The National Dark-Sky Week (NDSW) is a week during which people all over the United States turn off their lights to enjoy the beauty of the night sky without light pollution. This even was started by Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia in 2003, and it is becoming more popular each year. It has been supported by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical League.
This even always occurs in April, during the week of the new moon so that the sky can be as dark as possible for the best viewing conditions.
“It is my wish that people could see the night sky without other light in the sky as our ancestors (祖先) saw it hundreds of years ago,” explains Barlow.
Since it only lasts a week and not everyone in the country will take part in it, how will the National Dark-Sky Week reduce light pollution? The main goal of NDSW is to increase awareness (意识) of the harmful effects of light pollution. It is not possible for all of the light pollution in this part of the world to disappear. However, it is possible to make a small difference in the quality of the night sky. Another goal of this even is to promote (促进) the use of better lighting systems that direct light toward the ground instead of up into the sky.
Jennifer Barlow states, “The night sky is a gift of such beauty that it should not be polluted by wasted light. In this way, our children will not lose touch with the wonder of our universe.”This passage is mainly about ______________.
| A．better lighting systems | B．the beauty of the night sky |
| C．the harm of light pollution | D．the National Dark-Sky Week |
Which of the following statements about the National Dark-Sky Week is WRONG?
| A．It is becoming more and more popular in America. |
| B．The event was started in 2003 by Jennifer Barlow. |
| C．The event takes place in the first week of every April. |
| D．American people are supposed to turn off their lights during that week. |
What is Jennifer Barlow’s wish?
| A．That light would be directed up into the sky. |
| B．That the sky would always be as dark as possible. |
| C．That people could see the night sky without light pollution as our ancestors did. |
| D．That people could spend time enjoying the beauty of the sky every night. |
We can infer from the underlined（划线的）sentence in Paragraph 4 that ________.
| A．many people in America hate this event |
| B．it may be hard to reduce light pollution |
| C．the event should last a month every year |
| D．light will no longer pollute the sky soon |
What is the main goal of the National Dark-Sky Week?
| A．To promote the use of better lighting systems. |
| B．To help people realize the harm of light pollution. |
| C．To cause all the light pollution in America to disappear. |
| D．To help young children enjoy the wonder of our universe. |
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Booking an advice session
Sessions may be booked in advance by calling 0118 378 4242 0r emailing studyadvice@reading.ac.uk. Please include a contact phone number in any messages you leave.The underlined word "tailor_made" in Paragraph 2 most probably means .
| A．valuable | B．suitable | C．available | D．acceptable |
As sessions are time-limited,it is helpful if you can .
| A．predict what suggestion works best for you |
| B．bring some non-marked work for comments |
| C．prepare what you'd like to discuss in advance |
| D．consult with your adviser on your work by phone |
If a Chinese student plans to take an English pronunciation training course, he/she can see the guide to .
| A．Study Guides | B．Effective Proof-reading |
| C．Academic Writing | D．In-sessional English Support Programme |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To give some professional subject advice. |
| B．To promote the individual advice sessions. |
| C．To stress the importance of a friendly adviser. |
| D．To provide four websites offering study guides. |
My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time.”Grandma, you are an antique(古董),”she said. "You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique."
I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster's Dictionary and read the definition(定义)to Jenny.I explained, "An antique is not only old, it's an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,"I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. "They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old."
"I'm only 67,"I renunded Jenny.
We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from rone aunt to another and finally to our family. "It's very old,"I told Jenny.“I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."
There was a picture on the wall purchased at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. "Now that's an antique," I boasted. "Over 100 years old." Of course it was marked up and scratched and not in very good condition. "Sometimes age does that," I told Jenny. "But the marks are good marks. They show living, being around. That's something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become." It was important that I believed this for my own self-esteem.
Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn't buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They'd been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They'd lasted through years and years. They could have been tossed away, or ignored. or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.
For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don't have any antiques but you," she said. Then her face brightened. "Could I take you to school for show and tell?"
"Only if I fit into your backpack," I answered. And then Jenny's antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.Grandma read the definition of "antique" to Jenny in order to .
| A．list all the important characteristics of antiques |
| B．tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques |
| C．change Jenny's shallow understanding of antiques |
| D．express her disappointment at being called "antique" |
Which of the following information did grandma convey to Jenny?
| A．The desk reminded her of her dear relatives. |
| B．The marks on the picture showed its age and value. |
| C．There was usually a sad story behind each antique. |
| D．She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one. |
By saying "I don't have any antiques but you" (Paragraph 7), Jenny meant .
| A．grandma was a treasure to her |
| B．antiques were rare and valuable |
| C．she had nothing but a few possessions |
| D．grandma and antiques had a lot in common |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up. |
| B．Jenny had a strong desire for grandma's love. |
| C．Jenny was too young to know grandma's humor. |
| D．Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny. |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Jenny's Antique | B．A Story of Antiques |
| C．A Tour of Antiques | D．Grandma's Antique |
Short and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team. "Football, tennis,cricket — anything with a round ball, I was useless." he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England's rural Devonshire.
