What is Christmas all about? Has it ever crossed your mind? Are we teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas? Do they know that a single gift of kindness can touch an endless number of hearts forever?
We met a little girl seven years ago during one of my daughter’s occasional hospital stays. Her name was Beth and she was my daughter’s roommate for a week. My daughter had an incurable kidney disease. Beth was a very happy girl, despite the fact that she had cancer. I was amazed at her will and determination to never give up, however sick her treatment made her. She was always concerned about my daughter and the other children with cancer.
My daughter’s hospital treatment was completed in a week and we were waiting for her final discharge orders when Beth appeared. She said “I want you to have this. I know you need a new kidney, so keep this angel pin with you till you get better. She will watch over you and make you smile. My friend, John, gave it to me to watch over me. When you get your new kidney and smile, you can give this angel to someone that needs her, too”. My daughter thanked her and the girls exchanged hugs and big smiles. Later that year, Beth passed away.
We kept that angel for six more years. My daughter had gone beyond what medical journals had studied and expected from her disease. Finally, a kidney became available and she received a transplant.
Now she felt it was time to give it to someone who needed to be watched over until he or she could smile again. She gave it to an elderly man trying to recover from a heart problem.
How many families and hearts this angel has touched, no one knows for sure. But all that it took was a single gift of kindness. So in this Christmas season, create a tradition with your children or maybe someone you love. Give them a gift that keeps on giving. It’s a gift from your heart. After all, isn’t that Christmas is all about?Why did Beth give an angel pin to the author’s daughter? (No more than 8 words )(2 marks)
________________________________________________________________________How does a single gift of kindness affect people? (No more than 6 words ) (2 marks)
________________________________________________________________________What did the girl impress the author with? (No more than 8 words )(3 marks)
________________________________________________________________________How do you understand “the true meaning of Christmas” in the passage? (No more than 8 words ) (3 marks)
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Do you want to work with people or animals or machines or tools? Do you want to work indoors or outdoors, directly serve people in need or serve people behind the scenes? These are the typical questions that a volunteer service agency would ask.
Every year, thousands and thousands of people in the west offer volunteer services. Volunteering greatly strengthens the community partly because it helps the old, the young, the weak, the sick, the disabled and the injured to overcome difficulties.
Volunteers usually help in many different ways. They may give people advice, offer friendship to the young, drive the elderly to church, counsel kids against drugs. Work as an assistant in a school or nursing home, raise funds, plant trees, help out in local libraries and do many other things.
Volunteering can be a few hours a week or a few hours a month, time during the day, evenings or weekends, either part time or full time. Anybody who likes to serve people in need can become a volunteer.
The art of volunteering is a process of both giving and receiving. Volunteering allows volunteers to meet new people and make new friends and mix with people from all walks of life. Volunteering is an excellent way to experiment, practice and try out new techniques and skills. It is much more effective to practice a skill than to read about it or study it in a classroom. Volunteering is a great way to develop good teamwork skills, discover your individual talents and explore career choices. Being a volunteer takes individuals on a wonderful journey and helps them learn many important things beyond their school.
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[1]A new study looks for the first time at the effect of background TV on interactions(交流) between parents and young children. Using an experimental design, researchers found that when a TV was on, both the quantity and the quality of interactions between parents and children dropped. This study challenges the common assumption that background TV doesn’t affect very young children if they aren’t looking at the screen.
[2]More than a third of American babies and kids live in homes where the television is on most of or all the time, even if no one’s watching. The new study finds that the effect is negative. The study, in the issue of the journal Child Development, was done by researchers at the University of Massachusetts.
[3]The researchers studied about 50 1-,2-, and 3-year-olds, each of whom was with one parent, at a university child-study center. For half of the one-hour session, parents and children were in a playroom without TV; for the other half hour, parents chose a program meant for adult audiences.
[4]The researchers observed how often the patents and children talked with each other, how actively involved the parents were in their children’s play, and whether the parents and children responded to each other’s questions and suggestions
[5]When the TV was on, the researchers found, both the quantity and the quality of interaction between parents and children dropped. Specifically, parents spend about 20 percent less time talking to their children, and the quality of the interactions declined, with the parents less active, attentive, and responsive to their youngsters.
