Education is another area where the presence of arts and crafts is more than welcome. If children realize the importance of art and creativity from a young age, they can grow up to be more confident, more creative, and definitely more mature. Schools are the breeding（孕育）grounds for future painters and movie makers, and these arts should be encouraged wholesomely in such an environment.
Sadly, many parents do not understand why art is important for children, and subconsciously（潜意识地）force them to follow career paths that are common and conformist（墨守成规的）in nature. This is fair enough in its own way, because the world does need some standard blue collar and white collar jobs to continue its existence; but this is a choice that children should be allowed to make for themselves. The doors to creativity and expression must not be shut in their faces, even if it comes at a cost of making more money.
To put it more scientifically, here are some benefits of kids’ art activities that give a suitable answer to the question “Why is art important in schools?”
1.Exposure to art, music and drawings at an early age improves the amount of brain activity in children.
2.It increases the span of knowledge in the minds of children, thus making them sharper and more educated.
3.It builds up the levels of self-confidence, self-esteem（自尊）, motivation, cooperation and communication in children.
4.It helps children understand other people’s opinions and points of view as well.
5.It helps them sharpen their problem-solving skills, decision-making and gives them the possibility of really exploring their imaginations.
1.According to the passage, it is generally accepted that ____.
A.art plays a very important role in education of children
B.children are expected to be blue-collar or white-collar workers
C.schools should encourage children to learn arts and crafts
D.children should be allowed to make choices for themselves
2.The writer holds the view that ____.
A.schools should only bring up future painters and movie makers
B.children grow up to be more confident and more creative in schools
C.children should be encouraged to learn art to develop their creativity
D.art activities can help children solve all the problems they meet with
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Arts and crafts lessons are very popular in schools.
B.Art is not paid enough attention to in schools now.
C.Art activities improve the amount of brain activity.
D.Art education builds up the levels of self-confidence.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Importance of Art in Schools.
B.Relation between Art and Creativity.
C.Importance of Education.
D.Future of Children.
Paul Salopek is an old-fashioned explorer, setting out on foot to circle the world. He is also a modern-day explorer. On top of a few clothes, a small first-aid kit and notebooks, he is carrying a recorder, a video camera, a small computer and a satellite phone—a telephone that connects to a satellite and can be used in many places where cell-phones don’t work.
The journey is long 21,000 miles! It will take seven years to complete it.
Salopek was born in California and spent his childhood in Mexico. He says he has always liked to travel and doesn’t like to rush. At the age of fourteen, he climbed Moun. Whitney in California and crossed the state’s Sierra Nevada Mountains alone. When he was fifteen years, he walked the length of Death Valley. He once rode a mule 2,000 miles through mountains in Mexico.
A longtime reporter, Salopek has reported from Africa, Asia and Mexico. Now 51 years old, he plans to keep writing. As he travels around the world, he is writing stories about the people he meets and the way they live. He looks for how people find local solutions to big problems such as lack of food and water. He also records the sounds he hears and takes photos of the sky and the Earth’s surface.
The long walk started in the Rife Valley in Ethiopia in East Africa. Many consider East Africa to be home to the first humans, who lived 160,000 years ago.
Salopek is retracing the paths our ancestors took as they left Africa and settled in parts of the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas. As Salopek is walking, he is learning more about himself and all of humankind.
1.The underlined phrase “on top of” in the first paragraph can be replaced by ____.
A.in addition to B.in the light of
C.in reference to D.in the service of
2.The author develops the third paragraph mainly by ____.
A.providing examples
B.making comparisons
C.making a careful analysis
D.following the order of time
3.According to the passage, Paul Salopek is a ____.
A.doctor who likes carrying the small first-aid kit
B.writer who likes traveling, exploring and studying
C.journalist who likes traveling, exploring, writing and studying
D.photographer who is good at using satellite communication equipment
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.Paul Salopek Reflecting People’s Real Lives
B.Paul Salopek Following Man’s First Footsteps
C.Paul Salopek Going for a Seven-year Study
D.Paul Salopek Looking back upon the Childhood
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
Americans prefer to try every way to have fun, for example, they drive their own cars, some even tow a small boat after vehicle. They start from Los Angeles, California under sun, through four or five hundred miles to go to La Fulin, Colorado to spend weekends while Chinese people are still with work, and have dinner at home together with families in weekends or time watching TV.
The difference is mainly due to cultural customs and traditions the two countries. It is said that Chinese people are living for others, while Americans are for . When Chinese people come to the United States, they fight for first, and then desperately make money after they are recognized by others. It seems that, the purpose to earn money is not to enjoy life, for their following generations sons and daughters and even grandchildren. Chinese people prefer to save money emergency, such as illness. Although Chinese people with in the United States don’t need to worry about their own social welfare and health insurance, they work still very hard, as they hope that they can more money.
Chinese people’s interest is in the amount on the passbook（存折）, so they spend money usually. Most of Chinese are very thrifty（节约的）, and they are to spend money, but there are exceptions. They are willing to spend money on their . Many Chinese people think that, they endure（容忍） many , so they wish that their children could live much better. Therefore, in the United States elementary schools, you can see that those who the best, with more pocket money are Chinese students. In contrast, American children dress very simply, with just a little pocket money.
Chinese, Americans believe in living for themselves. They do everything for their own. , they earn money to enjoy a life, and pursue a higher quality of life. As for their own parents or children, they think that parents have their own pension and social welfare, and children should live a(n) life when they are 18’ years old. So they could boldly spend money on themselves. , Americans save little money. In the street, it is easy for Chinese to take out 300-400 dollars, but it is hard to say for Americans.
1.A. running B. driving C. going D. walking
2.A. boring B. pleasant C. busy D. angry
3.A. spend B. take C. cost D. pay
4.A. through B. for C. among D. between
5.A. themselves B. theirs C. them D. others
6.A. survival B. remainder C. existence D. material
7.A. or B. nor C. but D. and
8.A. in possession of B. on account of C. in spite of D. in case of
9.A. identity B. force C. fame D. power
10.A. borrow B. give C. use D. save
11.A. large B. few C. much D. little
12.A. easy B. reluctant C. willing D. happy
13.A. children B. relatives C. parents D. friends
14.A. hardships B. problems C. difficulties D. sufferings
15.A. match B. decorate C. dress D. wear
16.A. Different from B. Interested in C. Similar to D. Thanks to
17.A. Otherwise B. However C. Therefore D. Since
18.A. better B. well C. good D. rich
19.A. single B. independent C. different D. comfortable
20.A. In that case B. As a whole C. In this way D. As a result
--- I’ll teach him again because he hurt me much.
--- _____. Forgiving others is better than blaming.
A. Can you do it? B. Don’t overdo it
C. Do you dare to? D. I never agree more.
The boy _____ by the window is the only one of the students who _____ from the countryside in our school.
A. seated; are B. seating; was
C. sat; were D. sitting; is
_____, I have never seen anyone who’s as capable as John.
A. Now that I have traveled so much
B. As long as I have traveled
C. As I have traveled so much
D. Much as I have traveled
