One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of ---a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him. Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill of the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right down, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi's forty-fifth birthday.
My wife and I heard none of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself.
I found in my baby's behavior a symbol of the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don't read and they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight about it? Let them watch it all they want!
Why did the author bring a TV set into his son's room?
| A．To make his son keep quiet. |
| B．To spend the night by watching TV programs. |
| C．In order not to let his son feel lonely. |
| D．To make his son go to sleep as soon as possible. |
The baby's reaction to the TV program was _______ .
| A．unexpected | B．encouraging |
| C．exciting | D．nervous |
From this passage we know that the author is .
| A．a doctor | B．a reporter |
| C．an editor | D．a teacher |
When author Nicholas Carr began researching his book on whether the Internet is ruining our minds，he restricted his online access and email.His new book argues the latest technology renders us less capable of deep thinking.Carr found himself so distracted(分心的) that he couldn’t work on the book while staying as connected.After first feeling confused by his sudden lack of online connection，he was able to stay focused on one task for a long period within several weeks.
Reading on the Internet has changed how we use our brains.Facing a lot of texts，video，music and links to other web pages and blogs，our minds have become used to skimming and scanning information.As a result，we have developed sharper skills at making fast decisions，particularly visual ones，Carr wrote.
But now most of us seldom read books or long articles that would help us focus.We are becoming more like librarians—able to find information quickly and see clearly the best nuggets(有价值的资料)．That lack of focus hinders(阻碍) our longterm memory，leading many of us to feel distracted，he wrote.
“What we are losing is a whole other set of mental skills，which require not the shifting of our focus but the maintaining of our focus，” Carr said，adding that for centuries books protected our brains from distraction and focused our minds on one topic at a time.
But with devices such as Apple’s iPad becoming common，Carr predicts books also will change.“New forms of reading always require new forms of writing，” he said.Carr has a suggestion for those who feel web surfing has left them incapable of concentration—slow down，turn off the Internet and practice the skills of contemplation(沉思) and reflection.“It is pretty clear from the brain science that if you don’t exercise particular cognitive skills，you are going to lose them，” he said.“If you are constantly distracted，you are not going to think in the same way that you would think if you paid attention.”What topic is Nicholas Carr’s new book mainly concentrating on?
| A．Whether there is any need for us to surf the Internet. |
| B．How the Internet changes our way of thinking. |
| C．What we should do when we are surfing the Internet. |
| D．Whether our minds are being influenced by the Internet. |
How did Nicholas Carr feel after he limited his time online several weeks later?
| A．Anxious. | B．Relaxed. |
| C．Concentrated. | D．Puzzled. |
The underlined word renders in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
| A．prevents | B．causes |
| C．protects | D．sharpens |
What’s Nicholas Carr’s suggestion for people who are often distracted by the Internet?
| A．They should read more books besides surfing the Internet. |
| B．They should often slow down their pace of modern living. |
| C．They should often get away from the disturbing of the Internet. |
| D．They should spend more time thinking while surfing the Internet. |
Don’t you just love ice skating every winter？I am sure，that since winter is approaching，your skates are set to come out，just waiting to be used.Impress your friends with your new trick on how to iceskate backwards with the help of these tips.Skating backwards on ice is a bit difficult but once you master the basic，there’s nothing like it.Follow the steps given below and you will be able to skate backwards in no time.
Stand Straight
The first thing that you need to do is，stand straight.If you feel that you are falling backwards，then just put your chin(下巴) up and slightly bend your knees.Don’t worry；this happens to all.
Confidence Is What You Need
The most important step while learning how to skate backwards，is having enough confidence in yourself and in what you are doing.How can you achieve this？By practice.Just practice rolling backwards down a gentle slop every single day or just by pushing off from a wall or something of that sort.But before you do that，make sure that the place where you are practicing is free from any kind of debris(碎片) because otherwise，you could land up in the hospital due to some accident.While going backwards，just get used to the feeling of moving backwards.One of the important ice skating tips and techniques is that if you feel that you are losing your balance，then scissor(做剪式运动) your skates.Keep practicing this till you are confident about it.
Maintain Speed
Confident now？Great！Now the next step is to maintain your speed.While rolling in a straight line with one skate，with the other try sculling(划桨)，that is，keep pushing yourself backwards with an outwards stroke(滑动)．Now bring the skate which you were using to scull，and then again，repeat the same process.Make sure that you put most of your weight on the skate which is moving straight and not the one with which you are sculling.Now，try the same thing using the other foot.Again keep doing this till you are confident enough.
