Reading is the key to school success and , like any skill, it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking. Educators call it “automaticity (自动性)”
A child learns to read by sounding out the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With practice, he stumbles less and less, reading by the phrases(短语). With automaticity, he doesn’t have to think about the meaning of words, so he can give all his attention to the meaning of the text.
It can begin as early as first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.
According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount(数量) of time that a child spends reading ,not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity . It can happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.
You can test yourself by reading something new which is suitable for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentence, you probably are an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.The sentence “Reading is the key to school success” means that reading___________.
| A．helps school develop faster |
| B．is the key to a successful school |
| C．helps students go to a key school |
| D．can improve students’ learning results |
Rossman tells that any child who _____________ will probably be an automatic reader.
| A．turns off TV one night 4 weeks |
| B．reads books by the word quickly |
| C．spends an hour reading every day |
| D．gets the same grades as others in exams |
The underlined word “stumbles” in the passage means “_____________” in Chinese.
| A．结结巴巴地读 | B．全神贯注地读 |
| C．心不在焉地读 | D．声情并茂地读 |
The best title for the passage should be “ ______________________”.
| A．IQ Is the Key to the Automaticity |
| B．TV Is Bad for Children’s Reading |
| C．Automaticity Depends on Practice |
| D．Automatic readers Will Be Successful |
A woman was at the cinema, and she was enjoying the film very much. But there was a man in the next seat, and he began looking on the floor under him. The woman was angry and whispered, “What are you doing there? What are you looking for?” “A piece of hard chocolate（巧克力）,”the man whispered to her, “I dropped it on the floor.” “A piece of chocolate?” the woman said angrily, “It’s dirty now! Take this and be quiet, please! I’m listening to the film!” She gave the man a big piece of chocolate.“But,” the man said, “my teeth are in the piece on the floor!”The woman was _________.
| A．watching a TV play | B．listening to the music |
| C．watching a football match | D．seeing a film |
The man sat _________ the woman.
| A．behind | B．in front of | C．next to | D．far from |
The woman was angry because _________.
| A．the man spoke loudly |
| B．the man didn’t talk to her |
| C．she dropped a piece of chocolate |
| D．she couldn’t listen to the film clearly |
The word “whisper” means “speak in a _________ voice”.
| A．low | B．loud | C．pleasant | D．big |
In fact the man was busy looking for his _________.
| A．glasses | B．teeth | C．ticket | D．Wallet |
The Beets were a new couple (夫妇). The things in their rooms, such as the television, the computer, the fridge, furniture(家具) and so on, were all left by their parents. They only paid some money for their food and clothes. But they tried their best to save money. If they had something important to tell their friends, they always visited them instead of calling them.
One day, it was a quarter past nine. Mr. Beet didn’t come back. His wife was a little worried. The supper was cold and she had waited for two hours. She was sitting by the table in the dark (黑暗) room.
Suddenly the woman heard someone coming upstairs. It was her husband’s step. She hurried to open the door. In the dark she could hear his deep breathing(呼吸). As soon as he sat down, she turned on the light and found he looked very tired.
“Why do you come back so late, dear?” asked the woman. “Haven’t you caught a bus?”
“Yes, but I didn’t take it.”
“Why not?”
“I ran after it so that I saved two dollars this evening.”
“That’s great!” the woman said happily. “Run after a taxi next time and you’ll save both more time and money.”The supper was ready at ________ .
| A．6:15 | B．6:30 | C．6:45 | D．7:15 |
Mrs. Beet sat in the dark because ___________ .
| A．she wanted to save money. |
| B．she didn’t like the bright light. |
| C．she was afraid to be seen. |
| D．she wanted to have a good rest. |
When Mr. Beet got home that evening, __________ .
| A．his wife was angry with him | B．he was very tired |
| C．he was too hungry to say a word | D．his wife felt sorry |
Mrs. Beet hoped _______________ .
| A．her husband went home by bus the next time. |
| B．her husband could keep on doing exercise. |
| C．her husband could be stronger and stronger. |
| D．her husband could save more money and time. |
On April 20th,2013, a big earthquake hit Ya’an, Sichuan. Nearly 200 people died. Many people were hurt. Why do earthquakes happen?
The surface(表面) of the earth has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake.
Scientists are working hard to find out more about earthquakes. They try to predict(预测) them, but it’s very hard.
Do you know how to get ready for an earthquake? Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Here are some things you should know.
What to do before an earthquake
Make sure you have two bottles of water, a packet of biscuits, a clean towel , a few band-aids（创可贴）, a radio and a flashlight（电筒）at home.
What to do during an earthquake
If you are inside:
★Stay where you are. Quickly move under a strong desk, or along a wall. This will protect you from falling things.
★Don’t stand near windows.
★Turn off the lights.
★Don’t get into a lift during an earthquake. If you are in a lift, get out quickly.
If you are outside:
★Don’t stand near buildings. Things may fall on you.
★Lie on the ground until the shaking stops.An earthquake hit Ya’an .
| A．on April 12th, 2013 | B．on April 20th, 2013 |
| C．on May 14th, 2013 | D．on May 12th, 2013 |
You need at home before an earthquake.
| A．some water and biscuits | B．a clean towel and a few band-aids |
| C．a radio and a flashlight | D． A, B and C |
You must protect yourself in an earthquake by .
| A．lying on the ground | B．turning on the lights |
| C．standing near the windows | D．getting into a lift |
Coffee has become the most popular American drink. Today people in the United States drink more coffee than people in any of the other countries. People drink coffee at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner and between meals. They drink hot coffee or coffee with ice in it. They drink it at work and at home. They eat coffee ice-cream and coffee candy.
Coffee is black and very strong. Different people like to drink it in different ways(方式). Some people like coffee with cream or sugar in it. Other people like coffee with both cream and sugar in it. In all ways it is served. Coffee has become an international drink._______is the most popular American drink.
| A．Black tea | B．Coffee | C．Water with ice | D．Green tea |
Different people like to drink coffee_______.
| A．at work or at home | B．between meals |
| C．with cream or sugar | D．in different ways |
Coffee is an _______drink.
| A．interesting | B．ice cream |
| C．international | D．English |
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps(脚步) and asked: “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said: “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” What he had written was: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind. The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign reminded people they were lucky that they were not blind.
There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story. The first is: Be thankful for what you have. Someone else has less. Help where you can. The second is: Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way!What did the boy do on the street?
| A．He sold his old hat. |
| B．He begged (乞讨) for money. |
| C．He was busy collecting coins. |
| D．He showed his good handwriting. |
How did the man help the blind boy?
| A．He took the boy’s sign away. |
| B．He gave the boy a lot of money. |
| C．He changed the words on the sign. |
| D．He asked other people to help the blind boy. |
What does the underlined word "recognized" mean?
| A．辨认出 | B．看到 | C．承认 | D．注意到 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The man did nothing to help the blind boy except changing the words on the sign. |
| B．Before the man changed the words, the hat had been full. |
| C．Without the man’s help, the blind boy couldn’t get so much money. |
| D．The kind man was very thankful to the blind boy. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A kind and clever man. |
| B．A blind boy in the street. |
| C．Let’s help the disabled people. |
| D．Different words make a difference. |