More than ever, kids today have given up reading for activities like watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Internet, but recently a new trend (趋势) has been catching on that will hopefully change that.
In fact, book clubs are becoming more popular among American kids. 11-year-old Kenya Debarros read about singer Lena Horne. “It was just amazing to see a black woman as the star and not just a mammy or a maid,” she says. But did all these kids come enthusiastically (热情地)? No, not exactly.
“I like book club, uh, I don’t know, but I am just trying it out. My mom didn’t make me, but I just tried it out,” says 16-year-old Antonio Nash.
And if they’ll try it, the experts say, there are ways to get them to come back. Make it fun, serve pizza, serve chocolate cakes and have door prizes (门票对号奖). It also helps to connect books to the real world. They talk about things that are happening in the community, so they can relate whatever they’ve read in the book to what’s happening now.
Here they have long talks about the books they have selected, which most kids don’t get to do when they’re in school, and these kids say, in book clubs they’re learning to love books and love reading.
“I feel like I’m actually in the book and doing what the actual main character is doing,” says 13-year-
-old Justin Woodard.
16-year-old Antonia McManus says reading gives her a nice break from the day, “Sitting down and reading a book gives me some time to get away from the world, and get my mind straight.”
52. What does the underlined phrase “catching on” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Happening. B. Realizing. C. Becoming popular. D. Bringing in.
53. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Book clubs develop very fast in America.
B. Book clubs are popular among American kids.
C. American kids’ habits are changing towards reading.
D. A new trend helps change children in America.
54. It can be known from the passage that ______.
A. book clubs are designed to improve kids’ study
B. book clubs are mainly to help kids forget the reality
C. kids like to go there for the silent surroundings
D. kids may get unexpected rewards in book clubs
55. Why does Antonia McManus like going to the book club?
A. She finds reading restful.
B. She could get some sound sleep.
C. She likes the noisy conditions there.
D. She can deal with her problems there.
American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts(转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents (居民) became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs(郊区).
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future .Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure：many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world ?
| A．They are alive . | B．They are hopeless. | C．They are similar | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Ⅱ?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4th paragragh, a great many poor people in American cities ______.
| A．are faced with housing problems | B．are faced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings | D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that ______.
| A．American cities are changing for the worse | B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities | D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
Scientists are building the world’s first thinking robot. It’s true. Some say machines that walk, speak and feel will have been made by 2020.Kismet is the name of a robot which scientists have built this year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Kismet is different from traditional robots because it can show human emotions. Its eyes, ears and lips move to show when it feels happy, sad or bored. Kismet is one of the first robots of a new generation that look like human beings and can imitate human feelings.
Some people say that by 2020 we will have created robots with brains similar to those of adult human beings. These robots will be designed to look like people to make them more attractive and easier to sell. What kind of jobs will they do? In the future, robots like Robonaut, a robot invented by NASA, will be doing dangerous jobs, like repairing space stations. They will also be doing more and more of the household work for us. In Japan, scientists are designing robots that will entertain people by danc
ing and playing the piano.
Meanwhile, people who worry about the future are wondering whether robots will become monsters? Will people themselves become increasingly like robots? Experts predict that more and more people will be wearing micro-computers connected to the Internet in the future. People will have microchips in various parts of their body, which will connect them to a wide variety of small machines. Perhaps we should not exaggerate(夸大) the importance of technology, but one may wonder whether, in years to come, we will still be falling in love, and whether we will feel pain.
Who knows?Kismet is different from traditional robots because______.
| A．it is made in the MIT, USA | B．it is able to express its own feelings |
| C．it is the first modern robot | D．it is able to show human feelings |
Possibly, robots will be able to ______in about ten years from now.
| A．think like human beings | B．do all kinds of jobs for us |
| C．imitate human feelings | D．become dangerous monsters |
The underlined word “one” can be best replaced by_____.
| A．some experts | B．the writer himself | C．some scientists | D．people in general |
It can be inferred from this passage that_______.
| A．robots will take the place of human beings in the future |
| B．the importance of technology has been exaggerated |
| C．scientist have designed different kinds of robots |
| D．robots might be a helper or a danger. |
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her.
