Nick Santonastasso has one arm equipped with one finger. He has no legs. He also has no limitations(局限).
“ I know anything’s possible ,” the 12-year-old told TODAY ’s Ann Curry.
He can play baseball and football, play the keyboard and drums, and play video games with his brothers.
When Nick was born, he suffered a disease only found in 11 other people. The Santonastassos had three other children, and they decided to treat Nick the same as others, with love but without excuse
“ We’re supposed to be heroes to our children, but Nick is a hero to us,” his father Michael said. But heroes have heroes, too, and Nick’s is Tiki Barber, the former football superstar who retired last year and became a reporter for TODAY. Curry told Nick that for his birthday, the show wanted to give him a new skateboard. The person who presented it to him was Barber.
“ You’re an inspiration,” Barber said. “ There are a lot of kids who might be at a disadvantage.
You give them strength.”
Curry observed that most parents try to protect their kids from failure, but the Santonastassos didn’t do that with Nick.
“Absolutely not, “Nick’s mother Stacey said. “ If you do have a small failure, it just makes you stronger to succeed at the next stop.”
“ It builds self-confidence in yourself to try it again,” Nick added.
Recently, Nick entered a drawing in a statewide contest in New Jersey. His drawing was a tree with a spreading canopy (树冠) and deep toots. Above the tree were the words, “The roots of a family are…” Below the ground, the roots spelled out the final word for the message: “ Love.”
It won the contest. The judges didn’t know Nick’ physical condition. He won on merit (成绩), the same way he does everything else in life.How did the Santonastassos treat Nick?
| A．They gave him much more care | B．They treated him as a normal boy |
| C．They made excuse for his failure | D．They protected him from failure. |
In the opinion of Barber, Nick__________.
| A．would learn a lot from his failure. | B．would become a star in playing skateboard. |
| C．set a good example to other disabled kids | D．proved a real hero to other heroes |
What message did Nick’s drawing express?
| A．Love is the “root” of a family. | B．Each family has its own value among its members. |
| C．Trees without deep roots can’t grow tall and strong | D．Roots are the most important of a tree. |
According to the passage, ______ other people have the same disease as Nick’s.
| A．two | B．three | C．eleven | D．twelve |
What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Nothing Is Impossible | B．Keep Trying Forever | C．The roots | D．Nick and his Skateboard |
Many years ago my
student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide.
"Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were cra zy and walked away looking confused . I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输) in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too.
Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.. Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?
| A．Because he thought her answer was unbelievable. |
| B．Because the writer was insincere. |
| C．Because the student was naughty. |
| D．Because the answer was difficult to understand. |
. What do you think of the writer?
| A．Stupid. | B．Honest. | C．Insincere. | D．Polite. |
. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The writer’s mother has the greatest influence on her. |
| B．The writer’s answer made the student confused. |
| C．In the writer’s opinion, some people in the world are unfit to teach. |
| D．The writer annoyed the student who asked the question. |
. We can infer from the text that _________.
| A．the writer was also a good teacher in school |
| B．the writer often plays with her students beside a pond |
| C．the writer devotes herself to teaching and her students. |
| D．the writer often accompanies the students on their way home |
. What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．A student’s silly question. | B．A good teacher who likes students. |
| C．A confused student. | D．The reason why I teach. |
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As children face their final month of revision before the exam season starts, many parents are looking for the words to motivate their offspring．But could they be mistakenly praising the value of ability over effort, asks Matthew Syed．
Take a glance at these expressions of encouragement:
"You learned that so quickly, you're so smart!"
"Look at that drawing．Are you -the next Picasso or what?"
They appear as the kind of confidence-boosting statements that should be given to children or, indeed, anyone else．Such phrases are used in homes and classrooms every day, particularly with exams approaching．
Intelligence-based praise leads the receiver towards the fixed thought —it suggests to them that intelligence is of primary importance rather than the effort through which intelligence can be transformed．
Let's take a quick second look into the science of expertise, and ask a question．Where does excellence come from? For a long time, it was thought the answer to this depended, to a large degree, on genetic inheritance．Or, to put it another way, it is all about talent．
It turns out that this is mistaken．Dozens of studies have found that top performers—whether in maths, mi sic or whatever—learn no faster than those who reach lower levels of achievement—hour after hour, they improve at almost the same rates．
The difference is simply that high achievers practice for more hours．Further research has shown that when students seem to possess a particular gift, it is often because they have been given extra tuition at home by their parents．
This is not to deny that some kids start out better than others—it is merely to suggest that the starting point we have in life is not particularly relevant．
Why? Because, over time, with the right, kind of practice, we change so dramatically．It is not just the body that changes, but the brain．The question of talent versus effort would not matter terribly much if it as merely theoretical．But it is so much more than that．It influences the way we think, feel, and the way we engage with our world．What is the best title of this passage?
| A．The Words That Could Encourage Your Child |
| B．Intelligence Says All |
| C．High and Low Achievers |
| D．Start Early, Learn More |
Which statement is intelligence-based praise?
| A．"You're so brilliant - you passed that exam without really studying!" |
| B．"With more efforts, you can achieve more!" |
| C．" You combine study with entertainment so well!" |
| D．"You study so hard even when you are so good at it!" |
The writer thinks the answer to the question of talent versus effort is _____．
| A．simple | B．complicated | C．obvious | D．mysterious |
Why do some people have higher achievements?
