OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING－especially compared with everybody else’s (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value－because you are the boss.
1. FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET
Here is a toy that doesn’t need power－and the bike have to put it together themselves. This 50 piece puzzle set is made of soft edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver. $135; flaxart.com.
2. TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL
Sure, it’s cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic(磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months. $19.95; tinylove.com.
3. ROBOSAPIEN
This small, remote control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions(功能), including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function which, sadly, does not include doing windows. $99; robosapienonline.com.
4. MINI PEDAL CAR
Want a Mini Cooper but can’t fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable(可调的) seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they’ll be driving when they turn 16．For ages 3 to 5．$189; minus A. com (click on “gear up,” then “Mini motoring gear”).Which toy is said to have the special design for children’s safety?
| A．ROBOSAPIEN |
| B．MINI PEDAL CAR |
| C．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
| D．TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL |
Which toy are fit for three year old kids?
| A．1 and 3． | B．2 and 4． | C．I and 2． | D．3 and 4． |
Educational value is mentioned in all the toys EXCETP _________.
| A．FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
| B．TINY LVE ACTIVITY BALL |
| C．ROBOSAPIEN |
| D．MINI PEDAL CAR |
No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Art Institute, which is the second largest art museum in the nation.
Opening hours:
Mon - Wed & Fri - Sun, 10:30 am - 5 pm; Thu, 10:30 am- 8 pm; closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Highlights:
● The Modern Wing contains contemporary（当代的）masterpieces by Dali, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol.
● View one of the world’s finest Impressionist collections, including masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
● Thorne Miniature Rooms offer a detailed view of European homes from the 16th century through the 1930s and American homes from the 17th century to 1940.
● The past returns as over 550 works from 4,000 years of art come together in Of Gods and Glamour, located in the beautiful new Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art.
Advice for visitors:
● Free guided tours are available daily at noon.
● Free art-making activities are available for children each weekend from 11 am to 2 pm.
● Visit the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center, open daily from 10:30 am – 5 pm, and introduce your child to the museum’s collections with a variety of hands-on activities. Assemble (组装) puzzles based on masterpieces you’ll see in the galleries, build architectural wonders with colorful blocks, and learn about art through stories and games at Curious Corner.
● Check out the Lion’s Trial tour for children ages 5-10. This tour is especially designed for the young people in your group! Don’t miss it!
Getting there:
You can take the follow buses: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 14, 26, 28, 126, 143.
The Art Institute of Chicago can be visited on ____________.
| A．Christmas Day | B．New Year’s Day |
| C．Independence Day | D．Thanksgiving Day |
Whose works can you see in the Impressionist collections?
| A．Picasso’s | B．Monet’s |
| C．Pollock’s | D．Warhol’s |
At Curious Corner, children can ____________.
| A．take part in many hands-on activities |
| B．join the Lion’s Trail tour |
| C．enjoy free art-making activities |
| D．get free guidance |
People all need friends because nobody wants to be lonely and a friend can help you in good and bad times. You’ve made friends since childhood，but you still don’t know who your true friends are. Here are some signs to tell you if your friend is a true friend.
Always honest
Honesty is important to keep a relationship alive. A true friend always tells you the truth. It may be hard sometimes but lying can destroy a friendship. It is important that your friend speaks honestly and never makes up stories.
There are always periods in your life when you have problems or difficulties. A true friend will always have time to listen to your problems and give you advice. It may not be able to offer a solution to your problems but the fact that your friend makes time to listen is a sign he/she cares for you. Your friend is not a true friend if he/she can never make time for you when you are in trouble. You also need to be reasonable and accept that your friend also has other things to do so he/she can’t always listen immediately to your problems.
Always respectful
A true friend will always respect your opinion no matter whether he/she agrees or not. Your true friend may disagree but never insists that he/she is correct.
