Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills (读写能力)With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence (自信心) , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).

The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.

Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.

The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager.

What is mainly discussed in the text?

A. Children’s reading difficulties.               B. Advantages of raising dogs.

C. Service in a public library.                    D. A special reading program.

Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think _______.

A. dogs are young children’s best friends

B. children can play with dogs while reading

C. dogs can provide encouragement for shy children

D. children and dogs understand each other

By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library_______.

A. uses dogs to attract children           B. accepts the idea put forward by ITA

C. has opened a children's department    D. has decided to train some dogs

A “pawgraphed” book is most probably _______.

A. a book used in Saturday classes         B. a book written by the children

C. a prize for the children                    D. a gift from parent

I received pictures of my daughter floating (漂浮) on a lake in California. Right there under the sun during the hottest time of the day, she has only her swimsuit to cover her.

    When I showed it to my students, it was as if I had shown them scenes from a horror (恐怖) movie.

    “But she will get dark,” they said.

    “That’s what she wants,” I told them. “We think darker skin (肤色) is beautiful.”

     They looked at me in disbelief. It was as if I came from the moon.

     For years, American girls spend their summer trying to get as tanned (晒黑) as possible. In China, on the other hand, girls use umbrellas all year round.

    What in the world is going on?

    The pale skin we think looks unattractive (不漂亮) is what Asian women want. Both groups want to meet their culture’s standard (标准) of beauty.

    In the US, if you can afford to go on vacation in the summer, you head for a river, a lake or a beach, where you try to get as much sun as possible. If you are rich you take a winter vacation in some sunny spot. Your winter tan shows your wealth.

    In China, once upon a time, the few wealthy were the ones who didn’t have to work out in the hot sun. So the whiter the skin, the richer the woman. The folk opera performers who play these ladies wore lots of white makeup (妆容). The tradition survives to this day.

    So it comes naturally that none of my students wishes to follow the Western ways in this regard.

    But now I am noticing that a new business – the tanning booth (美黑店) – started up in China. I admire those brave enough to define(给…下定义)their own idea of beauty, but I do wonder what their grandmothers would have to say to them about it!

The students were shocked at the picture the writer showed them because ______.

A. they thought it shameful for a girl only to wear a swimsuit 

B. the writer’s daughter was wearing very little while out in the sun

C. it is dangerous for a girl to be out on a lake alone

D. with the powerful sunlight the writer’s daughter would have got a suntan

According to the article, which kind of woman meets the American standard of beauty?

   A. Women with blond hair.                                        B. Women with a slim figure.

   C. Women with tanned skin.                                        D. Women with pale skin.

In the US a winter tan usually means the person _____.

   A. is hard-working                                           B. doesn’t have to work

   C. has a lot of money and spare time                         D. is from a very poor family

The writer ______ the tanning booth started up in China.

   A. is not interested in                                                       B. doesn’t understand

   C. doesn’t like                                                                       D. has mixed feelings about

On his bench in Madison Square Soapy moved uneasily, and he realized the fact that the time had come for him to provide against the coming winter.

The winter ambitions of Soapy were not of the highest. In them there were no dreams of Mediterranean voyages or blue Southern skies. Three months on the Island was what his soul desired. Three months of assured board and bed and good company, safe from north winds seemed to Soapy the most desirable thing.

Just as the more fortunate New Yorkers had bought their tickets to Palm Beach each winter, Soapy had made his arrangements for his annual journey to the Island. And now the time had come.

There were many institutions of charity in New York where he might receive lodging and food, but to Soapy’s proud spirit the gifts of charity were undesirable. You must pay in humiliation of spirit for everything received at the hands of mercy. So it was better to be a guest of the law.

Soapy, having decided to go to the Island, at once set about accomplishing his desire. He left his bench and went up Broadway. He stopped at the door of a glittering cafe. He was shaven and his coat was decent. If he could reach a table in the restaurant, the portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted duck, with a bottle of wine, a cigar and a cup of coffee would be enough. Such a dinner would make him happy, for the journey to his winter refuge.

But as Soapy entered the restaurant door, the head waiter’s eye fell upon his shabby trousers and old shoes. Strong hands pushed him in silence and haste out into the street.

Some other way of entering the desirable refuge must be found.

At a corner of Sixth Avenue Soapy took a stone and sent it through the glass of a glittering shop window. People came running around the corner, a policeman at the head of them. Soapy stood still, with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at the sight of the policeman.

“Where is the man that has done that?” asked the policeman.

“Don’t you think that I have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, friendly.

The policeman paid no attention to Soapy. Men who break windows don’t remain to speak with policemen. They run away. He saw a man running and rushed after him, stick in hand. Soapy, disgusted, walked along, twice unsuccessful.

On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant for people with large appetites and modest purses. Soapy entered this place without difficulty. He sat at a table and ate beefsteak and pie. And then he told the waiter he had no money.

“Go and call a cop,” said Soapy. “And don’t keep a gentleman waiting.”

“No cop for you,” said the waiter. “Hey!”

Then Soapy found himself lying upon his left ear on the pavement. He arose with difficulty, and beat the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed a rosy dream. The Island seemed far away.

After another unsuccessful attempt to be arrested for harassing a young woman, Soapy went further toward the district of theatres.

