Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard，some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out．90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting．But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it．One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting．Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 to 15 minutes a day，and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day — which really for handwriting is pretty much．
Many adults remember learning that way — by copying letters over and over again．Today's thinking is that short periods of practice are better．Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself．Instead，they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas．After all，that is why we write．
Handwriting involves two skills．One is legibility，which means forming the letters so they can be read． The other is fluency — writing without having to think about it．Fluency continues to develop up until high school．
But not everyone masters these skills．Teachers commonly report that about one fourth of their kids have poor handwriting．Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs．
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school，especially in the early years．American children traditionally first learn to print，and then to write in cursive，which connects the letters．But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board，which administers the SAT college admission test．More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive．From Paragraph 1 we can learn ________．
| A．teaching handwriting is a basic requirement in teaching job |
| B．most teachers prefer to teach handwriting |
| C．teachers spend little time in teaching handwriting |
| D．a keyboard has taken the place of the handwriting entirely |
The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means ________．
| A．being easy to read |
| B．being complex |
| C．being unexpected |
| D．being unreadable |
The best title for the passage is ________．
| A．How to improve handwriting in school |
| B．Right or wrong: the death of handwriting |
| C．Handwriting involves two skills |
| D．Handwriting lessons are on the way out |
The author’s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is________．
| A．negative |
| B．objective |
| C．critical |
| D．optimistic |
George Eberhardt turned 107 last month, and scientists would love to know how he and other older folks like him made it that far. So he's going to hand over some of his DNA.
He's one of 100 centenarians(百岁老人) taking part in a project that examines some of the oldest citizens with one of the newest scientific tools: whole-genome sequencing(全基因组测试), the deciphering of a person's complete collection of DNA.
Scientists think DNA from very old healthy people could offer clues to how they have lived so long. And that could one day lead to medicines to help the rest of us stay disease-free longer.
"It's very hard to get to 105 without some genetic advantages," says Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatrics(老年医学) expert at Boston University. Dr.Perls is helping find centenarians for the Archon Genomics X Prize competition. The X Prize Foundation, best known for a spaceflight competition, is offering $10 million in prize money to researchers who decipher the complete DNA code from 100 people older than 100. The contest will be judged on accuracy, completeness and the speed and cost of sequencing.
Mr. Eberhardt played and taught tennis until he was 94and says he's participating in the X Prize project because he's interested in science and technology. It's not clear his genes will reveal much. Nobody else in his extended family reached 100, and he thinks only a couple reached 90, he said in a telephone interview.
So why does he think he lived so long? He attributes it to 70 years of marriage to his wife, Marie. She in turn cites his "intense interest in so many things" over a lifetime, from building radios as a child to pursuing a career in electronics research.
But scientists believe there's more to it, and they want to use genome sequencing to investigate. Dr. Richard Cawthon of the University of Utah, who is seeking longevity genes by other means, says it may turn up genetic features that protect against multiple diseases or that slow the process of aging in general.
| A．Separating. | B．Interpreting. |
| C．Gathering. | D．Comparing. |
| A．How many genes are studied |
| B．How precise the sequencing is |
| C．How fast the research is finished |
| D．The number of researchers |
| A．what the Archon Genomics X prize competition is about |
| B．the significance of studying the genes that lead to longevity |
| C．how whole-genome sequencing is applied to the study of genes |
| D．the genetic advantages the centenarians have |
| A．He doesn’t have any genetic advantages. |
| B．Most of his family have been long-lived. |
| C．His genes don’t reveal much about why he has lived so long. |
| D．He enjoyed doing electronics research. |
| A．Comparing One Hundred Centenarians |
| B．Who Will Win the Archon Genomics X Prize Competition? |
| C．A New Technology--- Whole –Genome Sequencing |
| D．Is the Secret to a Long Life in the DNA of Centenarians? |
It's difficult not to become involved in gossip at work. After all, people like gossip and interesting bits of information: you only have to look at the number of celebrity-focused publications to realize that we have a huge appetite for discussing other people's lives. At work, however, this type of interaction is harmful and costly. It wastes time, damages reputations, promotes divisiveness(分歧), creates anxiety.
Rumors often grow because people like to be "in the know." Knowledge is power, and that's why the people with the least amount of power in an organization can often be the ones to start and spread rumors. It can make them feel important if they're seen to know things that others don't.