[6]“Although previous research has found that background television affects young children’s independent play, this is the first study to demonstrate its impact on the quantity and quality of parent-child interactions,” say the researchers. “Given that high-quality parent-child interaction plays an important role in a child’s development,” they add, “we need to pay greater attention to children’s early exposure to TV.”What is the main idea of the passage? (no more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What did researchers find when the TV was on before parents and children according to Paragraph5? (no more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What did parents respond when the TV was on in the research? (no more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What is the result of the previous research? (no more than 7 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________ What is the important element in a child’s development?(no more than 4 words）
Directions Read．the following passage．Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit．Write your answers on your answer sheet．
When I was 10 years old, my friend Sydney was diagnosed with a brain tumor．Sydney fought against it, but the tumor did not respond to treatment, and could not be surgically removed．The mass wrapped around her brain stem, the area of the brain that controls the vital functions of life such as breathing and blood pressure．Sydney died at the age of 11．
After her death, I felt immense sadness and frustration about pediatric cancer．I decided to turn these negative emotions into positive actions．When I was 11 years old．I founded the Pink Polka Dots Guild（PPD） with two friends．The guild is named after Sydney s favorite color and pattern, which represents both the memory of my friend and the guild's positive approach．My goal has been to raise enough money to find a cure for brain cancer, which is the second most common cancer in children．
Over the years, PPD has held fundraisers from lemonade stands to art expositions to golf tournaments．I have played a leading role in planning and organizing each PPD event．The very first Pink Polka Dots event, a garage sale．raised $ 9．000, and our most recent fundraiser, the fifth annual golf tournament, brought in over $ 73．000．The guild progressed faster than I ever anticipated．In five years, we have become 40 members strong, and raised almost half of a million dollars．
I've been shocked by the public recognition that the guild has earned．PPD received an award from a U．S．Senator, spoke at a TED Conference, was featured in Teen Vogue, and appeared on The Note Berkus Show．Each of these honors has raised awareness and money for our cause．
The initiative that I have taken has truly impacted the world of cancer research．PPD has provided start-up funding for scientific discoveries, such as "Tumor Paint", which illuminates cancerous cells so that surgeons can remove them with unprecedented accuracy．The discovery appeared in Time Magazine．, and will be reviewed by the Food & Drug Administration starting in early 2012．1 am extremely proud to have helped fund the research of this life-saving technology．
Pink Polka Dots has inspired me to be an activist．My experience has taught me that with passion and dedication, it is possible to make a difference to the world．The determination that Pink Polka Dots sparked in me has carried over to all aspects of my life, making me a driven academic, a competitive debater and a dedicated volunteer．
1．Why did the author feel sad and frustrated? （No more than 8 words）
2．What was the author s purpose of founding PPD? （No more than 15 words）
3．What achievement has PPD made in helping cancer research? （No more than 13 words）
4．What did the author learn trom his own experience of founding PPD? （No more than 15 words）
No marriage is a breeze by any stretch of the imagination. When you take two people and make them live under one roof, there are going to be problems. Make one of them a man and the other a woman, and you can multiply those problems by ten!
When trouble appears in a marriage, most people choose to simply walk away from the marriage. Because not many people have the qualities—selflessness, responsibility, commitment, loyalty—that a marriage requires any more. So you should first be congratulated on trying to do something to save your marriage, like I did.
I believe my story is similar to yours. My husband’s interest and attraction in me had gradually gone away. I sensed a divorce coming—but still, when I heard it, I was completely shocked and I was doubtful about it. I immediately went wild with desperation since I didn’t want a divorce. I did my fair share of the wrong things—such as trying to talk him out of it, crying and then begging. Of course, those didn’t work.
But today I am still with my husband and things couldn’t be better! So what made this change?
It was a realization on my part that I wasn’t in the best state of mind to really come up with ways which really save a marriage. When you are desperate, your judgment is not clear and your mind is filled with intense emotions, which replace your rationality (合理性) and force you into doing the wrong things.
To be able to change my fortunes, I changed my mindset (心态) first. And this is what you have to do. You have to quit the begging, cry or apologize mindset, and enter the careful, calm and considerate mindset. This is what saves marriages—not a “quick fix” that will repair everything overnight!How do most people deal with the problems in a marriage at the beginning?
(no more than 7 words)
_____________________________________List some good qualities that a good couple should have.
(no more than 6 words)
_____________________________________Why did the author go wild with desperation when she sensed a divorce coming?
(no more than 7 words)
_____________________________________What is the author’s secret of saving her marriage?
(no more than 10 words)
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阅读下面短文，根据文章内容回答问题，注意词数限制。
Goodwill employee Lakeisha Williams was sorting through some donated books when she noticed an unexpected donation.
“There was an envelope full of cash,” Williams told KXTV.
The envelope had $10,500 in it in $100 bills. Williams joked that she briefly thought about pocketing the cash but knew she had to do the right thing.
“My concern was somebody was out that money, and I would have liked for them to get it back,” she said.
She handed the cash over to a manager about a month ago, and the money had still not been claimed(认领).
