Researches show what we already suspected: Three out of four babies who died of SIDS(婴儿猝死) involved co-sleeping. We’ll say it again. The safest course is not to sleep with babies.
We know the argument: Bad parenting, not co-sleeping, is to blame for the dozens of babies’ deaths. Some parents stick to co-sleeping because it helps them bond with their newborns. They say those who give co-sleeping a bad name either had been drinking, used drugs or were too tired to notice that they rolled over on their children.
But, most of the cases did not involve drugs or alcohol. There’s a “but” here, however. Submitting to a test for drugs or alcohol in these cases is voluntary, so it’s difficult to know with certainty.
Organizations like the Black Health Coalition and others have explained the safe way to co-sleep. While we understand those arguments, we also know that mistakes can happen and that it only takes one time for something to go terribly wrong. The risk outweighs the benefit.
In all likelihood, parents will continue to co-sleep, and some will do so without ever having an incident, but babies are too vulnerable(易受伤的) for parents to take such chances. Therefore, the best place for babies to sleep is in their own beds, on their backs, with no pillows, blankets or toys. No parent wants a tragedy(悲剧) to occur. The best way to make sure the tragedy doesn’t happen is to allow babies to sleep alone in their own cribs(摇篮).
1.According to the author, most of the SIDS cases happened because of ________.
A. drugs
B. co-sleeping
C. drinking
D. bad parenting
2.Some parents think sleeping with their babies can ________.
A. keep the babies healthy
B. give co-sleeping a good name
C. prevent themselves from drinking
D. develop a good relation with their babies
3.The author holds the opinion that ________.
A. parents can sleep with babies, but cautiously
B. co-sleep helps to bring babies closer to parents
C. parents can’t take chances to sleep with their babies
D. accidents only happen to those careless parents
4.Which of the following best describes the structure of the text?
A. ① B. ①② C. ① D. ①
↙↘ ↓ ↙↓↘ ↙↓↓↘
②③ ④ ③④ ②③④ ②③④⑤
↘ ↙ ↓ ↘↓↙
⑤ ⑤ ⑤
The “Sepik Spirit”, constructed in 1989, is built specially to suit the demands of a shallow riverboat for guiding inland waterways. Its shallow draft allows passengers into distant corners of the Sepik Region and areas not otherwise accessible to larger boats. It was refurbished(装修) in early 2006 to ensure that the Sepik Spirit meets the expectations of the modern travellers. The refurbishment includes new interior and improved noise resistance.
The Sepik Spirit holds 18 passengers in 9 twin bedrooms each with private bathroom. Onboard facilities include a dining room, living room, bar, video and covered upper observatory deck(甲板). The entire boat is air-conditioned. Because the Sepik Spirit is designed to operate in this unique environment, she is the ideal size for exploration. This, combined with small passenger numbers, allows the travellers an excellent experience to little visited areas.
Day trips from the Sepik Spirit are done in an 18-seater riverboat, also designed for the operation. Their open-air design gives the travellers a sense of place, a feeling for the river and its people.
Areas that the Sepik Spirit and her guests may visit are the Karawari River, Blackwater Lakes, Chambri Lakes, the Middle Sepik and the Upper Sepik. The river banks where the boat operates are dotted with many large traditional villages each with its own unique “Haus Tambaran” or spirit house decorated with ancestral figures. Mix with the friendly people and experience a culture that meets very few outsiders.
Please E-Mail if you want to know more about us.
Please note that private touring and transfers are not available on the Sepik Spirit.
Please note that Sepik Spirit departure and termination(终结，终点) points sometimes change without notice.
AIR TRANSFER COST: US$375.00 one way
1.The “Sepik Spirit” is a riverboat ________.
A. specially designed and built for the local transportation
B. built and refurbished in 1989
C. providing good conditions for a small number of tourists
D. traveling in the day only
2.The Sepik Spirit boat is most possibly named after ________.
