Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武术).
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空闲的) time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.
| A．a child’s schedule is too complex |
| B．activities suitable for kids are limited |
| C．parents are stuck in numerous choices |
| D．children always say no to parents’ advice |
What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.
| A．children love to stay at school |
| B．they are popular with children |
| C．children dislike after-school classes |
| D．after-school classes are of poor quality |
According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?
| A．Parents want to make up for their own regrets. |
| B．After-school classes develop children’s potential. |
| C．Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children. |
| D．After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent. |
Which of the following will the author probably agree with?
| A．For children’s benefits, the earlier the better. |
| B．Children’s spare time should be carefully designed. |
| C．Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past. |
| D．Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason., |
Below is a discussion on a website.
| http://www.TalkingPoints.com/ |
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| Stuck on a desert island? （被困荒岛） |
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| Started on 23rd April by Steve Posts 1 – 7 of 42 |
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| Post 1 Steve USA |
Hi, everyone. What would you miss most and least if you were stuck on a desert island? For me, it would be the changing seasons in New England. I guess this will sound stupid but I'd probably miss the rain, too. I wouldn't miss getting up at six every day to go to work, though! What about you? |
| Post 2 Tomas Germany |
Good question. Steve, I think I'd miss different types of bread, and shopping at the supermarket. I'd miss the food most. What would I miss least? My mobile phone ---- I'd like to be completely quiet ---- at least for a little while |
| Post 3 Paola Italy |
I would miss the company of people because I know I'd like to have someone to share experiences with. I'd go mad on my own. And I sure wouldn't miss junk mail(垃圾邮件) ---- I hate coming home every evening and a pile of junk mail in my post box. |
| Post 4 Miko Japan |
Hi, I would miss Manga cartoon, the internet and Japanese food, like sushi. I'd also miss TV shows and shopping for clothes… In fact, I'd miss everything. |
| Post 5 Roger UK |
I would miss my daily newspaper and listening to the news on TV and radio. I'd feel very cut off if I didn't know what was happening in the world. What I'd miss least would be traffic jams in the city, particularly my journey to work. |
| Past 6 Jayne |
Why hasn't anyone mentioned their family? I'd be lost without my husband and two kids. They're the most important for me. And I can't get started in the morning without a cup of black coffee. I wouldn't miss doing the housework! |
| Post 7 Jaime Mexico |
It would have to be music. I couldn't live without my music. I wouldn't miss going to school at all or doing homework! |
1. Who would miss his or her family most?
A. Jaime B. Jayne C. Miko D. Paola.
2. Which of the following people would feel most uncomfortable without the news media?
A. Steve. B. Jaime C. Roger. D. Tomas
3. How many of them mentioned that they would miss food or drink?
A. One B. Two C. Three D. Four
Many people have to work on the weekend. Some people do not mind. Other people think it is terrible.
One man thinks that working on the weekend can be dangerous. He is Graham Coates. Mr. Coates worked in an office in Brighton, England.
On Saturday, May 24, 1986, he went to the office to do some work. When he got in the elevator to go home, it stopped between floors. Mr. Coates could not get out of the elevator. He was trapped! He started to shout, but no one heard him. Then Mr. Coates remembered that it was a holiday in England. No one was going to come to work until Tuesday!
There was nothing for Mr. Coates to do. He had to wait until one his coworkers came to work and found him. With nothing to eat or drink, Mr. Coates ended up sleeping for most of the time.
Early on Tuesday morning, the vice president of the company came into work and found the elevator was not working. When the elevator was opened, Mr. Coates came out cold, weak, and tired. He had been in the elevator for sixty-two hours!
Now Mr. Coates says, “I only uses elevators if they have telephones in them.”