Goodwill Industries of San Joaquin Valley President David Miller said that it had not gone unnoticed that Williams “kindly and correctly” returned the money.
“What we did is we take the money and put it into a holding account, and we wait usually a pretty good amount of time to see if somebody comes forward and identifies themselves and says they made a donation and a mistake,” Miller told ABCNews.com today.
Authorities were contacted in case anyone reported money missing, and the money will be held in the bank account for “no less than 120 days,” he said.
“If nothing happens at that point and all indicators are that nobody is claiming the money, at that point in time we put it into our normal donation stream revenue(收入) for our agency,” Miller said. “We have a policy to reward our employees for their honesty.”
The amount of money rewarded to the employee is up to Miller, but he said it would likely be 10 percent in this case. This means Williams could be about $1,000 richer if no one comes forward to claim the missing money in the next three months.
Americans think that travel is good for you; some even think it can help one of the country’s worst problems-crime.
Crime worries a lot of people. Every year, the number of crimes goes up and up. And many criminals are young. They often come from sad homes, with only one parent or no parents at all.
There are many young criminals in prison. But prison doesn’t change them. Six or seven in ten will go back to crime when they come out of prison.
One man, Bob Burton, thought of a new idea. In the old days, young men had to live a difficult life on the road. They learned to be strong and brave. So Bob Burton started “Vision Quest”.
He takes young criminals on a long, long journey with horses and wagons (马车), 3,000 miles through seven states. They are on the road for more than a year.
The young people on Vision Quest all have bad problems. Most of them have already spent time in prison. This is their last chance.
It’s hard work on the road. The work starts before the sun comes up. The boys and girls have to feed the horses. Some of them have never loved anyone before. But they can love their horse. That love can help them to a new life.
Not all the young people on Vision Quest will leave crime behind them. Three or four in ten will one day be in prison again. Bob Burton is right. Travel can be good for you. Even today, Americans still say, “Go west, young man.”What’s the main idea of the passage? (No more than 10 words)
_________________________________________________________________________Why do so many young people become criminals? (No more than 10 words)
_________________________________________________________________________What does “Vision Quest” refer to in this passage? (No more than 8 words)
_________________________________________________________________________What’s the most important thing do they young criminals learn? (No more than 3 words)
_________________________________________________________________________What percentage of young people never commit crimes again after Vision Quest? (No more than 6 words)
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Today there are policemen everywhere, but in 1700, London had no policemen at all. A few old men used to protect the city streets at night and they were not paid.
In 1750, Henry Fielding started to pay a group of people to stop thieves. They were like policemen and were called “Bow Street Runners”, because they worked near Bow Street. Fifty years later, there were 120 “Bow Street Runners”, but London had become very big and needed more policemen. So in 1829, London Police Force was started with 3,000 officers. Until 1920 all the police in London were men.Who protected London in 1700? (回答词数不超过4个)
____________________________________________________________________________________________When was London Police Force started? (回答词数不超过2个)
____________________________________________________________________________________________Why were the group of people called “Bow Street Runners”? (回答词数不超过6个)
____________________________________________________________________________________________How many “Bow Street Runners” were there in 1800? (回答词数不超过2个)
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回答问题 （共4小题；满分10分）
Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.
I remember a day 17 years ago quite well．That day，our twin sons，Chad and Brad, loaded their car and left home to go to college．I realized that our dinner table would soon become a “table for two”. Sure，the boys would come home on the weekends, but even so, I knew our family life would never be exactly the same again．
Before leaving, the boys walked around each room of the house to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything they needed. We all walked outside．Chad and Brad gave me big hugs and quickly got into their car． I waved as they drove away．When I couldn’t see their car any longer，I began to sob. My husband Roy tried to comfort me, but I could see grief in his eyes, as well．
There are many parents who would experience this period．Bittersweet feeling will be present．While the parents feel pride and joy for their children，they will also feel a sense of grief．Painful moments fill their minds．While I can not adequately explain the feelings，I can still remember how I felt when we began that new chapter in our lives．
As time went on，Roy and I are now accustomed to our table for two and we enjoy our lives together．As an added bonus，“dinner for two” is much more affordable than dinner out for an entire family．I have to admit I still miss our children and the old times we had together． But I have to say I enjoy the time I spend with my husband more than ever before．
Roy and I have always enjoyed each other's company，but after the children went to college，we found a great amount of strength in each other．Some things have changed over the years．Our love for one another has grown stronger with each passing day．Together，Roy and I are now doing things we never dreamed possible．Our children oftentimes talk about how we are busier and happier than we have ever been before． Could it be because we fell deeper in love as we spent quality time together at our table for two?When was the writer's family life changed according to the passage?
