The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly (鬈曲的) hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother’s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.
1. The aim of the mother’s plan was to _______.
A. take them to visit the museum B. introduce them to the world of art
C. ask them to read about artists D. show them different painting styles
2. What was the writer’s experience in the museum before the last visit?
A. She came to feel her mother’s love. B. She liked many paintings.
C. She hardly enjoyed herself.
D. She could understand the pictures of fat babies.
3. What made the writer go through a change that summer?
A. One of Mary's paintings. B. A strange way of painting.
C. Artists in the Middle Ages. D. Her mother’s instruction.
完形填空（共15小题, 每小题1分， 满分15分）
阅读下面的短文，从短文所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
For years we have been told that encouraging a child’s self-respect is important to his or her success in life. __41__ child experts are now learning that __42__ praise can lead to the opposite effect. Praise-aholic(受表扬上瘾的) kids who __43__ it at every turn may become teens who try to get the same kind of __44__ from friends when asked if they want to go in the backseat of the car. ks5*u
The meaning of saying “You are the __45__ girl in class,” or talking about the goals she scored but not her general __46__, is that you love her __47__ when she looks the best, scores the highest, achieves the most. And this __48__ over to the classroom.
Social psychologist Carrol Dweck, PhD, tested the effects of overpraise on 400 fifth graders __49__ she was at Columbia University. She found that the kids who were __50__ for “trying hard” did better on tests and were more likely to take on difficult tasks than __51__ praised for being “smart”.
“Praising qualities or abilities leads to a false __52__ that success will come to you because you __53__ that quality, and it devalues(贬值) effort. __54__, children are afraid to take on challenges, ” says Dweck, now at Stanford University, “They think they’d better __55__ while they’re ahead.”
1. A. And B. But C. Then D. So
2. A. enough B. a little C. too much D. some
3. A. expect B. rescue C. notice D. design
4. A. education B. praise C. competition D. direction
5. A. prettiest B. youngest C. tallest D. fattest
6. A. ability B. value C. kindness D. effort
7. A. still B. only C. already D. yet
8. A. carries B. looks C. turns D. takes
9. A. while B. because C. until D. unless
10. A. set down B. looked through C. picked up D. thought highly of
11.A .one B. it C. that D. those
12.A. idea B. plan C. schedule D. decision
13. A. have B. like C. advise D. make
14.A. After all B. At first C. As a result D. In addition
15. A. move B. stop C. fight D. work
-- We have booked a room for today and tomorrow.
-- _______, sir.
A. I'm sure B. My pleasure C. It's all right D. I'll check
It is only _______ you understand what your parents do for you _______ you can improve your relationship with your parents.
A. that; what B. when; that C. which; where D. how; what
On the Eve of the Spring Festival, parents always _______ lucky money to their children.
A. give up B. give in C. give out D. give off
I like this jacket better than that one, but it costs almost three times _______.
A. as much B. as many as C. so much as D. so many
