Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular free time activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers (慢跑者) jog, they don’t run the streets. Every one of them automatically heads to the park or the river. It is my firm belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived (丧失). I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD (多动症). Those whose housing had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, the entire school would do better in studies.
Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy (等级) based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
Most bullying (恃强凌弱) is found in schools where there is a tarmac (柏油碎石) playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School, with its hard tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners dreaming about wildlife.
But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is much better when they have access to nature. The most important for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, “A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its process helps reduce anger and behavior that people might regret later.” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
We tend to think human beings are doing nature some kind of favor when we are protecting nature. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is damaging.
Human beings are a species of animals. For seven million years we lived on the planet as part of nature. So we miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a glass of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
We need the wild world. It is necessary to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without other living things around us we are less than human.
【小题1】What is the author’s firm belief?

A.People seek nature in different ways.
B.People should spend most of their lives in the wild.
C.People have quite different ideas of nature.
D.People must make more efforts to study nature.
【小题2】What does the author say people prefer for their children nowadays?
A.Personal freedom.  B.Things that are natural.
C.Urban surroundings.  D.Things that are purchased.
【小题3】What does a study in Sweden show?
  A. The natural environment can help children learn better.
  B. More access to nature makes children less likely to fall ill.
  C. A good playground helps kids develop their physical abilities.
  D. Natural views can prevent children from developing ADHD.
【小题4】Children who have chances to explore natural areas ________.
A.tend to develop a strong love for science 
B.are more likely to dream about wildlife
C.tend to be physically tougher in adulthood 
D.are less likely to be involved in bullying
【小题5】What does the author suggest we do to help children with ADHD?
A.Find more effective drugs for them.  
B.Provide more green spaces for them.
C.Place them under more personal care.  
D.Engage them in more meaningful activities
【小题6】In what way do elderly people benefit from their contact with nature?
A.They look on life optimistically.  B.They enjoy a life of better quality.
C.They are able to live longer.D.They become good-humored


C
Less TV Reduce Kids Weight
PALO AITO, California—“ Switching off the television may help prevent children from getting fatter—even if they do not change their diet or increase the amount they exercise,” US researchers said last week.
A study of 192 third and fourth grades, generally aged eight and nine, found that children who cut the number of hours spent watching television gained nearly two pounds (0.91 kg ) less over a one-year period than those who did not change their television diet.
“The findings are important because they show that weight loss can only be the result of a reduction in television viewing and not any other activity,” said Thomas Robinson, a pediatrician (儿科专家)at Stanford University.
“ American children spend an average of more than four hours per day watching television and videos or playing games, and rates of childhood being very fat have doubt over the past 20 years,” Robinson said.
In the study, presented this week to the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting in San Francisco, the researchers persuaded about 100 of the students to reduce their television viewing by one-quarter to one-third.
Children watching fewer hours of television showed a significantly smaller increase in waist size and had less body fat than other students who continue their normal television viewing, even though neither group ate a special diet nor took part in any extra exercise.
“One explanation for the weight loss could be the children unstuck to the television may simply have been moving around and burning off calories,” Robinson said.
“Another reason might be due to eating fewer meals in front of the television. Some studies have suggested that eating in front of the TV encourages people to eat more,” Robinson added.
66. The author tries to tell us in the first two paragraphs that ____.
A. children will get fatter if they eat too much.
B. children will get thinner if they eat less.
C. children will get fatter if they spend less time watching TV.
D. children will get fatter if they spend more time watching TV.
67. According to the passage, the time American children usually spend on watching TV ____.
A. is more than four hours a day.        B. is less than four hours a day.
C. doubled in the last twenty years.     D. is more than on any other activities.
68. The time children spend on TV viewing every day is suggested to be about ___.
A. six hours           B. eight hours        C. three hours        D. one hour
69. Which of the following is right ?
A. Children usually eat fewer while watching TV.
B. Children usually eat more while watching TV.
C. Children eat the same amount of meals while watching TV.
D. Children usually eat nothing while watching TV.
70. Why can watching TV increase kids’ weight according to the passage ?
A. They usually eat more while watching TV.
B. They burn off fewer calories.
C. They change their diet while watching TV.
D. Both A and B


