There is a popular saying in the English language: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Well, that is not true. Unkind words, name-calling or even the so-called "the silent treatment" can hurt children as much as being physically hit, sometimes even more so.
A recent study of middle school children showed that verbal(言语的) abuse by other children can harm development in the brain. The study was a project of researchers at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. Researcher Martin Teicher and his team studied young adults, aged 18 to 25. These young men and women had not ever been treated in a cruel or violent way by their parents. The researchers asked the young people to rate their childhood exposure to verbal abuse from both parents and other children. Then the researchers performed imaging tests on the brains of the subjects.
The images showed that the people who reported suffering verbal abuse from peers in middle school had underdeveloped connections between the left and right side of the brain. The two sides of the brain are connected by a large bundle of connecting fibers called the corpus callosum. This was the area that was underdeveloped.
The middle school years are a time when these brain connections are developing. So, unkind, hurtful comments from children or adults during this period have the greatest effect. The researchers tested the mental and emotional condition of all the young people in the study. The tests showed that this same group of people had higher levels of fear, depression, anger and drug abuse than others in the study.
The researchers published their findings online on the American Journal of Psychiatry’s website.
Parents cannot control what other people say to their children, but they can prepare their children.
1.Why does the author use the popular saying at the beginning?
A. To show the power of words. B. To introduce an opposite view.
C. To prove the author’s argument. D. To show ancient people’s wisdom.
2.What did the subjects have in common?
A. They were hurt by unkind words. B. They performed poorly in imaging tests.
C. They had their brain slightly damaged. D. They experienced no physical abuse at home.
3.What will be discussed in the next paragraph?
A. Comments on the findings. B. Approaches to further studies.
C. Suggestions to parents. D. Different opinions on the matter.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The way we speak matters. B. Verbal violence should be stopped.
C. Unkind words hurt the brain. D. Words are worse than sticks and stones.
Our local Community Youth Club is a very popular organization with young people in my town. I have been a member for four years now and I’ve taken part in a lot of interesting projects. These include fun activities such as holiday camps and discos. We have organized sports competitions and we even made a video.
But it isn’t all just enjoyment, we have also started doing social work to help people in our neighbourhood. We have organized activities for small children during the holidays. We have also formed a social support group to help young people stop smoking.
We are particularly proud of the most recent group we have created. It organizes regular visits to the local old people’s home. This idea came from a school visit to an old people’ home. My class spent an afternoon at a home and everyone found the visit very rewarding.
The old people at the home were very excited by our visit. They were very talkative(健谈的) and they told us their personal stories. During our visit ,the home was filled with the sound of laughter. We sang songs and played games with the old people and had tea together. But we realized that life wasn’t always easy. Some of them were in poor health and were very unhappy. They couldn’t go outside the visits by children brought some sunshine into their lives.
Many young people like me do not live with our grandparents and we have very little contact with elderly people. As a result, many young people don’t know what they are like and we have a lot of wrong ideas about them. We have little or no idea of the kind of lives they lead in their homes. After this visit, my friends and I decided we should do something to help improve the quality of their lives.
Since the creation of our visiting group, over twenty volunteers(志愿者) have joined us. Up to now, we have organized three group evenings and a concert. But it is the individual(单独的) visits which are the most important. Club members regularly visit old people and everyone finds the experience rich and rewarding.
1.The writer _____.
A. works at an old people’s home B. lives with her grandparents.
C. lives in an old people’s home. D. regularly visits old people.
2.The Community Youth Club_____.
A. only organizes leisure activities for young people
B. has made a video about life in an old people’s home
C. has arranged a school visit to the local old people’s home
D. mainly does social work.
3.The writer thinks that many children today ______.
A. are not interested in how old people live B. do not want to get to know old people
C. have very little contact with old people D. live with their grandparents
4.The Phrase ”bring some sunshine into their lives” means to_______.
A. take the old people to the beach B. only visit the elderly on sunny days
C. make the old people feel happy D. take the old people outside
After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery beyond the glass rather than see it?
That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included an armful of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily. What’s worse, after I had read several pages on my own, the words slipped off the page into inky pools.
However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.
In my room, Mom’s voice compared with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people’s challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.
