题目内容
In this age of Internet chat,videogames and reality television,there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied.Yet,despite the competition,my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories.She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest,a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contests,and about losing them.I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher.I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories.What if she doesn.t win the contest again?That’s the strange thing about being a parent.So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface.
A revelation(启示)came last week when l asked her,”Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied,“I just want to tell the story of an angel(天使)going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously(自发地)told them.Telling myself that l was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall. I offered suggestions for characters,conflicts and endings for her tales.The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly“guided”by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson.I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks.Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade,I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting(借用)my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me,it was certainly a good first step that l will quickly follow with more steps,putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked.All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment,grow and find their own voices.
What did the author say about her own writing experience?
A.Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
B.She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
C.Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
D.She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?
A.She wanted to share her stories with readers.
B.She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.
C.She believed she possessed real talent for writing.
D.She had won a prize in the previous contest.
The author took great pains to refine her daughter’s stories because .
A.she was afraid Rebecca’s imagination might run wild while writing
B.she did not want to disappoint Rebecca who needed her help so much
C.she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance
D.she wanted to help Rebecca realize her dreams of becoming a writer
What’s the author’s advice for parents?
A.Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.
B.Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.
C.A writing career,though attractive,is not for every child to pursue.
D.Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
单词拼写(每题1分,共10分)【小题1】The lady offered a r___________ of $ 5 for the finder of a lost necklace.【小题2】She has many good q____________, but the best one is her kindness.【小题3】In some countries, especially in some poor countries, women are not really e________ to men.【小题4】As you know,Michael Phelps won 8 swimming gold m________ in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 【小题5】The People’s Republic of China was f_______ on October 1st, 1949.【小题6】He wants to be a l________ so he’s decided to study law.【小题7】She said she doesn’t like it, but p______ I think it is very good.【小题8】All the Christmas trees in the room were d_______ with lights.【小题9】The children were happy because they were going to the beach to swim, but their hearts s_____ when it began to rain.【小题10】We have difficulty s_______ the problem in such a short time.
In America, Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort: brilliant beaches, a lively boardwalk, plenty of restaurants and nightspots, and amusement rides are sure to appeal to kids. Many believe Virginia Beach is at its best in the off-season, when the town is less crowded but the weather is still mild.
Meanwhile, some safety tips should be followed, enjoying the happiness and excitement the beach offers.
The number l safety tip concerns ocean safety: pay attention to Flag conditions posted on the lifeguard stands. Lifeguards post a red flag to warn when the ocean water is dangerous. Take them seriously! Tourists from land-locked regions are particularly easily attracted by the magic of the waves. However, a calm ocean can become risky without warning. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard. Swimming without lifeguard protection is almost five times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards.
Never swim alone. Many drownings involve single swimmers. When you swim with someone else, if one of you has a problem, the other may be able to get help, including signaling for assistance from others.
Don't fight the current. The facts show that some 80% of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by currents. These currents are formed by surf and gravity, because once surf pushes water up the slope of a beach, gravity pulls it back. This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore. If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore. Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will help bring you to safety.
1.When coming to Virginia Beach, children can enjoy the happiness of .
A. walking on the road made of wood B. joining the nightspots
C. having interesting rides D. skiing in the sea
2.Many people believe the best time to visit Virginia Beach may be .
A. after autumn school term beginning B. in the slimmer vacation
C. during the Christmas holiday D. in the cold winter
3.Swimming in the sea you'd better not swim .
A. with a friend B. within the sight of the lifeguard
C. with the current D. as far as you like
4.From the passage, we can know .
A. one in five persons swimming in the sea is drowned
B. if one with lifeguard were drowning, five persons without lifeguard would be
C. some 80% people drowning by the currents are rescued by lifeguards
D. some 20% drowning by the currents are rescued by life guards
5.The passage mainly tells us .
A. some safety tips when swimming in the sea
B. the happiness and excitement the beach offers
C. Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort
D. the dangers for tourists from land-locked regions to swim in the sea
Kids Fishing Photo Contest
Welcome to catch the excitement of your child on film while fishing and enter his or her picture in the yearly Kids Fishing Photo Contest! The contest is sponsored(主办,赞助) by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) in celebration of National Fishing Week!
The winning pictures are those that best catch the theme (主题)“kids enjoying fishing”. Winners will receive different fishing-related prizes. Winning pictures will also be posted on the VDGIF website and may be used in all kinds of VDGIF publications. There is no need to be a professional photographer. Any photo will do.
Contest Rules
l Children in the photographs must fall into one of the following age groups when the picture is taken: 1---5, 6---10.
l Photos must not be more than 1 year old.
l Photos must be taken in Virginia.
l Children in a boat must be wearing a life jacket.
l Only one photo submission(提交) per child.
l Submit photo on photograph quality paper, no CD’s accepted.
l Photos must not be bigger than “4*6” size.
l Please stick a piece of paper to the back of the photo including: name, age, address, phone number and location where the photograph was taken.
l Photos must be postmarked on or before June 19, 2011.
l Judging will take place in July and winners will be posted on the VDGIF website.
l Prizes will be sent directly to the winning children.
l This contest isn’t open to immediate family of VDGIF employees and sponsors. Immediate family members refer to children, relatives or others living in the same household with a VDGIF employee or sponsor.
To Enter:
Send your photo, with the child’s name, age, phone number and address to:
2011 Kids Fishing Photo Contest
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
P.O. Box 11104
Richmond, VA 23230 – 1104
1.The purpose of the contest is to ______.
A encourage people to take more pictures
B help people realize the importance of fishing
C celebrate a national fishing-related activity
D encourage people to go fishing with kids
2.Which of the following photos can enter the contest?
A A photo which was taken in Boston in 2009.
B A large photo which was postmarked on July 11, 2011.
C A photo which was taken in Virginia on Sept. 23, 2010.
D A photo on which there is a 12-year-old girl.
3.What can be known about the prize of the contest?
A Winners will get a great deal of money.
B Winners will be allowed to travel in Virginia for free.
C Winners’ works will be seen on any website.
D Winners’ works may appear on the covers of VDGIF publications.
4.According to the contest rules, ______.
A the result of the contest will be unknown before July, 2011
B all Americans have the right to take part in the contest
C photos can be sent to the sponsors in the form of email
D the Smiths with only one child can enter the contest with two photos
Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis—had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can’t sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity.
The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York—had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being.
I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates?
First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!
Next, let’s try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don’t we ask them? Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey 2010 reported:
l 75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense.
l 67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.
When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers):
l 78% said it was a good place to raise children.
l 75% said because they would feel safe.
l 70% said because you have control of your own space.
If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn’t be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space.
63. Which of the following is a fact?
A. People in Los Angeles earn high incomes because of its low homeownership rate.
B. New York’s low homeownership rate increases people’s happiness levels.
C. Detroit’s high level of homeownership causes its economic problems.
D. St. Louis has a higher level of homeownership than Los Angeles.
64. In his article, Richard Florida tried to express that _________.
A. people in Los Angeles are happier than those in St. Louis
B. renting a house is better than owning a house
C. Detroit’s economy is healthier than New York’s economy
D. New York and Los Angeles are happiest cities
65. The writer believes that New York City and Los Angeles _________.
A. pay employees highest wages in America
B. benefit from low levels of homeownership
C. are leading cities across the globe
D. are best American cities to live in
66. From Fannie Mae’s survey report, we can know that _________.
A. paying rent makes more sense
B. most homeowners plan to sell their houses
C. most renters prefer to become homeowners
D. parents need to buy a house for their children