A. a person
B. an animal
C. a building
D. a river
3.A passenger chooses to travel on the Sepik Spirit most possibly because he is interested in ________.
A. boat making
B. river traveling
C. the unique scenery and culture in this area
D. the excellent conditions and service of the boat
4.Which of the following factors about taking the Sepik Spirit is right?
A. You can send an E-mail for further information.
B. You can rent the boat for yourself if you please.
C. The schedule of the boat trip will be strictly followed.
D. A Sepik Spirit trip will cost you US$375.00 one way.
I have to admit: I don’t flush(冲) the toilet every time I go to the bathroom. In fact, I firmly believe “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I work at home. Alone (well, except for the cats and dog). All day. And I drink a lot of water, which makes for many trips to the bathroom.
Another thing I have to admit: I also try to use very little toilet paper. I wash my hands after, though. Every time. (So maybe the water I don’t use flushing makes up for the water used to wash my hands?)
Ironically, my husband, who only uses toilet paper when necessary, always flushes. But he doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t flush every time. Or, at least not enough to file for divorce. Yet.
Posted by Juliet Farmer
Jun 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
When I’m at home alone I do not flush every time I pee(小便). My husband hates that, though, so when he’s home, I flush a little more often. I grew up doing that because I had a family that lived with huge tanks and you have to do it that way because it’s easier on the system, so it doesn’t bother me. I do flush when I’m out in public, at people’s houses that don’t have big tanks and when we have company!
CherBearCM, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Not always. But I have 4 children who are always hanging from the door knob（球形捏手） while I pee anyway. So I’m lucky I have time to wash my hands after. The average toilet uses 8 gallons of water per flush! Much less than what it takes to wash my hands after. (just saying)
luvbnmomnwife, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM
1. CherBearCM doesn’t flush the toilet every time she pees ________.
A. because she can’t afford so much water
B. because her husband doesn’t like that
C. when she is with her friends
D. when she is alone
2.luvbnmomnwife seems to enjoy ________.
A. washing hands after using the toilet
B. taking care of her four children
C. peeing with her kids watching
D. flushing the toilet after peeing
3.The text is taken from ________.
A. a newspaper
B. a website
C. a magazine
D. a handbook
4. Which of the following titles best suits the text?
A. Stop flushing your toilet!
B. Do you flush the toilet every time?
C. Don’t forget to flush the toilet after peeing!
D. Do you realize the importance of saving water?
There is much more to growing up in a bilingual(双语的) family than learning two languages, and the cultural influences from both cultures are just as important.
In July we had a curious incident that shows the slight differences between cultures. My son has already changed a few of his baby teeth and since we lived in Italy we decided to go with the Italian version(版本) of the Tooth Fairy, which is not a fairy(仙女) but a little mouse. So last year when he lost his first tooth we had a visit from the little mouse who took the tooth away and left a rather good amount of coins --- when he lost the second tooth a few days later, however, the amount was significantly less! That in itself caused quite a few questions, but the real questions started when in July during a visit to the UK another tooth left my son’s mouth in Tooth Fairy land! The grandparents made a real problem out of it --- it was their first grandson’s tooth they got to say Goodbye to, so it was Tooth Fairy and rather generous, too!
The Qs & As
Son: Mum, how is the little mouse going to smell my tooth all this way? (as the story goes the little mouse smells a milk tooth and comes to collect it)
Me: No dear, it won’t! We are in England now so the Tooth Fairy will come.
Son: Oh, is she stronger than the little mouse? (I knew where this was going)
Me: She is very strong, and she is magic.
Son: What does the Tooth Fairy bring? (straight to the point)
Me: I am not sure. We’ll find out maybe a nice message.
Son: So is the little mouse coming too?
Me: No, it won’t make it all the way from Italy.
Son: But why don’t they have little mice in England?
Me: Because here the Tooth Fairy collects all baby teeth and she’s too fast, so the little mouse would always get there late.
