If you look for a book as a present for a child, you will be spoiled for choice even in a year when there is no new Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling’s wizard is not alone: the past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books, which has set off a large quantity of films and in turn led to increased sales of classics such as The Lord of the Rings.
Yet despite that, reading is increasingly unpopular among children. According to statistics, in 1997 23% said they didn’t like reading at all. In 2003, 35% did. And around 6% of children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.
Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability（可利用性）of computer games. Maybe the books boom（繁荣）has affected only the top of the educational pile. Either way, Chancellor Gordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class. In his pre-budget（预算） report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.
Reading Recovery is aimed at six-year-olds, who receive four months of individual daily half- hour classes with a specially trained teacher. An evaluation earlier this year reported that children on the scheme made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress, and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.
International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school they read well, but read less – often for fun than those elsewhere. Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on（热衷） reading can expect lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator（指示物）of future educational success. According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage.Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?
| A．Many children’s books have been adapted from films. |
| B．Many high-quality children’s books have been published. |
| C．The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films. |
| D．The sales of presents for children have increased. |
Statistics suggested that ___.
| A．the number of top students increased with the use of computers. |
| B．a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading. |
| C．a minority of primary school children read properly. |
| D．a large percentage of children read regularly. |
What do we know about Reading Recovery?
| A．An education of it will be made sometime this year. |
| B．Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking. |
| C．It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading. |
| D．Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading. |
Reading for fun is important because book-loving children ____.
| A．takes greater advantage of the project. |
| B．shows the potential to enjoy a long life. |
| C．is likely to succeed in their education. |
| D．would make excellent future researchers. |
The aim of this text would probably be ____.
| A．to overcome primary school pupils’ reading difficulty. |
| B．to encourage the publication of more children’s books. |
| C．to remind children of the importance of reading for fun. |
| D．to introduce a way to improve early childhood reading. |
Two years ago, the Funk family of suburban Chicago adopted a Chinese baby girl who had been abandoned on a sidewalk near a Yangzhou textile factory.
Last year and halfway across the United States, the Ramirez family of suburban Miami adopted a girl who had been abandoned a week later on the same spot.
Both families named their daughters Mia. It turns out, a first name and Chinese heritage aren’t the only things the three-year-olds have in common. The girls’ mothers—Holly Funk and Diana Ramirez—met on a website for parents who had gone through international adoptions. After a flurry of e-mails comparing photographs and biographical details, DNA testing proved the families’ suspicions: The girls are probably fraternal (手足般的) twins.
“I was in shock,” said Ramirez, who lives with her husband Carlos in Pembroke Pines, Florida. “Well, now this is for real.”
The Internet and Web groups revolving around international orphanages are increasingly being used to link adopted children with biological kin(亲属). The site that the Funks and Ramirezes used has a membership of 137 people, with 15 sets of twins and seven sets of siblings whose relationships have been confirmed.
At a reunion on Friday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Mia Diamond Funk Mia Hanying Ramirez shyly surveyed each other, then reached for each other’s hand.
DNA tests established an 85 percent probability that the girls are at least half sisters. Scientists did not have a biological parent to test and reach a greater certainty, but given their ages and physical similarities, experts say it is likely they are fraternal twins.
Douglas and Holly Funk hope to take Mia to Miami in October. Both sets of parents say they are committed to staying in touch and often let the twins talk to each other on the phone.. Both the adopted girls shared a first name ________.
| A．because they both came from China |
| B．because of their physical similarities |
| C．because their US parents suspected they were twins |
| D．for no good reason |
Why did the girls’ mothers meet on the Internet?
| A．To compare photographs of the two girls. |
| B．To communicate with other people who had adopted children abroad. |
| C．To test their suspicion. |
| D．To exchange experiences on adopting children. |
Experts are still not 100 percent sure that the two girls are fraternal twins because ________.
| A．DNA tests are still not accurate enough |
| B．the two girls were born by different parents |
| C．the DNA of a biological parent is still missing |
| D．one girl is born a week later than the other |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Adopted Twins Reunited on Internet |
| B．Adopted Twins Live happily in the US. |
| C．Suspicion Turned into Reality |
| D．The Story of Adopted Twins and Their Parents |
What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道）.
