“A very destructive seven-year old child kicked my legs and scratched at my hand,” said one teacher. “I broke up a fight and was kicked,” said another. Many people have heard stories like this. But the situation is more worrying still and it involves parents.
Every child, regardless of the circumstances into which they are born, has the right to achieve their potential, regardless of their parents' wealth and class. And we recognize that, as a nation, it is a long way to achieve this goal. But rights come with responsibilities and what worries people is that we are in danger of neglecting the latter.
Far too many children are behaving badly at school, even to the point of being violent to staff. This is terrible enough, but it is hard to be surprised since many children are just mirroring the behavior of their parents. Too many are starting school unable to hold a knife and fork, unused to eating at a table，and unable to use the lavatory properly.
We are in danger of becoming a nation of families living separate lives under one roof. The bedroom, once a place to sleep, has become the living space for the young. Spending hours in front of computer screens, on social networking sites or being immersed in computer games, children and young people spend little time with their parents. Parents are unable to monitor just what their children are watching.
Schools cannot right the wrongs of society and teachers cannot become substitute parents. Both parties need to work together. Parents must be helped and given confidence to take back control. They are responsible for setting boundaries for their children's behavior and sticking to those boundaries when the going gets tough. They are responsible for setting a good example to their children and for devoting that most precious of resources---time---so that children come to school ready and willing to learn.
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children’s behavior at school is worrying people |
| B．Parents expect schools to correct their children’s bad habits |
| C．There is no point in parents’ teaching children at home |
| D．Don’t blame teachers when it’s parents who are failing |
Ning Zetao has become China’s new swimming star due to his amazing performance at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon(仁川), South Korea.
With already two gold medals in hand, the 21-year-old clocked 47.70 seconds in the 100m freestyle, setting a new Asian record. This result has been recognized by FINA as the world’s third best time this year, fast enough to have won a gold medal in last year’s Barcelona World Championships.
“It is my first international event,” said Ning, who later won a fourth gold medal in Incheon. “I am happy that my results are pretty close to my personal best.”
Born in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou，Ning entered the local team at the age of 11 and joined the navy team in 2007．He first caught people’s attention in 2009 when he finished eighth in the 200m individual medley at the National Games.
Nevertheless, Ning suffered from bone infection in both knees for a long time, which made him unable to train hard on his kicks.
He also had an indigestion problem and had to eat “soft” food which is easy to digest. His poor stomach even made it impossible for him to complete week-long full time training.
But the young swimmer never gives up. His idol is the great Russian swimmer Alexander Popov, who continued to win Olympic gold medals after he was stabbed on a street. Ning said, “He was a real fighter and I need to learn from him.”
Taken better care of by coaches and doctors, Ning can now train as normally as others. And that is why he can get today’s achievements.
The gold medals at the Asian Games also boosted the confidence of the new swimming star, who hopes to enter the national team and compete for China in more international events.
“Chinese men’s swimmers have never been placed among top eight in the short-distance freestyle,” he said. “I hope I can do it, just like what Sun Yang did in the mid-long distance freestyle.”
The best title could be ______.
| A．Ning Zetao, a world famous swimmer |
| B．Ning Zetao, a promising rising star |
| C．Ning Zetao, a strong-will soldier |
| D．Ning Zetao, a world gold medalist |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．the results Ning got in Incheon are his best |
| B．Ning is good at both 100m and 200m freestyle |
| C．Ning broke an Asian record at the 2014 Asian Games |
| D．Ning has already got 5 gold medals in the international event |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______ .
| A．some health problems have little effect on Ning’s training |
| B．being well cared of is the main reason for Ning’s achievements |
| C．the Chinese swimmers have never got into the top eighth in the world event |
| D．gold medalist as Ning is, he is not yet a member of National Swimming Team |
The underlined word “boost” in the last but one paragraph probably means ______.
| A．increase | B．weaken |
| C．lack | D．encourage |
A firm handshake could be a sign of a longer life expectancy (预期寿命), according to British researchers. Scientists at the Medical Research Council found that elderly people who could still give a firm handshake and walk at a quick pace were likely to outlive their slower peers.
They found simple measures of physical capability like shaking hands, walking, getting up from a chair and balancing on one leg were related to the life expectancy, even after accounting for age, sex and body size. The study is the first to provide a comprehensive (综合的) view of the existing data from 33 studies. “These measures have been used in population-based research for quite a long time,” said Rachel Cooper of the Medical Research Council’s Unit for Lifelong Health and Aging. “They may be useful indicators for subsequent health.”