Son: Oh!?
1.Italian kids are supposed to believe ________ will come and collect the milk teeth.
A. a little mouse
B. Tooth Fairy
C. their parents
D. the grandparents
2.The author thought Tooth Fairy would be rather generous because ________.
A. Italian parents often give much money for their kids’ lost baby teeth[
B. she knew Tooth Fairy was more generous than the little mouse
C. she knew the grandparents would give her son a big gift
D. English people are usually more generous than Italians
3.Hearing “Oh, is she stronger than the little mouse?”, the author knew her son was actually worried about ________.
A. the tooth fairy’s health
B. the little mouse’s coming
C. the amount of coins he could get
D. the story his grandparents know
4.By telling this story, the author intends to say it’s important to _________ in a bilingual family.
A. make kids know the folk stories
B. help kids choose one of the cultures
C. teach kids two languages
D. keep the balance of both cultures
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
One of the speaking rules you need to know might sound strange to most ESL(English as a second language) students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.
Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction(部分) of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. When they sometimes ask me about grammar, I can easily look up the definition(定义) and apply it, but I can’t tell them the answer off the top of my head.
I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.
Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb(使役动词), or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?
1.According to the author, what opinion do most ESL students hold?
A. Grammar matters a lot only in speaking.
B. Grammar doesn’t matter much in speaking.
C. Grammar is not important in English learning.
D. Grammar is very important in English learning.
2. What is the author?
A. An ESL student.
B. A native English teacher.
C. A native English student.
D. A teacher teaching English natives.
3. The underlined part “off the top of my head” means ________.
A. without consideration
B. on purpose
C. after thinking
D. with difficulty
4.Which of the following titles best suits the text?
A. Grammar Counts!
B. Fluency or Grammar?
C. Exams or No Exams?
D. No More Grammar!
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1. 5分，满分30分）
请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
It was Lin Tao’s first visit to England. He was looking 36 to his first journey on London’s Underground Railway. Against 37 of his friends he decided to go alone.
He 38 the station shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon. This is a 39 time to travel in London because too many people go home 40 work at this hour. He had to join a long line of people 41 were waiting for tickets. When 42 his turn came, he had some difficulty in making himself understood by the man 43 tickets. However, he got the right 44 in the end and by asking people the 45 he also found the right platform. It was crowed with people. He did not manage to get on the first train, 46 he was able to move nearer the edge of the platform so as to be in a better position to 47 the next one.
When this train came in, Lin Tao was swept forward on to the train by the rush of people from behind. The doors 48 and the train moved off. He was 49 to see the names of the stations 50 the train stopped, but he knew that the station he wanted was the sixth stop along the line. When the train reached the sixth station, Lin Tao got off, 51 glad that his journey had been so easy. But he suddenly 52 that he had come to a station he 53 ! He explained his difficulty to a man standing on the platform. With a smile 54 his face, the man told Lin Tao that he 55 a train going in the opposite direction. The train had come to a small town, the name of which sounded very strange.
1. A. forward B. toward C. upward D. downward
2. A. an advice B. the advice C. advice D. advise
3. A. arrived B. got C. hurried D. entered
4. A. short B. well C. good D. bad
5.A. for B. at C. from D. before
6.A. who B. whom C. whose D. which
7. A. at first B. at last C. at least D. at most
8.A. sell B. to sell C. selling D. sold
9. A. platform B. station C. ticket D. taxi
10.A. road B. way C. path D. means
11. A. and B. or C. but D. so
12.A. get on B. get off C. get up D. get down
13.A. open B. opened C. close D. closed
14. A. able B. unable C. sure D. possible
15.A. which B. that C. before D. where
16.A. feeling B. felt C. fell D. fallen
17.A. recognized B. understood C. realized D. felt
18.A. have never listened to B. had never heard of C. had never listened D. has never heard
19. A. in B. on C. of D. to
20. A. had bought B. had sat C. had driven D. had caught