This knowledge is at the center of why and how rumors start and spread. Insufficient（不足） knowledge or incomplete information are often to blame. Consider these examples:
◆People don't know why a colleague was fired, so they make up a reason based on some limited knowledge or insignificant fact. "I saw John override（推翻） the cash register the other day without a supervisor present. Maybe he stole some money and that's why he went."
◆People see a pattern of behavior between two individuals and they add their own explanation. "Joseph and Samantha spend a lot of time together after hours ‘catching up on paperwork.' And just yesterday, they were sitting awfully close to each other in the meeting. I bet paperwork isn't all that's getting done after work!"
These rumors are typical of the things you'll face at work, and they spread because of a lack of accurate information. So, the best way to fight rumors is with good communication. When you communicate well, your team knows what's happening, and they trust that you'll keep them informed. Good communication within your team also means that you will become aware of any rumors that are starting, and you'll be able to address them quickly and effectively.The huge number of celebrity-focused publications reveals that_______.
| A．celebrities depend on publications to achieve fame |
| B．people like discussing other people’s lives |
| C．the publishing industry is booming |
| D．celebrities are rather disturbed by rumors. |
Who is most likely to spread rumors at work?
| A．The ones who have a large circle of friends |
| B．The ones who have quick access to information. |
| C．The ones who have good knowledge. |
| D．The ones with the least amount of power. |
The passage is developed mainly___________.
| A．by using time order. | B．by making comparisons |
| C．by giving figures | D．by giving examples |
What is the relationship between Joseph and Samantha in the eyes of the people spreading rumors?
| A．They are lovers. | B．They are work partners. |
| C．They are rivals. | D．They are old friends. |
What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
| A．How to fight rumors. |
| B．Why rumors start. |
| C．How to communicate with colleagues. |
| D．Why knowledge matters. |
In California, young sea lions are in danger of starving to death and it is not clear why.
"I'm going on a rescue right now," said Peter Wallerstein talking on his cell phone while in his truck. "'I've already rescued two sea lions."
Wallerstein can barely keep up with the distress calls. His sea mammal rescue operation has already saved 240 California sea lion pups this year.
"Not much energy left in this guy," he said about one particular sea lion. Almost all were dying from starvation.
"We found them seven miles up the flood control channel, found them under a car, and we don't really know why," he said.
On average, about a hundred sea lions are rescued in Southern California during the winter. But 700 have been picked up over the last three months.
"They're very sick," said Keith Matassa, who runs the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. His team is nursing 115 sea lions back to health.
"A normal sea lion at this age -- 8 to 9 months old -- should be around 60, 70 pounds," said Matassa. "We're seeing them come into our center at 20 to 25 pounds, and really, they look like walking skeletons."
Sea lions depend on herring, sardines and other small fish found close to California's coast.
Sarah Wilkin is a marine biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Asked why it has reached this point, she said: "We're looking at whether the prey that these animals should be eating just isn't available to them for some reason, and that could be because there's less of it or because it's moved and it's not accessible."
It can take four months of care before the animals are strong enough to be released back into the Pacific.
"This is the ultimate gift watching an animal come in as a walking skeleton," said Matassa, "and watching it run off the beach...and just head out where it should be."
Scientists worry they'll find even more starving sea lions in the weeks ahead. April and May are usually peak months for sea lion rescues.
| A．Wallerstein is bored with the calls. |
| B．The situation is terrible for the sea lions. |
| C．Wallerstein’s telephone is hard to get through to. |
| D．The rescue operation is going very well. |
| A．The winter coldness. | B．A lack of prey. |
| C．A flood. | D．Car accidents. |
| A．released back into the Pacific |
| B．sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service |
| C．sent to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center |
| D．released on the Californian coast |
| A．they are very firm | B．they are very active |
| C．they are very ugly | D．they are very thin |
| A．Access to Sea lions’ Prey |
| B．Sea Lion Rescue Operation |
| C．Starvation Endangers Sea Lions |
| D．Protection for Sea Lions Is Pressing |
I was diagnosed with cancer in September 2005, after discovering a small lump in my neck. All seemed well after the lump had been removed. However, a follow-up blood test revealed that the cancer had spread. I underwent chemotherapy(化疗), and within four months I lost nearly 20kg, all my hair and energy.