( No more than 7 words) （2 marks）
Why did the two boys walk around each room before leaving home?
(No more than10 words) （2 marks）
According to the passage，how do the parents feel about their children’s leaving home to go to college? (No more than 16 words) (3 marks)
According to the passage， why are the author and her husband busier and happier than they have ever before? （No more than 16 words） （3 marks）
Many people run after goals that they hope will make them happy, but happiness is not always the final result. So how does one decide which goals will end in personal happiness and which will not？How do the things in life affect personal happiness?
The most important thing is people’s attitude toward life, which can greatly affect their personal levels of happiness and satisfaction with life.
Psychologists have known for some time that optimism is a good way to fight against unhappiness. It’s probably no secret that optimistic people are considered to be much happier people than pessimists. There are specific characteristic features optimists have (pleasant ways of thinking), that bring them more success, greater health, increased life satisfaction, and other good things. If you became an optimist, it can mean that you became a very happy person, despite your circumstances, and it can actually bring more things into your life to be happy about. “If you are optimistic and you think life is going to get better, it will become a selffulfillment prediction.” says one of the scientists. “Happy people manage to look on the bright side, even if they meet big problems on their way.”
Positive psychologists believe that people can learn how to become happy and that everyone can teach themselves to see a half empty glass as half full. All they have to do is to spend time thinking about all the things that have gone right for them, rather than complaining what has gone badly. But people who are depressed usually think and worry about something that went wrong in the past.What can affect people’s personal levels of happiness according to the passage? (No more than 5 words)
________________________________________________________________________Why are some people depressed according to the study? (No more than 14 words)
___________________________________________________________________How do happy people deal with the big problems in their life? (No more than 8 words)
___________________________________________________________________What is the main idea of the passage? (No more than 10 words)
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While climbing K2 in Pakistan, author Greg Mortenson became ill and got lost. He got help in a small village named Korphe. The people of the village took good care of him, feeding him and letting him sleep in the village chief’s house. They also gave him one of their most rare treats: sweet tea. As Mortenson recovered from his illness, he noticed that the children of the village worked and went to school outdoors.
Their teacher came only three times a week and they didn’t have blackboards. They used sticks to write on the ground.The day he left the village,
他许诺回来建一所学校。 His school would allow both boys and girls to attend. He kept his promise and helped found a school with a building and supplies so the kids could study indoors with real writing tools.
那是在1993年. Today Mortenso is responsible for building 80 school in Central Asia.
He has helped more than 18,000 girls receive an education so far.
Playing is serious business for children. In fact, it’s what they do best! Ask them why they do it, and kids will probably say, “Because it’s fun!” But it’s much more than that. It’s also good for them.
Studies show that from birth babies begin learning through play. They use their five senses to get know their new world. Touching allows them to discover how different things feel. Brightly colored toys and clothing help develop a baby’s sense of sight.
When small children choose which toy to play with, they begin developing their abilities in making decisions.
Children love toys that allow them to use their imagination. Sometimes an empty box is more fun than a high-tech toy. That’s because a box can become anything a child imagines it to be.
Crayons, paints and Play-Doh(彩色塑泥) are also good because they allow children to crate. Traditional building blocks teach important pre-math skills like problem-solving.
Playing doesn’t become any less important once children start school. Many valuable(有价值的) lessons about life are learned on the school playground. Kids learn how to share, take turns and play by the rules.What help develop a baby’s sense of sight according to the passage? (回答词数不超过13个)
________________________________________________________________When do the children begin developing their abilities in making decisions? (回答词数不超过10个)
________________________________________________________________What does the passage mainly tell us? (回答词数不超过8个)
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Many of the problems facing today’s world aren’t news to us. The environment is in dire need of help because it’s being damaged, hunger is widespread throughout the world, and workers in the Third World Countries are continuously being exploited. Therefore, individuals across the globe need to band(团结)together for a cause and use their collective efforts to make all the difference in the world.
For instance, one person recycling a can or a bottle doesn’t seem like much. But if every household in a given city was to recycle and conserve energy, that city could make a huge positive impact on environmental damage. Similarly, there are countless ways to help fight world hunger—whether it’s to donate money to a dedicated worldwide charity, donate canned goods to your local charity, or even make lifestyle changes like going vegetarian. World hunger is a massive problem—but it doesn’t mean individuals themselves can’t make a difference.
Worker exploitation is another huge problem. All across the world—particularly in the Third World Countries—workers are forced to labor long hours, with close to no pay. Yet these workers continue to show up to such a way of life, because they have no other options.
