Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance (pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when financial (财务的) mistakes are not very costly.
How much money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish is quite different from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case， parents should make clear what， if anything， the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first， young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this， they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget (预算). Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget requires a choice between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs， like clothing or electronics.
Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your children for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do other work around the house， however， can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals sometimes need to give up something. You have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowances can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A saving account (账户) is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest (复利息).
Compounding works by paying interest. So， for example， one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will get two percent of one dollar and two cents， and so on. That may not seem like a lot， but over time it adds up. Parents give their children allowance in order to ______.
| A．let them make more money |
| B．pay for the housework they do |
| C．let them learn the value of money |
| D．help children manage family finance |
What is the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．The time to give allowance. |
| B．The way to spend allowance. |
| C．How much allowance given to children. |
| D．Considerations taken to give allowances. |
Why are parents advised to offer children allowances as planned?
| A．To have children save money for larger costs. |
| B．To give them more allowances next time. |
| C．To help children learn to make a budget. |
| D．To let children make fewer mistakes. |
What does the writer try to tell us?
| A．The ways of limiting allowances. |
| B．The advice on a better family budget. |
| C．Offering allowance to children properly. |
| D．Teaching children to use allowances wisely. |
After spending years searching for a planet with life, scientists may have found one. In September 2010, a team of US scientists discovered an Earth-sized planet called Gliese 581g. It has a surface temperature neither too hot nor too cold for liquid（液态）water. Scientists think there is a chance that the planet could have life.
The planet Gliese 581g goes around a star called Gliese 581, which is about 20 light-years from Earth. That is about 194 trillion（万亿）kilometres －500 million times farther away from us than the moon.
A spacecraft traveling at a one-tenth of the speed of light would reach Gliese 581g within about 220 years. A human can’t live that long, but robotic explorers could make the job easier. However, our fastest spacecraft don’t come anywhere near that one-tenth light-speed mark.
At present, scientists don’t know what the surface might be like on Gliese 581g. What they know is that the planet is at the right distance from its star to have liquid water. It’s also at the right distance to have an atmosphere that could protect the water if it is on the surface.
Although spacecraft won’t be getting there anytime soon, one way to look for life on Gliese 581g is to turn our radio telescopes（望远镜）towards the planet and search for radiation（放射）. By studying the radiation, scientists would find out about the chemicals（化学物质）around the planet and discover if Gliese 581g has an atmosphere. If it has one, studying the atmosphere would give us a good idea whether the planet has life or not. But it’ll probably be many years before we can do this properly.
People have been arguing about whether there is alien life on Gliese 581g. Any discussion about alien life is just guessing at this point, according to its discoverers.What did scientists find in September 2010?
| A．A planet with water. | B．A planet similar to the earth. |
| C．A planet without life. | D．A planet near the earth. |
According to the article, Gliese 581g ________.
| A．is at the right distance from its star | B．moves around the earth |
| C．is as far away from us as the moon | D．can be reached in about 220 years |
Paragraph 5 is mainly about ______.
| A．the possibility of living on Gliese 581g |
| B．the kinds of chemicals around Gliese 581g |
| C．the way of looking for life on Gliese 581g |
| D．the aim of studying the radiation on Gliese 581g |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage above?
| A．Gliese 581g, a Likely Living Planet | B．Gliese 581, a Likely Living Planet |
| C．Gliese 581g and Its Star | D．Gliese 581g and Radiation |
Look carefully at the back of a California state quarter. A man with a walking stick is pictured there. A bird called a California condor(大秃鹫)is flying overhead. Who is this man, and why is he so important that he is featured(处于显著地位)on the back of a coin?
The man on this quarter is John Muir. Even as a child, Muir loved watching nature. As a young man, he spent much of his life exploring the beauty of the wilderness. He walked more than a thousand miles across the country, through fields and woods. John Muir liked writing about the places he visited, describing their beauty.
Muir also wrote about problems. In order to create more farmland for sheep and cattle, many trees were being cut down. This made Muir unhappy and worried, because he knew that trees were important to forests and to the animals that lived in them．Muir believed that nature should be conserved(保护)instead of being changed by human beings. He wrote articles in magazines and newspapers to spread the word about conserving forests. Soon, others began to listen.
Muir wrote letters to important people, such as President Theodore Roosevelt. The president admired Muir’s love for nature. When Roosevelt came to visit Muir in California. Muir convinced(说服)the president to go camping with him for three nights under the trees so they could talk about conservation. Later, President Roosevelt set aside 148 million acres of land for national forests and established(建立)five national parks. National parks are large areas of land that are protected from development. This means that people cannot build homes or businesses there. One of these parks is Yosemite National Park, the area that is featured on the back of the California quarter.
