高中一年级英语暑假练作业

四、背诵完上面的10篇短文后，在2小时内完成下面的阅读理解测试题，重找阅读感觉。

高一英语暑假作业阅读理解测试题

（教育类）

●选择最佳答案填空。共68题，每题2分，满分136分。

(1)

Students in many countries are learning English. Some of these students are small children. Others are teen-agers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others by themselves. A few learn English by learning the language over the radio, on TV, or in film. One must work hard to learn another language.

Why do all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to answer this question. Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects required for study. They study their own language and maths and English: Some people learn it because it is useful for their work. Many people learn English for their work. Many people learn English for their higher studies, because at college or university some of their books are in English. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English.

1. People learn English _______.

A. at school  B. over the radio  C. on TV  D. not all in the same way

2. Different kinds of people want to learn English _______.

A. together with other subjects    B. for different reasons

C. for their work                 D. for higher studies at colleges

3. From this passage we know that _______.

A. we can learn English easily

B. English is very difficult to learn

C. English is learned by most people in the world

D. English is a useful language but one must work hard to learn

4. Which of the following is right?

A. We don’t need to learn any foreign languages.

B. We can do well in all our work without English.

C. English is the most important subject in schools.

D. We should learn English because we need to face the world.

(2)

Japanese students work very bard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures(压力) from their parents. Most students are always told by their parents to study harder and better so that they can have a wonderful life in the future. Though this may be a good idea for those very bright students, it can have terrible results for many students who are not gifted(有天赋的) enough. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have their parents lose hope. Such students felt that they are hated by everyone else they meet and they don’t want to go to school any longer. They become dropouts.

It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers’ work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents serif their children to those schools opening in the evenings and on weekends — they only help the students to pass the exams and never teach them any real sense of the world.

Many Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists(心理学家) now think that such strict rules are harmful to the feelings of the students. Almost 40% of the students said that no one had taught them how to get on with others, how to tell right from wrong and how to show love and care for others, even for their parents.

5. “Dropouts” are those who _______.

A. make troubles in and out of schools

B. go about or stay home instead of being at school

C. try hard but always fails in the exams

D. lose hope and give up some of their subjects

6. According to the passage, it’s necessary to teach students _______.

A. how to study well             B. how to get on with others

C. to show love and care for others  D. All above

7. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. The Trouble in Japanese Schools    B. The Problems of Japanese Students

C. Education in Japan                D. The Pressures on the Students in Japan

(3)

If you wish to become a better reader, here are four important things to remember about reading rate:

● Knowing why you are reading or what you are reading to find out will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or slowly.

● Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are directions for making or doing something, arithmetic problems, science and history books, which are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each important ideas.

● Some things should be read rapidly throughout. Examples are  simple stories meant for enjoyment, news letters from friends, pieces of news from local, or home-town, papers, telling what is happening to friends and neighbors.

● In some of your reading, you must change your speed from fast to slow and slow to fast, as you go along. You will need to read certain pages rapidly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas which must be remembered.

8. The underlined word "rate" in the first sentence means _______.

A. fast   B. slow   C. speed  D. skill

9. Which should be read slowly according to the passage?

A. Stories for enjoyment   B. Arithmetic problems

C. Letters from friends    D. News from hometown newspapers

10. How fast should we read?

A. The faster, the better.            B. The more slowly, the better.

C. Neither too fast nor too slow.    D. It depends on what we are reading.

11. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true?

A. Read slowly when you are reading something important to you.

B. Read fast when you are reading something unimportant to you.

C. Read the materials that you are interested in slowly.

D. Read the materials that you are interested in fast.

(4)

One hot night last August, I tried everything I could think of — a warm bottle, songs etc. to make him fall into sleep, but he just couldn’t do it. Since I believed that a long night was waiting for me ahead, I had no choice but to bring a TV into his room to kill off the hours until dawn. I was surprised that the moment I turned on the TV the baby became quiet right away and fixed his little eyes brightly on the screen. Not willing to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the boring TV programs.

I heard no more of the baby’s crying that night and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV by himself. I found there was a metaphor(暗喻) in my baby’s behavior(行为) for the new generation. When I gave my boy some books to go over, he only spit upon them; when I read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools with my students. I find that our students don’t read and they look down upon reading and make light of those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have drawn a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight against it? Let them watch what they want!