It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Roses are the Father’s Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can’t visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so father
s laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needs Dad. The United States is special in Father’s Day because___________.
| A．many people celebrate the day | B．only America celebrate the day |
| C．America makes it an official day | D．all men are honored in America |
At first, Father’s Day was fixed on June 19th because _________.
| A．Sonora honored her father on her father’s birthday | B．Sonora birthday was June 19th |
| C．it was decided by the President at that time | D．her mother died on June 19th |
How many years has passed before Father’s Day became an official day since Father’s Day was
celebrated?
| A．4 | B．10 | C．14 | D．24 |
According to the passage, on Father’s Day ______
| A．people will wear the same flowers to honor their fathers |
| B．only daughters wear red flowers to honor their fathers |
| C．children must go home to honor their fathers |
| D．fathers are often honored in different ways |
Long ago, near the village of Hedley, there lived a strange and playful trickster(骗子), known as the Hedley Kow. Sometimes it looked like an ordinary object. Sometimes it looked like a donkey or a goat.
One evening, as an old woman went along the path, she saw an old iron pot lying in the ditch. “Fancy that,” she said. “Nobody seems to want this old pot. I will take it home and plant pretty flowers in it.”
When she tried to lift it, she saw that it was full of gold pieces. “Well, now, if that doesn’t beat all,” she said. “I’m rich! I can buy a fine house and fancy clothes.”
The pot was heavy, so she tied her shawl around it and began to drag it home. After a while, she stopped to rest. When she looked in the pot, she was amazed to see that it was full of silver pieces!
“Oh, my god!” she said. “Aren’t I the lucky one ! If it were gold, thieves would have been after me. My frie
nds might have
been jealous. But I can hide these silver pieces, take out a few at a time, and live like a queen.”
On she went, pulling the pot after her. She was nearing home now. At her gate, she looked into the pot. What a surprise! The silver had changed into a lump(块) of iron. “Iron,” she said. “Well, now! No one will be jealous or want to steal this from me. I can use this iron to prop my door open and let in fresh air and sunlight. Lucky me!”
As soon as she said that, the pot began to grow and later it became a goat. Then it jumped up and ran off down the road laughing.
“Fancy that!” said the old woman. “I believe I have seen the Hedley Kow! Not many folks can say that, and that’s a fact. I’ll just sit up by my fire tonight thinking about how lucky I was to see it for myself. I truly must be the luckiest person in the world!” Which of the following sayings can best describe this story?
| A．All good things come to an end. | B．The early bird catches the worm. |
| C．Content is better than riches. | D．All bad luck goes away. |
What does “the Hedley Kow” stand for in the eyes of the old woman?
| A．Glory | B．Honor | C．Misfortune | D．Luck |
From this passage we can know the old woman is _________.
| A．optimistic | B．pessimistic | C．strange | D．mindless |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The woman | B．The Hedley Kow | C．The pot | D．The Effort |
One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的)to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,
“My I get you something ?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee, We talked more , and he accepted another cup of coffee, Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,
“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and to meet another human being with kindness and sincerity.What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?
| A．Unfriendly. | B．Untidy. | C．Gentle. | D．Kind. |
The author bought coffee for the old man because
| A．he thought the old man was poor | B．he wanted to start a conversation |
| C．he intended to show his politeness | D．he would like to thank the old man |
How did the author probably feel after he talked with his friend?
| A．Proud. | B．Pitiful. | C．Surprised. | D．Regretful |
What is the message mainly expressed in the story?
| A．We should learn to be generous. | B．It is honorable to help those in need. |
| C．People in high positions are not like what we expect. | |
| D．We should avoid judging people by their appearances. |
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