C
A school in Nanjing plans to order Korean-style school uniforms (校服) for students, but parents were against the move, believing that the new uniforms looked too good and would encourage early romances among the students.
Parents: “My daughter was so excited about the Korean-style uniform, saying it’s her dream to wear a miniskirt to school every day,” a mom said. “My daughter also called her classmates to talk about how handsome the boys looked in the uniforms! If the students wear such beautiful uniforms, how can they concentrate on their studies?”
School: We had to stop the plan because many parents were strongly against it. Some parents thought it was just a way for the school to make money, and others thought the new uniforms would take students’ attention away from their studies.
Students: The students were very disappointed about the school’s final decision. They thought the sportswear uniforms made them look dull. They said the Korean uniforms had many advantages such as raising interest in class and lifting confidence.
As for concerns about romance, the students believe that love is love and has no relationship to the uniforms.
The Department of Education: The schools can choose their own styles. Either sportswear or other uniforms are OK. Currently, most middle and elementary schools in Nanjing have sportswear uniforms.
Expert: Fashionable school uniforms can increase students’ interest in learning.
Parents don’t need to worry too much about early romances. Today’s primary and middle school students have strong personalities and their appreciation of beauty is rapidly forming. A fashionable uniform can develop their sense of belonging to the school and reduce their resistance to the school’s management.
But we don’t have to follow Korean or Japanese styles. We should design our own Chinese style uniforms.
63. Which of the following is NOT the parents’ reason for being against Korean-style school uniforms?
A. The uniforms will encourage early romances.
B. It is a way for the school to make money.
C. The new uniforms don’t wash well.
D. The new uniforms will affect the students’ studies.
64. Students think the new uniforms will________.
A. make them have good taste in fashion    B. make them feel confident
C. make them feel proud of their school     D. reduce their fear of teachers
65. The opinion of the expert is to________.
A. forbid the students to wear fashionable uniforms
B. encourage the students to wear sportswear uniforms
C. design uniforms in a Chinese style
D. wear new uniforms in a foreign style
66. We can infer from the passage that_________.
A. school uniforms are mostly blue or black
B. few students are willing to wear school uniforms
C. school uniforms are a waste of money
D. schools are encouraged to choose their own uniforms

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
D
People in Shanghai can quench their thirst with high quality water if the Shanghai Water Authority (SWA) is able to make good on its word. It has vowed to make the city’s water match its status as a world class city.
“The current tap water quality meets national standards, but, compared with that of the European Union and the United States, it still needs to be improved.” said the SWA’s director general, Hang Jiayi.
In other developed countries, water fountains can be found almost everywhere—people do not bother with bottled drinking water.
By 2020, the water of the Huangpu River will be treated to reduce the amount of organic waste in it. Major water works that draw water from the Huangpu will need more treatment facilities to improve the colour, texture, ammonia(氨)and nitrogen content before 2010.
These treatment facilities are expected to cost 4 billion yuan, something that could affect the price of water, according to Chen Yin, SWA’s deputy director general.
Chen said that replacing water pipes was also a key project. The city’s aged pipes are mostly to blame for the bad water quality.
The SWA has started the water facilities renovation(更新)work, including the more than 14,000 kilometres of indoor piping, 107,000 tanks on top of the buildings, and more than 6,000 underground facilities.
World Water Day came on March 22, and this year’s theme is “Water for the future”. Beijing is also drawing up plans during China’s Water Week, which runs until March 28.
By 2010, the water for the Shanghai EXPO is to be above World Health Organization standards. And, the people of Beijing will be able to drink their tap water as well.
【小题1】People in Shanghai can drink their tap water_____.

A.by 2020B.in the first half of this yearC.by 2010D.by 2008
【小题2】What step need not be taken in order to improve the tap water?
A.The water of the Huangpu River will be treated. B.Aged water pipes will be treated.
C.Water facilities must be renovated.D.Water fountains must be found.
【小题3】Which is the correct statement according to the passage?
A.The tap water quality in Shanghai hasn’t met national standards.
B.World Water Day fell on March 22 this year.
C.The people of Beijing cannot drink their tap water now.
D.The treatment of the water of Huangpu River has been finished.
【小题4】What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The cost of treating the tap water.
B.How to reach the water standards of developed countries.
C.The project for making tap water drinkable in Shanghai and Beijing.
D.The progress of treating the water of Huangpu River.


Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute mile? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when someone, who does not know how to swim, falls in deep waters? They drown. If an animal who has not learned swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal does not.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on hour keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. Most people never question it. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts would jam if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful directing force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers a direct command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshops for children to show them how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India, said snakes were slippery, slimy (黏糊糊的) and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they handled my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
36. In the author’s opinion, if a person in deep water doesn’t know how to swim he will drown because _________.
A. he is afraid of water               B. he doesn’t want to live in the world
C. he hasn’t learned to swim before     D. he believes he will drown
37. The author thinks that the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard in order to _________.
A. reduce one’s typing speed          B. satisfy the operator
C. save more space                  D. increase one’s typing speed
38. The author’s experiment shows that __________.
A. snakes in India aren’t poisonous       B. snakes can be caught easily
C. snakes are slimy and poisonous       D. snakes are dry and clean
39. According to the passage, we know that ________.
A. students from India have unrealistic beliefs on how to live a better life
B. an animal who has not learned to swim will drown if you put it in a pond.
C. Roger Banister was the first person who ran a mile in less than four minutes.
D. most people don’t like the order the letters are arranged on your keyboard
40. The main idea of this passage should be that _______.
A. beliefs make us seem stupid           B. beliefs are very powerful
C. changing your beliefs now if necessary  D. people should always believe in themselves

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