When he saw a policeman standing in front of a glittering theatre, he thought of “disorderly conduct”. On the sidewalk Soapy began to sing drunken songs at the top of his voice. He danced, cried, and otherwise disturbed the peace.

The policeman turned his back to Soapy, and said to a citizen, “It is one of the Yale boys celebrating their football victory. Noisy, but no harm.”

Sadly, Soapy stopped his useless singing and dancing. The Island seemed unattainable. He buttoned his thin coat against the north wind.

In a cigar store he saw a well-dressed man who had set his silk umbrella by the door. Soapy entered the store, took the umbrella, and went out with it slowly. The man with the cigar followed hastily.

“My umbrella,” he said.

“Oh, is it?” said Soapy. “Well, why don’t you call a policeman? I took your umbrella! Why don’t you call a cop? There stands one on the corner.”

The umbrella owner slowed his steps. Soapy did likewise. The policeman looked at them curiously.

“Of course,” said the umbrella man, “well, you know how these mistakes occur…if it’s your umbrella I hope you’ll excuse me – I picked it up this morning in a restaurant – if it’s yours, I hope you’ll…”

“Of course it’s mine,” said Soapy.

The ex-umbrella man retreated. The policeman hurried to help a well-dressed woman across the street.

Soapy threw the umbrella angrily. He was angry with the men who wear helmets and carry clubs. They seemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong.

At last Soapy stopped before an old church on a quiet corner. Through one window a soft light glowed, where, the organist played a Sunday anthem. For there came to Soapy’s ears sweet music that caught and held him at the iron fence.

The moon was shining; cars and pedestrians were few; birds twittered sleepily under the roof. And the anthem that the organist played cemented Soapy to the iron fence, for he had known it well in the days when his life contained such things as mothers and roses and ambitions and friends.

The influence of the music and the old church produced a sudden and wonderful change in Soapy’s soul. He thought of his degraded days, dead hopes and wrecked faculties.

And also in a moment a strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of this pit; he would make a man of himself again. Those sweet notes had set up a revolution in him. Tomorrow he would be somebody in the world. He would…

Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.

“What are you doing here?”

“Nothing.”

“Then come along,” said the policeman.

“Three months on the Island,” said the Judge the next morning.

1.Soapy regarded the Island as his winter ambition because _____.

A. he wanted to go on Mediterranean voyages and enjoy blue Southern skies

B. he wanted to spend the cold winter somewhere warm other than New York

C. he wanted to be put into prison to survive the coming winter

D. he wanted to buy a ticket to the Island to spend the cold winter

2.Which of the following is the reason for Soapy’s not turning to charity?

A. His pride gets in the way.

B. What the institutions of charity offer isn’t what Soapy needs.

C. He wants to be a citizen who obeys the law.

D. The institutions of charity are not located on the island.

3. How many times did Soapy try to accomplish his desire?

A. 4.                                       B. 5.                                       C. 6.                                       D. 7.

4. From the passage, we can see what the two restaurants have in common is that _____.

A. they are both fancy upper class restaurants

B. neither of them served Soapy

C. they both drove Soapy out of the restaurant after he finished his meal

D. neither of them called cops

5.Hearing the Sunday anthem at the church, Soapy _____.

A. was reminded of his good old days and wanted to play the anthem again

B. was reminded of his unaccomplished ambition and was determined to get to the Island

C. was reminded of his disgraceful past and determined to transform himself

D. was reminded of his rosy dream and wished to realize it

6.By ending the story this way, the author means to _____.

A. show that one always gets what he/she wants with enough efforts

B. make a contrast and criticize the sick society

C. surprise readers by proving justice was done after all

D. put a tragic end to Soapy’s life and show his sympathy for Soapy

 

任务型阅读(共10小题;每小题l分,满分l0分)

请认真阅读下列短文,根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

注意:请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填1个单词。

    From the health point of view we are living in a wonderful age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased largely. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable slaughter (屠杀) of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.

 It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel(方向盘), his car becomes the additional part of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish. All their hidden anger, disappointments and envies seem to be exposed by the act of driving.

The surprising thing is that society only smiles so kindly on the motorist when seeing his behaviors talked about above. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost unsuitable to live because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is damaged by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.

 It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. In regard to driving, the laws of some countries are dishonorably loose and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through inflexible annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can destroy a person’s driving ability, so present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. The highest and lowest speed limits should be put on all roads, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound unacceptably harsh. But surely nothing should be considered to be too severe if it results in reducing the annual loss of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not for motor-cars.

Title: Strict Traffic Laws Can Prevent Accidents

Present situation of road accidents

.Road accidents seem to happen (1) ________.

.We are quietly sitting back and letting road slaughter happen.

 

(2) _____ for so many road accidents

 

.When driving a car, a man tends to become ill-mannered and behave in an (3)_______ way.

.It seems that all the hidden anger, disappointment and envies are (4)_______by the act of driving.

.Society just (5)_______various kinds of bad behavior of a motorist.

.People (6) _______the road accident statistics.

(7) _______ that should be taken to reduce road accidents

. The driving test should be standardized and made much more difficult.

. All the drivers should take a test every three years.

. Only people at or (8)_______ 21 can get a driving license.

. All vehicles should be given strict annual tests. Drinking and driving laws should be made much stricter.

. The highest and the lowest speed limits should be put to (9) ________.

. No advertising which stresses power and performance should be (10)_________.

 

 

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