情景作文（20分）
假设你是红星中学高中学生李华，最近，你校学生会对影响学生课外阅读的因素进行了调查，结果见下图。请根据图示提供的信息给某英文报纸写信，反映调查的实际情况，并寻求建议。
注意：
1．信的开头已为你写好。
2．词数不少于60。
Dear Editor,
Our student union has recently conducted a survey on what may affect students outside-class reading.
Sincerely yours,
Li Hua
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填放空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选
项。
Why Cats Scratch Tings
In has long been assumed that when cats scratch objects with their front paws（爪子）that they are sharpening their claws. 1 Research on cat behavior suggests that the major reason for this behavior is communication. By scratching up the bark of a tree (or the leg of your favorite chair) the cat is letting other cats or people know where she is and what she is up to.
Cats tend to pick a small number of noticeable objects in their environments to scratch such as trees, fence posts repeatedly. 2 The scratched surface leaves a highly visible mark that can be easily seen by other cats. In addition, cats have special glands （腺）in their paws so that when they make scratching movements they leave scent（气味）that the cats can smell. The fact that cats leave scent marks by making scratching movements may be the reason that cats will continue to scratch objects even after they have been declawed. 3
We don’t know exactly what cats are communicating with their scratching. Both males and females do it. It is done inside and outside the home and even by cats living with no other cats around. 4 Cats don’t scratch up your furniture to bother you or just to be destructive, but for specific reasons, one of which is communicating. Cats also scratch to extend their bodies, during play, and possibly as a greeting or to relieve dissatisfaction when prevented from doing other things they want to do.
5 It is easier to prevent problem scratching rather than trying to change your cat’s preference for the arm of your sofa after it has become a built up habit. Thus, the goal is to establish acceptable scratching habits by getting your cat to prefer a scratching post rather than the arm of your sofa.
A．It turns out that this is only a secondary reason.
B．This is why the tree next door looks so scratched up.
C．Cats use other parts of their bodies to communicate as well.
D．Small pieces of bark have accumulated on the ground underneath.
E．Scratching can result in considerable damage, owner dissatisfaction.
F．Declawed cats may still be leaving scent marks on objects they scratch.
G．It could be a defensive warning or just a marker that announces its existence.
Destiny and Personal Responsibility
One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny（命运）and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “try, try again.” Action, efficiency（效率）, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expr4essed in their way of responding to failure or accident by saying “ni modo”(“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important to understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and accountability. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of thins. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.
1.The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by .
A．physical senses B．general attitude
C．financial background D．geographic characteristics
2.According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are .
A．impractical B．dishonest C．ambitious D．hesitant
3.The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
A．a topic of a discussion B．a branch of knowledge
C．a person being experimented on D．a person under the power of others
4.The author would probably agree that .
A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire
B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country
C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude
D．fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence
We’ve all seen them: perfectly toned famous people on late-night television telling us that we too can develop rock-hard abdominal muscles（腹肌）. It’s easy! Just pay $149.99 for the Torso Track or $149.75 for the Ad-Doer and watch those unwanted inches leave your waist. Americans spend tens of million of dollars on various products to firm up their fat around the waist.
And did they work? Not necessarily. Independent studies have concluded that most of these products-no matter who approved them or how expensive they are-shape your midsection no better than old-fashioned stomach crunches（仰卧起坐）. Some can even cause injury-like the $518.99 Body Shaper-Q8SP, which left electrical burns on some researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Others, like the popular Ab-Doer, trpically burn less energy than a gentle walk, according to a study to be published in September by the American Council on Exercise.
The fact is that many Americans don’t have the biological makeup to develop an obvious abdominal muscles. They are either unable to get the necessary muscle mass or they can’t lose enough fat to make a difference. Even if the underlying muscles are well developed, and it takes to hide it is one-sixteenth of tan inch of fat. That’s enough to dismiss most healthy women as well as plenty of guys who do crunches every day.
So what works best? In its new study, the exercise experts researched on the results of the popular Ab-Doer. A lengthy TV advertisement promises that just 10 minutes a day performing such movements as “Body Boogies” and “Good Mornings” will “help form those muscles the fun and easy way without diets.” Steven Loy, professor at California State University, Northridge, tested the promise by measuring the electrical activity produced by the abdominal muscles during three Ab-Doer movements. He and his colleagues then compared the results with those produced during traditional exercises. They determined that the muscles were no more active, and in some cases less so, when exercisers were using the Ab-Doer.
Taking a broader approach, researchers at San Diego State University compared 13 abdominal exercises for their ability to develop the central abdominal muscles. They concluded, in a report published in May, that the most effective exercises kept turning the body and worked the muscles the entire time. Among the winners: the bicycle movements-so called because it looks as if you are riding a bike while lying flat on the floor-and exercises performed on the “Captain’s Chair”, a product typically found in gyms that helps hold the body in the air while you raise your legs up toward your chest. Researchers suggested that a varied routine of the different exercises could deliver the best results.
1.Which of the following is the most effective in building abdominal muscles?