12. Why did the father bring a TV set into his son’s room?

A. To enjoy some interesting programs together with his son.

B. To help himself pass the long hours ahead of him.

C. To help his son fall asleep sooner.

D. To keep his son from making noises.

13. The baby seemed to be ______ at the sight of the TV set.

A. excited   B. surprised    C. bored   D. pleased

14. This experience with his baby helped the father ______.

A. to know his baby better

B. to know better how to educate his students

C. to change his opinions towards TV

D. to know better about the new generation

(5)

Many instructors believe that an informal, relaxed classroom environment is good to learning and innovation. It is not uncommon for students to have easygoing and friendly relationships with their professors. The casual(随和的) professor is not necessarily a poor one and is still respected by students. Although students may be in  a subordinate(从属的) position, some professors treat them as equals. However, no matter how equal professors would like to be, they still are in a position of authority.

Professors may establish social relationships with students outside of the classroom, but in the classroom they maintain the instructor’s role. A professor may have coffee one day with students but the next day expect them to meet a deadline for the submission(提交评判) of a paper or to be prepared for a discussion or an exam.   The professor may give extra attention outside of class to a student in need of help but probably will not treat him or her differently when it comes to evaluating school work. Professors have several roles in relation to students; they may be friends as well as teachers. Students must realize that when a teacher’s role changes, they must appropriately adapt their behaviour and attitudes.

15. Generally speaking, relationships between students and their professors are_______.

A. common     B. friendly     C. poor     D. equal

16. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Professors can set up good social relationship with students outside the classroom.

B. In the classroom, professors should be in a position of authority.

C. Professors may treat their students differently in evaluating school work.

D. If a student has good relationship with a professor, he’ll still have to take an exam.

17. A student must learn to change his behavior and attitude when _____.

A. the professor invites him to have coffee together

B. he is in need of help

C. the professor changes his role

D. the professor gives him extra attention

18. The main subject discussed in the text is “________”.

A. changing relationship        B. the teacher-student relationship

C. professors’ authority         D. students’ positions

(6)

Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.

Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.

“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US.

Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps(带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling(有滚轮的) bags.

But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.

But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight.

Scott Batch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing.

“Children are losing their balance and falling down with their school bags,” he said.

Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.

One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!

19. From the passage we can know that _______.

A. only children in China carry too heavy school bags

B. children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags

C. both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags

D. only children in the US carry too heavy school bags

20. Children feel it hard for them to go upstairs because _______.

A. they are too young

B. their school bags are too heavy

C. they don’t know how to go upstairs

D. their parents don’t always go upstairs with them together

21. If a child carries a heavy school bag, _______.

A. his back and neck will be hurt

B. his head and arms will be hurt

C. his hands will be hurt

D. his feet will be hurt

22. According to the doctor, Scott Batch, if a child in Grade 5 weighs(重) about 30 kilos, the school bag he carries should not be over _______.

A. 5 kilos  B. 3 kilos  C. 5.5 kilos D. 4.5 kilos

23. Some students think the best answer to this problem is that _______.

A. they should have a little homework to do after they get home

B. their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework

C. they should only take home library books they will read that night

D. they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones

(7)

Are you carrying too much on your back at school? You’re not alone. Back experts in the USA were worried that young students are having back and neck problems because they are carrying too much in their backpacks (schoolbags).

“It hurts my back when I run,” said Beeline Reyes, a student in Virginia. “It’s hard to get up the stairs with my backpack because it’s too heavy.”

Students have to carry heavy backpacks on their backs for a whole week’s study. Beeline is one of them. They have regular backpacks with two straps(带子) to carry them, but a number of students with heavy loads have switched to rolling backpacks. The backpacks have wheels and can roll on the ground.

Shirley Park’s backpack weighs 10 kilos, and she said, “I’ll change to a rolling backpack because I am starting to have back pain.”

How much is too much? Experts say that students should carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of their own body weight. A few students have had a good idea to lighten the load: Less homework.

Doctor’s suggestions:

●Lighten the load. Take home only the books the students need that night.

●Wide straps are better. They can send out weight over your shoulders and be sure to wear backpacks with two straps.

●The heaviest things should be packed closest to the back.

●Bend(弯曲) both knees when you pick up the pack, don’t just bend the waist(腰).

