“Holding girls back from an education is robbing them of their dignity (尊严),” says Mariam, a teacher, in an interview with Action Press.
“I feel proud when I tell people that I’m from Swat in Pakistan, with its green and mountainous valley. But I don’t feel proud about the number of women and girls where I’m from who are still being unable to enjoy the right for an education.
“I have taught many students — including Malaya, the young education activist who was shot in the head as travelling to school in Pakistan after campaigning for girls’ education. Among them I see the dignity that education can offer. This is why I have long been devoted to teaching, and why I am doing what I can to make sure that all girls have the chance to go to school.
“At the Khushaal school and college in Mingora, many girls are prevented from going to school because of poverty and fights. However, the most common reasons for girls not attending classes are cultural. People fear that females will become too independent if educated. Instead, parents prefer to marry off girls early. Girls and young women are considered a financial burden if left dependent on their parents.”
“In the school where I have been teaching for over ten years, I have seen how this discrimination plays out. Parents regard an educated and independent female as being too clever for her own. Even if parents agree to give a girl an education, a limit is set to the number of years for her to attend classes and it is common for girls to make it through only primary school. This is why I have been working tirelessly to change these damaging views and cultural practices. These are crimes against humanity (人道),which I have no choice but to strongly accuse of.”
“Malala was right to fight for her education.” says Mariam, who will be in New York with UNESCO (联合国教科文组织), delivering a speech calling for world leaders to make sure every child gets a chance to go to school.What does Mariam take pride in?
| A．Her dignity from education. |
| B．Her lifelong devotion to teaching. |
| C．Her hometown with fantastic scenery. |
| D．Her experience as a speech maker. |
What is the major reason to prevent girls from going to school?
| A．The constant fights across the country. |
| B．The lack of financial support for schooling. |
| C．The limited time allowed to attend classes. |
| D．The traditional views on females’ social role. |
What will Mariam appeal for in her speech?
| A．Accusing of the shooting of the schoolgirl. |
| B．Sex balance among children of school age. |
| C．Equal access for boys and girls to education. |
| D．Independence of girls with a good education. |
Which of the following is true about Mariam？
| A．Malala event motivated her to work years for children. |
| B．She spoke in favour of Malala’s action in the interview. |
| C．A press invited her to attend a conference in New York. |
| D．She started a campaign with Malala for females’ freedom. |
（A）根据短文内容, 从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Competition is great for kids, but it does have its dark side. 71 When this happens it takes the fun out of the activities they participate in. Kids need to keep a healthy attitude toward competitive activities and as parents it is our responsibility to let them know that it's not all about winning. 72
Kids under the age of ten usually lose interest if an activity is too competitive. A good idea for kids in this age group is to allow them to participate in competitive activities but without keeping score. Emphasize that the importance of the activity I to make new friends, have fun and learn about sportsmanship. 73
When kids enter middle school, competitive activities take on new meaning. Kids like to be recognized for their efforts and winning places them in the spotlight. 74. The unfortunate thing is that kids who lose constantly get discouraged and quit participating. They feel they can't accomplish their goals or meet the expectations of teachers and parents. This can lead to low self-esteem and discourage kids from trying their best. It's best to keep them participating in competitive activities even if they only do so in the backyard with a group of their friends.
As a parent, never put the emphasis on winning. 75. Give kids praise for doing their best whether they win or lose. This sends a positive message about putting forth their best effort.
A．Winning becomes more appealing.
B．Encourage young kids to win when he participates in a competition.
C．Getting angry or depressed when he loses.
D．The importance of participating in competitive activities is to have fun.
E．Some children become over-competitive and focus only on recognition and winning.
F．Rather, encourage kids to always give their best effort.
G．Encourage young kids to give their best effort and gain self-confidence.
For Lee Ann Laraway, polio(脑灰质炎) has made almost everything in life just out of reach. But what her hands can't retrieve, her assistant can. Meet Jeannie, a three-year-old help, has become Lee Ann's arms and legs.
Jeannie understands no fewer than 72 commands. To get a feel for what that means, Lee Ann takes us on a shopping trip in San Jose. First stop: The bank, where she got cash from the teller. From the bank, it's on to the drug store, where Jeannie got a candy bar for Lee Ann. Then Jeannie helped pay the cashier, and got change hack.
"When you have a really good working animal, they come and interact with you all the time," Lee Ann said. While there's no argument that Jeannie is an ordinary animal, she wasn't born that way. She was tutored and trained here at a facility that has become the final legacy of one of the Bay Area's most beloved figures.
Canine Companions for Independence sits on twelve acres of land in Santa Rosa donated by late Peanuts cartoonist Charles Shultz, Here, handlers work with specially selected labs for hours a day— but not every dog will make the cut.
The work is serious Business. In the case of hearing dogs, the animals alert their disabled owners to everything from ringing telephones to doorbells.
Other dogs will work with severely disabled patients like eight-year-old Noah Habib of Mountain View who communicates with a special computer. "I like it when new people come up to ask me about my dog," he says. "People are really interested in the dog and will come over and ask to pet her and ask to play with her, and ask about what she does, and these are people that normally might not approach us and want to talk to Noah," says his Dad.