I got a tentative all-clear(解除警报)two days after my 28 the birthday. To me, it signaled a new start, and I couldn’t wait to get on with my life. The doctors told me that it would be months before I could get back to my old activity levels, but I just didn’t want to accept this. I wanted to be normal again –now, not in six months.
So I started by simply walking around Edinburgh. Each day I would get home four or five hours later feeling like I had run a marathon. After less than six weeks, I half-ran, half-crawled up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. I spent the next couple of days in bed recovering, but soon after that I was back in the gym.
My diet had never been great before I fell ill --- I was a real vegetable-phobe(厌恶蔬菜的人)， and to some extent I still am. Nowadays, though, I make myself eat more natural foods. I have discovered that a good blender and a slow-cooker help make foods I don’t like bearable.
When one suffers a physical setback, emotional support from others is important. Still, there are things only you can do for yourself; at the end of the day, you are the one going through it. I went back to work, and now have started a company to take my passion for health and fitness forward. I believe that what holds most people back is a poor mental attitude and lack of determination. You can achieve whatever you want; you just have to work hard at it.
| A．He was diagnosed with cancer after a regular blood test. |
| B．He got back in the gym two days after his 28th birthday. |
| C．His doctors asked him not to do any kind of exercise for six months. |
| D．He wanted to recover from his illness as soon as possible. |
| A．He started eating more natural foods. |
| B．He began to like eating vegetables. |
| C．He learned to cook by himself. |
| D．He liked eating the foods he hadn’t liked before. |
| A．the help and support of others are useless to sick people |
| B．people can’t be mentally unprepared to decide things |
| C．people should do everything by themselves |
| D．hard-working people get what they want |
| A．optimism | B．calmness |
| C．passion | D．honesty |
| A．Life Depends on Exercise |
| B．Perseverance Is the Key to Success |
| C．How I Bear Cancer |
| D．How to Overcome Cancer |
Cooking food over a smoky fire is found everywhere in the world. It is often difficult to find wood for the fire. People who do not have wood must spend large amounts of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier way to cook food using energy from the sun. Solar cookers, or ovens, have been used for centuries. A Swiss scientist made the first solar oven in 1767. Today, people are using solar cookers in many countries around the world. People use solar ovens to cook food and to heat drinking water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.
There are three kinds of solar ovens. The first is a box cooker. It is designed with a special wall that shines or reflects sunlight into the box. Heat gets trapped under a piece of glass or plastic covering the top of the cooker. A box oven is effective for slow cooking of large amounts of food.
The second kind of solar oven is a panel(嵌板式) cooker. It includes several flat walls, or panels, which directly reflect the sun’s light onto the food. The food is inside a separate container of plastic or glass that traps heat energy. People can build panel cookers quickly and with very few supplies. They do not cost much. In Kenya, for example, panel cookers are being manufactured for just two dollars.
The third kind of solar oven is a parabolic(抛物线的) cooker. It has rounded walls that aim sunlight directly into the bottom of the oven. Food cooks quickly in parabolic ovens. However, these cookers are hard to make. They must be re-aimed often to follow the sun. Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly.
You can make solar ovens from boxes or heavy paper. They will not catch fire. Paper burns at 232 degrees Celsius. A solar cooker never gets that hot. Solar ovens cook food at low temperatures over long periods of time. This permits people to leave food to cook while they do other things.
To learn more about solar cooking, you can write to Solar Cookers International. The postal address is nineteen-nineteen Twenty-First Street, Sacramento, California, nine-five-eight-one-one, USA. Or you can visit the group’s Internet Web site. The address is www.solarcooking.org.How long is the first solar cookers invented?
| A．About 1767 years | B．More than 300 years |
| C．More than 250 years | D．Less than 250 years |
In which of the following column could we find the passage?
| A．Development Report | B．Agricultural Report |
| C．Health Report | D．Education Report |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The first sun-cooker was made by a Swiss soldier |
| B．Parabolic cookers can be dangerous sometimes |
| C．Sun-cookers often get hotter than 232℃ |
| D．It is more expensive to cook with a sun-cooker than on fire |
Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?
| A．Different Ways of Cooking |
| B．The History of the Solar Cookers. |
| C．How to Choose Solar Cookers. |
| D．Cooking Meals with the Sun for Fuel |