Last year, on report card day, my son and a group of his 13-year-old friends piled into the back seat of my car, ready for the last-day-of-school party at McDonald's. “Jack got a laptop for getting straight A's, and Laurie got a cell-phone,” one boy said. “Oh, yeah, and Sarah got an iPod Nano, and she's only in third grade,” said another. “And how about Brian? He got $10 for each A.”
I suddenly became concerned. These payoffs might get parents through grammar school, but what about high school and beyond? What would be left after the electric guitar, the cell-phone, and the DVD player?
I saw the road ahead: As the homework load increased, my income would decrease. I saw my comfortable lifestyle disappear before my eyes---no more of those $5 bags of already-peeled organic（施有机肥料的）carrots. No more organic anything!
I started to feel surprised and nervous. Would every goal achieved by my two children fetch a reward? A high grade point average? A good class ranking? Would sports achievements be included in this reward system: soccer goals, touchdowns（橄榄球底线得分）? What about the orchestra（管弦乐队）? Would first chair pay more than second? I'd be penniless by eighth-grade graduation.
“We never paid anything for good grades,” said my neighbor across the street, whose son was recently accepted at MIT. “He just did it on his own. Maybe once in a while we went out for pizza, but that's about it.”
Don't you just hate that? We're all running around looking for the MP3 player with the most updates, and she’s spending a few dollars on pizza. She gets motivation; we get negotiation. And what about the primary grades? What do these students get? “When the teacher asked if anyone got rewards for good grades, everyone in my class raised their hands and said they got ice cream cones (蛋卷),” said one third-grader.
1.What's the best title for the passage?
A．Tips on Paying Kids for Good Grades
B．New Trends in Paying Kids for Good Grades
C．Good Grades Mean Good Rewards
D．Don't Pay Kids for Good Grades
2.What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably mean?
A．Taking care of my children would influence my work.
B．I would spend less money on my children's good grades.
C．More rewards would be needed as my children grow up.
D．Reducing my children's homework load would cost me a lot.
3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A．if you buy children pizza as a reward, they will work harder
B．if you pay kids for good grades, they will take it for granted
C．children will not ask for rewards when they enter high school
D．good grades won't help kids make great progress in the future
4.The author takes her neighbor as an example to show _______.
A．pizza is the best way to motivate children
B．it is necessary to reward children for their good grades.
C．getting rewards for good grades is common nowadays
D．rewards are not the only way to motivate children
As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer. All the students interviewed say they usually use computers.
It's faster and easier to correct the mistakes if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often in modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I'm familiar with it.”
“I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to type on a computer, why bother to write by hand?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. Besides, handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can learn one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression.”
To encourage students to write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.
1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．The Importance of Typing
B．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters
C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand
D．To Type or to Write by Hand
2.The students interviewed prefer to type on a computer mainly because_______.
A．they can correct the mistakes quickly and conveniently
B．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays
C．they find it hard to remember how to write a character
D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China
3.Which of the following statements is NOT true about advantages of handwriting?
A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion.
B．Handwriting can impress people well and build their self-confidence.
C．The writer's thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting.
D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value.
4.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably means________.
A．getting bored with B．becoming crazy about
C．becoming dependent on D．getting curious about
Back in the fifteenth century in Nuremberg lived a family with eighteen children. They were so poor that two children, who wanted to pursue their talent for 26 knew their father would never be 27 able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.
So they tossed (掷) a coin. Albrecht Durer, the younger, 28 the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous 29 and for the next four years, financed his brother, who did so well that his works were even better than those of most of his 30 . By the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn 31 fees by drawing for wealthy people. When the young artist returned home, at dinner he drank a 32 to his beloved brother for the years of 33 that had enabled him to fulfill his 34 .He said, “Albert, my blessed brother, now it is your 35 to go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you.”
With tears in his eyes, Albert held his hands close to his right cheek and said, “No, brother, I cannot go. Look... look what four years in the mines have done to my 36 !The bones in every finger have been 37 at least once. Lately I have been suffering from arthritis (关节炎) so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a 38 to return your toast, much less make delicate （细腻的）lines with a pen or a brush. No, brother..., for me it is too 39 .”
Deeply moved, Albrecht painstakingly drew his brother’s 40 hands with palms（手掌） together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing 41 “Hands”, to which the entire world immediately opened their hearts and later they 42 it “ the Praying Hands”.
The next time when you see a copy of that 43 creation, take a second look. Let it be your 44 , if you still need one, that no one ever makes it 45 !
1. A．assistance B．art C．science D．dreaming
2. A．fundamentally B．frequently C．financially D．flexibly
3. A．won B．lost C．ended D．started
4. A．mountains B．oceans C．deserts D．mines
5. A．classmates B．colleagues C．professors D．brothers
6. A．convenient B．considerable C．considerate D．confident
7. A．beer B．drink C．drop D．toast
8. A．selfish donation B．no education C．hard work D．rich experience
9. A．attempt B．ambition C．appointment D．assessment
10. A．turn B．dream C．kindness D．hope
11. A．health B．body C．mind D．hands
12. A．injured B．strengthened C．sharpened D．used
13. A．knife B．spoon C．glass D．pen
14. A．urgent B．unnecessary C．messy D．late
15. A．overused B．dark C．wide D．fragile,
16. A．seriously B．simply C．carefully D．gently
17. A．sold B．bought C．found D．renamed
18. A．longing B．touching C．challenging D．disturbing
19. A．reminder B．aid C．guide D．coach
20. A．along B．aside C．alone D．aware
--- Can I help you, sir?
---I’m afraid you can’t. I have my students’ papers________.
A．to be graded B．graded C．grade D．to grade
---Let’s back up. Where was I?
---You ___________________about the trip to South Africa.
A．were talking B．talked C．are talking D．would talk
The couple are spending their holiday on _____is described as one of the most beautiful islands.
A．that B．what C．which D．where