| A．Because they are born with great talent. |
| B．Because they start better than others. |
| C．Because they spend more of their spare time practicing what they have learnt. |
| D．Because they improve themselves at almost the same rates. |
Butter is bad for you—so is margarine（人造黄油）．Coffee raises blood pressure, but may protect against cancer．Alcohol is okay, but only if it's wine．The confusing studies on what is safe to eat and drink are enough to make it impossible for anyone to understand what "good food" is．
Take the margarine-butter debate for example．Studies that linked fat—found mostly in animal products such as meat and butter—with cancer and heart disease sent millions rushing to buy margarine．But then another study found that people who ate a lot of margarine also had high levels of heart disease．For those who have a firm faith in science, this seems to be the end of the world．
But many doctors point out that their advice has never been conflicting．For years, and in various countries, they have recommended eating less fat．
People in western countries such as Britain and the United States get about 40 percent of their calories from fat．Doctors say this should be around 30 or even 25 percent,
"We must try to reduce total fat," said Dr．Robert Richardson of the University of Edinburgh, who has been studying the effects of fat on human health for years．
"We need to go to more such food as bread, in particular brown bread, and more fruit and vegetables．"
Fresh produce may not be so safe, either．Last month the British Government advised consumers to peel their pears before eating, while many Americans briefly avoided apples because of fears over an insect killing chemical．
But Dr．Arnold, a British scientist, said any risk of such poisoning would be outweighed by the costs of not eating plant foods．
"On balance, if you were to put both risks against each other, the advice has to be eating as much fruit and vegetable daily as possible," she said．
In general, doctors conclude, variety truly is the best policy．"The general advice is pretty much the same advice that doctors have been talking about for a long time—a varied diet, a mixture of foods and not too much of any one," Arnold said．In which section of the magazine are you most likely to find this passage?
| A．Arts and Culture | B．Entertainment |
| C．Nature | D．Health |
The British Government advised consumers to peel their pears before eating because ________．
| A．it found that there were insects on the pears |
| B．it wanted consumers to avoid insect, killing chemicals |
| C．the skin of pears was found to be bad for people's health |
| D．it was a bad habit not to peel them |
The underlined word "outweigh" （Para. 8） means " __________．"
| A．to be heavier than usual or allowed | B．to be more dangerous than |
| C．to be greater in value or importance than | D．to be considered less important than |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Many doctors say that their advice has never been conflicting． |
| B．Science provides answers to all our questions． |
| C．We should peel our pears before eating． |
| D．We should eat plant foods despite the risk of poisoning． |
For better or worse, multiple marriages aren't just for actress Elizabeth Taylor （famous for her eight marriages） anymore．
More Americans than ever are tying the knot for the third time or more．
Lynn Y. Naugle, a 53-yeap-old family therapist in New Orleans, says that people's personal needs and desires simply change as their life evolves．
"What functions well in the first part of our lives may not function well in the second or third part of our lives," she explains．The first marriage lasted 21 years, her second marriage five years．Two years ago, she wed for a third time, and she describes this union as an "extremely easy marriage"．
Today, at an estimated one of seven weddings, the bride, the groom or both are making that trip down the aisle for at least the third time．That's twice as many as a generation ago, according to the US National Centre for Health Statistics．
In part, the sudden change in multiple marriages is a side effect of the 1970s divorce increase that has supplied an ever expanding pool of divorced singles．Even the simple fact that people are living longer has opened the door to marrying more often．No fault divorce laws （meaning no one is blamed for the failure of the marriage）, and cultural changes have also meant there's less pressure than in past generations to stay in a joyless or abusive marriage．
While a single divorce didn't block either Ronald Reagan or Bob Dole from seeking the most highly demanding job in America—the US presidency—modern society still raises an; eyebrow at more than one
marriage mistake．
Indeed, there are signs that attitudes are changing．"It's coming out of the closet or becoming more accepted," says Glenda Riley, who wrote a book on the history of divorce in the US．"There's still embarrassment on the personal level, while there is growing acceptance on the public level for three or more marriages in a lifetime．"
There is no guarantee, of course, that the third time is the best．To the contrary, second and third marriages run an equal or greater risk of divorce than first marriages, which today are given 4 out of 10 odds of failing, and they tend to end more quickly．Divorce statistics show that failed second marriages typically end two years sooner than first marriages, lasting six years on average rather than eight．That leaves some doubly divorced people open for a third try at a relatively young age．What does the underlined phrase "tying the knot" （Para．2） mean?
| A．Getting married． | B．Getting engaged． |
| C．Having babies． | D．Attending funerals, |
What is NOT the reason for the increase in multiple marriages according to the passage?
| A．People are healthier and enjoy a longer life than ever before． |
| B．Many people have become single after a divorce boom in the past years． |
| C．There is no divorce law restricting people to getting divorced． |
| D．People have less pressure to leave a joyless marriage． |
What can we learn from the seventh paragraph?
| A．Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole failed in seeking the job （the US presidency） because they were divorced． |
| B．Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole succeeded in seeking the job （the US presidency） because they were not divorced． |
| C．Modern society accepts multiple marriages completely． |
| D．There is still prejudice against multiple marriages in modern society． |
Which of the statement is WRONG?
| A．Acceptance to multiple marriages is different on personal level and public level． |
| B．Because second marriages end sooner than first ones, people get married for the third time at a relatively young age． |
| C．People learn from experience so that a second or third marriage is more stable |
| D．The first marriage lasts eight year on average． |
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