Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. However, scientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important. New evidence suggests that the link between handwriting and educational development is deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they are also better able to create ideas and remember information. In other words, it’s not only what we write that matters — but how.
A study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, gave support to that view. A group of children, who had not learned to read and write, were offered a letter or a shape on a card and asked to copy it in one of three ways: draw the image on a page but with a dotted outline（虚线）, draw it on a piece of blank white paper, or type it on a computer. Then the researchers put the children in a brain scanner and showed them the image again.
It was found that when children had drawn a letter freehand without a dotted outline or a computer, the activity in three areas of the brain were increased. These three areas work actively in adults when they read and write. By contrast, children who chose the other two ways showed no such effect. Dr. James attributes the differences to the process of free handwriting: Not only must we first plan and take action in a way but we are also likely to produce a result that is variable. Those are not necessary when we have an outline.
It’s time for educators to change their mind and pay more attention to children’s handwriting.What do scientists mean by saying “it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important”?
| A．Handwriting is not very important to children. |
| B．Handwriting has nothing to do with education. |
| C．Handwriting should not be ignored at present. |
| D．Handwriting can not be learned in a short time. |
What does “that view” in Para. 3 refer to?
| A．Children read quickly when they write by hand. |
| B．How we write is as important as what we write. |
| C．Children create ideas and remember information. |
| D．A group of students should know what to write. |
Which is NOT the children’s task in the experiment?
| A．Copy the image on a page but with a dotted outline. |
| B．Draw the image on a piece of blank white paper. |
| C．Type the image directly on a computer. |
| D．Put a brain scanner and show the image again. |
According to the passage, the author obviously _______ giving up handwriting.
| A．is for | B．is against |
| C．is responsible for | D．doesn’t care about |
A beautiful woman took a plane on business. She found her seat and sat down next to a young man. The man was just thinking of making a few dollars on the plane. When he saw the woman, he got an idea.
“Hey! Would you like to play a game?” he asked the woman. “No, thank you. I just want to take a nap (打盹),” the woman answered.
“It’s really easy. All you have to do is to answer the questions that I ask you. If you don’t know the answer, you give me five dollars. If I don’t know the answer to your question, then I’ll give you five dollars.”
“No,” the woman still refused.
“OK. If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll give you five hundred dollars. How about that?” the man said. Then the woman became interested and decided to join in the game.
“OK. How many moons does Jupiter (木星) have?” asked the young man. The woman reached into her purse and took out a five-dollar bill.
“What goes up the mountain with three legs and comes back with four?” the woman asked. Then the young man took out his computer and searched the Internet for an answer. Minutes later, the young man handed five hundred dollars to the woman.
After a few hours, the young man really wanted to know the answer to the question. So he asked the woman, “What is the answer to your question?” The woman reached into her purse and handed the young man a five-dollar bill.Why did the man ask the woman to play a game?
| A．He wanted to show his kindness. |
| B．He wanted to have a pleasant journey. |
| C．He wanted to earn some money from it. |
| D．He wanted to make friends with the woman. |
How much did the woman get at the end of the story?
| A．$ 500. | B．$ 5. | C．$ 10. | D．$ 490. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The woman told the man the answer to her question. |
| B．The woman gave the man’s money back to him. |
| C．The woman asked the man another question. |
| D．The woman didn’t know the answer, either. |
We can learn from the story that the woman is ______.
| A．clever | B．friendly |
| C．polite | D．honest |
The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one. An estimated 90 percent of all illnesses may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat whatever foods we want, and live a completely sedentary life style without any exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do.
A multitude(多数；大批) of factors, both inherited and environmental, influence the development of health related behaviors, and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all these factors as they may affect any given individual. However, the decision to adopt a particular health related behavior is usually one of personal choices. There are healthy choices and there are unhealthy choices. In discussing the morals of personal choice, Fries and Grapo drew a comparison. They suggest that to knowingly give oneself over to a behavior that has a statistical(统计数字的) probability of shortening life is similar to attempting suicide(自杀). Thus, for those individuals who are interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life, personal health choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statistical probability of increased vitality(活力；生命力) and longevity(长寿).The concept of personal choice concerning health is important because ____.
| A．personal health choice help cure most illness |
| B．it helps raise the level of our medical knowledge |
| C．it is essential to personal freedom in American society |
| D．wrong decisions could lead to poor health |
To “live a completely sedentary life style”（L7, Para.1）in the passage means____.
| A．to“live an inactive life” |
| B．to “live a proper life” |
| C．to“live a life with complete freedom” |
| D．to “live a life of evil” |
Sound personal health choice is often difficult to make because ____.
| A．current medical knowledge is still insufficient |
| B．there are many factors influencing our decisions |
| C．few people are willing to trade the quality of life for the quantity of life |
| D．people are usually influenced by the behavior of their friends |
To knowingly allow oneself to pursue unhealthy habits is compared by Fries and Crapo to ____.
| A．improving the quality of one’s life |
| B．limiting one’s personal health choice |
| C．deliberately ending one’s life |
| D．breaking the rules of social behavior |
According to Fries and Crapo sound health choices should be based on ____.
| A．personal decisions | B．society’s laws |
| C．statistical evidence | D．friend’s opinions |
Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real．You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behaviour，but when you're asleep， your sleeping position shows the real you．In a normal night，of course，people frequently change their position．The important position is the one that you go to sleep in．
If you go to sleep on your back，you're a very open person．You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas．You don't like to upset people，so you never express your real feelings．You're quite shy and you aren't very confident．
If you sleep on your stomach，you are a rather secretive（不坦率的）person．You worry a lot and you're always easily upset．You're very stubborn（顽固的），but you aren't very ambitious．You usually live for today not for tomorrow．This means that you enjoy having a good time．
If you sleep curled up（卷曲），you are probably a very nervous person．You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive．You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people．You prefer to be on your own．You're easily hurt．
If you sleep on your side，you have usually got a well-balanced personality．You know your strengths and weaknesses．You're usually careful． You have a confident personality．You sometimes feel anxious，but you don't often get depressed．You always say what you think even if it annoys people．According to the writer，you naturally show your secret and real personality _____.
