“ Go ahead,” I told Linda. “ Pick up the rock, and see what’s under it.”
Her 4-year-old arms struggled with the rock buried in the stream bed. Her eyes got big as she examined the worms after their nest was uncovered. She watched quietly, as they walked past her foot. She gently put the rock back and said,” Are there worms under all the rocks?”
This wasn’t school — it was a nature-based summer camp in New York’s Hudson Valley that I ran when I was 17. When I turned the kids over to their parents at the end of the day, they were tired, inspired by nature and knowledge.
Finland’s “forest kindergartens” use the natural world as a jumping off point for early academic instruction to make them enjoy learning. Finland is following in the footsteps of other European countries including Denmark, where outdoor education has been common for many years.
In the Finnish program, kids spend four days of a week, from 8:30a.m. to 6:30p.m., outside with a teacher. Built into the program is quite a bit of playtime. Kids get a lot of exercise and lesson plans are freely made so teachers can use what’s at hand and in season in their lessons.
While all this sounds less strict than a classroom-based kindergarten program, the results show that these types of programs have better results for overall physical health as well as academic performance and social development. But aren’t the kids who do this coming from wealthy, educated communities — so, of course they score better on tests? In fact, the greatest gains from spending time outdoors can be found in kids who are coming from less advantageous background. At a school near Atlanta, where kids spend 30 percent of their day outside, students have improved scores more than students from any other school in their area, and most of the kids there come from poor families.
1.Why did the author ask Linda to turn over the rock?
A.To help Linda be independent.
B.To see if Linda had enough courage.
C.To give Linda a chance to study nature.
D.To teach Linda how to protect animals.
2.What’s the purpose of Finland’s “forest kindergartens”?
A.To help kids learn about forests.
B.To popularize outdoor education.
C.To show the importance of play.
D.To develop kids’ interest in study.
3.Compared with classroom-based kindergartens, “forest kindergartens”____________.
A.seem to be less tiring B.have no fixed lesson plans
C.set many strict rules D.have no teachers around
4.What is an advantage of outdoor programs according to the last paragraph?
A.Kids joining them score higher on tests.
B.They help change poor kids’ families.
C.They do good to communities.
D.Kids meet people who are different from them.
When I was eight years old, I had cancer. It was really hard. One of the worst things was having to sit in the doctor’s office for hours during chemo (化疗) treatments. I’d want to walk around and do things, but dealing with the big intravenous poles (静脉输液架) that hold the bags of medicine was a pain. I’d have to roll them around with me. I’d trip over them, and the poles got stuck on everything. It made my stress over being sick even worse.
Last year for science fair, my teacher said we should think of how to solve an everyday problem. When you have cancer, the intravenous poles are an everyday problem. I started thinking of making a backpack for kids so they could get around and play and go outside while they are getting chemo. I especially want to make chemo easier for kids. I know how frightening it can be.
For my project, I got a backpack and made a model. I took a small box and made it look like an intravenous machine. I had a small pole sticking out of the top, where you’d hang the bag of medicine. Then I painted it to make it look nice.
After the science fair, I got a patent for my invention. That means I officially owned the idea. I was pretty surprised. Companies started talking to my family about making the backpacks. But it’s very expensive. A lot of people have donated money to help. So far I’ve raised $55,000.
Before the backpack project, I thought of cancer as terrible. But now I realize that a good thing that came from it was that I could help others. I don’t like seeing kids with cancer suffer through treatment. I hope my invention can help them.
1.What troubled the author most?
A.Her health. B.Her studies
C.The chemo treatment D.The medicine for cancer
2.Why did the author want to invent a special backpack?
A.To help kids know about cancer
B.To make treatment more effective
C.To make students’ school bags lighter.
D.To help kids feel better during chemo.
3.What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A.What the author did to raise money.
B.How the author made the backpacks.
C.What the author got from her teacher.
D.How the author got an intravenous machine.