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend. Gradually, Saunders set his mind building up his body, increasing his speed, strength and endurance. At age 18, he ran his first marathon.
The following year, he met John Ridgway, who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway's school of Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about the older man's cold-water exploits (成就). Intrigued, Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions, then decided that this would be his future.
Journeys to the Pole aren't the usual holidays for British country boys, and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy. "John Ridgway was one of the few who didn't say, 'You are completely crazy,'" Saunders says.
In 2001, after becoming a skilled skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole. He suffered frostbite, had a closer encounter (遭遇) with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he's skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton. His old playmates would not believe the transformation.
This October, Saunders, 27, heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, an 1800-mile journey that has never been completed on skis.The turning point in Saunders'life came when ________.
| A．he started to play ball games |
| B．he got a mountain bike at age 15 |
| C．he ran his first marathon at age 18 |
| D．he started to receive Ridgway's training |
We can learn from the text that Ridgway ________.
| A．dismissed Saunders' dream as fantasy |
| B．built up his body together with Saunders |
| C．hired Saunders for his cold-water experience |
| D．won his fame for his voyage across the Atlantic |
What do we know about Saunders?
| A．He once worked at a school in Scotland. |
| B．He followed Ridgway to explore the North Pole. |
| C．He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid. |
| D．He was the first Briton to ski alone to the North Pole. |
The underlined word "Intrigued" in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A．Excited | B．Convinced | C．Delighted | D．Fascinated |
It can be inferred that Saunders' journey to the North Pole ________.
| A．was accompanied by his old playmates |
| B．set a record in the North Pole expedition |
| C．was supported by other Arctic explorers |
| D．made him well-known in the 1960s |
Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”
“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”
“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”
“How silly you are!” cried the Miller. “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”
Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”
“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”
“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”
“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. From the passage, we can learn that Hans ___________.
| A．was extremely wise and noble |
| B．was highly valued by the Miller |
| C．admired the Miller very much |
| D．had a strong desire for fortune |
“Flour is one thing, and friendship is another” can be understood as ___________.
| A．“Different words may mean quite different things.” |
| B．“Interest is long-lasting while friendship is flexible.” |
| C．“I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life.” |
| D．“I think being generous is the base of friendship.” |
From the Miller’s talk at home, we can see he was ___________.
| A．serious but kind |
| B．helpful and generous |
| C．caring but strict |
| D．selfish and cold-hearted |
What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?
| A．True friendship between them. |
| B．A lack of formal education. |
| C．A sudden change of weather. |
| D．Blind devotion to a friend. |
The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ___________.
| A．entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale |
| B．show the friendship between Hans and the Miller |
| C．warn the readers about the danger of a false friend |
| D．persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller |
Going to school means learning new skills and facts in different subjects. Teachers teach and students learn, and many scientists are interested in finding ways to improve both teaching and learning processes.
Sian Beilock and Susan Leving, two psychologists at the University of Chicago, are trying to learn about learning. In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock and Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn: If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math. “If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement,” Levine told Science News. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.
Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn—and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone.
The new study involved 65 girls, 52 boys and 17 first-and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.
The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers: To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example, was probably anxious about math.
Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher’s anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math—and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers with math anxiety.
According to surveys done before this one, college students who want to become elementary school teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are women, Levine said.Sian Beilock and Susan Levine carried out the new research in order to ___________.
| A．know the effects of teaching on learning | B．study students’ ways of learning math |
| C．prove women teachers are unfit to teach math | D．find better teaching methods for teachers |
The underlined part in paragraph 2 most probably means that girls may ___________.
| A．end up learning math anxiety from their teachers |
| B．study the ways their female teachers behave |
| C．have an influence on their math-anxious female teachers |
| D．gain unexpected achievement in such subjects as math |
In the study, what were the teachers required to do?
| A．Prepare two math achievement tests for the students |
| B．Tell their feelings about math problems |
| C．Answer whether a math superstar had to be a boy |
| D．Compare the students’ scores after the math tests |
What is the finding of the new study?
| A．No male students were affected by their teachers’ anxiety |
| B．Almost all the girls got lower scores in the tests than the boys |
| C．About 30% of the girls thought boys are better at math than girls |
| D．Girls with math-anxious teachers all failed in the math tests |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．117 students and teachers took part in the new study |
| B．The researchers felt surprised at the findings of their study |
| C．Beilock and Levine are interested in teaching math |
| D．Men teachers are better at teaching math than women teachers |
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