24. The main idea of the text is _______.

A. the problems made by rolling backpacks    B. the goodness of backpacks

C. the best backpacks for students            D.something about backpacks

25. From what Eglin Reyes and Shirley Park said, we know _______.

A. students have to carry heavy backpacks

B. students have to do homework

C. backpacks with wheels are bad for students

D. students have no time to play because of homework

26. By the words of the experts, it’s better for a student of 40 kilos to carry a backpack of at most _______.

A.10 kilos  B. 8 kilos  C. 6 kilos   D.7 kilos

27. If students follow the doctor’s suggesting, they _______.

A. may do less homework        B. may feel their backpacks are lighter

C. can learn how to enjoy them    D. will know how to use backpacks

(8)

“It hurts me more than you” and “This is for your own good” — these are the statements my mother used to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework.

That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to push our children to achieve their best in school. The schools and the educators made it easy for us. They taught that it as all right to be parents who take a let-alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators, turned on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation.

Now teachers, faced with children who have been developing at their own pace for the past 15 years, are realizing we’ve made a terrible mistake. One such teacher is Sharon Klompus who speaks of her students “so passive” and wonders what has happened. Nothing is demanded of them, she believes. Television, says Klompus, contributes to children’s passivity. “We’re talking about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it for them, instead of saying  'go and look it up’, you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to a kid.”

Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It’s time for parents to end their vacation and come back to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's for their own good. It's time to start telling them no again.

28. Children are becoming more inactive in study because _______.

A. they watch TV too often

B. they have done too much homework

C. they have to fulfill too many duties

D. teachers are too strict with them

29. We learn from the passage that the author's mother used to lay emphasis on _______.

A. learning Latin         B. discipline

C. natural development    D. education at school

30. By “permissive period in education” (L.1, Para. 2) the author means a time _______.

A. when children are allowed to do what they wish to

B. when everything can be taught at school

C. when every child can be educated

D. when children are permitted to receive education

31. The main idea of the passage is that _______.

A. parents should leave their children alone

B. kids should have more activities at school

C. it's time to be more strict with our kids

D. parents should always set a good example to their kids

(9)

Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.

In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all whether rich or poor, clever or stupid — one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough; we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degree;they refuse to do what they think “low” work; and, in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our towns…

In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.

32. The writer of the passage thinks that _______.

A. education can settle most of the world’s problems

B. free education for all probably leads to a perfect world

C. free education won’t help to solve problems

D. all the social problems can’t be solved by education

33. The writer wants to prove that _______.

A. our society needs all kinds of jobs

B. our society needs free education for all

C. a farmer is more important than a professor

D. work with hands is the most important

34. The purpose of education is _______.

A. to choose officials for the country

B. to prepare children mainly for their future work

C. to let everyone receive education fit for him

D. to build a perfect world

35. The passage tells us about _______ of the education.

A. the means  B. the system  C. the value  D. the type

(10)

Doreen Sykora is now a junior at McGill University. She had a difficult time when she first began college. She said, "I was always well prepared for my examinations. But when I go into class to take the exam, I would fall apart. I could just blank out because of nervousness and fear." Hitoshi Sakamoto, an anthropology(人类学) student at Temple University in Tokyo reports similar experiences.

These two young students were experiencing something called test anxiety. Because a student worries and is stressed(加压力于) about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually does. The student cannot write or think clearly because of the severe tension and nervousness.

Now there are special university courses to help students. In these courses, advisors and psychologists try to help students by teaching them to manage test anxiety. Such a course helps students learn to live with stress and not fail because of it. First students take a practice test to measure their worry level. If the tests show that their stress level is high, the students can take a short course to manage the fear. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies. They get training to become calm in very tense situations. By controlling their nervousness, they can let their minds work more easily.  Learned information then comes out without difficulty on a test.

Doreen Sykora saw immediate results after taking such a course. She now has enthusiasm about the relaxation methods. "Mostly, what I do is imagine myself in a very calm place. Then I imagine myself picking up a pencil. I move slowly and carefully. I breathe easily and let all the tension out. With each breath, more worry leaves me. It really works too.  My grades have improved greatly! I'm really doing well at McGill now. This relaxation method works not only on examinations, but it has improved the rest of my life as well."

For Hitoshi in Tokyo, the results were much the same. He is enjoying school a lot more and learning more.