Always understanding
It is possible that some problems will arise between you and your friend. A true friend will always be forgiving and understanding，even if it isn’t his/her fault. We are all different people and we all make mistakes. A true friend is always forgiving and understanding because he/she doesn’t want to take the risk of losing his/her best friend.What’s the best title for the third paragraph?
| A．Keep your secrets | B．Always there for you |
| C．Always happy for you | D．Remember your important days |
According to the passage，a true friend will always ____________.
| A．follow your advice |
| B．offer a solution to your problems |
| C．respect your opinion even if he/she disagrees with it |
| D．listen immediately to your problems |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Never tell lies to friends. |
| B．Making time for friends. |
| C．Paying attention to a friend’s opinion. |
| D．Sharing fun with friends. |
What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To tell us how to find out if a friend is a true friend. |
| B．To find out how long a friendship can last. |
| C．To introduce his experience in making friends. |
| D．To teach us how to make true friends. |
Recently I have discovered it’s often easier for me to do something every day than to do it just some days. I post to my blog six days a week. I take notes every day. I write in my one-sentence journal every day. Many people have told me that they find it easier to exercise when they exercise every day. If I try to do something just four days a week, I spend a lot of time arguing with myself: Is today the day, or is it tomorrow, or the next day? Does the week start on Sunday or Monday?
If you do something every day, you tend to fall into a routine. Routine has a bad reputation for lacking excitement. It’s true that novelty and challenge bring happiness and that people who break their routines, try new things, and go to new places are happier, but I think that some routine activities also bring happiness. The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn’t be overlooked. By repeating, you can find happiness in activities like doing dishes or sweeping the floor as well as in your beloved morning coffee-and-news routines.
Two geniuses whom I know of also wrote about the power of doing something every day. Andy Warhol wrote, “Either once only, or every day. If you do something once it’s exciting, and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it’s not good any more.” Gertrude Stein made a similar point, “Anything one does every day is important and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful.”
So if there’s something that you wish you did more regularly, try doing it every day; if you do something every day, take great pleasure in it.In the first paragraph, what does the author try to tell us?
| A．It’s easier to do the same thing every day. |
| B．It’s important to do the same thing every day. |
| C．He has a good habit of following routines. |
| D．He enjoys the habit of following routines. |
People usually tend to break their routines because they________.
| A．hope to have a better reputation |
| B．would like to get rid of the old habit |
| C．want to have fun and excitement |
| D．are willing to face new challenges |
Which of the following statements does Andy Warhol probably agree to?
| A．Doing something that is exciting. |
| B．Doing something almost every day. |
| C．Doing something every day, not only once. |
| D．Doing something every day or only once. |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A Way To Form A Habit | B．Do Anything Every Day |
| C．Repeat Regularly | D．Power Of Everyday Repetition |
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty (强大的) forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you are sure you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet (子弹) — and stopped him cold.”
Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities — and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
| A．He faced huge risks. |
| B．He lacked mighty forces. |
| C．Fear prevented him from trying. |
| D．Failure blocked his way to success. |
What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
| A．Swallow more than you can digest. |
| B．Act slightly above your abilities. |
| C．Develop more mysterious powers. |
| D．Learn to make creative decisions. |
What was especially important for Tim’s successful defense in the football game?
| A．His physical strength. |
| B．His basic skill. |
| C．His real fear. |
| D．His spiritual force. |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To encourage people to be courageous. |
| B．To advise people to build up physical power. |
| C．To tell people the ways to guarantee success. |
| D．To recommend people to develop more abilities. |
Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea—until you have to pack. The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack.
Organize Yourself
Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes. When you’ve done this once, it’ll be easier next time.
Start Small
Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local store. Make sure they are all sealed tightly.
In an emergency, you can purchase them at your destination. But remember that the time you spend buying things at your destination will reduce your visiting time.
The Clothing Dilemma
Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe — hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you’ve picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine. Don’t try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag.
Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it’s cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Layering up will keep you warm and it will leave more room in your bag. Roll up your casual clothes instead of folding and laying them flat. This leaves more room to pack other things, and keeps your clothes fairly wrinkle-free.
Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag!This text would be most helpful to a reader who is _______ .
| A．going on a vacation | B．shopping for luggage |
| C．moving to a new home | D．hosting relatives for a visit |
If you buy things at your local store ahead of time, you can _______ .
| A．lighten your load |
| B．save a lot of money |
| C．have more visiting time |
| D．have more room in your bag |
What should one plan to do if going somewhere in the winter?
| A．Pack an extra sweater for the trip. |
| B．Put on several layers of clothing. |
| C．Mix and match clothing outfits. |
| D．Roll jackets so they fit in the bag. |
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