World Read Aloud Day is celebrated each year 1. the first Wednesday of March. It2.(start) by the LitWorld.org website in 2010 and has now reached 65 countries. The aim is to encourage people worldwide who cannot read to enjoy the benefits of a book. The website asks everyone3.(celebrate) the day by taking a book, finding an audience, and reading out aloud. It is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write4.(belong) to all people.
The website asks5. (visit) to join in the movement to reduce6.number of illiterate (不识字的) people in the world. It is7.(absolute) necessary to help those who cannot read. The website says, "It's time to start by reading aloud to 8.might like it. Share a book with a child who might need 9., share a story with someone who would treasure it, listen patiently to someone else's story as they share with you." The United Nations says, "Literacy involves a variety of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge, and to participate fully in society." In that way, World Read Aloud Day 10. help make a difference.
My dad always collected coins. He would walk to his long-time bankers and______they put at least some new coins aside for him______coins were issued. He gave them to every______member. It gradually became a special family______to get coins from Dad.
When my dad died, I felt a sense of______. My father and I had been so close. I was lost without his______ and support. I wondered if I would ______feel my dad around me again, watching over me. It was right after Hurricane Katrina. At the end of a motivational meeting, I felt so ______as I looked at these devoted volunteers. To my surprise, when I glanced at the ______, I saw a coin from the state where my dad was_____ and raised.
Later, I went to the bank to ______ a check. The bank manager, who had known me, called me into her office, showing me the coins for all the states my dad had ______.
Ever since that time, I have always______coins at the most extraordinary times, when I needed support the most.______, nowadays when I need emotional support during a tough time, a coin will always ______in a strange place.
Now every time a coin appears in our house, one of my______ says, “Oh, it’s Grandpa! ”We all feel a sense of ______ every time a single coin turns up in a (n) ______ place. We have all accepted it as a ______ of love, guidance and support from Dad — and ______ coin makes us smile.
1.A. point out B. talk about C. look at D. make sure
2.A. because B. when C. since D. until
3.A. club B. bank C. family D. team
4.A. principle B. tradition C. discovery D. memory
5.A. relief B. duty C. guilt D. emptiness
6.A. promise B. belief C. guidance D. expectation
7.A. ever B. just C. already D. even
8.A. nervous B. anxious C. disappointed D. grateful
9.A. ceiling B. floor C. playground D. wall
10.A. played B. saved C. born D. chosen
11.A. write B. post C. cash D. print
12.A. shared B. ordered C. received D. collected
13.A. found B. counted C. dropped D. collected
14.A. Unluckily B. Gradually C. Amazingly D. Obviously
15.A. break out B. end up C. fade away D. show up
16.A. students B. colleagues C. kids D. friends
17.A. comfort B. achievement C. pride D. loss
18.A. unexpected B. fixed C. similar D. distant
19.A. support B. message C. result D. record
20.A. another B. every C. either D. other
With the summer holiday just around the corner, it seems like everybody is busy planning their vacations. Here are some tips that can help you enjoy your holiday without emptying your pocket:
Travel off-season
Go to your desired destination while the demand is low and take advantage of huge discounts. During the peak season, the hotel and flight prices increase quickly, and you’ll likely spend more of your vacation time standing in line due to the rush of tourists.1.
2.
Websites can help you find discount hotel rooms. Look for places that do not charge extra for children if they use the existing bedding. Stay with the locals. If you and your family are going to stay for a longer period, renting a small apartment is a good choice.
Eat like a local
Why eat at big chain restaurants when you can experience something new?3.During your family trip, try new food where the locals eat. This will not just save money, but also provide you with a new and different experience. For smaller meals and snacks, avoid restaurants and try street food or other takeout.
Don’t hesitate to bargain
Tourist- heavy places are known for overcharging for just about everything. Clothes, travel goodies, souvenirs, etc. are very expensive at these places.4.Bargain hard to get the best price.
Choose local transportation
5.Instead, take buses, railways or subways, which are always cheaper. If you are planning to stay for a while, you can consider renting a car. Hiring a car is much easier than carrying your bags everywhere if you are moving around a lot.
A. Save on hotels.
B. Surf the Internet while traveling.
C. Therefore, avoid buying anything there.
D. So it’s best to find out when the off-season starts.
E. Planning your meals is another way to reduce your travel costs.
F. For this reason, you shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for bargains.
G .As a tourist, avoid taking taxis whenever possible, since they are expensive.
There’s no doubt that our character has a profound effect on our future. What we must remember, however, is not merely how powerful character is in influencing our fate (命运), but how powerful we are in shaping our own character and, therefore, our own fate. Character may determine our fate, but character is not determined by fate.
