阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Why aren’t the British having as many children as they used to?
Well, there is a whole range of reasons. One of them is that nowadays, British people are having their children at a much older age than before, 1. (mean) they have fewer years in which they can have children. Most young people nowadays want a job 2. they are well-paid, so they often go to university after high school. After years of study at university, they then need a few years of work experience before getting the job they want. Besides, houses are unbelievably expensive in the UK, so many young people 3. (force) to stay with their parents early on their careers. And no one wants to start a new family when still 4. (live) with their parents! So, it’s not5. people are about 30 years old that they can afford to move out and think about settling down and having children. After getting 6. (marry), the couple have to work 7. (pay) for their home and living expenses.8., they have to pay someone to look after their child during the day, and it’s also very expensive!
9. (discourage) by all these difficulties, it’s no surprise 10. people today don’t want to keep a large family.
Clara Daly was seated on an Alaska Airlines flight when a flight attendant asked a(n) _______ question over the loudspeaker, “Does anyone on board know American Sign Language?”
Clara, 15 at the time, _______ the call button. The flight attendant came by and _______ the situation. “We have a passenger on the plane who’s _______ and deaf.” she said. The passenger seemed to want something, but he couldn’t _______ his message.
Clara _______ to have been studying ASL for the past year and knew she’d be able to finger spell into the man’s palm. So she _______ her seat belt and walked toward the seat of Tim Cook, then 64. _______taking his hand, she _______, “Are you OK?” Cook asked for some water.
When it arrived, Clara returned to her seat. She came by again a bit later because he wanted to know the time. On her third ________, she stopped and stayed a while.
“He didn’t need anything. He was lonely and wanted to ________.” Clara says.
So for the next hour, that’s what they did. She talked about her plans for the future. Cook told Clara ________ he had gradually become blind over time and ________ stories of his days as a traveling salesman. Even though he couldn’t see her, she “looked ________ at his face with such kindness,” a passenger reported, “We can see she smiled with happiness, ________ she made a difference in someone’s life.”
“Clara was amazing.” a flight attendant told Alaska Airlines in a blog interview. “You could tell Tim was very ________to have someone he could speak to, and she was such a(n) ________.”
Cook’s ________, “Best trip I’ve ever had.”
Life is a continuous learning experience. As for Clara, she said, “I’ve also learned a lot. The best thing for ________ is to learn something. Learning is the only thing that never ________.
1.A.urgent B.awkward C.challenging D.difficult
2.A.adopted B.lifted C.pressed D.tied
3.A.analyzed B.faced C.observed D.explained
4.A.blind B.ill C.homesick D.thirsty
5.A.get into B.get through C.get across D.get off
6.A.intended B.pretended C.happened D.attempted
7.A.uncovered B.unlocked C.unfolded D.unfastened
8.A.Cautiously B.Gently C.Secretly D.Seriously
9.A.whispered B.asked C.signed D.repeated
10.A.turn B.intention C.journey D.visit
11.A.talk B.relax C.sleep D.cheer
12.A.how B.why C.what D.when
13.A.invented B.conveyed C.transformed D.shared
14.A.attentively B.surprisingly C.crazily D.anxiously
15.A.if B.so C.because D.but
16.A.absorbed B.excited C.ashamed D.touched
17.A.angel B.donator C.sponsor D.translator
18.A.concept B.relief C.credit D.reaction
19.A.appreciation B.consideration C.amazement D.freedom
20.A.discourages B.fails C.inspires D.benefits
When we’re young children, many of us seem to have little trouble making new friends.1.. As adults, we tend to become more guarded with new people and have less time to devote to friendships. Consequently, most of us find it much harder to make new friends. If you’ve never experienced a close friendship, even as a child, you may find it even harder. But we all need and want good friends, even those of us who may sometimes pretend otherwise.
The need for friends is instinctual (本能的). Our survival used to depend on having friends to hunt and find food with, to help us build shelter and keep our families safe.2.They add meaning to life. They help you enjoy the good times and overcome the difficult ones. While strong relationships with friends can be a huge source of fun and pleasure, they are also important for your physical and emotional health.
Good friends can：
●3.
Even if it’s just having someone to share your problems with, friends can help you cope with serious illness, the loss of a job or loved one, the breakup of a relationship, or any other challenge in life.
● Help you to reach your goals.
Whether you’re trying to get fit, give up smoking, or otherwise improve your life, encouragement from a friend can really boost your willpower.4.
● Improve your mood.
Happiness can be infectious.5.
● Reduce stress and depression.
Having an active social life can benefit your immune system and help reduce isolation, a major factor for depression.
