In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface.
A revelation（启示）came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously（自发地）told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first trade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her fist music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting（借用）my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A．Many children find lots of fun in mindless activities.
B．Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her leisure time.
C．Rebecca collects online materials for her writing.
D．Rebecca is different from any other child of her age.
2.What was the author's writing experience?
A．She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
B．Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
C．She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
D．Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
3.Why did Rebecca want to enter this year's writing contest?
A．She possessed real talent for writing.
B．She wanted to win.
C．She wanted to share her stories with readers.
D．She had won a prize already.
Ever since news of widespread food recalls caused by a carcinogenic dye broke, there has been confusion（混淆） over possible links to the country of the same name, but Sudan officials say there is no connection whatever．
Sudan 1 is a red industrial dye（颜料） that has been found in some chilli powder, but was banned in food products across the European Union (EU) in July 2003．
Since the ban was put in place, EU officials have been trying to remove some food products from the shelves．So far 580 products have been recalled．
Last week Sudan’s Embassy in the United Kingdom asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for clarification(澄清) of the origin of the dye’s name．
Omaima Mahmoud Al Sharief, a press official at Sudan’s Embassy in China, explained the purpose of the inquiry was to clear up any misunderstanding over links between the country and the poisonous dye．
"We want to keep an eye on every detail and avoid any misunderstanding there," she said．"Our embassy to Britain asked them how the dye got that name and whether the dye had something to do with our country．But they told us there was no relationship．"
The FSA, an independent food security watchdog in Britain, received a letter from the Sudanese embassy last week．
"They asked us why the dye is named Sudan, however, we also do not know how it got the name," she said．"People found the dye in 1883 and gave it the name．Nobody knows the reason, and we cannot give any explanation before we find out．"
Sudan dyes, which include Sudan 1 to 4, are red dyesused for colouring oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes．They are classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer．
1.What does the underlined word “carcinogenic” mean in paragraph one?
A．Causing cancer． B．Having side effect．
C．Containing poison． D．Poisonous．
2.How did the Sudan 1 get its name?
A．The dye is often produced in Sudan．
B．The dye has something to do with the country named Sudan．
C．Nobody is sure of the origin of the name．
D．Many foods produced in Sudan contain the dye．
3.We can infer from the passage that．
A．the Sudan government is paying much attention to the food safety
B．Sudan 1 is often used to be added to the food
C．people didn’t realize the danger of Sudan1 until 2003
D．many food shops will be closed down
4.Which of the following is the best title?
A．Keep away from Sudan1
B．No Sudan 1 dye links to the country
C．How Sudan1 dye got its name?
D．Pay attention to the food safety
A powerful earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan at two forty-six p.m. local time on March eleventh.2011. Japan's Meteorological Agency released its first tsunami（海啸） warnings just three minutes later. The country has one of the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.
There are more than four thousand Seismic Intensity Meters in place throughout Japan to measure earthquake activity. These meters provide information within two minutes of an earthquake happening. Information about the strength and the center of the earthquake can be learned within three minutes.
There are also concrete(混凝土) sea walls around much of the Japanese coastline. But these measures proved no match for the powerful earthquake and tsunami.
Costas Synolakis ，a tsunami expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said，"Japan is one of those most well-prepared countries on earth in terms of tsunami warning. They had a warning. I think what went wrong is that they had not expected the size of this event."
He says there are two reasons for this. Japan has not had any event anywhere near as big as this one in the last one hundred fifty years. And scientists had not expected such a large earthquake happening off the coast of Japan.
The nine point zero magnitude earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded worldwide. It was also the worst earthquake ever to hit Japan. The tsunami waves that followed were reported to have reached as high as thirteen meters in some areas.
Costas Synolakis says Japan's concrete sea walls were not built to handle such high waves.
Experts say early warning systems will continue to be limited by these facts until earthquakes and tsunamis can be predicted
1.Where can this passage probably be adapted from?
A．A magazine on science B．A fairy Tale
C．A scientific fantasy book D．A newspaper
2.Which of the following statements NOT true ?
A．A terrible earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan
B．It was also the worst earthquake in Japan
C．The 9.0 earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan
D．Japan's concrete sea walls was unable to handle such high waves.
3.According to Costas Synolakis, why did Japan suffer such a loss?
A．The country has never experienced any event as big as this one over the past 150 years
B．Japan has the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.
C．There are not concrete sea walls around all of the Japanese coastline
D．The government didn’t announce its first tsunami warnings three minutes earlier.
Good afternoon, everyone,
I’d like to introduce my friend Christy to you all. Christy is a great example of how one person with 1 can make her dream a reality, so she should win the Student of the Year Award.
Christy loves to ride bikes. She does not just ride along city streets, 2 . She is interested in 3 trail (小路) rides. 4 Christy knew that people who love riding had to travel 5 the city to locate good bike trails, so she 6 to do something.
Christy knew that Roosevelt Park had a clean, lively creek（小溪） 7 through it. 12 miles of land around the creek was 8 used. Christy decided to get together with other trail9 to ask the city council to 10 a bike path along the unused land. Christy 11 a petition (请愿书). She and other riders asked all of their biking friends if they would12 the list, and they gathered 300 signatures. The city council evaluated the 13 and, more 14 , agreed to allow the bike trail.
The 15 took two months of work, and now Roosevelt Park has a 16 bike trail. It has many ups and downs; it is a great ride. This trail is becoming one of the community’s important 17 spots. I can’t 18 with Christy when we ride together, but I am glad that she decided to work hard to begin the 19 of the Roosevelt Park bike path. Christy 20 this award because she acted on her dream, causing a community to come together.
Thank you!
1. A．patience B．satisfaction C．determination D．permission
2. A．still B．instead C．either D．though
3. A．tough B．vacant C．convenient D．remote
4. A．However B．As C．But D．Since
5. A．around B．beyond C．along D．outside
6. A．expected B．decided C．offered D．claimed
7. A．running B．going C．coming D．walking
8. A．often B．ever C．seldom D．even
9. A．runners B．players C．passengers D．riders
10. A．approve B．apply C．prove D．accuse
11. A．formed B．developed C．drew D．described
12. A．write B．view C．call D．sign
13. A．demand B．request C．invitation D．scheme
14. A．importantly B．naturally C．obviously D．necessarily
15. A．destruction B．organization C．construction D．protection
16. A．interesting B．competing C．parking D．rewarding
17. A．match B．exercise C．play D．game
18. A．put up B．keep up C．end up D．turn up
19. A．discovery B．invention C．creation D．collection
20. A．deserves B．preserves C．reserves D．serves
________ there is going to be a policy change _________ of those things is going to change.
A．Unless; few B．Until; few C．Unless; none D．Until; none
Nothing_______ after the terrible fire which had been caused by someone smoking in bed.
A．left B．was remained C．remained D．continued
