Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has called for a return to the classics of English literature in schools, but are they still appropriate for today’s children?
A quick scan of any list of the most read children’s books will reveal(揭示) that today’s young people are growing up in a very different literary environment from their parents.
Gone from bedroom bookshelves are the Famous Five and the Chronicles of Narnia. And in their places are the likes of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid. And as for the 19th Century classics of English literature, such as Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens, many children simply have not heard of them.
One south London mother, Geri Cox, explained how her daughter’s Year 5 class was to be named this year after the literary giant, Jane Austen. But the class teacher soon had second thoughts when the suggested name was met with blank stares. “My daughter came back and said they weren’t going to be called Austen class anymore, because not many people had heard of her. Instead, the class was to be named after Rowing, the Harry Potter author.”
Ms. Morgan argues that children will miss out if they do not have access to “our rich heritage(遗产) of world-famous children’s literature”. But perhaps these more modern books are able to do the job of lighting the literary touch paper just as well. A spokesman for Penguin Random House Children’s books said: “Millions of children are readers because of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Jeff Kinney’s work is perfect for turning unwilling readers on to books.”
According to Seni Glaister, children’s books expert, the mix of type-face and art is a big part of the attraction. “It means the text does not look frightening and that it will therefore appeal to unwilling readers.”
1.Who enjoys the greatest popularity among children?
A. Jeff Kinney. B. Jane Austen.
C. Emily Bronte. D. Charles Dickens
2.What does the story of Geri Cox’s daughter suggest?
A. Teachers learn less about their students.
B. Children often stare blankly at their teachers.
C. Year 5 class should select their own literary giant.
D. Children don’t like reading literary classics today.
3.What’s Ms. Morgan’s attitude towards literary classics?
A. Unclear. B. Positive.
C. Doubtful. D. Confused.
4.What do we learn about Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
A. It belongs to one of literary classics
B. It was written by a writer in 19th century.
C. It turns out to be a great success among children.
D. It isn’t well-received by experts on children’s books.
Many people have heard bee populations are declining due to such threats as pesticides(杀虫剂). And many understand bees are important to plant pollination(授粉). Yet, according to a study led by Utah State University ecologist Joseph Wilson, few are aware of the wide diversity of bees and other pollinators beyond such species as honeybees.
“The U.S. Postal Service recently put out its Protect Pollinator series, which features only the European honeybee and the monarch butterfly,” says Wilson, assistant professor of biology at USU’s Tooele campus. “A social media commenter observed that using these two species on a campaign to protect pollinators is similar to focusing on chickens to save birds. It’s a pretty good comparison, actually.”
Wilson, with colleagues Matthew Forister of the University of Nevada-Reno, published findings in the Sept. 5, 2017, online edition of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
“In our recent survey, 99 percent of our respondents said bees are important, yet only 14 percent were able to guess within 1,000, the actual number of bee species in the United States,” he says. “Most people guessed around 50 species of bees, while the correct number is about 4,000 known species.” Further, when shown images of varied insects, many people were unable to distinguish bees from non-bees.
“A challenge with lack of knowledge about bees is you can’t protect what you’re now aware of,” Wilson says. “We could be losing species or causing decline and not even know it.”
Public education is key to encouraging conservation efforts, he says. “Because conservation efforts require substantial public support, it’s important that the public understand bees and what needs to be done to protect these species,” Wilson says. “Education is the key to understanding bee declines and protecting our pollinators.”
1.According to the text, bees function as __________.
A. honey-makers
B. pest-killers
C. producers
D. pollinators
2.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
A. Wilson is in support of the Protect Pollinator series.
B. The commenter observed honeybees and butterflies.
C. People neglect many other pollinators.
D. Protecting chicken can help save birds.
3.What does the underlined word “substantial” in the last paragraph mean?
A. legal.
B. large.
C. minimum.
D. slim.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Not Only Honeybees
B. Protection of Honeybees
C. Growing Threats to Bees
D. Newly Discovered Bee Species
The beloved and longtime host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Fred Rogers was born on march20, 1928, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
After graduating from Latrobe High school, Rogers was admitted to Dartmouth College, where he studied for a year before transferring(转学) to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Rogers, who’d begun playing the piano at a young age, graduated with high honour in 1951 with a degree in music composition.
During his senior year of college he visited his parents and was amazed by the family’s newest household addition: a television set. He could see a bright future for the medium and, as he’d later remembered, Rogers immediately decided he wanted to be a part of it.
Rogers’ first job in television came in 1953 when he was employed to work in programming by WQED in Pittsburgh, a recently launched community TV station that was the first of its kind in the country.
In the following year, he was co-producing a new program, The Children’s Corner. This allowed Rogers, who’d fallen in love with puppetry(木偶戏) as a child, to introduce some of his favourite puppets from his home to his young audience.