Increase Your Speed Now
Once you are confident that you can scull with either foot，the next thing that you have to do is increase your speed.Try some of your own tricks now.Scull with either foot or with both at the same time.
Scull and Be Aware
While you keep one foot straight，keep sculling with the other.You can do that simultaneously with both feet.Concentrate on what you are doing but don’t get so involved，that you don’t see where you are going.If you are not watching your back，you might just bang against something or someone.According to the text confidence comes from ______.
| A．high speed | B．strict coaches |
| C．constant exercise | D．good techniques |
Which is the right order of iceskating backwards?
a．Increasing your speed.
b．Being able to scull with one foot.
c．Being about to stand straight.
d．Trying some different tricks.
| A．c→a→d→b | B．c→b→d→a |
| C．a→c→b→d | D．c→b→a→d |
In order to keep balance when skating backwards you should ________.
| A．skate in a scissor gesture |
| B．use both your feet to scull |
| C．skate forward first and then backward |
| D．put most of your weight on the skate with which you are sculling |
The purpose of the text is ________.
| A．to compare different ways of iceskating backwards |
| B．to introduce the culture of iceskating backwards |
| C．to explain advantages of iceskating backwards |
| D．to offer some advice on iceskating backwards |
The aims of the Illustrators’(插图画家的) Exhibition，staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair，organized by BolognaFiere and held from 23 to 26 December，are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers.
QUALIFICATIONS
•Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality，if they were born before 31st December 1992，whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books，are qualified to enter the Exhibition，either directly or through publishing houses or schools.
•Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Nonfiction Category.Illustrators may only enter one category.
•Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be reentered.
•The confirmation(确认) form must be filled in and a photograph attached，then presented together with illustrations no later than 15 October.
SHIPMENT
Entries may be delivered by post，express delivery service or by hand.From abroad，please use the following forms：Form “A” for registered mail or post by air；Form “B” if using an international forwarding agent or airline.
To avoid delays，material should not be sent by normal post.Material should be sent “carriage(运费) paid”，including any customs and delivery costs.
BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the nonarrival or late arrival of artwork.All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number，publisher’s name and address.
REQUIREMENTS
The illustrations(i.e.the size of the sheet) must not exceed(超过) the following dimensions：
Fiction：
32×42 cm (or 42×32 cm)
Nonfiction：
50×70 cm (70×50 cm)
Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered，nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere.The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board，maximum thickness 2 mm (for scanner separation purposes)．
SELECTION PROCESS
All artworks received by the stated deadline and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group (whose decision is final)，including five members (from publishing houses and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere.
EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
After the Bologna event，the Illustrators Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY.The Illustrators Exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues in other countries.The exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the Illustrators Exhibition，and the provisions (条款) of the regulations are extended to the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad.
RETURN OF ARTWORK
All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere or directly by the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad by the end of July next year.According to the text，the Illustrators’ Exhibition ________.
| A．will last five days in all in July every other year |
| B．is intended for college students who are good at painting |
| C．is held by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in BolognaFiere |
| D．can strengthen the relationship between illustrators and publishers |
The illustrators of the Illustrators’ Exhibition ________.
| A．should be at least 16 and no more than 25 |
| B．may reenter their artwork after it is returned |
| C．should state the category of their artwork clearly |
| D．may choose to attach a photo to the application form |
The illustrators’works will not be considered if they ________.
| A．are received after the day of 15 October |
| B．are smaller than the required size |
| C．have already been published abroad before |
| D．don’t meet the demands of the international experts |
Life in space will certainly take some getting used to！But the space station has been designed to keep the astronauts as comfortable as possible—the modules(舱) are roomy，bright，and kept at a constant 70 degrees Fahrenheit.It’s important the crew members are comfortable because they’ll be busy aboard the station.In a typical workday，crew members will spend 14 hours working and exercising,1.5 hours preparing and eating meals，and 8.5 hours sleeping.Here are some other fun facts about life aboard the station：
Food
Come mealtime，astronauts will have a special dining kitchen.Space food just keeps getting better—and more like food we enjoy here on Earth.In early space missions，astronauts could eat only freezedried food that didn’t require any preparation.But the space station is equipped with water，microwave ovens，and refrigerators，allowing the folks on board to eat more “normal” types of food，including fruit，vegetables，and ice cream!