A．Friendships take time to form and even more time to deepen. |
B．Provide support when you're going through tough times. |
C．But as we age, friendships grow and develop differently. |
D．Spending time with positive friends can be happy. |
E. Yet they are less important nowadays.
F. It also increases your chances of success.
G. Today，good friends are just as important.
Never Talk to Strangers?
“Never talk to strangers.” Many children are taught this simple rule as a caution against abduction(诱拐). In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but hid from them, afraid someone might “steal” him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill(灌输) a fear of strangers in children. The “stranger danger” message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety.
To have a child go missing is a parent’s worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common - but a lost children may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The “never talk to strangers” rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behavior; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not.
For young children, nothing replaces close supervision(监管). Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and attitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world.
1.Which of the following statements is true about the 11-year-old boy?
A.He practiced the “never talk to strangers” rule.
B.He hid from the rescuers just as he was told.
C.He eventually showed up when the game ended.
D.He went somewhere else to avoid being found.
2.Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent?
A.Being abducted by a parent. B.Wandering off.
C.Being abducted by strangers. D.Running away.
3.The “never talk to strangers” rule is confusing to children because __________.
A.a friendly and attractive person may be dangerous
B.adults do not act upon the rule and strangers are hard to tell
C.the rule does not protect children in the situation of abducting
D.a lost child may have difficulty in communicating with a stranger
4.Which would the author agree with about the “never talk to strangers” rule?
A.It is not well recognized by parents.
B.It is not effective in keeping kids safe.
C.It is easy enough for children to follow.
D.It is practical as a safety tip in daily life.
Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein's jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bag.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台) . The bags are banned in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers' argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don't question these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
1.What has Steven Stein been hired to do?
A.Help increase grocery sales. B.Recycle the waste material.
C.Argue for the use of plastic bags. D.Stop things falling off trucks.
2.What does the word “headwinds”in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Effects of city development. B.Bans on plastic bags.
C.Headaches caused by garbage. D.Plastic bags hung in trees.
3.What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?
A.Producing them requires more energy. B.Replacing them can be difficult.
C.They are less strong than plastic bags. D.They are quite expensive.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Garbage Collection and Waste Control B.Industry, Pollution and Environment
C.Recycle or Throw Away D.Plastic, Paper or Neither
Teachers and students at Herbert Slater Middle School in Santa Rosa, California are used to seeing 7th grader Raquel Zuniga holding a stuffed Kermit the Frog doll as she goes about her school day.
Raquel, aged 12, attends classes for students with mild to serious disabilities. Having her favorite frog doll Kermit by her side makes school life much easier for her, yet there are still times when Kermit’s cheery presence isn’t enough to help her through her anxiety.
One day Raquel was having a hard time changing halfway from inside the classroom to outside. Several teachers approached Raquel as she held Kermit tight and walked back and forth in the hallway, yet none could get through to the child. After nearly an hour, school resource officer Chris Morrison happened to wander by to see if she could help.
Chris herself was a teacher for high-risk students in Los Angeles for twelve years before joining the Santa Rosa Police. She’s now been on the job as a cop for eighteen years, but those teaching wisdoms still run deeply through her mind.
Without hesitation Chris approached the student and bean to speak to her in a comforting voice. Chris did something simple yet extraordinary: she began to sing. Not only does music have a calming effect on its own but also the song she selected was especially meaningful: “Rainbow Connection”, the 1997 song made famous by Kermit the Frog himself.
Raquel’s face lights up in a beautiful smile as she turns to her teacher as if to say, “She’s singing my song!”
“The three of us were standing there in awe,” said Assistant Principal Jessica Romero, adding that she wasn’t the least bit surprised that this kind act came from Officer Morrison. “She’s a very special soul,” Jessica explained. “She comes to everything she does with heart, with empathy, and is able to build close relationship with students.”
1.Why does Raquel always hold the Kermit frog doll in her school days?
A.Because she is mentally disabled. B.Because students are used to seeing it.
C.Because it gives her a sense of safety. D.Because the teachers there encourage it.
2.According to the article, what do we know about Chris Morrison?
A.She has been a teacher for high-risk students in Los Angeles for 12 years.
B.She is working both as a teacher at the middle school and a policewomen.
C.She is understanding and knows what to do to comfort the children in anxiety.
D.She is warm-hearted and always surprises the teachers around with her wisdom.
3.Chris chose the song “Rainbow Connection” because _______.
A.it is a song meaningful to Raquel
B.it is a song popular among children
C.it is a song familiar to Chris
D.it is a song to calm children
4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.The satisfying ending of the warm story. B.Teacher’s impression about Chris Morrison.
C.Teachers’ reaction to Chris Morrison’s method. D.The unique method to get through to a child.