Cooper, whose study appears in the British Medical Journal, said more studies are needed to clarify whether the measures would be helpful to doctors as a screening tool. “I wouldn’t suggest that we roll them out into clinical practice tomorrow, but it is possible that they could be used in the future,” she told the media.
The researchers examined 33 studies involving tens of thousands of people, most of whom were aged over 60 but living in the community rather than in hospital or care homes. The researchers found that those with the strongest hand grasps tended to live longer than those with weak grips. The death rate over the period of the studies for people with weak handshakes was 67 percent higher than for people with a firm grip.
The slowest walkers were nearly three times more likely to die during the study period than swifter walkers. The people who were slowest to get up from a chair had about double the death rate compared to the quick risers.
“Those people in the general population who have higher physical capability levels are likely to live longer,” Cooper said. Which of the following are measures of physical capability according to the passage?
a. shaking hands
b. balancing
c. getting up
d. weight lifting
e. walking
| A．a, b, c, e |
| B．a, c, d, e |
| C．b, c, d, e |
| D．a, b, d, e |
What does Cooper think about the measures of physical capability?
| A．They are of little help to doctors. |
| B．They can’t be used as a screening tool. |
| C．They can be applied to medical practice. |
| D．They are potentially beneficial to people. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．People who walk quickly and shake hands firmly have a lower death rate. |
| B．People with the strongest hand grasp are more outgoing. |
| C．Most of the people who received the study live in the community. |
| D．People who always sit are more likely to die than those who stand. |
In which part of a newspaper would you most probably find this passage?
| A．Sports. |
| B．Health. |
| C．Economics. |
| D．Culture. |
The ancient Maya mastered the art of ceramic (制陶艺术) in a manner which virtually no other culture did.
The Vase of the Seven Gods, made in the area of Naranjo, an ancient city of the Maya Civilization in the present-dayPeten,Guatemala,shows the fine way Maya handled clay. Like all art of Maya, this vase exhibits highly religious symbols. Furthermore, the artist’s name is carved along the bottom of this piece in the form of a small white rabbit.
Ceramics also served as reminders of ancestors and gods. The Flour De Lis Vase is a fine example of this. The water lilies are not only symbols of new birth and life giving qualities, but a constant reminder of purity. On this vase, the water lilies are white, which is undoubtedly a sign of purity. The black background shows the sea, in which the lilies float.
Furthermore, ceramics served practical functions in the Maya culture. Vases, which are quite commonly seen today, were used primarily to hold liquid chocolate and cocoa. Bowls were used to hold various maize (玉米) products. Maize was seen as the imaginary body of the Maize God and the ancient Maya thought that as one ate the maize or the body of God from the bowl, they actually became God. Plates were merely used for any object.
Finally, Maya used depictions on ceramics to resurrect (复活) family members and honor gods. Because they believe that they would come back to life with their names spoken or their figures drawn, the carvings and paintings on these ceramics played a vital role in Maya spirituality.
Clearly, ceramics served a key function in ancient Maya society from dinner plates to acts of God. What do we know from the passage?
| A．The art of ceramic of the ancient Maya was instructed by gods. |
| B．The Vase of the Seven Gods was made by the people of Guatemala. |
| C．The ceramic art of the ancient Maya was the best in the world at that time. |
| D．Naranjo is a well-known city of Guatemala at present. |
Which of the following is a characteristic of the art of Maya?
| A．Seven gods are carved on a vase. |
| B．A vase exhibits highly religious symbols. |
| C．The artist’s name is carved on the top of a vase. |
| D．There is a big white rabbit on a vase. |
The ancient Maya used the Flour De Lis Vase to _________.
| A．remind them of their ancestors and gods |
| B．hold water and grain or cook food |
| C．show the importance of new birth and life |
| D．express people’s pure friendship and love |
The Maya carved names and figures of family members on ceramics to ________.
| A．honor their family members |
| B．be remembered by their children |
| C．draw the attention of the shoppers |
| D．wish they would come back to life |
While firing off pictures of a curious five-month-old fox, photographer Simon Czapp soon realized his subject had quite an interest in photography herself. The clever fox was so curious about the camera equipment that she climbed right on top of it. And while she was supposed to be the subject of the shoot, the fox stood on the shutter release button (快门按钮) and took her own frames.
Mr.Czapp visited the New Forest Wildlife Park to capture images of new arrival Jessie. She has been at the animal park in Ashurst, Hampshire — home to wolves, deer and other animals in 25 acres of ancient woodland — after being abandoned by her mother.