Though it has been almost one hundred years since John Muir died, people continue his work today. His work as a conservationist helped us to see the beauty of our natural world. John Muir made us understand the importance of protecting our earth and our resources---then, now, and for the future.Why did President Theodore Roosevelt visit John Muir?
| A．Because Roosevelt loved watching nature. |
| B．Because Roosevelt received letters from John Muir. |
| C．Because Roosevelt admired John Muir’s love for nature. |
| D．Because Roosevelt was sad about the problems with farmland. |
Why is John Muir featured on the back of a California state quarter?
| A．Because he walked over a thousand miles across the country. |
| B．Because he helped people understand the importance of protecting the natural world. |
| C．Because he wrote articles to spread the word about conserving forests. |
| D．Because he once wrote several letters to President Theodore Roosevelt. |
What is the writer’s purpose of writing this article?
| A．To advise readers to become active conservationists. |
| B．To make us interested in the story about a great man. |
| C．To tell us something about an important person in history. |
| D．To give information about how to conserve the environment. |
Every time you turn on the television or take a ride in a car ,you could be adding to a problem called acid rain(酸雨). In this article, you’ll learn how acid is created, and how it affects us, and more importantly, what we all can do to prevent it.
How is acid rain created?
When people use fuels(燃料), such as coal and gasoline, poisonous gases are given off. When these gases mix with rain, acid rain forms. Many power stations burn fuels in order to create the electricity(电) that we use in our homes and offices every day. Cars and trucks also send these gases into the air when they burn gasoline .When rain mixes with these gases, harmful things called acids form. This is acid rain.
How does acid rain affect us?
Acid rain damages(毁坏)everything that it touches. It poisons our rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans along with all the life in them. It pollutes our soil and crops, harms trees, and can even kill fish and plants. Acid rain also eats away at buildings.
How can we prevent acid rain?
We need to cut down on the pollution that gets into our air. Turn off lights, television, and other electrical appliances if you are not using them, Walk or take a bike whenever possible. If you are travelling a long distance, take a bus or train to save fuel.
As research shows, acid rain harms our environment. But people everywhere can take small steps now to help protect our environment for future generations.When power stations burn fuel, _______.
| A．acid rain form | B．air pollution is caused |
| C．noise pollution is caused | D．acid rain gets heavier |
What advice does the article give us?
| A．Go to school on foot or by bike if we can. |
| B．Go to bed earlier in order to use less electricity. |
| C．Travel by bus to prevent acid rain. |
| D．Turn off the television on rainy days. |
What is the best title of the article?
| A．Preventing Acid Rain | B．Forming of Acid Rain |
| C．Acid rain, Heavy Rain | D．Acid Rain, Killer Rain |
In Germany there are different kinds of high schools. Some prepare students for workers, others prepare them for college. All schools are great places for making friends and learning German.
Short days
Most high schools in Germany begin at about 8:00 a.m. and end at about 3:30 p.m. This means your morning will be busy with classes. You will have time to do homework and take part in private(私人的) clubs after school.
Formal setting
In Germany, teachers and students’ relationship is more formal than you might be used to. Teachers are respected and students must use the formal “Sie（德语，您）” when talking to teachers.
Getting to school
Most students take public transport to school or ride a bicycle. Some areas have school buses. It is not common for parents to drive students to school.
Private clubs
In many countries, schools offer official sports and after-school activities. This is less common in Germany. After-school activities are usually organized through private clubs. There are clubs for things like soccer, dance, choir, theatre and almost everything else. Once you are in Germany, ask around at school and talk to other students to find out what private clubs are in your area and meet your interests.
Different states, different schools
Each of Germany’s 16 states has its own slightly different school systems. The school system in Brandenburg will be a little different from the system in Bavaria for example. Where you live, your knowledge level and your age will decide what school you can attend.For high school students in Germany, which is NOT the common transport to school?
| A．School buses. | B．Parents’ cars. |
| C．Public transport. | D．Students’ bicycles. |
In Paragraph 3,the underlined word “respected” can be best translated into __________.
| A．受人尊敬的 | B．令人害怕的 | C．高收入的 | D．有权势的 |
From the passage, we can learn that in Germany _______.
| A．all kinds of high schools are for college |
| B．age is not important for attending schools |
| C．students can take part in after-school activities from 8:00 a. m .to 3:30 p.m. |
| D．students can join private clubs to meet their interests by themselves |
Most teenagers feel sad or afraid when their parents fight. They might think their parents don’t love each other any more.
In fact, it is normal for parents to disagree and argue sometimes. They might disagree about important thing like jobs and family decisions. They might even disagree about little thing that don’t seem important at all – like what’s for dinner. Maybe sometimes parents feel so strongly about their differences that it may lead to arguments. However, these arguments are often over quickly. Parents may say sorry and make up , and the family returns to normal
As a family member, you should find out what it really means when your parents fight. When your parents get angry with each other, they might say things they don’t really mean. If your parents are fighting, don’t worry too much about it. Try to find a good way to solve it.
If your parent’s fighting really bothers you, you might find it hard to sleep or got to school. If this happens, try talking to your parents. They may not even realize it until you tell them how their fighting has influenced you. You can also tell other relatives, a teacher or a close friend.
Just remember that no family is perfect and arguments are common in every family.What does it mean when parents fight?
A. They aren’t happy with their family.
B. They don’t love each other any more.
C. They disagree with each other about something.The underlined part “make up” in paragraph 2 means “” in Chinese.
A. 弥补 B. 组成 C. 和解The underlined word “it” refers to “”.
A. your parents’ fighting. B. your parents’ life C. your parents’ differenceWhat should we do when our parents’ fighting bothers us?
A. Talk to them. B. Shout at them. C. Say something nice to them.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Parents’ fighting often lasts a long time.
B. Parents might fight over small things.
C. Teenagers should never argue with their parents.