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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

--- How about the price of these washing machines?

    --- They are at least equal in price to, if not cheaper than, _____ at other stores .

  　A. others       B． ones         C． that      D． those

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children." In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores," Lewis says. "And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is."

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟，姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are that it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event(扫兴的事).”

1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

　　A. show the relationship between parents and children

　　B. teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

　　C. report on the findings of a study

　　D. give information about family problems

2. Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because____.

　　A. they are busy serving food to their children

　　B. they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

　　C. they have to pay more attention to younger children

　　D. they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

3.By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children__________.

　　A. have to help their parents to serve dinner

　　B. get the least attention from the family

　　C. are often kept away from the dinner table

　　D. find it hard to keep up with other children

4.Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question_________.

　　A. why TV is important in family life

　　B. why parents should keep good order

　　C. why children in small families seem to be quieter

　　D. why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

5.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

　　A. It is important to have the right food for children.

　　B. It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

　　C. Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

　　D. Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.

完形填空

阅读下面短文后所给各题的四个选项中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。

　　September 4 was my first day at Phillips Academy, my new school. It was also my 18th birthday.

　　I received a warm 1 from my host family--the Steins. Gena was my host mum, and her daughter Lily would also be a new 2 at Phillips. They took me to the school and 3 me around the campus.

　　On our way to my dorm (学生宿舍), we saw a huge truck delivering a student's 4 to her room. Many students at the school were very rich, and they would fill their dorms with decorations (装饰物). But I was 5 not to because I thought it was a 6 of time and money.

　　I had a single room, which was about the 7 of a Chinese college dorm--the ones which normally hold six people.

　　 8 she helped carry my bags, Lily asked me,“What's your favourite 9 , Teresa?”

　　I thought for a moment before answering,“Orange.”

　　I didn't know why she had asked the question.

　　We 10 an introduction meeting after dinner. 11 of the students were native English speakers, so I felt a little 12 .

　　I returned to my room after the 13 , tired and wanting to go to bed after a(n) 14 day.

　　When I opened my door, I found a big 15 . The bed was perfectly made with blankets and an orange sunflower pillow. On the 16 was a sunflower-pattern mat (垫子) while a colorful lamp 17 beside the bed.

　　I opened my mouth, 18 . How beautiful!

　　There was also a 19 card. I touched the little pillow on the bed as I read the card. A warm current (暖流) rushed through my 20 .

1．

[　　]

A．heart　　　　　　　B．card

C．service　　　　　　D．welcome

2．

[　　]

A．student　　　　　　B．teacher

C．citizen　　　　　　D．visitor

3．

[　　]

A．walked　　　　　　B．introduced

C．showed　　　　　　D．invited

4．

[　　]

A．belongings　　　　　　B．newspaper

C．letters　　　　　　　　D．furniture

5．

[　　]

A．warned　　　　　　B．forced

C．determined　　　　 D．supposed

6．

[　　]

A．matter　　　　　　B．waste

C．show　　　　　　D．use

7．

[　　]

A．design　　　　　　B．size

C．pattern　　　　　　D．example

8．

[　　]

A．As　　　　　　　　B．Though

C．Because　　　　　　D．While

9．

[　　]

A．fruit　　　　　　B．weather

C．food　　　　　　D．colour

10．

[　　]

A．organized　　　　　　B．planned

C．attended　　　　　　 D．opened

11．

[　　]

A．All　　　　　　B．Most

C．Some　　　　　D．Few

12．

[　　]

A．pleased　　　　　　B．nervous

C．angry　　　　　　　D．afraid

13．

[　　]

A．dinner　　　　　　B．class

C．meeting　　　　　 D．teaching

14．

[　　]

A．exciting　　　　　　B．ordinary

C．tiring　　　　　　　D．interesting

15．

[　　]

A．secret　　　　　　B．joke

C．warmth　　　　　 D．surprise

16．

[　　]

A．wall　　　　　　B．desk

C．floor　　　　　　D．ground

17．

[　　]

A．stood　　　　　　 B．lay

C．appeared　　　　　D．hung

18．

[　　]

A．frightened　　　　　　B．moved

C．satisfied　　　　　　 D．understood

19．

[　　]

A．post　　　　　　　B．birthday

C．greeting　　　　　D．festival

20．

[　　]

A．mind　　　　　　B．head

C．face　　　　　　D．body