Mr.Czapp said, “Jessie was very playful and curious and not at all camera shy. Soon after I arrived she was chewing my shoes and everything seemed to be a game to her. Then she started exploring the camera I had set up on a tripod (三脚架). She stood on her back legs to look at the back of the camera. She balanced her front paws on it and at one point knocked it over.”
He put the camera back on the tripod and Jessie soon jumped back up. At one point she had all four paws on the camera and was keeping her balance. Mr.Czapp added, “She jumped up there several times and I realized it could make a good picture. As I was leaving with the public’s viewing window behind me, I thought I heard the camera go off but didn’t think much of it. But when I checked the memory card afterwards, I was amazed to see Jessie had actually taken two pictures of me photographing her. I couldn’t believe a fox had gained an advantage over me! Jessie is a lovely little fox. There were some lovely photos of her but she obviously thought the photographer was worthy of a picture too!” The underlined word “frames” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_________”.
| A．photographers |
| B．pictures |
| C．buttons |
| D．advantages |
What do we know about Jessie from the passage?
| A．She arrived at the park five months ago. |
| B．She lives at the park together with some wolves. |
| C．She was sent to the park because her mother left her. |
| D．She loved the life in the park so much that she left her mother. |
What is the RIGHT time order of the following steps in Jessie taking a photo?
a. Jessie pressed the shutter release button.
b. MrCzapp left the camera to take a photo.
c. Jessie climbed onto the camera and balanced herself.
d. MrCzapp set up his camera on a tripod.
e. Jessie stood up to look at the back of the camera.
| A．d, e, c, b, a |
| B．a, b, c, d, e |
| C．c, b, e, a, d |
| D．d, e, b, c, a |
From the passage we can infer that _________.
| A．sometimes foxes are better at photographing than men |
| B．some foxes are more friendly than humans |
| C．Mr.Czapp felt ashamed that the fox gained an advantage over him |
| D．Mr.Czapp and Jessie took photos for each other |
I wasn’t surprised when I read that actress Helen Hunt recently stated that she would never allow her young daughter to become a child star. Ms. Hunt is the daughter of aHollywood technical director, and grew up in Hollywood. Now in her late 40s, she started acting and modeling when she was eight and has probably seen a lot over those years in show business.
She has had a successful career. She earned four Golden Globesand four Emmys. She also attained the top honor of her profession when she won the Best Actress Academy Awardfor her role in the 1992 movie. As Good As It Gets. Given those accolades, Ms. Hunt is successful. There is no doubt that her early experiences as a child star prepared her for what has been an outstanding adult career. Given those achievements, why would this star declare she’ll never allow her daughter, now at the age of six, to follow in her footsteps?
Everyone familiar with the entertainment scene is aware of the reasons for her attitude. Recent tabloid (小报) news headlines featuring the troubles of former child stars, among themLinsayLohan, Britney Spears and the late Gary Coleman, may answer the question. Although Ms. Hunt managed to become a successful grown-up star, she apparently believes she’s an exception.
What Ms. Hunt may be suggesting is that many very young stars go through unnatural childhoods on movie and TV sets. While they’re earning big incomes, they’re so pampered (纵容) by directors and praised by fans; they may get false impressions that their lives will always be that way. Then, within a few years, when faced with reality, they’re hurt and confused. After all the overwhelming affection, they find they can’t deal with the problems. That’s often when drugs and alcohol take over their lives.
Helen Hunt has some other reasons why she doesn’t want her daughter to be in the entertainment business. Many child stars can never make a successful transition to meaningful adulthood. However, as with many Hollywood movies, I believe there are both good and bad scenes about how it can be played out in real life.According to the passage, Ms Hunt _________.
| A．has been acting for about 30 years |
| B．entered Hollywood when she was a little girl |
| C．is the daughter of a famous actor |
| D．was a model when she was six |
The underlined word “accolades” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_________”.
| A．difficulties |
| B．awards |
| C．salaries |
| D．opinions |
Helen Hunt wouldn’t allow her daughter to become a child star because she thinks _________.
| A．child stars often take drugs and alcohol |
| B．being a child star may ruin her future |
| C．child stars aren’t able to solve their problems |
| D．it is difficult to succeed as a child actor |
From the passage we can conclude that _________.
| A．few child stars will succeed in the future |
| B．there is no way to save the entertainment business |
| C．the author has a different opinion about child stars |
| D．meaningful adulthood only belongs to non-child stars |
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