| A．only in a normal night |
| B．only when you go to sleep |
| C．only when you refuse to show yourself to the world |
| D．only when you change sleeping position |
Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person's personality？
| A．He or she is always open with others． |
| B．He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others． |
| C．He or she is always easily upset． |
| D．He or she tends to believe in others． |
Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping on his or her stomach？
| A．He or she is careful not to offend others． |
| B．He or she doesn't want to stick to his or her opinion． |
| C．He or she can't be successful in any business． |
| D．He or she likes to bring others happiness． |
Maybe you don't want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up．Why？
| A．He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you． |
| B．He or she is rarely ready to help you． |
| C．He or she prefers staying at home to going out． |
| D．He or she wouldn't like to get help from you． |
It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because ______ ．
| A．he or she always shows sympathy for people |
| B．he or she is confident，but not stubborn |
| C．he or she has more strengths than weaknesses |
| D．he or she often considers annoying people |
One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected （可疑的） police killer David Bieber -- and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to ￡30,000 reward money.
Vicki Brown, 30, played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt. Vicki, who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years, told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said: "I was very nervous. But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there.”
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious （怀疑） of the guest who checked in at 3 pm the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said: "He didn't seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact （接触）." Vicki, the only employee on duty, called her bosses Margaret, 64, and husband Stan McKale, 65, who phoned the police at 11 pm.
Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man. Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
"It was about ten past two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ‘Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside?'. My heart missed a beat."
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
"I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel, so I went to watch. I could not see into the man's room, but I could see the passage. The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing. Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed （带上手铐）。The underlined phrase "be in line for" （ paragraph 1 ） means __
| A．get | B．be paid | C．ask for | D．own |
Vicki became suspicious of David Bieber because __________.
| A．the police called her |
| B．he looked very strange |
| C．he came to the hotel with little luggage |
| D．he came to the hotel the day before New Year's Eve |
Vicki’s heart missed a beat because _________.
| A．the phone went again |
| B．she would be famous |
| C．the policemen had already arrived |
| D．she saw 20 policemen in the car park |
David Bieber was most probably handcuffed in ________.
| A．the passage | B．the man's room |
| C．Vicki's bedroom | D．the top floor room |
The whole event probably lasted about _______ hours from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers.
| A．6 | B．8 | C．11 | D．14 |
Washington, D.C. is home to famous buildings, memorials and museums that visitors love. But it is also home to a large and beautiful green space. There are many arboretums in the city. Today, we take you to the United States National Arboretum, an active center for both scientific research and public education.
Many people who come to Washington are astonished when they first visit the National Arboretum. The Arboretum is only a short drive from the center of the city. However, visitors often feel like they are remote from the busy American capital. The Arboretum covers one hundred eighty hectares of green space in the northeast part of Washington. The area is famous for its beautiful flowers, tall trees and other plants. About nine thousand different kinds of plants grow there.
The National Arboretum was established by an act of Congress in 1927. Today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service operates the Arboretum.
The goal of the Arboretum is to carry out studies and provide education in an effort to improve the environment. The goal includes protecting trees, flowers and other plants and showing them to the public. The National Arboretum is a popular stop for visitors to Washington. It is open every day of the year except December twenty-fifth, the Christmas holiday. Money is not necessary to visit the Arboretum.
As many as six hundred thousand people visit the Arboretum’s grounds each year. Hundreds of thousands of people also visit with the help of computers. They use the Arboretum’s Internet web site to learn about current research programmes and how to care for plants. Director Thomas Elias says Arboretum officials would like to see even more visitors. He says they believe that many people do not know it exists. Part of the problem might result from the fact that the Arboretum is about five kilometers from the closest train station. Many famous places in Washington are a short walk from Metrorail, the local train system.
The Arboretum is easy to reach by automobile or bus, however. About fifteen kilometers of roads have been built on the property. The roads connect to major collections and seasonal flowers. The Arboretum also welcomes people on bicycles. Disabled persons or those who want to walk only short distances may visit four beautiful areas that are close to each other.The underlined word “arboretums” in Paragraph 1 means______.
| A．memorials with trees and other plants around them |
| B．buildings with trees and other plants around them |
| C．museums with trees and other plants for scientific and educational purposes |
| D．places with trees and other plants for scientific and educational purposes |
What do we learn about the National Arboretum according to the passage?
| A．It lies to the northeast part of Washington, free to visit it. |
| B．In fact it is a short walk from Metrorail, the local train system. |
| C．It is surprising and attractive. |
| D．It is where the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service is. |
Why was the National Arboretum established by an act of Congress?
| A．To protect and study about nine thousand different kinds of plants there. |
| B．To make it a popular stop for visitors to Washington. |
| C．To grow trees for Christmas. |
| D．To improve the environment. |
How many ways are there for visitors to choose if they visit the Arboretum?
| A．Five. | B．Six. | C．Seven. | D．Eight. |
Which of the following would be the best conclusion of this passage?
A．Washington, D.C. is home to famous buildings, memorials and museums.
B．The National Arboretum in Washington offers science of nature and public education.
C．The National Arboretum in Washington is an interest of green place.
D．The National Arboretum is a place where trees and other plants are grown.
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