Once upon a time,a doting mother asked Albert Einstein what she should read to her son to help him grow up as brilliant and intelligent as the famous scientist. "Fairy-tales," he said,wisely nodding his head.

  Why? Why would Albert Einstein the Nobel Prizes winning physicist recommend reading fairy-tales? Was he joking? All the evidence suggests he was deadly serious. He also said, "When I examine myself and my methods of thought,I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

  Childhood is one of the factors that blur(使变模糊) the distinctions between the self and oth?er objects. Thus fantasy stories appeal to children and appear to make sense to them.

  There are several commonly accepted genres(流派) of fantasy, "Animal Fantasy" which centers around the lives of lovable talking animals and "Modem Fantasy" which focuses on ad?ventures in other worlds and magical events. I am inclined to add a third genre "Human and An?imal Fantasy" , which mixes human and animal characters. Another genre of fantasy may be "High Fantasy" which features heroes who combat evil and save the world from destruction.

  Fantasy feeds a child's imagination and encourages creativity. The enjoyment that the genre engenders(产生) promotes reading and enhances literacy. Moreover, the fantasy genre may be used for teaching purposes. For example:A story about cruelty to animals would limit appeal to a child:however a fantasy celebration of closeness between the children and their pets may give an element of excitement as the children are able to save animals from someone with cruel inten?tions.

  Children love the Harry Potter series,and if they only see the movies they miss a great op?portunity to develop their reading skills by spending time with the lovable young wizards and witches(巫婆) of the Hogwarts community.

(   ) 1. A student Who likes reading about heroes will probably read        .

   A.Animal Fantasy

   B.Modem Fantasy

   C.Human and Animal Fantasy

   D.High Fantasy

(   ) 2. Children are advised to read the Harry Potter series because        .

   A.they are better than the films

   B.they can help improve children's reading ability

   C.the films are not true to the original stories

   D.children can't learn much from the films

(   ) 3. Which of the following best gives the main idea of the sixth paragraph?

   A.Fantasy can be educational to children.

   B.Fantasy can bring great joy to children.

   C.Children should not read stories about animals.

   D.Fantasy can teach children to be kind to animals.

(   ) 4. The author of the passage probably believes        .

   A.children should not read too much fantasy

   B.all genres of fantasy are suitable for children

   C.fantasy can benefit children in many ways

   D.Human and Animal Fantasy is most suitable for children

  There are some parts of the world where earthquakes often happen,but millions of people still choose to live in these areas. As a consequence, several technologies have evolved to help make buildings more resistant to collapse during an earthquake,many of them using roller Or ball bearings(轴承) .

  People usually think of ball bearings as a way to decrease friction(摩檫) ,and question how that use could apply to things that don't typically move,like buildings, in scenarios like earth?quakes. However, bearings aren't intended to enable things to move effortlessly. They've just there to allow buildings to move at all. Damage from earthquakes is caused when structures are shaken and forced to move,and their rigid(坚硬的) forms don't permit them to do so without giving way and breaking. By using strategically-placed bearings, builders have observed a way to isolate the bases of buildings from the rest of their structures,making it possible for them to move independently without causing greater stress on the building's otherwise solid frame. Some of these bearings are large and rubber, while other buildings use huge linear bearings. Some?times ,these earthquake-proofing technologies are even used to help skyscrapers be built on soft ground, and enable very tall buildings to move with the wind. Without them,these buildings would remain rigid,and be easier to falling over.

  A number of well-known companies produce bearings for builders looking to buy bearings for their seismic(地震的) applications. For one,Timken produces large,roller-style Timken bearings that are used in base isolation earthquake technology. NSK bearings also come in a range of shapes and materials for different seismic and building applications. Not all of the beat?ings carried by seismic bearing distributors resemble the ball bearings that a lot of people are used to seeing in everyday life. Some might look like large rubber discs, while others look like a series of pillars. Regardless of what they look like,these are all bearings, and all provide the purpose of helping large buildings to survive an earthquake.

  Though no approach of building is completely earthquake-proof, things like roller Timken bearings help save lives. It's hard to precisely test earthquake-proofing technology without being able to try it out in an actual earthquake,but every day builders and manufacturers get closer and closer to creating better solutions for surviving seismic disasters.

(   ) 5. Which of the following is true about rigid forms of structures during an earthquake?

   A.They prevent structures from breaking.

   B.They allow structures to move if necessary.

   C.They make structures resistant to collapse.

   D.They don't allow structures to make necessary move. 

(   ) 6. Why does NSK produce various kinds of bearings?

   A.To make them suitable for different buildings.

   B.To use them in different parts of a building.

   C.To satisfy the needs of different people.

   D.To use them in different areas of life.

(   ) 7. We can infer from the last paragraph that earthquake-proofing technology        .

   A.will be put into use very soon

   B.has been tested in an actual earthquake

   C.will be replaced by better solutions

   D.will develop better in the future

(   ) 8. The main purpose of the author is to        .

