Should Children Be Allowed to Get Bored？
Children need time to stand and stare．They should be allowed to get bored so that they can develop their ability to be creative．
Children are expected by their parents to be reading a textbook all the time．However，research shows that it may hamperthe development of their imagination，while boredom can give them opportunities to develop creativity．
Boredom is often linked with loneliness，but a writer named Meera Syal said boredom had helped here in developing her mind．She told researchers about her childhood．Having few things to do，Syal often talked with her neighbors．She also tried to do things like learning to bake cakes．"But importantly，I thought and wrote a lot，because I was bored，"Syal said．She kept a diary，filling here time with short stories and poems she made up．
Grayson Perry，an artist，grew up in a family with little money．He enjoyed himself by making up stories，drawing pictures for his stories and reading many books in the library．Bored but free，he spent hours looking out of the window，watching the changing clouds and seasons．Perry filled up his free time with what he liked．He became creative，because he could think freely．
Dr．Belton is an expert on the effects of emotions on learning．"Boredom could be an uncomfortable feeling，"she said．"But some young people cannot deal with that boredom creatively．So sometimes they may break a classroom window，or drive a car out for a mad race．"
Usually，when children have nothing to do，they would turn on the TV，the computer，or the phone．Their time on these things has increased，yet they need to have time to think about their experiences through play or just watching the world around them．
It is this kind of thinking that can inspire the imagination．On the other hand，the TV or phone may cut short the thinking process．That can be harmful to the development of creativity．"For developing the ability to be creative，"Dr．Belton advised，"perhaps we need to stand and stare，and stay off﹣line from time to time．"
53．What does the word"hamper"in Paragraph 2probably mean？
| A． |
Slow down． |
| B． |
Keep up with． |
| C． |
Go beyond． |
| D． |
Give rise to． |
54．The writer talks about Syal and Perry to ．
| A． |
stress the great differences between them |
| B． |
introduce a popular writer and a famous artist |
| C． |
suggest good ways of going through boredom |
| D． |
show effects of boredom on developing creativity |
55．What can we learn from the passage？
| A． |
Boredom provides children with space to think freely． |
| B． |
It's much better for children to be busy than be bored． |
| C． |
Boredom helps children deal with difficulties properly． |
| D． |
It's boring for children to think about their experiences． |
阅读下面的图表，做三个小题。
Michelle Obama is the first lady of ______.
A. England B. America C. FranceAccording to Complex Magazine, Michelle Obama was always ________ in politics.
A. quietB. calm C. activeMichelle Obama is _______first lady in American history according to the picture.
A. the tallest
B. the best
C. the most powerful
阅读下面的图表，做两个小题。
The box in the ad is a _______.
A. Computer
B. washing machine
C. televisionWhat do we learn from the ad?
A. Staying near the TV set is dangerous.
B. We shouldn’t watch TV during 20-26 April.
C. We shouldn’t put our head into a box.
A young boy was hungry for success. For him, winning was everything.
One day, the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small village. He was to compete with two other young boys. A large crowd gathered（聚集）there to watch, including a wise old man.
The race began. With strength and power (力量）, the boy easily took the lead. The crowd cheered and waved（挥手）.The little boy felt proud and important. However, the wise man remained still and calm.
“Another race, another race!” yelled（大喊）the little boy. The wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers: an old lady and a blind man.
The second race started and the boy was the only one to cross the line. The little boy raised his arms happily. The crowd, however, was silent.
“Race again,” said the wise man. “This time, all three of you finish together.”
The little boy thought a little, stood in between the blind man and the old lady, and then took them by the hand. The race began and the little boy walked slowly to the finishing line and crossed it. The crowd cheered and waved. The wise man smiled, too.
“Which one of us three are the crowd cheering for?” asked the little boy.
“For this race, you have won much more than in any other race you’ve ever run before.” said the wise man. “For this race, the crowd cheered not for any winner!”How did the boy feel after the first race?
A. Still and calm.
B. Sad and silent.
C. Proud and important.What does the underlined word “challengers” mean in this passage?
A. 残疾人 B. 挑战者 C. 裁判In the second race, who won the match?
A. the wise old man
B. the blind man
C. the boyThe crowd cheered for _______ in the third race.
A. the little boy
B. their spirit
C. the blind man and the old ladyWhat is the best title of this passage?
A. Win the race of kindness
B. Winning is everything
C. Never compete with old people
As a boy, Tim Green had two dreams: becoming a football player and becoming a writer. Both of the dreams have come true.
After studying at Syracuse University, Tim began to play football in the NFL (国家橄榄球联盟). He was a great player in the NFL for eight years.
While Tim played in the NFL, he began writing. His first book came out before he stopped playing football.
After writing many books for adults, Tim began writing books for young readers. Many stories in his books happened in a world of sports. Tim got the inspiration (灵感) for writing from his own experiences as a football player. At the same time, Tim visited over 700 schools and talked to more than 400,000 students across the United States about the importance of education and the joys of reading!
Tim is also a TV broadcaster (节目主持人). His TV shows include FOX NFL Sunday, Battlebots, Good Morning America, Court TV, and most recently, Find My Family.
Do you like sports? Do you love reading? If your answer is “Yes”, you can try Tim Green’s books.
When I was young, my father used to grow carnations — a kind of flower that was red, pink and white. He took care of them with much love and devotion (挚爱). When he came home from work every day, he would enjoy watching them. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”
One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved Dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnations from their stems (枝干) one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that Dad would be very pleased to see them that way. When Mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister didn’t know why no one showed her any appreciation (欣赏). When Dad came back, he went straight to watch the flowers as usual. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was surprised at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbor’s children who could have done it. Then he looked at Mom in silence. Finally Mom, who always taught us to tell the truth, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.” Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have better flowers than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged Dad strongly.
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Because she didn’t like them. |
| B．Because Dad told her to do so. |
| C．Because Mum told her to do so. |
| D．Because she wanted to help her dad. |
| A．无语的 | B．伤心的 | C．惊奇的 | D．无助的 |
| A．Angry. | B．Excited. |
| C．pleased. | D．Sad. |
| A．My Cleverest Sister | B．My Dad’s Best Flower |
| C．My Dad’s Carnations | D．My Honest Mother |