Last month, my husband and I completed what some of our friends considered a foolish task: a 32-day, 5, 232-mile camping trip with children in our Volkswagen van, without ''high-tech'' to occupy the children.
It was the screen less journey that showered me with doubts. But is ''boredom'' senseless? My friend Renee, who has driven cross-country with her three kids eight times, calls boredom the mother of creativity. She's not the only one who sees virtue in blank time. In a recently published paper, researchers at East Anglia University in England concluded that the trance like (发呆的) state helps recharge the mind and is ''central to learning and creativity''. I wasn't trying to make my kids smarter. Neither do I dislike high-tech. But I understand too well the power of mini screens to transform our kids into zombies (木讷的人) .
On Day 1, our 7-year-old son announced ''Texas is so boring!''. The next day, struggling against his seat belt, he yelled he couldn't take much more of this. His 5-year-old sister was better at the long hours playing make-believe with the stuffed animals. On Day 3, he began count mountains and see pandas and dolphins in distant clouds in the Texas sky. I often joined the kids in the back, where we did thumb-and-toe wrestle. With well-known mountains ahead, my husband told the children the past legends of them. ''Arizona is not as boring as Texas,'' our son declared.
I hope the trip gave kids some lazy, unstructured time to learn something about valuing the trip instead of looking for the fastest way to burn it up. I don't always make the right call as a parent but I know that in banning the small screen we made the right choice this time.
1.Why did the author choose a high-tech free journey?
A.Her friends are highly against it.
B.She disliked advanced technology.
C.She feared the passive influence of mini-screens.
D.The researchers proved the harm of modern technology.
2.What happened during the cross-country drive?
A.Their son got worse at boredom.
B.Her kids had a tough time riding in the vehicle.
C.Their son relieved himself by watching animals outside.
D.The time spent without screens strengthened the family bond.
3.The underlined part ''the fastest way'' in the last paragraph refers to .
A.the speediest route to finish the journey
B.the ability to observe the surroundings
C.the interest of playing games with others
D.the choice of killing time by playing digital devices
4.Which is the best title for the text?
A.Is Driving Long Distances Good for Children?
B.A Touching Cross-country Trip of My Family
C.What's Wrong with Boredom without High-tech?
D.Creative Kids out of Parents' Reasonable Choice
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1.What is promoted in this text?
A.A travel package.
B.A train service.
C.A family plan.
D.An accommodation service.
2.All ticket holders can enjoy without extra charge.
A.Wi-Fi signals B.priority boarding
C.on-board breakfast D.charging points
3.What is the lowest round-trip fare for a married couple with their two pet dogs?
A.£230. B.£330. C.£660. D.£740.
阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段,使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150 左右。
Kent was a manager of a furniture agency. His establishment nearly went bankrupt (倒闭)because of the wrong decision he had made. He was so regretful and depressed that he planned to drive to a bar alone to release his emotions.
It was near midnight in an extremely cold winter, and the temperature was minus 9 degrees centigrade. There were few people in the street. Suddenly, a figure of an old madam entered his line of sight. She was standing sideways near a platform, dressed in a plain coat, dragging a suitcase, and holding a plastic bag in the other hand. The slight old lady was seemingly more than 80. She was trembling in cutting wind. Now she kept motioning Kent for a ride. Although Kent was somewhat angry about the old madam's disturbing,he wouldn't like to leave her in the cold night. He noticed she coughed violently and thought that she might be ill and really needed help. So he braked near her.
The madam said, "Would you please take me for a ride? I can offer double fare. . . " Kent interrupted her, "I will charge you nothing! Come on!" The madam pointed to her luggage and said, "Could you put my suitcase into the car?" Kent stepped out and put it in the trunk.