So, how can people like us help fight such a big problem? Simply raising awareness of the products you buy in stores—from clothing to food—is a massive start. For example, if you see two similar products side by side in a food shop, but one of them is labeled “fair trade”， you’ll know immediately that the workers who labored to produce that product were given a fair price for their goods. And true, fair trade products might cost a little bit more, but buying them is a significant start to help fight worker exploitation.
In short, each of us should be socially conscious to make a difference to widespread social problems.What problems facing today’s world are mentioned in the first paragraph？(no more than 8 words)
How can a city make a huge positive impact on environmental damage? (no more than 5words)
What should be done to fight world hunger? (no more than 8 words)
Why do workers in the Third Countries still continue to work long hours despite little pay? (no more than 6 words)
How is the product which is labeled “fair trade” different from other products? (no more than 10 words)
Almost everybody in America will spend a part of his or her life behind a shopping cart(购物手推车). They will, in a lifetime, push the chrome-plated contraptions many miles. But few will know--or even think to ask--who it was that invented them.
Sylvan N. Goldman invented the shopping cart in 1937. At that time he was in the supermarket business. Every day he would see shoppers lugging(吃力地携带) groceries（杂货物品) around in baskets they had to carry.
One day Goldman suddenly had the idea of putting baskets on wheels. The wheeled baskets would make shopping much easier for his customers, and would help to attract more business.
On June 4, 1937, Goldman’s first carts were ready for use in his market. He was terribly excited on the morning of that day as customers began arriving. He couldn’t wait to see them using his invention.
But Goldman was disappointed. Most shoppers gave the carts a long look, but hardly anybody would give them a try.
After a while, Goldman decided to ask customers why they weren’t using his carts. “Don’t you think this arm is strong enough to carry a shopping basket?” one shopper replied.
But Goldman wasn’t beaten yet. He knew his carts would be a great success if only he could persuade people to give them a try. To this end, Goldman hired a group of people to push carts around his market and pretend they were shopping! Seeing this, the real customers gradually began copying the phony(假冒的) customers.
As Goldman had hoped, the carts were soon attracting larger and larger numbers of customers to his market. But not only did more people come--those who came bought more. With larger, easier-to-handle baskets, customers unconsciously bought a greater number of items than before.
Today’s shopping carts are five times larger than Goldman’s original model. Perhaps that’s one reason Americans today spend more than five times as much money on food each year as they did before 1937--before the coming of the shopping cart.The underlined words “chrome-plate contraptions” in Paragraph 1 refer to ______. (No more than 3 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What was the purpose(目的) of Goldman’s invention? (No more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________Why was Goldman disappointed at first? (No more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________Why did Goldman hire people to push carts around his market? (No more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What do you think of Goldman? Please give your reasons. (No more than 20 words)
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Do you blank out or feel so nervous in exams that you have trouble writing answers to questions that you knew just last night? If so, you likely have a case of test anxiety.
But, don’t be afraid. By recognizing the problem, you are taking the first step towards overcoming it.
Believe it or not, a touch of nervousness can sharpen your mind, allowing you to perform more quickly. This is because under stress, the body releases the hormone adrenaline (肾上腺素), which prepares it for something important that will happen. However, too much anxiety can result in sleeplessness, loss of appetite before tests, and poor performance. Some people might feel hot and tired. With great anger they often shout or complain for no reason.
If you worry a lot or are a perfectionist, you are more likely to have trouble with test anxiety. Those who have prepared poorly for a test or have had negative experiences taking tests may also experience test anxiety.
When you feel a storm of anxiety coming on, stop what you’re doing and make your mind a blank. If possible, actually tell yourself to “STOP!” This will get your mind off the stress. Then think of being at a place of comfort and let your body relax. As you continue the test, find questions you know the answers to and answer them first. This will help restore your confidence.
Important of all, talk to yourself using positive languages. Make it a habit to replace each negative thought with a logical reason. For example: “I've studied hard and I know the material, so I'm ready to do the best I can.”
Another thing you can do is to learn to accept mistakes. In fact, they can be valuable learning opportunities.
Last but not least, start test preparation early-three to five days ahead of the quiz or test. After all, good study habits and skills-for example, time management and notetaking will give you the feeling that you are in control.What is probably the best title of the passage? ( No more than 10 words )
________________________________Who will more easily suffer from test anxiety according to the passage? ( No more than 10 words)
What does the underlined word “hot” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? (No more than 3 words)
________________________________What makes you feel that you are in control of the test in the last paragraph? (No more than 7 words)
________________________________Do you think that a touch of anxiety can have a positive effect? And why? (No more than 20 words)
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