   A.analyze why buildings collapse during an earthquake

   B.explain the use of bearings during an earthquake

   C.tell us how to make buildings more resistant to an earthquake

   D.advertise for bearings made by Timken

Reuters Dec. 22

   Few Asians are Christian but people across the vast continent are embracing(拥抱) the holi?day as a great excuse for shopping, partying and even romance.

   Come December,Christmas lights brighten shopping streets in cities from Beijing to Co?lombo ,while images of Santa Claus and deer decorate office buildings, shops and restaurants.

Shopping malls in Indonesia,the country with the largest number of Muslims,play carols like "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells" through speakers during the year-end holiday season.

  "Most workers here are Muslim but we also celebrate Christmas just like we celebrate Eid al-Fitr(开斋节) .We are complementing(补充,完善) each other with these clothes and decora?tion”,said Jakarta restaurant receptionist Lina Novianti,wearing a red Santa Claus hat.

   Every year the Indonesian president and top officials attend national Christmas celebrations with church groups.

   In China,Christmas Eve has become one of the biggest party nights of the year for young professionals.

"Bars,karaoke halls,restaurants,they all get completely packed on Christmas Eve”,said Zu Min,who sells Christmas trees and wreaths(花环) ,"More and more Chinese people are buying Christmas trees now."

   Flowers have even been put up inside commercial aircraft that fly from Colombo to Jaffna.

"We celebrate Christmas because my kids insist on it. We decorate the house and have a Christmas tree so my kids will be happy," said a mother of two children, laden with gifts.

In Japan, Christmas Eve has taken on a meaning similar to Valentine's Day,being the time for romance among young couples.

(   ) 5. Which of the following can be the best title of this article?

    A. The History of Christmas Day

    B. Asia Celebrates Christmas Happily

    C. Are You Shopping at Christmas?

    D. The Chinese Are Embracing the Christmas

(   ) 6. It can be inferred from the passage that         .

    A. the presidents and top officials from all the Asian countries will attend their na?tional Christmas

    B. not only the Christian but also the people all over Asia enjoy the Christmas Day

    C. Christmas Eve has only become the colorful party nights of the year for the youth

    D. young Japanese regard only Valentine's Day as the time for romance

(   ) 7. According to the passage, which of the following activities will the people NOT do to celebrate Christmas Day?

    A. People rush into the town for their Christmas shopping.

    B. People invite many friends to a big party.

    C. Lovers send gifts, such as roses, chocolates, to each other.

    D. People all wear red Santa Claus hats,walking in the street.

(   ) 8. When you visit Indonesia on Christmas Day,you will probably find         .

    A. all the Muslims stay at home,celebrating Eid al-Fitr

    B. all the residents join together in the street,enjoying the delicious dinner only

    C. the shops and supermarkets are all closed

    D. the Christmas songs are sung here and there among the people

  On the packages of many energy drinks is a warning: " not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. ”But few young teens' pay attention to the warnings. They drink like a fish to lose weight and keep up energy.

  Amanda Smith,a 16-year-old junior at Lincoln High School in San Jose,California, drinks at least one Redline energy drink every day. She began a year ago to increase her energy before dance concerts or competitions. But now,Smith says, "I drink them when I feel low in energy or before a test. The drinks is addicting,I cannot help drinking it."

  Almost all energy drinks have as much sugar and three times as much caffeine(咖啡因) as other soft drinks. Lots of caffeine and sugar can cause mood disorders, lack of sleep and addic?tion,says Stanford University nutritionist(营养学家) Julie Matel.

  Health experts worry that teens are turning to energy drinks because they don't have time to sleep or eat properly.

  Seventeen-year-old senior Jonas Roubique drinks an energy drink called No Fear two or three times a week. He compares the drink to strong coffee. He explains that,after drinking No Fear, "you feel like you're on top of the world. " The problem, Roubique said,is that the ener?gy is short-lived. There is a strong 45-minute burst,but "you feel even worse afterward."

  Although Amanda Smith has learned that such drinks can harm her health, she said, "It's sad to say,but I feel like I have to depend on energy drinks to keep me going now.” 

(   ) 5. In your opinion, which of the following will be the best title of this passage?

   A.Please Drink Like a Fish

   B.Be a Wise Fish When Drinking

   C.Be Far Away from All the Drinks

   D.I,m on Top of the World

(   ) 6. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true? 

    A. The energy drinks are not suitable for the teens.

   B.Lots of caffeine and sugar in the drink may make the drinker addictive.

   C.There are some poisonous fish in the energy drinks.

   D.Some teens drink energy drinks when they are in low spirit. 

(   ) 7. What does the phrase "drink like a fish" in Paragraph 1 mean?

   A.The way of people drinking is the same as that of a fish.

   B.The energy drinks look like a big fish.

   C.The drinkers enjoy fishing after they have it.

   D.Drink quite a lot.

(   ) 8. We can infer from the passage that        .

   A.even though some teens realized the harm of drinking energy drinks,they have to live on it

   B.No Fear is a kind of strong coffee that teens enjoy very much

   C.nutritionists refuse to have comments on the energy drinks

   D.the warning on the packages of many energy drinks is always hidden

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