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job: after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.What is John Harrison’s job?
| A．An official. | B．An ice-cream taster. |
| C．A chemist. | D．An ice-cream manufacturer. |
According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.
| A．keep a diary of work | B．have a degree in chemistry |
| C．have new ideas every day | D．find out new flavors each day |
What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
| A．He stirs the ice cream. |
| B．He examines the color of the ice cream. |
| C．He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. |
| D．He lets the ice cream cool down. |
Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes．Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden （监狱长） at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941．In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine．
Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect ．She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing．She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them．Most importantly, she cared about them．And as a result, they cared deeply about her．
Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident．The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral．He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open．Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells．There were so many that they proceeded unguarded．But no one tried to escape．If he had, the others might have killed him immediately．So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven．
Katherine’ s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals．Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for．"When Katherine’s husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________．
| A．encouraging the prisoners | B．visiting the prison houses |
| C．spending time in listening to the prisoners | D．doing some writing for the prisoner |
Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?
| A．Because Katherine was the wife of the warden． |
| B．Because Katherine didn’t look down upon them and cared about them． |
| C．Because Katherine made reforms in the prison． |
| D．Because Katherine had been killed by one of them． |
Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?
| A．The policemen at the funeral． | B．The guards． |
| C．The other prisoners． | D．The policemen from other prisons． |
The best title of this passage is_________．
| A．To Honor Their Souls | B．Reforms at Sing Sing Prison |
| C．To Meet Their Requirement | D． Katherine Lawes’ s Life |
E— The environmental Magazine
If you are concerned about your health , your family’s health and the future of our planet , and want to know “ What can I do ? ” to make a difference , you’ll love reading E —The Environmental Magazine . A 12-time Independent Press Awards winner and nominee (被提名者) ，E is full of everything environmental —from recycling to rainforests and from the global village to our own backyards .
1 year (6 issues ) — $24.95
2 years (12 issues ) — $ 34.95
Add $ 10.00 /year for Canadian postage
Add $ 40.00 / year for foreign postage
Edinburgh Young Caregivers Project
We work with young caregivers . We want to colour the lives of some of these young people by introducing them to someone who will try to understand them , listen , work towards agreed goals and have some FUN ! Is that person you ? Are you aged 18-25 ? Could you help and encourage a young person to recognize what they want and work towards getting it ? You can encourage and help someone and in return help yourself ! You will learn new skills and build on your own experience .
Contact : Sue Mackay
Email : sue.mackay @ yahoocarers .org.uk
Belvedere Castle Exhibit
Date (s ): February 16 ,2008—February 16 , 2018
Time(s) : 10:00a.m—5:00p.m
Event scheduling : Sunday , Tuesday , Wednesday , Thursday , Friday , Saturday
Event details : The exhibit covers two floors of the Castle , and currently features an informational panel (面) on the importance of trees and display of common birds that can be found in surrounding areas . All Ages . Free . Reservations required for groups of 25 people or more . Call 212-772-0210 for information . ( click to show map )
Tennis Skills Camp
August 2-6 , 2010 registration deadline : July 15, 2010
This camp , held on the Alfred University Tennis Courts，is for boys and girls entering grades 7-12. Training at the beginners through advanced levels will be provided .
This camp is directed and coached by Dave Brady , tennis coach at Alfred-Almond Central School .
Camp sessions will be held Monday through Friday , from 4:00-6:30 p.m
Cost : $ 150 per person From the first ad , we know E—The Environmental Magazine ________ .
A. mainly deals with political problems B. costs a Canadian reader $34.95 a year
C+. is a monthly publication D. has won Independent press Awards 12 ="imes" .The second ad is intended for _______ .
| A．job seekers | B．trainers | C．teachers | D．volunteers |
What do we know about Belvedere Castle Exhibit ?
| A．It mainly focuses on wildlife . |
| B．A group of more than 25 visitors to it can get a discount . |
| C．It lasts for more than eleven years . |
| D．You can go to see the exhibit every day during the week . |
IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.
A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.
Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft（竖井）drilled 622 meters into the rocks.
Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Rescued miners speak out | B．A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile |
| C．Miners’ life deep underground | D．Chilean president honors rescued miners |
How many rescued miners are still in hospital?
| A．3. | B．33. | C．30. | D．69. |
|
The rescue is great for the reason that ______.
| A．it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep |
| B．the American space agency took part |
| C．Chilean President was on the rescuing spot |
| D．33 trapped miners were saved |
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