1. Mr. Coates could not get out of the elevator because ______.
A. it was broken B. it was a weekend
C. it was a holiday D. it stopped on a wrong floor
2. How long did he stay in the elevator?
A. Twenty-four hours. B. From Saturday to Tuesday.
C. More than sixty-four hours. D. From Thursday to Saturday.
3. What did he do in the elevator most of the time?
A. Shouted and screamed. B. Slept and waited.
C. Telephoned his boss. D. Ate and drank.
4. How did he make his way out in the end?
A. The vice-president found him.
B. Some one opened the elevator.
C. The elevator began to work on Tuesday.
D. He found a door in the elevator.
5. What is the best title for this story?
A. An Interesting Elevator B. A Busy Weekend
C. Elevator Safety D. Trapped in an Elevator
People are so busy these days that many have no time to cook. This is a problem, because many families love home cooking! A family meal brings everyone together. In some families, meals are often the only time everyone sees one another at the same time.
Another reason people enjoy home cooking is that it is often a way of showing love. A parent who makes some cookies is not just satisfying a child's sweet tooth. She or he is sending a message. The message says,“I care about you enough to spend an hour making cookies that you will eat up in no time.”
There is also something about the smell of home cooking. The smell of home cooking pleases people of all ages. It makes most of us feel good and loved—even if we are the ones doing the cooking! Next time you smell a cake being cooked, stop for a moment and pay attention to your mood.
1. Fewer people cook now because _________.
A. they have no time. B. they are not busy.
C. many people don't like cooking. D. they don't like family meals.
2. A parent spends an hour making cookies __________.
A. just to satisfy her or his child's sweet tooth B. only to send a message.
C. so her child can eat them in 15 minutes D. to show her or his love
3. The writer thinks the smell of home cooking makes us _________.
A. feel happy B. interested in cooking
C. pay attention to our mood D. love others
4. What's the main idea of this passage?
A. Family meals are important. B. How to make cookies.
C. People are too busy to cook. D. Home made cookies taste better。
第三部分：阅读理解（每小题2分，满分30分)
第一节：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, "Just a minute," answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."
"Oh, you're such a good man." She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I'm in no hurry," she said. "I'm on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don't have any family left. The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
"How much shall I pay?" she asked.
"Nothing." I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered. "Oh, there are other passengers," I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto earth tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy."
1. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.
A. show she was familiar with the city
B. see some places for the last time
C. let the driver earn more money
D. reach the destination on time
2. The taxi driver did not charge (向……要价) the old woman because he ______.
A. wanted to do her a favor
B. shut off the meter by mistake
C. had received her payment in advance
D. was in a hurry to take other passengers
3. What can we learn from the story?
A. Giving is always a pleasure.
B. People should respect each other.
C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.
D. People should learn to appreciate others' concern（关心）.
Put an ice cube from your fridge into a glass of water. You have a piece of string(线) 10 centimeters long. The problem is to take out that piece of ice with the help of the string. But you must not touch the ice with your fingers.
You may ask your friends to try to do that when you are having dinner together. There is a saltcellar on the table. You must use salt when you carry out this experiment.
First you put the string across the piece of ice. Then put some salt on the ice. Salt makes ice melt(融化). The ice round the string will begin to melt. But when it melts, it will lose heat. The cold ice cube will make the salt water freeze again.
After a minute or two you may raise the piece of string and with it you will raise your piece of ice!
This experiment can be very useful to you. If, for example, there is ice near the door of your house, you must use very much salt to melt all the ice. If you don’t put enough salt, the water will freeze again.
61. We must use _______ when we carry out this experiment.
A. fridge B. some food C. a table D. some salt
62. How long will it take to carry out this experiment?
A. More than three minutes. B. Five minutes or so.
C. Only one minute or two. D. About ten minutes.
63. What is the task of this experiment?
A. Put the ice 
cube into the glass of water with the help of the string.
B. Take out the ice cube in the glass of water with the help of the string.
C. Take out the ice cube in the glass of water with your fingers.
D. Put some salt on the ice cube and then put the string across it.
64. How many things at least are used in this experiment?
A. Three. B. Four. C. Six. D. Seven.
65. We can learn something about _______ from the passage.
A. physics B. biology C. chemistry D. maths
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