POETRY CHALLENGE
Write a poem about how courage,determination,and strength have helped you face challenges in your life.
Prizes
3 Grand Prizes:Trip to Washington,D.C.for each of three winners,a parent and one other person of the winner's choice.Trip includes round﹣trip air tickets,hotel stay for two nights,and tours of the National Air and Space Museum and the office of National Geographic World.
6 First Prizes:The book Sky Pioneer:A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart signed by author Corinne Szabo and pilot Linda Finch.
50 Honorable Mentions:Judges will choose up to 50 honorable mention winners,who will each receive a T﹣shirt in memory of Earhart's final flight.
Rules
Follow all rules carefully to prevent disqualification.
■ Write a poem using 100 words or fewer.Your poem can be any format,any number of lines.
■ Write by hand or type on a single sheet of paper.You may use both the front and back of the paper.
■ On the same sheet of paper,write or type your name,address,telephone number,and birth date.
■ Mail your entry to us by October 31 this year.
(1)How many people can each grand prize winner take on the free trip?
A. |
Two. |
B. |
Three. |
C. |
Four. |
D. |
Six. |
(2)What will each of the honorable mention winners get?
A. |
A plane ticket. |
B. |
A book by Corinne Szabo. |
C. |
A special T﹣shirt. |
D. |
A photo of Amelia Earhart. |
(3)Which of the following will result in disqualification?
A. |
Typing your poem out. |
B. |
Writing a poem of 120 words. |
C. |
Using both sides of the paper. |
D. |
Mailing your entry on October 30. |
C
Perhaps you have a big test coming up and you are feeling nervous. You know you have got to do well. The pressure is on, so you may be losing sleep and the ability to concentrate. How can you deal with the stress, study effectively, and take the test with confidence? Maybe you should try meditation(沉思).
When people think about meditation, many pictures of old men’s sitting cross-legged on remote mountaintops will appear in mind. People describing meditation frequently mention elements such as relaxation and “thinking about nothing”.
It is not necessary to travel to a mountaintop to enjoy the benefits of meditation because it is actually more about awareness than just relaxation. The secret of meditation is breathing.
To star meditating, find a place where you can sit or stand comfortably for a little while and concentrate. Close your eyes and start taking slow breaths. Focus on the air moving in and out of your body. If your mind starts to wander and you begin to think about something else, refocus your attention on your breathing.
Meditation has little to do with escaping problems or thinking about nothing. Instead, the breathing techniques help you calm down and think more clearly about your feelings. The issues on your mind unfold clearly, as if they were in slow motion.
This clarity(清晰)is called “mindfulness”. Being mindful means that you are aware of what you are thinking without becoming caught up in your thoughts. It takes practice, but with time, that big test will not scare you anymore. You will realize through meditation that fear is just a product of not being mindful.
64. What is the best way to reduce the pressure if one faces a big test?
A. To climb up to the top of a mountain for a rest.
B. To sit on the top of a mountain without thinking anything.
C. To sit or stand comfortable and begin to meditate.
D. To sit quietly with one’s legs crossed.
65. What should a person do if his mind begins to wander while meditating?
A. Stop meditating.
B. Concentrate on breathing again.
C. Involve himself in his thoughts.
D. Close eyes immediately.
66. From the passage we can learn that by practicing meditation we’ll__________.
A. not be stuck in our thoughts
B. pass the examinations easily
C. realize fear is a product of too much thought
D. never be afraid of big tests
67. From the passage we can know the writer’s purpose is to let the readers know__________
A. how to deal with the stress before a big test
B. what is meditation
C. how a big test scares the students
D. where is the best place to relax
B
“There is nothing more rewarding than taking a pack of 40 dogs to the beach for a pack walk,” says Millan.
Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Channel’s show Dog whisperer and author of the best—selling book Cesar’s way, has a special gift for working with these animals.
Growing up on a farm in Mexico, Millan knew he wanted to work with dogs. His first job, at age 15, was helping a veterinarian(兽医) . He was so good at calming scared dogs and handling all kinds of situations, so people started calling him le perrero, Spanish for “the dog boy.” Since then, he has built a rewarding career around his favorite animal.
“My grandfather taught me at an early age not to work against nature,” he explains. In nature,dogs are pack animals. They form a group and follow one leader. Millan’s specialty is teaching people to be pack leaders for their dogs. Everyone in the family should lead, he says.
He says a lot of people get it backwards because they don’t realize what dogs really need. So the Dog Whisperer doesn’t just train dogs; he trains owners to understand that their pets need rules. At his Dog psychology Center in Los Angeles, California, Millan also works with dogs whose dangerous behavior has prevented them from finding homes. He teaches them to be loving, gentle pets.