Sleep
Each crew member has a private room.With no gravity，they’ll need to tie themselves to their beds，or they will float away！That might sound like a strange way to sleep，but astronauts from past space missions report that sleeping in space is actually pretty great!
Exercise
You might not think it，but exercise is even more important on the station than it is on Earth.There is not much gravity in space.Astronauts don’t stand up，sit down or walk in space，so their muscles and bones don’t have to work much—and this muscle and bone loss can be dangerous back on Earth.To fight this，astronauts on the station will exercise on bikes，rowing machines，and other equipment about two hours every day.
Clothing
Astronauts will have to wear special space suits while traveling aboard the U．S.shuttle or Russian rockets.But once they’re safe inside the space station，crew members can wear regular clothing.Of course，a specially designed，pressurized space suit is required for space walks.It has to withstand(经受住) flying pieces and protect the astronauts from dramatic temperature changes.It can range from 120 degrees below Fahrenheit in the shadow of the station to 250 degrees in the hot sun.
Personal Cleanliness
Simple tasks like brushing your teeth can be challenging in a weightless environment.A little water doesn’t flow in a stream—it suspends in a bubble！Astronauts will use a freshwater hose(软管) to take showers，shampoo，and wash off—then a second vacuum hose to suction(吸) off the dirty water.And how do you go to the bathroom in space？With a special “air toilet” that uses flowing air instead of water to dispose of waste.The facts about life in space are all mentioned EXCEPT ________.
| A．clothing | B．entertainment |
| C．sleep | D．exercise |
What can be learned from the paragraph “Clothing”？
| A．The temperature is quite different in different places in space. |
| B．Astronauts must wear special space suits all the time in space. |
| C．Astronauts can wear regular clothing for space walks now. |
| D．Astronauts wear pressurized space suits just to keep warm. |
Why is exercise more important in space than on earth?
| A．It can make astronauts feel relaxed in space. |
| B．It can help astronauts spend their spare time happily. |
| C．Astronauts’ lives are more important in space than on earth. |
| D．It can prevent astronauts from causing muscle and bone loss. |
What do we know about space food from the text?
| A．Astronauts could eat apples in space in the past. |
| B．Astronauts eat only fruit，vegetables and ice cream now. |
| C．Fresh food isn’t available to astronauts in space. |
| D．Space food is getting better now than before. |
One summer I was driving from my home town of Tahoe City，Calif.，to New Orleans.In the middle of the desert，I came upon a young man standing by the roadside.He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand.I drove right by him.There was a time in the country when you’d be considered a jerk if you passed by somebody in need.Now you are a fool for helping.With gangs，drug addicts，murderers，rapists，thieves lurking everywhere，“I don’t want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitchhiker.Leaving him standing in the desert did not bother me so much.What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision.I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator.
Does anyone stop any more？I wondered.I recalled Blanche DuBois’s famous line：“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”．Could anyone rely on the kindness of strangers these days？One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money，relying solely on the good will of his fellow Americans.What kind of Americans would he find？Who would feed him，shelter him，carry him down the road?
The idea intrigued me.
The week I turned 37，I realized that I had never taken a gamble in my life.So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny.It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar.I would only accept offers of rides，food and a place to rest my head.My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina，a symbol of all the fears I’d have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6,1994，and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles：“America”．
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states.As I traveled，folks were always warning me about someplace else.In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming；in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice as in Iowa.Yet I was treated with kindness everywhere I went.I was amazed by people’s readiness to help a stranger，even when it seemed to run contrary to their own best interests.Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?
| A．Because he failed to notice this man. |
| B．Because he was driving too fast. |
| C．Because he thought the young man didn’t need help. |
| D．Because he was afraid of being tricked. |
What was it that made the author upset?
| A．Leaving the young man alone in the desert. |
| B．Being considered a fool. |
| C．Making the decision of not offering help so easily. |
| D．Keeping thinking about the young man. |
The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ________.
| A．find out how long he could survive without help |
| B．go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment |
| C．find out whether strangers would offer help to him |
| D．figure out how strangers thought of his plan |
The following part might probably ________.
| A．describe how he fooled the strangers |
| B．describe how strangers went out their way to help him |
| C．explain why people refused to help strangers |
| D．explain how he overcame his difficulties on the way |