Kent proceeded to drive. He stopped at a petrol station where he wanted to purchase gallons of gasoline (汽油). During the interval they waited in a queue,the madam began her narration, "Could you please send me to the charity house in the suburbs? I want to send them something. I had been given help there 50 years ago. The president and workers were all good guys." She burst into tears,"Now they've all passed away. The life was tough at that time, but we all loved and cared about each other. I've held a desire to be back there again for long." Kent realized the madam was recalling a section of the good missing days. A complicated feeling surrounded him, and he decided to cancel his plan and stay with the old madam.
Paragraph 1 :
After a two-hour drive,they came to the gate of their destination.
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Paragraph 2 :
Hearing this, Kent lapsed into silence, because he knew the rest home was for patients with incurable diseases.
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假定你是李华。你的美国朋友Tom来信说,他将在暑假期间来中国学习中国画,希望能在本市参加一个短期课程。你帮他联系了一所艺术学校,请给他回信,告知以下内容:
1.学习内容:水墨山水画(Chinese ink landscape painting);
2.课程时间:六周;
3.收费及食宿安排。
注意:1.词数80左右;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯;
3.短文中不得出现学校或地区名称。
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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。
Many kids love to listen to music and dance.But for children with special medical needs, joining in a 1. (tradition)dance class can be difficult.
Thanks 2. physical therapist(治疗师)Kellie Lightfoot,young people in Northeast Ohio have the benefit of a special program called Dance Unlimited:Lightfoot founded the program at Akron Children’s Hospital in 2012.It gives kids aged four and up a chance 3. (dance)while still getting the benefits of physical therapy.
Dance goes beyond meeting the kids’physical needs.During class,they meet other kids, build 4.(confident),and make friends,which help a lot in treating their diseases.
The students have two big public performances each year.At a recent performance in Akron,the dancers’hard work 5. (pay)off on stage,allowing them to shine in front of people.
Lightfoot, 6. started dancing before the age of three,is working hard to help children with special needs.“I just always wanted to combine the two things that I love,and I feel like this is 7. I am meant to do,”she said.
Getting all of the kids 8. (involve)in the class requires a team,which 9. (make) up of therapists,dancers,and ordinary people.They all act as dance assistants so that all of the children can join in.
Lightfoot hopes to expand Dance Unlimited so that more kids with physical problems can 10. (possible)reach their full potential.
Scott Poore is an animal lover. He moves into the shelter kennel(犬舍)with the _______ of helping unwanted young dogs get adopted. Queen, a 3-year-old dog, has just gotten the most _______ roommate despite the narrow living room.
Since Poore is a _______ visitor at the shelter, he is familiar with all of the _______.However, little Queen in particular has really _______ his heart. Poore says that he recently began to notice that Queen seemed to be ''losing _______'' in finding a forever home. ''I have been visiting Queen every single day for over a year now and I can _______ see her giving up. She used to get so _______when I would arrive and now she just lies in her bed. ''
So to raise awareness of Queen’s situation Poore _______ a suitcase and moved into the dog's kennel. Poore says it has been ________ managing his work while also living at the shelter, but he is ________ to stay in the kennel until someone adopts Queen. Since he ________ the kennel earlier this week,he and his new canine roommate have been ________ the headlines of dozens of national news outlets, although no potential ________ have stepped forward.
Delightfully, this dog has finally been given a loving home after his ________ crossed with that of a woman living on the other side of the country.
1.A.help B.aim C.exception D.name
2.A.expected B.devoted C.talented D.experienced
3.A.patient B.curious C.different D.regular
4.A.keepers B.colleagues C.animals D.neighbors
5.A.broken B.lost C.understood D.stolen
6.A.hope B.freedom C.happiness D.energy
7.A.obviously B.naturally C.still D.also
8.A.concerned B.amazed C.excited D.disappointed
9.A.brought B.packed C.delivered D.bought
10.A.unusual B.vital C.meaningful D.tough
11.A.inspired B.determined C.honored D.satisfied
12.A.settled into B.cleared up C.cared for D.met with
13.A.discussing B.hearing C.encouraging D.hitting
14.A.employers B.adopters C.customers D.donators
15.A.story B.view C.path D.mind