At the U.S. Open championships in Flushing Meadows, New York last week, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) held an unusual youth press conference (新闻发布会). I say "unusual" because the main idea wasn't to promote the sport for young children. Yes, there was a youth tennis exhibition in which a group of fresh-faced kids from the area showed off their well developed skills. They used junior racquets and larger, low-pressure balls on a half-size tennis court－a way the organization supports as a means to help children have early success and stick with the game.
But the event's real purpose was to help parents realize the importance of introducing kids to all kinds of athletic programs rather than focusing specially on one. This may sound like something easy to do, but it's not. In today's achievement-oriented (成功向导 ) environment, children are being pushed to specialize in a single sport－whether it's tennis, hockey, soccer, or gymnastics － at ever-younger ages. Tom Farrey, executive director of the nonprofit Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, says year-round sports programs are now offered down to age 5, too early an age for a child to limit himself or herself to a single activity. While parents naturally want the best for their child, they are being pressured by coaches to let him or her stick with one thing.
The result: More kids under age 12 are suffering injuries or, worse, burnout. According to the Aspen Institute's report, Project Play, fewer kids today are staying involved with sports than five years ago, partly because of forced specialization. Today's children are already on track to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents because of obesity and related diseases, and this trend is only worsening matters.
Multi-sport participation, however, leads to better performance (because kids get a chance to develop different sets of skills ) and greater enjoyment of the game, says Farrey. The headlining athletes at the event repeated the idea that having kids do more than one sport is a plus (good for them).
1.According to Tom Farrey, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Having kids do more than one sport is an advantage to their future career.
B. A child should limit himself to a single activity under the age of 5.
C. Parents are being pressured to let their kids stick with one sport.
D. Multi-sport participation leads to most kids' worse performance.
2.The underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 refers to ________.
A. introducing kids to many different sports instead of only one
B. inviting kids to only one sport instead of trying different ones
C. taking kids to only several different sports instead of too many
D. leading kids to any sport they like instead of trying many kinds
3. Fewer kids are staying involved with sports now than five years ago partly because they _______.
A. become too fat to take part in sports
B. have too much school work to complete
C. get too many injuries when they do sports
D. are pushed into specialized sport too hard
4.What's the best title for the passage?
A. The Importance of Doing Sports
B. The Necessity of Physical Education
C. Stop Specializing in Sports So Early
D. Develop Children's Athletic Abilities
Not long ago, people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old. Yet doctors in the United States say babies begin learning on their first day of life.
Scientists note that babies are strongly influenced1 by their environment. They say a baby will smile if his mother does something the baby likes. A baby learns to get the best care by smiling to please his mother or other caregivers. This is how babies learn to connect and communicate with other human beings.
A study shows how mothers can influence social development and language skills in their children.
Researchers studied the children from the age of one month to three years. The researchers tried to measure the sensitivity2 of the mothers. The women were considered sensitive if they supported their children's activities and did not get involved unnecessarily. They tested the children for thinking and language development when they were three years old. Also, the researchers observed the women for signs of depression.
The children of depressed3 women did not do as well in tests as the children of women who did not suffer from depression. The children of depressed women did poorly in tests of language skills and understanding what they hear.
1. influence: to affect the way people behave or think
2. sensitivity: the ability to understand other people's feelings
3. depressed: very sad and without hope
These children also were less cooperative and had more problems dealing with other people. The researchers noted that the sensitivity of the mothers was important to the intelligence development of their children. Children did better when their mothers were caring, even when they suffered from depression.
1.When do babies begin learning according to doctors in the United States? (不多于5个单词)
2.Why do babies smile to please their mothers or other caregivers? (不多于6个单词)
3.In what tests did the children of depressed women do poorly? (不多于 7个单词)
4.What kind of mothers can help children have a better development? (不多于 2个单词)
用方框中单词的适当形式完成下列句子，每个单词只能使用一次。
suffer graduate bored fortunate confident include serve |
1.I'm applying for the volunteer guide in order to build my __________ in speaking in public.
2.It's not easy for many students to find a job after ________ from college at the moment.
3.Some people are wasting food while others are ________ from hunger.
4.He is so ____________ with the TV series that he doesn't watch it at all.
5.You have some duties, ____________ typing letters and answering phone calls.
6.In some parts of the world, tea is ________ with milk and sugar.
7.________________, the fire was discovered soon after it started and put out immediately.