36. What is the similarity between Doreen Sykora and Hitoshi Sakamoto?

A. They are students from the same university.

B. They failed in all the examinations.

C. They both had experiences of test anxiety.

D. They both had the same poor studying habits.

37. The phrase "blank out" in Paragraph 1 refers to "."

A. lose interest in the exam     B. refuse to take the exam

C. get an extra paper          D. be unable to think clearly

38. What's the purpose of some special university student-help courses?

A. To help students to reduce test anxiety.

B. To show a stress level experienced by students.

C. To learn more knowledge about test anxiety.

D. To have a better understanding of test anxiety.

(11)

The average person learns most of the 30 000～40 000 words whose meanings he or she recognizes by hearing them or getting familiar with them in the context or simply absorbing them without conscious(意识到的) effort. The best way to build a good vocabulary, therefore, is to read a great deal and to participate in a lot of good talks. There are relatively few words that we learn permanently(永久的)by purposefully referring to dictionaries or keeping word lists. However, even those extra few are of value, and no one will make a mistake by working on developing a larger vocabulary. Here are some suggestions of how to do it.

Read plenty of good books. When you come across a new word, or a new meaning of an old word, stop and see if you can understand it from its context. If you can't, and if you can manage without interrupting the thought of the book too much, look it up in a dictionary or ask somebody and then repeat its meaning to yourself a couple of times. If you are really conscientious(认真的), write the word and its meaning in a personal vocabulary list — preferably using it in a sentence, or you can keep a special vocabulary notebook. Go over the list from time to time. Further, try to use a new word in writing or conversation a few times over the next several days.

Listen to good talks and be alert to new words you hear or to new meanings of words you already know. Then treat them just as you treat the new words you read.

Learn and be alert to the parts of words: prefixes, suffixes and roots. Knowing them enables you to make intelligent guesses about the meaning of words.

If you are studying a foreign language, be alert to words in that language which relate to words in English. English has inherited(继承) or borrowed much of its vocabulary of 500 000～ 600 000 words from Latin, Greek, French, Spanish and German.

39.When you meet a new word in reading, what should you do?

A. Guess its meaning.                 B. Ask somebody.

C. Look it up in a dictionary.           D. All of the above.

40.According to this passage, the best way to build a good vocabulary is .

A. to remember a lot                 B. to read a great deal

C. to take part in a lot of good talks      D. both B and C

41.The phrase "be alert to" in the third paragraph may best be replaced by "_______”

A. look at                          B. pay attention to

C. write down                       D. learn by heart

42.In the fourth paragraph, the word "them" refers to __________.

A. the parts of words                 B. prefixes

C. suffixes                         D. roots

(12)

Answer the following questions by using the information taken from a dictionary page. (You may read the questions first.)

jaguar: n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U. S. and in Central and South America.

jargon: 1. n. speech that doesn't make sense. 2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand. 3. n. a language made up of two or more other    languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English. 4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was filled with jargon.

jaunt: 1. n. a trip taken for fun. 2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday.

javelin: 1. n. a spear most commonly used as weapon or in hunting. 2. n. a lightweight metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field contests. 3. n. the contest in which a javelin is thrown. 4. v. to strike, as with a javelin.

jazz: 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats. 2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz. 3. n. slang empty talk. 4. ad. of or like jazz: a jazz band, jazz records.

Jennet: n. a small Spanish horse.

43.Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below? At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.

A. Definition 1                B. Definition 2

C. Definition 3                D. Definition 4

44.Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below? Doctors often speak in medical jargon.

A. Definition 1                B. Definition 2

C. Definition 3                D. Definition 4

45.What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence? Don't give me that jazz, for I am a practical person.

A. rhythmic beats              B. a type of music

C. a kind of dance              D. meaningless talk

(13)

So long as teachers fail to distinguish (differ) between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that "reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible".

Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to plan cleverly the most efficient(有效的) system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also a public activity: It can be seen and observed.

Learning to read involves all that each individual does to understand the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.

If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the long search for knowledge? Smith has one principle rule for all teaching instructions. "Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children."

When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them properly, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is got rid of. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the chance to solve the problem of learning to read by learning.

46.The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that ___________.

A. too much time is spent in teaching about reading

B. reading tasks are given with little guidance

C. it is one of the most difficult school courses

D. students spend limited hours in reading

47.The teaching of reading will be successful if _____________.

A. teachers can make their teaching activities observable

B. teachers can teach their students how to read

C. teachers can improve conditions at school for the students

D. teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading

48.The word "scrutiny" (Paragraph 3) most probably means "____________”

A. unbelief

B. control

C. inquiry

D. observation

49.The main idea of the passage is that ________________.

A. reading is more complicated than believable

B. reading ability is something gained rather than taught

C. teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible

D. teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read

(14)

Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there's no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children's curiosity(好奇). Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me "textbook questions" about schooling, salary(薪水) and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, "Now that we're finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?"

After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, "Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?"

This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.

Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their "wait time" to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的), complete and creative answers.

Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don't jump in with "That's right" or "Very good". These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为). But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying "That's interesting" or "I'd never thought of it that way before", or coming up with more questions or ideas.

Never push a child to "Think". It doesn't make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What's more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target(目 标) for your disagreement.

Lastly, show; don't tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they'll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates(蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.

50.According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is .

A. to let them see the world around

B. to share the children's curiosity

C. to explain difficult phrases about science

D. to supply the children with lab equipment

51.In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word "lists" could best be replaced by .

A. any questions                     B. any problems

C. questions from textbooks            D. any number of questions

52.According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults .

A. ask them to answer quickly

B. wait for one or two seconds after a question

C. tell them to answer the next day

D. wait at least for three seconds after a question

53.In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?

A. The second and third.                B. The fourth and fifth.

C. The fifth and sixth.                  D. The seventh.

54.The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children's curiosity except that adults should .

A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts

B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves

C. be patient enough when their children answer questions

D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own

(15)

"Sesame Street" has been called "the longest street in the world". That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American's exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.

In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation's pre-school children, from every kind of economic(经济的), racial(种族的), and geographical group.

Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from "Sesame Street" are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.

Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional(偶 然的) viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.

The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.

Why has "Sesame Street" been so much more successful than other children's shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories(理论) of its creators, the support by the government and private(私人的) businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.

55."Sesame Street" is actually___________________.

A. a street in the US                     B. a program for children

C. a program for teachers                 D. a program for students

56.Children who often watch the program ___________.

A. can have problems in school            B. will find it a great help

C. will take no interest in their studies       D. will be well educated

57.What is special about the program?

A. It offers great fun.

B. It makes children feel able to learn.

C. It is shown at different hours during the week.

D. Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching.

58 Why is "Sesame Street" so popular in the world?

A. Because it is supported by the government and businesses.

B. Because it uses a variety of skillful tricks.

C. Because mothers watch it along with their children.

D. Because it makes every child watching it feel able to learn.

59 The best title for this passage can be ______________.

A. TV Programs                    B. Educating Children

C. Sesame Street                    D. A Great Success

(16)

Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word "obey" is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the children. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.

Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation(模仿) leads on to deliberate(有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.

It is a problem we need to get our teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation; and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world. Thus the use, at seven months, of "mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaning-less sound simply because he also uses it at another time for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

60 Before children start speaking _____________.

A. they need equal amount of listening

B. they need different amounts of listening

C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obey spoken instructions

D. they can't understand and obey the adult's oral instructions

61 Children who start speaking late ________________.

A. may have problems with their listening

B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them

C. usually pay close attention to what they hear

D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

62 A baby's first noises are ________________.

A. an expression of his moods and feelings

B. an early form of language

C. a sign that he means to tell you something

D. an imitation of the speech of adults

63 The problem of deciding at what point a baby' imitations can be considered as speech _________________.

A. is important because words have different meanings for different people

B. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually

C. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age

D. is one that should be completely ignored(忽略) because children's use of words is of-ten meaningless

64 The speaker implies ____________________.

A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds

B. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak

C. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly

D. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating

(17)

Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York--he in computers, she in special education. "Teaching means everything to us," Tim would say. In April1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life's purpose.

Not long after the surgery(外科手术), Tim saw a brochure(小册子) describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton' s foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer's home town of Sevier, Tennessee. “I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire," Tim recalls. He placed the brochure on his desk, "as a reminder."

Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imagination library .com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.

The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see. “We didn’t want to give the children rubbish,” says Linda. The books-reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists and Dollywood board members-included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama series.

Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative: “This program introduces us to books I’ve never heard of .”

The Richters spend about $400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die,” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”

65.What did Tim want to do after learning about Imagination Library?

A. Give out brochures.                        B .Do something similar.

C. Write books for children                    D. Retire from being a teacher.

66.According to the text, Dollly Parton is ___________.

A. a well-known surgeon                     B. a mother of a four-year-old

C. a singer born in Tennessee                  D .a computer programmer

67.Why did the Richters go to Dollywood?

A. To avoid signing up online.

B. To meet Dollywood board members.

C. To make sure the books were the newest.

D. To see if the books were of good quality.

68.What can we learn from Tim’s words in the last paragraph?

A. He needs more money to help the children.

B. He wonders why some people are so busy.

C. He tries to save those waiting to die.

D. He considers his efforts worthwhile.

（7476 words）

考后自评：

126分以上，是顶级水平，110分以上是优秀水平。