Through dog whisperer, viewers can actually see the change in dogs with troublesome behavior. Some dogs go crazy when visitors arrive, for example, while some have more unusual problems.
To find the right career, Millan encourages his kids to do what they enjoy. “A lot of people don’t realize I’ve been working with dogs for more than 20 years ——long before my TV show of book. Success followed me because I was following my dream of being the best dog trainer in the world.”
60. Dog whisperer is .
A. a best —selling bookB. a TV show
C. a dog psychology center D. Millan’s nickname
61. Cesar Millan’s being called el perrero suggests that__________.
A. he was a successful veterinarian B. he was popular with people
C. he liked dogs very much D. his work was fully recognized
62. The key to Millan’s success as a dog trainer is that__________
A. he follows the habits of dogs B. he walks dogs every day
C.he likes working with dogs D. he makes rules for dogs
63. What advice does Millan give on his kids’ career?
A. To become the best dog trainer in the world.
B. To choose what they like and stick to it.
C. Not to work against mature.
D. Not to be influenced by others.
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
A
When I worked in Swaziland, one day we went to an orphanage. There we found a beautiful little girl named Tanzile. I gave her a sweet and she said something back to me in Si-swati, which the nurse next to me translated, “She wants another one — to give to her little sister.” I said “of course”. When we were going to leave, we passed by Tanzile’s house to say goodbye. To our surprise she seemed to be holding on to that extra sweet I had given her. I remember saying to the nurse “this little darling is clever — she has taken two for herself.”
But the nurse told us, “Tanzile is 7 now. Two years ago her mum and dad both died of AIDS. She was separated from her sister who was three at the time. Tanzile has not laid eyes on her since. But from then on whenever Tanzile receives anything from anyone, including food — she refuses to accept it, unless they give her two.” In fact, in the little mud hut where she lives, we find a pile of old things which she has been collecting to give to her sister one day.
People sometimes look at faces of African children and think that they are somehow different from our kids — that somehow they don’t feel pain or love. But that is not true. Their pain is deep. And so is their love. I can still remember the nurse trying to convince her that “if someone gives you food, you must accept it — even if it is only one piece and not two — for your own health.” And it was so hard for us to keep the tears from our eyes as she shook her head. Her hope and her love was all that she had. It mattered more than anything else. When I returned home that day, I was shocked to find that this was not an isolated story but others in the hospital knew of orphans just like Tanzile — waiting with a little pile of things in their hut, for their lovers who they haven’t seen so long.
I think of that old song — “when we’re hungry, love will keep us alive.”
56. From the passage we can learn Tanzile__________.
A. is very clever B. knows her sister has died
C. has stored a lot for her sister D. doesn’t like sweets
57. How old was her sister when the author met with Tanzile?
A. Three years old. B. Four years old.
C. Five years old. D. Six years old.
58. What has the author learned from her experience in Africa?
A. Love is more important in life than anything else.
B. African children are different in a way.
C. African children should be treated fairly.
D. We should express our love in time.
59. The best title for the passage would be __________
A. Give every child two sweets B. Tanzile’s love for her sister
C. One for my sister D. Change your attitude to African children
D
FOREIGNEXCHANGE
ACLASSOFTHEIROWN
Name:SusanLane Age:22 Place:Reykjavik,Iceland,1994. Cost:$7,000Organization:AFS Experience:“Ithinkitwasaturningpointinmylife.Ibegantounderstandmoreabout myownculturebyexperiencinganothercultureandseeinghowotherpeoplelive.” |
Name:SaraSmall Age:23Place:Crivitz,Germany,1996. Cost:$8,000 Organization:EFFoundation Experience:“IlovethetravelingandImadealotoffriends.IfoundtheEuropeanschool systemtobehardbutIamfluentnowinGermansoitwasworthit.Ididmissmyfamily andfriendsinAustraliabutIwouldlovetodoitagain.” |
Name:LeanneSmythe Age:20 Place:Minnesota,America,1994. Cost:$6,000 Organization:SouthernCrossCultureExchange Experience:“Ilearnthowtobereallyresponsible.ItwasgreattobeonmyownandIgot onreallywellwiththefamilyIwaswith.Iwilldefinitelygobacksomeday.” |
Name:DavidLinks Age:16 Place:Stuttgart,Germany,1996 Cost:$6,000 Organization:SouthernCrossCulturalExchange Experience:“IwantedtotrysomethingthatwasverydifferentfromAustraliainculture. InGermanyeverythingwasdifferentbutIsoongotsettled.ThefamilyIwaswithwere greatandIreallyfeelasthoughIhaveasecondfamily.” |
Name:TomJennings Age:21 Place:Conflans,France,1995. Cost:$7,000 Organization:SouthernCrossCulturalExchange Experience:“ThereweretimeswhenitwasdifficultbutIlikedit,experiencingadifferent culture.Youjusthavetoplayeachsituationasitcomes.Ifthereisonethingyoulearn whenyouareonastudent-exchangeprogramitishowtotakecareofyourself.” |
Name:LindaMarks Age:19 Place:ChonburiProvince,Thailand,1994 Cost:$3,500 Organization:RotaryInternational Experience:“It’slikearoller-coasterride,therearelotsofupsanddowns,butyoualways comebackformore.Ihadafewproblemsbuttherewasalwayssomeonetoturntoand thatwasgreat.” |
67.Thestudentswhorefertoboththegoodtimeandthebadtimeinclude______.