True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious gift from a mother to her child.
1.The author and his parents keep silent on their way home from hospital because .
A. what the doctor said was worrying
B. the author failed in the exam
C. they were exhausted
D. they focused on the scenery along the road
2.The author manage to raise his marks in learning by .
A. being confident
B. getting help from his teacher
C. listening attentively（专心地）
D. competing with his classmates
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The author’s eyes recovered finally.
B. Reading made the author more sensitive.
C. The author’s mother quitted her job to look after him.
D. Reading helped the author a lot both academically and mentally.
4.Which of the following could be the title of the text?
A. My eyesight trouble
B. An unforgettable experience
C. My good hearing
D. A precious gift from mother
Pacific Science Center Guide
◆Visit Pacific Science Center’s Store
Don’t forget to stop by Pacific Science Center’s Store while you are here to pick up a wonderful science activity or souvenir to remember your visit. The store is located(位于) upstairs in Building 3 right next to the Laser Dome.
◆Hungry
Our exhibits will feed your mind, but what about your body? Our café offers a complete menu of lunch and snack options, in addition to seasonal specials. The café is located upstairs in Building 1 and is open daily until one hour before Pacific Science Center closes.
◆Rental Information
Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. The lockers are located in Building 1 near the Information Desk and in Building 3. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are available to rent at the Information Desk and Denny Way entrance. ID required.
◆Support Pacific Science Center
Since 1962, Pacific Science Center has been inspiring a passion(热情) for discovery and lifelong learning in science, math and technology. Today, Pacific Science Center serves more than 1.3 million people a year and brings inquiry-based science education to classrooms and community events all over Washington State. It’s an amazing accomplishment and one we cannot achieve without generous support from individuals, corporations, and other social organizations. Visit pacificsciencecenter.org to find various ways you can support Pacific Science Center.
1.Where can you buy a souvenir at Pacific Science Center?
A. In Building 1.
B. In Building 3.
C. At the last Dome.
D. At the Denny Way entrance.
2.What does Pacific Science Center do for schools?
A. Train Science teachers.
B. Distribute science books.
C. Distribute scientific research.
D. Take science to the classroom.
3.What is the purpose of the last part of the text?
A. To encourage donations.
B. To advertise coming events.
C. To introduce special exhibits.
D. To tell about the Center’s history.
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．
Twenty years ago， I drove a taxi for a living． One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2：30 a． m． When I arrived to collect her， I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window．
I walked to the door and knocked， "Just a minute，" answered a weak， elderly voice．
After a long time， the door opened． A small woman in her eighties stood before me． By her side was a small suitcase．
I took the suitcase to the car， and then returned to help the woman． She took my arm and we walked slowly towards the car．
She kept thanking me for my kindness． "It's nothing，" I told her． "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated．"
"Oh， you're such a good man．" She said． When we got into the taxi， she gave me an address， and then asked， "Could you drive through downtown？"
"It's not the shortest way，" I answered quickly．
"Oh， I'm in no hurry，" she said． "I'm on my way to a hospice （临终医院）． I don't have any family left． The doctor says I don't have very long． "
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter （计价器）． For the next two hours， we drove through the city． She showed me the building where she had once worked， the neighborhood where she had lived， and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl．
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness， saying nothing．
At dawn， she suddenly said， "I'm tired． Let's go now．" We drove in silence to the address she had given．
"How much do I owe you？" she asked．
"Nothing．" I said．
"You have to make a living，" she answered． "Oh， there are other passengers，" I answered． She said thanks to me， but she looked so sad．
注意：
1．所续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2．应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3．续写部分分为二段，每段的开头语已经为你写好；
4．续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语．
Para 1：
Almost without thinking， I bent and gave her a hug．
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Para 2：
I was on my way to visit her．
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假定你是李华，两周前你从网上订购了一套英语书虫系列读物（Bookworm Series），昨天才到货，且包装破损、数量不足．请就此向网店客服写邮件投诉．要点如下：
1．介绍购物情况；
2．反映存在问题；
3．提出解决方案．
注意：
1．词数100左右：
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3．开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数．
可能用到的生词：投诉complaint n．
To whom it may concern，
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to your reply．
Li Hua．