And back in San Jose Lee Ann is arriving home with Jeannie and her groceries. With just one chore left—opening her own door. "You can train a dog to do a lot of things," said Lee Ann. "You cannot give them the heart to do the job, and that is what a good working dog has."Lee Ann's dog Jeannie cannot ______.
| A．get cash at the bank | B．pay a cashier for her |
| C．take on a telephone for her | D．open the door |
Canine Companions for Independence is a place for ______.
| A．severely disabled children to have practice |
| B．people to donate money or legacy |
| C．ordinary dogs to be coached |
| D．people to learn business |
Which of the following can replace the phrase "make the cut" (Line 3, Para 4)?
| A．become a good working dog | B．hurt the coach |
| C．become a helpful star | D．hurt itself |
According to Lee Ann, you cannot train an ordinary dog ______.
| A．to put things on people's laps | B．to always interact with its owner |
| C．to alert deaf people | D．to love working |
A mobile phone is no longer just a phone -- it is also a music player, video camera and personal organizer. And mobile phones with television programming are just around the corner. But the more functions cell phone manufacturers add, the greater the amount of power the phones use and the less practical running them on lithium (锂) batteries becomes -- so the race to find a viable alternative is on.
Two of the world's biggest electronics makers, Hitachi and Toshiba, are currently competing against each other to come up with an alternative, most likely to be micro fuel cells. The task has been set by Japan's second largest mobile phone provider, KDDI, which wants its customers to soon be able to use special television programming on their handsets, and has asked the two electronics companies to come up with a better power source. Hitomi Murakami, of KDDI, says battery-operated mobile phones cannot keep up with the new applications. "We're looking at various ways to expand content and services that we can provide to the people. And we don't want to have battery issues delaying us from doing that," he says.
Hitachi's Atsushi Morihara says it is a critical race for both of the companies as the resulting product will have a major impact on the mobile market in the future. "We are in competition and it's up to both of us to come up with a good product. A product that will satisfy KDDI's needs. I think I can go as far to say that the winner will take all."
Miniaturized direct methanol (甲醇) fuel cells are different batteries in that they create power instead of simply storing it. That power is made by new technology utilizing cheap methanol. If all gees to plan, come 2007, Japanese phone users will not use an electric charger to power their mobiles, they will instead carry a small bottle of methanol and with just a few squirts, they will have power for their phones. But the method has its downsides, including how passengers will be able to take small mounts of flammable methanol on airliners. Fumio Ueno of Toshiba says that once developed, the uses of miniaturized direct methanol fuel cells have endless possibilities.The lithium batteries are becoming improper for the cell phone because ______.
| A．there is a television in the phone | B．it is inconvenient to use |
| C．it can't provide enough power | D．people have found substitutes |
According to the passage, Toshiba ______.
| A．is in critical competition with KDDI |
| B．will probably beat its rival |
| C．attaches great importance to methanol fuel |
| D．is one of the largest battery provider |
Which of the following is NOT the characteristic of methanol fuel?
| A．Easy to catch fire. | B．Portable. |
| C．Inexpensive. | D．Available everywhere. |
The best title for the passage is ______.
| A．Search for better phone power. |
| B．Development of cell phone battery. |
| C．Competition between two electronic firms. |
| D．Advantage and disadvantage of methanol fuel. |
BEIJING, China (CNN)-- China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday--in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.
Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound (反弹) in 2009.
Since 2001, China has been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.
Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.
Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure (基础设施的建设) is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.
Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.
Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.
For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007.
1. Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth China has seen is ___.
| A．6.8% | B．8.8% | C．9% | D．11.9% |
2. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is ____.
| A．export | B．infrastructure | C．consumer confidence | D．consumer spending |
3. Which of the following is NOT the difficulty China is facing?
| A．Tens of thousands of factories have closed. |
| B．Millions of people are looking for jobs. |
| C．An uncertain number of migrant workers may be leaving cities forever. |
| D．The terrible situation will erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009. |
4. In which quarter of 2008 did the slowdown of China's economic growth first appear?
| A．1st. | B．2nd. | C．3rd. | D．4th. |
5. The best title of this passage should be _____.
| A．China's Economic Growth Slows. |
| B．Economic Crisis in China. |
| C．Economists Analyze China's Economy. |
| D．Several Factors Determine China's Economy |
BEIJING, China (CNN)-- China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday--in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.
Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound (反弹) in 2009.
Since 2001, China has been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.
Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.
Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure (基础设施的建设) is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.
Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.
Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.
For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007.
1. Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth China has seen is ___.
A. 6.8% B. 8.8% C. 9% D. 11.9%
2. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is ____.
A. export B. infrastructure C. consumer confidence D. consumer spending
3. Which of the following is NOT the difficulty China is facing?
A. Tens of thousands of factories have closed.
B. Millions of people are looking for jobs.
C. An uncertain number of migrant workers may be leaving cities forever.
D. The terrible situation will erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009.
4. In which quarter of 2008 did the slowdown of China's economic growth first appear?
A. 1st. B. 2nd. C. 3rd. D. 4th.
5. The best title of this passage should be _____.
A. China's Economic Growth Slows.
B. Economic Crisis in China.
C. Economists Analyze China's Economy.
D. Several Factors Determine China's Economy