When I heard the piano, I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside as I always did. That meant she was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. “Almost anything”, I sighed dejectedly. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. It didn’t come to me naturally. I thought back to happier times when I was writing stories and acting them out with my friends, cutting up old clothes to make dresses that performers wear in plays, and building scenery out of old things we found. But Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try.
The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music.
“Hello,” I heard a voice behind me say softly. I turned around to see a little girl standing behind me, eating an apple. But before I could make any response, Mrs. Windsor walked into the room in her usual urgent manner and announced,“Jennifer, this is my niece, Pasha. Pasha, this is Jennifer. Pasha will be giving you your lesson today. I’m up to my ears in something else!” she then exited to the kitchen.
Pasha set her apple down on the side table and slid beside me on the piano bench.
“What piece do you like best?”she asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “They’re all the same to me. I don’t know.
“You mean you don’t have a favorite?”
“No, not really.”
Pasha looked at me, rather puzzled, then opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys and studied the notes on the page for a moment. Then I frowned and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I have to admit I was a rather mechanical pianist.
After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant.
“Like a story. What story is being playing out within the music?”
“I guess I’ve never thought about it before. I don’t know.”
“Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”
Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys.“Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.”A carefree, happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!”The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’s horse sees her plight (困境),” Pasha continued, and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. They make it to the bank and she hugs her faithful horse and swears she will never again wear princess skirts that weigh her down. She will only wear jeans and T-shirt from now on.” Pasha finished with a big smile and then looked at me.
“Aren’t you the girl who tells the stories?” she asked.
“I guess. I do tell a lot of stories.”
“Oh, yes! All the kids talk about them. I’ve heard about you. Well, all you have to do is learn to hear the stories in the music. That’s all there is to it.”
“I’ve never thought it that way.”
“Let’s try another one, shall we?”Pasha smiled and together we played that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.
1.The underlined word “dejectedly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______
A. nervously B. desperately
C. impatiently D. unhappily
2.Jennifer got lost in thought when she ________
A. played the piano with Pasha for the first time
B. listened to Pasha tell her story about the princess
C. remembered happier times of writing stories and acting them out
D. discovered that Mrs. Windsor’s niece would be giving the piano lesson
3.By describing herself as a mechanical pianist, the author showed ______
A. she could remember the notes in a short time
B. she was playing the piano without thinking
C. Pasha was showing off her skills
D. it had been a long time since she played last time
4. Which of the following can best describe Pasha?
A. Creative B. Naughty
C. Humorous D. Brave
5.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. Never Give up B. A Piano Lesson
C. Why I Hated Playing the Piano D. A Friend for Ever
6.This text would be probably found in ______
A. a collection of stories about friendship and learning
B. a book of daily records about famous young musicians
C. a magazine series about the challenges of overcoming fears
D. a series of newspaper articles about musical instruments
The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphone, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (怀旧的)skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to know well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”
1.What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?
A. The absence of blackboard in classroom
B. The use of new technologies in teaching.
C. The lack of practice in handwriting.
D. The popular use of smartphones.
2.Berninger’s study published in 2009 ___________.
A. focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer.
B. indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper.
C. found that good essays are made up of long sentences.
D. discussed the importance of writing speed.
3.Which of the following best shows the role of spelling?
A. Spelling improves one’s memory of words.
B. Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability.
C. Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas.
D. Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas.
4.What does “mind’s eye” in paragraph 5 mean?
A. Window. B. Soul
C. Picture. D. Imagination.
5.What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?
A. Computers can help people with their choice of words.
B. Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching.
C. Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms.
D. Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade.
You're not doomed to toss and turn every night. Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that relate to your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.
No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces （加强） your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired.
No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off — can ruin quality sleep.
No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual
Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to light music. Be careful of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime has impact on sleep.
No. 4: Get comfortable
Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.
No. 5: Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can affect nighttime sleep — especially if you're struggling with poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the mid-afternoon.
If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn't interrupt your daytime sleep.
No. 6: Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.
No. 7: Manage stress
When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and dividing tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend.
Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve.
1.Which of the following is helpful to have quality sleep at night?
A. listening to light music before bed
B. working out in the gym only in the day time
C. using expensive pillows that sell well
D. drinking lots of water instead of coffee before bed
2. Which of the following sleep tips is not mentioned in the passage?
A. Control your daytime sleep time.
B. Adopt healthy ways to handle stress.
C. Follow a flexible sleep timetable.
D. Schedule your daily physical activities.
3.According to the passage, in what situation do you need to contact your doctor?
A. You can not nap in the day time.
B. You frequently have trouble sleeping.
C. You do not fall asleep within 15 minutes.
D. You have too much to think about before bed.
4.What’s the purpose of this passage?
A. To provide advice on promoting better sleep at night.
B. To inform readers of different sleep habits before bed.
C. To offer tips on various relaxing activities before bed.
D. To convince readers of the importance of quality sleep at night.
Tens of thousands of ancient pictures carved into the rocks at one of France’s most important tourist sites are being gradually destroyed. Scientists and researchers fear that the 36,000 drawings on rocks in Mont Bego in the French Alps are being damaged so rapidly that they will not survive for future generations.
The mountain, believed to have once been a site for prayer, is scattered (散布) with 4,000-year-old drawings cut into bare rock. They include pictures of cows with horns, cultivated fields (耕地) and various gods and goddesses. But as the popularity of the site increases, the pictures are being ruined by thoughtless graffiti (涂鸦).