4.What can we learn about the backpack project?
A.It was fruitful.
B.It has made lots of money.
C.It was started by a company.
D.It was a school-owned business.
MUSEUM SHOPS
BUFFALO HISTORY MUSEUM
Offers items related to the history of Western New York and its people, such as postcards, posters, fine gift items, children’s books, and a wide selection of publications about Buffalo architecture, the Arts& Crafts movement and Frank Lloyd Wright.
One Museum Court, Buffalo
716-873-9644/buffalohistotry.org
BUFFALO ZOO
The Zootique is full of animal-themed items from around the world, as well as Buffalo Zoo branded T-shirts, sweatshirts, postcards, calendars, and educational toys. A Zootique gift can be the perfect way to remember your day at this attractive zoo, which is set within the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Delaware Park.
300 Parkside Ave, Buffalo
716-873-3900/buffalozoo.org
BURCHFIELD PENNEY ART CENTER
While most museum gift shops are filled with knick-snacks (小摆设) and memorabilia, the Burchfield’s shop is filled with works by local artists. There are some seriously cool, collectible items to be found. The museum itself is known for showing cutting-edge artists and exhibitions, and the creativity obviously doesn’t stop at the art.
1300 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo
716-878-6011/burchfieldpenny.org
ROYCROFT COPPER SHOP GALLERY
You can experience the American Arts and Crafts Movement’s legacy (遗产) today by shopping at the Roycroft Copper Shop, featuring hundreds of works by over 100 local, national, and international artisans including handmade jewelry, woodwork, glass, prints and paintings.
31 South Grove St, East Aurora
716-655-0261/roycroftcampuscorporation.com
1.Which number should you call if you want to know more about Zootique gifts?
A.716-873-9644. B.716-837-3900.
C.716-878-6011. D.716-655-0261 .
2.How is Buffalo Penny Art Center different from other museum shops?
A.Its goods are all artworks.
B.Its gifts are intended for children.
C.It sells a lot of works by local artists.
D.It shows various coins from around the world.
3.At which shop can you learn about the Arts and Crafts Movement in America?
A.Buffalo Zoo. B.Buffalo History Museum.
C.Burchfield Penny Art Center. D.Roycroft Copper Shop Gallery
假定你是李华，在美国旅游时，不小心把护照遗落在出租车上。司机William发现后在互联网上发布了消息，最后与你取得联系。请你用英语给他写一封感谢信。内容包括：
1. 简述事件经过；
2. 表达谢意。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第 11 处起）不计分。
In my childhood, my parents sent me to learn Chinese handwriting, believe that it could benefit me great. However, things are quite opposite to their expectations. Not only did get bored with hours of practice and I doubted the value of it. But my later experience proved that practicing handwriting was both essential and benefit. When I entered into high school, handwriting became a fantastic way for me to relax. It was at that time that I realized what important it was to master a certain skill. Don’t refuse to learn the skill because you will find it helpful late.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
We always knew our daughter Kendall was going to be a performer of some sort. She entertained people in our small town by 1. (put) on shows on our front porch when she was only three or four.
When Kendall was five, we began to notice that she was blinking a lot and clearing her throat 2. (frequent). We had her 3. (test) for allergies (过敏), but the doctor said she wasn’t allergic to anything at all. We took her to our local children’s hospital, in 4. she was diagnosed 5. Tourette’s Syndrome.
We took her from doctor to doctor, but all they did was give her medicine that just made it6. (bad), so we decided to go the natural route and luckily she got better. When Kendall was sixteen, we thought she was out of danger. But at a birthday party 7. accident happened and she was badly hurt. Her biggest concern wasn’t whether she would walk again, but whether she would be able to sing for American Idol.
She trained hard and willed 8. (her) to move again. At last Kendall walked into the stadium to sing for American Idol. And our 9. (tear) turned into shouts when she 10. (give) a golden ticket to Hollywood.