It’s a common mistake to think of character as something that is fully formed and fixed very early in life. It calls to mind old proverbs like “A leopard can’t change its spots” and “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
This perspective that our character is “etched in stone” is supported by a great deal of modern psychology emphasizing self-acceptance. As Popeye says, “I am what I am.” The hidden message is: Don’t expect me to be more, better, or different.
Finally, these views of humanity totally undervalue the lifelong potential for growth that comes with the power of reflection and choice.
How depressing it would be to believe that we can’t choose to be better, more honest, more respectful, more responsible, and more caring. None of us should give up the personal seeking to improve our character. Not because we’re bad, we don’t have to be sick to get better, but because we’re not as good as we could be.
There are so many things in life we can’t control, whether we’re beautiful or smart, whether we had good parents or bad, whether we grew up with affirmation or negation. It’s inspiring to remember that nothing but moral will power is needed to make us better.
No, it isn’t easy. But if we make a great effort to become more aware of the habits of heart and mind that drive our behavior, we can begin to place new emphasis on our higher values so that we become what we want our children to think we are.
1.What is the best title of the passage?
A. We shape our own character
B. Character determines our fate
C. Character is fully formed and fixed
D. We must meet what our children need
2.The author agrees that ________.
A. a leopard can't change its spots
B. in life we must attach importance to self-acceptance
C. we shouldn’t expect us to be more different
D. character is not fully formed and fixed very early
3.In the author’s opinion, which of the following is TRUE?
A. We can’t choose to be better.
B. We should seek to improve our character for we’re bad enough.
C. We should value our lifelong potential for growth.
D. We should make choices constantly.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. It is not difficult to improve ourselves.
B. We must try our best to be as good as possible.
C. Our children should copy our behavior.
D. We should control as many things as possible in life.
Reward methods are an everyday occurrence in our classrooms. More than ever, a great number of incentive(激励) programs have been created to help teachers manage behavior, and motivate learners. However, there is evidence that in the long run, reward systems don’t work.
Many people believe that rewards can help students develop a reason to do better. However, this approach fails to address why children are unable to be successful in the first place. When a student who dislikes math frequently behaves badly in class, a simple and easy way to deal with the behavior might be to offer him a reward for not misbehaving. Yet this would do nothing to solve his real problem—which is his attitude towards math.
On the other hand, rewards can’t last forever. So what happens when they stop? Many experiments suggest once the rewards stop, people go back to behaving as they did before.
Some people might counter that. It may be true that students won’t positively work once we stop rewarding them, but at least they will have worked more than they otherwise would have! Unfortunately, there is another more surprising consequence of rewards that we need to consider: Rather than create motivation, they can actually decrease motivation.
In a classic study, some kindergarteners who enjoyed drawing with markers were observed in a classroom with different activities available. They were broken into two groups. Everyone in the first group was told that he or she could win an attractive certificate by drawing a picture with markers. Each was eager to get the certificate and drew a picture. Children in the second group were also encouraged to draw but didn’t get a certificate. After a delay of about two weeks, when the markers again appeared in the classroom but no certificate was promised, the children in the first group used the markers about half as much as children in the second group. Apparently, rewards actually made them enjoy drawing less.
What we really want is for students to take responsibility for their own learning. When much of the focus is on performance outcome, it can stop the development of self-motivation. The ‘self-determination theory’ claims all human beings will succeed when our basic, inborn, and emotional needs are met. By providing appropriate support and opportunities, we can help to meet the needs of all students and therefore increase their motivation.
1.The author mainly argues that ________.
A. students should be responsible for their learning
B. incentive programs help to solve real problems
C. motivation plays an important role in learning
D. reward methods for students are ineffective
2.The underlined word “counter” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.
A. suspect
B. oppose
C. detail
D. confirm
3.In Paragraph 5, the author uses the example to show that ________.
A. rewards keep interest
B. children enjoy awards
C. children are changeable
D. rewards reduce motivation
4.The author persuades readers to accept his argument mainly by ________.
A. questioning the results of classic studies
B. comparing strengths with weaknesses
C. pointing out the problems with reward systems
D. giving examples of badly-behaved students
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet — and stopped him cold.”
Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities—and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.
1.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
A. He faced huge risks.
B. He lacked mighty forces.
C. Fear prevented him from trying.
D. Failure blocked his way to success.
2.What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
A. Swallow more than you can digest.
B. Act slightly above your abilities.
C. Develop more mysterious powers.
D. Learn to make creative decisions.
3.What can be learned from Paragraph 5?
A. Confidence grows more rapidly in adults.
B. Trying without success is meaningless.
C. Repeated failure creates a better life.
D. Boldness can be gained little by little.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A. To encourage people to be courageous.
B. To advise people to build up physical power.
C. To tell people the ways to guarantee success.
D. To recommend people to develop more abilities.