Jean Clottes is the chairman of the International Committee on Rock Art. He says, “People think that because the pictures have been there so long they will always continue to be there. But if the damage continues at this rate there will be nothing left in 50 years.”
He describes seeing tourists stamping on the drawings, wearing away the rock and definition (清晰) of the artwork as they do so. Some visitors, he says, even cut off parts to take home as souvenirs. “When people think they can’t take a good enough photograph, they rub the drawings to get a clearer picture,” he said. “The drawings are polished by the weather, and if the sun is shining and the visitors can’t see them properly they simply rub them to make them look fresher.” Other researchers describe how people arrive carrying long sticks with sharp ends to scratch (刮) their own drawings, or even their names, in the rocks.
But experts are divided over the best way to preserve the drawings. Henry de Lumley, director of the Museum of Natural History in Paris, believes that the only way to save the site is to turn the whole mountain into a “no-go” area, preventing the public from going there except on guided tours. Otherwise, he says, not only will the site be completely destroyed but important research work will be reduced.
Clottes disagrees, “The measure suggested by Henry de Lumley is the most severe, and while it is the most effective, it is also certain to bring about protests from people who live there,” he said. “The site was classified as a historic monument years ago by the Ministry of Culture, and we must do as much as possible to save what is there.”
David Lavergne, the regional architect, also wants to avoid closing the site. “Henry de Lumley’s idea isn’t ideal,” he said. “Our department feels that the best solution is to let people look at the site, but because the area is very big it is difficult to prevent visitors from damaging it. I would prefer that everyone was able to look at it, but the main problem is money. We do not have the funds to employ the necessary number of guards. We may have to consider charging a fee. It doesn’t seem to be possible to get the government support.”
In Nice, Annie Echassoux, who also worked on researching the site, is alarmed that as the mountain becomes easier to reach — tourists can now avoid the three-and-a-half-hour walk by hiring vehicles — the damage will increase rapidly. She thinks that the only solution is to rope off the area and provide guides. “You can’t say the plan can’t go ahead because there is no money,” she said. “That is not good enough. Money must be provided because the Ministry of Culture has classified this area as a historic site. If we don’t take steps, we will be responsible for losing the drawings for the next generation.”
1.Jean Clottes says that people who visit the mountain____.
A. do not believe the drawings are old.
B. believe they are allowed to paint there
C. think the drawings should be left alone
D. think the drawings will not disappear
2.According to Jean Clottes, some of the visitors to the area have____.
A. helped to clean the drawings
B. taken bits of the rock home
C. been unable to take photographs
D. misunderstood what the pictures mean
3.Henry de Lumley is eager to ____.
A. set up research projects
B. protect public rights
C. keep out individual visitors
D. ban traffic in the area
4.Which word best describes Annie Echassoux’s attitude towards saving the historic site?
A. Supportive. B. Disappointed.
C. Worried. D. Hesitant.
5.This passage has been written about Mont Bego to ____.
A. advertise the closing of the site
B. warn visitors about the dangers of the site
C. encourage scientists to visit the site
D. describe fears for the future of the site
完形填空
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1 ~ 20各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。
Most teens I meet these days lack basic social courtesy when dealing with people.
My own son, who basically grew up with his grandmother, the original guru, has perfect table manners. This is partly because he was to manners at a very young age. However, when we eat at home, he would not manners. So I asked him why. He said,” I behave the way I am supposed to when I’m out, but when I am at home I want to be .”
That’s when I realized that most parents, myself included, do their children the proper way to behave outside the home, but they are also to believe that at home, anything goes.
My to him was “good behavior has nothing to do with where you are or whom you are with”.
Then he answered, “But I behave when I’m with others so that they think better of me.” And that is when I realized that I was doing things all . I explained to him that it had nothing to do with what people think. This him even more.
So I went on to explain that behavior, whether in your everyday with people or at the dining table at home, is an of who you are. Well, at the age of 13, he got it.
So basically, what I am saying is that teaching your children comes with the underlying lesson that it is not about to do or not to do, but rather, who they are. This way it is not ; it comes from within.
Teach your teens or children the courtesy of greeting their friends’ parents and themselves when they go to someone’s home. Teach teenage boys to open the door of a car, or any door that matter, for any girl, whether they are their girlfriends or not. This includes holding elevator doors or letting women step out of the elevator first.
Just that teenage boys who practice good manners’ and courtesy grow up to become men who respect people in general.
1.A. knowledge B. wisdom C. manners D. intelligence
2.A. exposed B. limited C. cared D. concerned
3.A. learn B. practice C. remember D. make
4.A. live B. Obey C. react D. behave
5.A. gentle B. polite C. comfortable D. kind
6.A. teach B. offer C. guide D. support
7.A. attended to B. brought up C. cared about D. depended on
8.A. answer B. devotion C. apology D. affection
9.A. strangely B. nervously C. calmly D. properly
10.A. reasonable B. important C. wrong D. necessary
11.A. confused B. encouraged C. moved D. pleased
12.A. competition B. argument C. struggle D. interaction
13.A. impression B. expression C. appearance D. attitude
14.A. lessons B. skills C. manners D. examples
15.A. what B. how C. where D. why
16.A. practical B. natural C. gradual D. mechanical
17.A. minor B. formal C. basic D. casual
18.A. pleasing B. Introducing C. enjoying D. amusing
19.A. with B. on C. For D. at
20.A. consider B. confirm C. predict D. remember
---Don’t tell me you’ll have a dinner date again. ---______.I didn’t mean to.
A. You meant it. B. You made it.
C. You guessed it. D. You deserved it.