As his experience grew, so did his aspirations(抱负). He earned his divinity(神学) degree in 1962. After that Presbyterian Church asked him to serve children and families through television. Rogers made his first appearance the following year as Mister Rogers on a Canadian Broadcast System show called Misterogers. The program helped lay the foundation in its look and approach for Rogers’ later show.
Canada, however, was not where Rogers or his wife, Joanne, whom he’d met at Rollins, wanted to raise their two young sons. Soon, the Rogers family was back in Pittsburgh, where Rogers launched Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in 1996.
1.What inspired Fred Rogers’ decision to enter a career in television?
A. His parents’ encouragement. B. His major at college.
C. A television set in his home. D. His deep love in music.
2.Which one mainly influenced Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood?
A. Misterogers in Canada. B. The Children’s Corner
C. Rogers’ divinity degree. D. Rogers’ first job.
3.Why did the couple move back to Pittsburgh?
A. Rogers planned to launch Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood there.
B. They thought Canada was unfit for bringing up their children.
C. They wanted to look after their parents back in America.
D. Presbyterian Church invited them back in America.
4.What does the whole text mainly talk about?
A. Rogers’ interests in music and puppets.
B. Early education Fred Rogers received.
C. Fred Rogers’ family and his experiences.
D. Fred Rogers’ early life and early career.
The Harvard Law School Library (HLSL) is a private research center that exists mainly to support the educational and research needs of the Harvard Law School staff and students and the needs of the whole Harvard University. It also attempts to serve the needs of scholars and researchers requiring access to its unique collections.
Please note:
●Borrowing is limited to present Harvard ID holders
● During exam periods, access is restricted to present Harvard Law School collection users. Harvard University ID holders can always enter to find any book to check out.
● Visual materials, along with rare books, are housed in the Library’s Special Collections. For information concerning access to these materials, please visit the Historical & Special Collections page.
● The library staff is not available for legal advice.
● If you have any questions not answered on this site, or on the access application, call the Langdell Circulation Desk staff, 617-495-3455, or email Access Privileges.
Access to Electronic Resources
The Library has more electronic resources than most other non-governmental universities in the United States. Use of these resources is limited to members of the Harvard Law School. Access is controlled by either IP address or password. See the Electronic Resources page for more information.
Access to Harvard Libraries
Policies on admittance and services vary. For more information on all libraries at Harvard, visit lib.harvard.edu/libraries. The hours of operation are Monday~Friday, 9:00 am~4:45 pm. Enquiries can be made in person at the Library Office, Widener Library, Room 130, by telephone at 617-495-4166, or by email.
1.To borrow books from the HLSL, you must ______.
A. avoid exam periods
B. hold a Harvard ID
C. seek the library staff’s advice
D. refer to the Historical & Special Collections
2.Who can use Electronic Resources in the HLSL?
A. Scholars of Harvard Law School.
B. Any student of Harvard University.
C. Researchers needing unique collections.
D. Students in non-governmental universities.
3.How can you get a Harvard ID?
A. Email Access Privileges.
B. Call 617-495-3455 on weekends.
C. Go to Room 130 at 10 am on Wednesday.
D. Make enquires at the library office at 5 pm.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
In 1945, a 12-year-old boy saw a beautiful brooch(胸针) in a shop window that set his heart racing. But the price—five dollars—was too high for Reuben Earle. Five dollars would buy almost a week's food for his family.
Reuben couldn't ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to his mother, Dora. Slim and beautiful, she was the center of the home, the glue that held it together. The housework was never-ending, and she struggled to feed and clothe their five children but she was happy as her family and their well-being were all she cared about.
Nevertheless, he opened the shop's weathered(风化的) door and went inside. Standing proud and straight in his flour-sack（面粉袋改做的） shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding ,“But I don't have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time？”
“I'll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “People around here don't usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”
Reuben respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody, for he thought Mum would get surprised when she saw that brooch. On hearing the sound of hammering from a side street, Reuben suddenly had an idea that he could raise money by selling the used nail bags(装钉子的麻袋). People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails bought in bags from a local factory. Sometimes the used bags were thrown away at the construction site, and Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece.
That day he sold two nail bags and hid the money in a rusty soda tin(汽水罐).
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右。
2. 应使用5个以上短文标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词。
Paragraph 1
Every day after school, Reuben started his plan.__________________________________________________
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Paragraph 2
Finally, the time came!______________________________________________________________________
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假定你叫李华，是我校高二（2）班的学生．你在校报英语专栏看到了学校"英语文化节"的一则招募启事．
请阅读启事并写一封应征邮件。内容要点如下：
1．表明意图；2．陈述应征目的；3．说明应征条件（性格、能力等）．
注意：1)词数80左右；
2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
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