A．Torso Track. B．Ab-Doer.
C．Captain’s Chair. D．Body Shaper-Q8SP.
2.According to the author, it’s difficult for many Americans to get visible firm abdominal muscles mainly because .
A．they do not put in enough efforts
B．injuries interrupt their exercise frequently
C．they change their exercise routine regularly
D．how big their muscles will be is determined by birth
3.The author convinces the readers by .
A．describing successful eases B．offering professional connects
C．presenting findings of researches D．comparing advertisements of products
4.What’s the main purpose of this passage?
A．To research and develop in order to create the perfect stomach and exercise machine.
B．To promote proven exercise techniques and to advise against false advertisements.
C．To indicate that diet and exercises are necessary factors for a fit midsection.
D．To sponsor rich healthy lifestyle based on advanced product research.
Count Me Out
Call me old-fashioned. Call me old. Call me what you want, but refuse to become part of this new Internet world.
I do not possess a computer at home or at the office. Actually, I stopped going to an office 35 years ago, when all communications were done with a pen, a typewriter, or, if the matter was of world-shaking importance, over the telephone. Likewise, if you like something advertised in a newspaper or magazine, you visited the shop selling it at the given address, or you phoned, the number shown. Then you spoke to the fellow and asked for further details.
Tell me what you think of the following ad that appeared the other day in the newspaper. It was for a cure for cancer and this is what it said: “Awareness is the key. Visit spfulford. com at the awareness site.” There was no address or telephone number for the site. So what do unfortunate people without a computer do it they are seeking a cure for their illness?
There are, I am told, certain advantages in having access to the Internet. You can, for example, send love messages across the world or even get married to someone that you meet online. This bit doesn’t interest me; I have been happily married for 60 years. There are, of course, other activities for Internet users besides finding love. They can pay bills, order groceries, or discuss with their doctors.
And this is by no means all. More amazing things are yet to come in the near future. I read a newspaper report recently that quoted Stephen Hawking, an important British scientist. “The complexity of a computer as it exists today is probably less than the brain of an earthworm,” he said. “But, as technology advances, computers will become more complex, and a time may come when the Internet may develop ‘consciousness.’ In other words, the Internet will be able to think, have feelings, and may well be able to act on its own.”
If Professor Hawking is right, I may change my attitude about conjurers. As I grow older each day, I would like one of those that not only thinks for me but also accepts responsibilities for all my mistakes.
1.What’s the meaning of the title “Count Me Out”?
A．Get me out of the Internet world.
B．Computers are trying to take control of life.
C．Modern technology pushes old people away.
D．Do not expect me to be a supporter of the Internet.
2.According to Paragraph 2, the author thinks computers are .
A．unnecessary B．convenient C．expensive D．advanced
3.What might the author like about the future computer?
A．Taking blames. B．Curing illnesses.
C．Delivering messages. D．Responding to emotions.
On Christmas morning, I went to the Cockhedge Mall. People there were all busy buying their last minute requirements. I needed to buy a birthday card for my son-in-law whose birthday is the 29th of December. Picking up a few more things as well as my cared I went to join the line for the express checkout which was for people who only had a few items in a basket and not a trolley load. This line was next to the Customer Service desk.
Seemingly waiting quite a long time, I was jogged out of my thoughts by a voice behind me making comments on the things I bought.
It was so funny when I realized that she was describing the contents of my basket. The owner of the voice was a very pretty young lady. I said to her that I was going to buy a box of Christmas cookies but the only ones left were not to my liking. The lady told me that just opposite Cockhedge in Superdrug they had lots of cookies. I said, “I’m not going to bother now. I had enough of shops and I’m going home.”
The assistant from the Customer Service came across at this time saying “If there is anyone in the line with a few items in their basket, none of which needed to be weighed, I will check out their groceries at the desk.” Because I had the sprouts which needed to be weighted, the young lady accepted the offer and walked away waving goodbye.
Eventually my turn came at the checkout. I was walking away when I met my new friend once again who handed me a beautiful box of Christmas cookies. With a big hug she said “Hope you have a lovely Christmas.” She had been into Superdrug to buy me the cookies while I was still queuing in Cockhedge.
What a generosity to a stranger! I was so surprised you could have knocked me down with a feather. My Good Samaritan would never know what a joyful Christmas day I had with my family. Telling them this story, as we ate around the table, kept everyone spellbound.
1.The underlined word “spellbound” in the last paragraph probably means .
A．interested B．disappointed C．astonished D．frightened
2.Which of the following could be the best title of the story?
A．A Piece of Lucky Feather B．A Surprise Christmas Gift
C．The Boring Shopping Experience D．The Unforgettable Big Hug
3.How does the writer feel about the pretty young lady?
A．Worried. B．Satisfied. C．Grateful D．Proud.
4.What can we learn from the story?
A．Nobody is sure what will happen the next moment.
B．A simple action can bring other people happiness.
C．Being patient will decrease the waiting time.
D．Life without hope and faith is a full thing.