A.SusanLaneandSaraSmall B.LindaMarksandDavidLinks
C.TomJenningsandLindaMarks D.LeanneSmytheandTomJennings
68.Thewritingabovewouldprobablybe______.
A.therecordsofstudents’activities
B.theforeignstudents’namecards
C.thenoticeaboutavisittoforeigncountries
D.theadvertisementfromaninternationaltravelservice
69.Thestudentwhovalueslearninganotherlanguageis______.
A.LindaMarks B.SaraSmall C.TomJennings D.LeanneSmythe
70.Howmanystudentsmentiontheculturedifferencetheyhaveexperienced?
A. Three. B.Four. C.Five. D.Six.
C
Reading about history is nice, but finding ties to long-ago historical events in your own backyard is really exciting.
In their heavily populated area, neighbors Adam Giles,13, and Derek Hann.12, uncovered pieces of glass that looked quite different from what’s used today. “After digging about two feet down, I came across an interesting bottle,” Derek said. The bottle had a “pontil scar” on the bottle, an indication that it was hand-blown rather than machine made. It also had the name “Fraser” on one side.
Adam found remains of a green bottle and some very thick brown glass—again, far different from today’s.
After doing research on the computer, the boys contacted Aimee Wells of the county’s Cultural Resources office. She showed them a computer program that digitally puts old maps over modern satellite photographs.
Bingo! Their back yards were once part of a military(军事的) encampment(营地) called Camp Alger used by Ohio soldiers on their way to fight in the Spanish-American War in 1898.
So how do a few bottles get connected to a brief war that was more than a century ago? “We get there by good judgment,” Wells said. “We know the time period of the bottles and what happened in that area.” Anyone can dig a hole, but archaeologists seek a deeper understanding. How do objects found relate to things around them?
When Derek and Adam realized that a solider might have held that Fraser bottle 110 years ago, they wondered what he might have been thinking. What did he see as he looked around him? How did he pass the time waiting to go into battle?
Historical records show that while waiting for orders, the soldiers in and around Camp Alger played baseball, played instruments and walked seven miles to the Potomac River once a week for baths. A spread of strange fever forced the closing of the camp, and there are no buildings to study. “What’s left is only what’s in the ground,” said Wells.
Derek’s and Adam’s back yards have joined the 3,400 places listed on the county’s register of archaeological sites. The boys were given tips on how to dig effectively and safely, and on how to document the location of items found.
The official record of their finds serves as another piece of the puzzle for historians seeking to form a more complete story of what happened.
“Not everyone is going to have historical objects in their own yard,” Wells said. “That’s okay. Make your own time capsule and bury it. What would you want people to know about your life years from now?”
63. What is the passage mainly about?
A. How Adam Giles and Derek Hann dug out the remains of an ancient military encampment.
B. What Adam Giles and Derek Hann found in their back yard and its relationship with an encampment.
C. The great contribution Adam Giles and Derek Hann made to the cause of archaeology.
D. The tips on how to dig out ancient objects buried under the ground safely and effectively.
64. From the passage, we can see that the boy’s discovery _______.
A. includes all kinds of hand-made and machine- made glass.
B. has helped historians find out what happened in 1898.
C. couldn’t have been meaningful without Aimee Wells’ help.
D. has added the county to the list of archaeologist sites.
65. When Wells said “We get there by good judgment.” (Paragraph 6), she meant that_______.
A. they have established the ties to Camp Alger by finding out the time period of the bottles.
B. they have figured out how to get to the place where the brief war happened.
C. they have managed to dig out the bottles in the back yard safely with common sense.
D. they were able to locate the soldiers who used the Fraser bottles 110 years ago.
66. Which of the following fits the description of historical records?
A. The soldiers in and around Camp Alger delighted in playing basketball in their spare time.
B. When Camp Alger was forced to close, all the buildings there were destroyed.
C. The soldiers in and around Camp Alger often buried some bottles underground as time capsules.
D. Camp Alger was forced to close because of a spread of a strange fever.