根据括号中所给提示完成下列句子。
1.每天做作业占用了他很多时间。(take up)
2.学生们参加各种社会活动是非常重要的。(get involved with)
3.汤姆觉得独自完成这项工作有困难。(on one's own)
4. 她们努力拼搏直到职业生涯结束。(come to an end)
5. 即使有困难，他们依然会坚持做志愿者工作。(carry on)
For the past four years, the Green Festival in Washington, D.C., has brought together people from around the country who are interested in the environmental movement. The groups call the festival "a party with a purpose". They say the purpose of the Green Festival is to create an economy in which natural resources are used in a way that does not destroy the environment. To the people who organize the event, "green" means having a safe and healthy community and a strong local economy.
Throughout the two-day event, over one thousand people volunteered to help the festival run smoothly. Four hundred businesses and organizations showed their products and projects. About three thousand visitors came to the party. They could find everything from naturally made organic food to clothing made from bamboo plants.
There were over one hundred fifty speakers and discussion groups. For example, you could learn how to be an environmentally friendly traveler. You could also watch several movies about political and environmental issues. Then you could listen to some live music performances. After sitting for too long, visitors could take a yoga exercise class. There was even an area for children. Younger visitors could enjoy fun games and lessons on subjects like protecting the rainforest and creating chocolate sweets.
Green building was one of the important subjects at the festival. Many companies and organizations aim to create environmentally safe buildings. They design structures with reduced energy use, fewer chemicals and more recycled materials. The Loading Dock is an organization based in Baltimore, Maryland. Its message is that "a person could build a house with what others throw away". The Loading Dock collects donations of used building materials such as flooring, lighting, doors, and windows. These materials would otherwise end up in a landfill trash center. Then, the group resells the materials. This way, the materials are recycled. This form of recycling provides entire families and neighborhoods with low cost solutions for rebuilding their communities.
Spending a day at the Green Festival showed people many solutions for improving the health of our planet. People have inclusive green choices, from the things people buy to the ways people eat, think, and live. The Green Festival connects a wide community of people who care deeply about, and are working to improve, our shared environment.
1.What is the purpose of the Green Festival?
A. To bring people together.
B. To study the environment.
C. To improve people's health.
D. To develop a green economy.
2.What could younger visitors do in the festival?
A. They could watch some movies about love.
B. They could build a house with their hands.
C. They could play fun games and have lessons.
D. They could taste food made from bamboo plants.
3.The underlined word "inclusive" in the last paragraph probably means___________.
A. wide B. right C. important D. possible
Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990 Kauai, Hawaii, where she grew up with two older brothers. Hamilton's parents were both surfers and they started teaching Bethany how to surf at a young age, and she learned quickly with the support of her brothers. By age 8, Bethany was winning first place in surfing contests for her age group. Hamilton began competing more seriously at the age of nine, winning several more competitions in her age group.
On October 31, 2003, while surfing with friends near Tunnels Beach, a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her. Bethany said, "My arm was hanging in the water, and it just came and bit me. It kind of pulled me back and forth. But I just held onto my board and then the shark let go." The shark tore off Bethany's left arm just below her shoulder. Hamilton's friends rushed her to the hospital. Bethany made it through several surgeries without infection (感染), and miraculously survived even though she had lost almost 60% of her blood. The doctor said that her athletic training helped her to survive the attack and blood loss.
While she was healing, Bethany thought for a while that she might not surf again. She was concerned that it would be much harder to stand up on the board using only one hand and that her balance would be completely off. But with hard work and determination she returned to surfing. She says, "It's hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode a wave in for the first time after the attack. I was greatly thankful and happy inside. The tiny bit of doubt that would sometimes tell me 'you'll never surf again' was gone in one wave !"
As for fear of another shark attack, Bethany says that sometimes her heart pounds when she sees a shadow (阴影) under the water. But she believes that faith provides hope and a future for those who feel down and defeated in their lives.
Bethany's popularity and hope for the future led her to partner with World Vision to create "Surfing for Children in Crisis". Bethany hopes that her involvement in the campaign will help provide disabled children from around the world with care, support, and hope.
1.Who taught Bethany surfing when she was very young?
A. Her brothers. B. Her parents.
C. Her friend. D. Her doctor.
2.Why does Bethany's heart pound when she sees a shadow under the water?
A. She hopes she can swim down to see the shark.
B. She is afraid another shark might attack her.
C. She is worried she might get out of control.
D. She thinks she can enjoy a bigger wave.
3.From the passage, we know Bethany is a ____________ person.
A. careful B. proud
C. brave D. clever
4. This passage probably comes from a (an) ________.
A. guide B. novel
C. magazine D. advertisement
