember everything on the first try. |
If you don’t understand what you have learnt, you can.
| A．read your notes over and over again |
| B．turn to people around you for help |
| C．put aside the material for later review |
| D．ask your teacher to explain it the next day |
By saying “Sleep tight”, what does the author mean?
| A．Sleep again after waking up. |
| B．Sleep holding your breath deep. |
| C．Get a good night’s sleep. |
| D．Go to sleep early every night. |
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
| A．twenty-three hundred | B．thirteen hundred |
| C．over three thousand | D．less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
Fred and Mike agree that__________.
| A．America food tasted better than German food |
| B．German schools were harder than American schools |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is particular in American schools is that________.
| A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
| B．there are a lot of after-school activities |
| C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
| D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car |
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Similarly, if we drink a little more water ever day, we may find that we need to go to the doctor a lot less often. A healthy diet is made up of water and a great many different kinds of foods. We know that healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and fish, are important as they provide us with energy and fibre, without giving us too much fat and sugar. But why is water important?
The human body needs water to survive. Water is important as it carries poisons and waste out of our bodies. However, doctors advise us to drink plenty of water, much more than the small amount we need to stay alive.
Some doctors believe that water is important for our health in all kinds of ways. They believe that a great many illnesses and health problems stars as a result of dehydration—a lack(缺少) of water in the body. Most people are dehydrated at least some of time, although they probably don’t know it. It is surprising to learn that if we feel thirsty, we are already in the first stages of dehydration. In fact, we are advised to drink water before we feel thirsty.
These doctors think that health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure and asthma could be helped if people drink more water. They also believe that drinking more water can help people who are overweight. Water contains no calories so it will not make us put on weight. If we drink water, we will probably drink less sugary soft drinks such as Coca-cola. Doctors also believe that drinking more water may stop people from overeating. They say that many people think that they are hungry when they are, in fact, thirsty. Doctors suggest, therefore, that we eat less food and drink more water.
There are still many health problems that cannot be solved by drinking water, so we should not stop going to seeing the doctor completely. However, if we make a decision to drink water every day, we may find that we need to go to the doctor a lot less often.We need _____for a healthy diet.
| A．fibre | B．food | C．water | D．Water and different foods |
From the text, we know water can carry_________.
| A．energy and fibre in our bodies | B．fruit, vegetables and fish in our bodies |
| C．sugar and fat out of our bodies | D．poisons and waste out of our bodies |
Lack of water caused people to put on weight too much because_______.
| A．they think they are hungry and eat too much |
| B．they think they are thirsty and eat less |
| C．water has no calories |
| D．it makes them hungry |
Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．Fruit provides us with energy and fibre. |
| B．Some healthy problems start because of a lack of water. |
| C．Drinking more water may stop people from overeating. |
| D．The amount of water a person should drink in a day. |
Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank (打屁股) the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong
everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing。
Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion（宗教）tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts (法院) say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach (方法) can help as well.According to the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to ________.
| A．strike them on the bottom | B．try to help them do the right thing |
| C．teach them what to do | D．take them to court |
Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?
| A．It teaches the child to hit others when they offend him or her. |
| B．The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard. |
| C．Sometimes parents may use spanking for everything. |
| D．It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right. |
Which of the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?
| A．favorable (赞同的) | B．indifferent (不关心) |
| C．interested | D．unfavorable |
From this passage, we can conclude that ________.
| A．Good children always do the right thing. |
| B．Parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children. |
| C．Parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong. |
| D．Children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked. |