Americans think that travel is good for you . Some even think it can help to solve one of the country’s worst problems ---crime .

Crime worries a lot of people . Every year , the number of crimes goes up and up . They often come from sad homes , with only one parent at all . There are problems with alcohol(酒精) and drugs(毒品).

There are many young criminals in prison . But prison doesn’t change them—60 to 70 percent will go back to crime after they are out of prison .

One man , Bob Burton , thought of a new idea . In the old days , young men had to live a hard life on the road . They learnt to be strong and brave , and to help their friends in time of danger . This helped them to grow into men . So Bob started “Vision Quest ”.

He takes young criminals on a long , long journey with horses and wagons(四轮马车) 3,000 miles through 7 states . They are on the road for more than one year .

The young people on “Vision Quest ”all have bad problems . Most of them have already spent time in prison . This is the last chance .

It’s hard work on the road . The day starts before the sun comes up . The boys and girls have to feed the horses . Some of them have never loved anyone before . But they can love their horses . That love can help them to a new life .

Not all young people in “Vision Quest” will leave crime behind them , 30 or 40 percent will be in the prison again . But that’s a lot better than 60 to 70 percent . Bob is right . Travel can be good for you .

Even today , Americans still say , “ Go west , young men . ”

16.According to the passage , travel is good for you because it can ___________ .

A. change the way of life       B. help to reduce criminals 

C. make your body strong      D. get rid of crimes completely

17. Criminals’ characters include________ .

a. A lot of them are young . 

b. They often don’t have a good family . 

c. They may often drink wine too much and take drugs .

A. a , b         B. a , c       C. b , c        D. a , b , c

18. The young people on “Vision Quest ” have to ___________ .

A. get up early and feed the horses       B. sleep together with their horses 

C. love a comfortable life              D. work all day and all night

19. The underlined sentence “Go west , young men . ” in the last paragraph means _______ .

A. travel can help young men learn how to feed horses 

B. people can learn to be strong and brave on a long journey

C. people can learn how give up smoking on their journey

D. scenes in the west are very beautiful

20. Which of the following is true ?

A. Many young criminals are changed by Bob’s new idea .

B. Young criminals all live a happy life on “Vision Quest”

C. Young criminals are becoming fewer and fewer now

D. All criminals do better after they come out of prison

Whenever the house gets quiet, Mrs. Smith knows just where to find her 6-year-old daughter Maria: lost in the world of stories.
“I like to read every time of the day,” said Maria, a student at Creel Elementary School in Australia.
Maria’s headmaster, Mrs. White, wants each of her 850 students and their families to learn the love of reading this year. She wants reading at home to become an activity of choice in every family, even during holiday breaks. “I truly realize reading should be an important part of everyone’s life, and nothing should stop it.” said Mrs. White.
“The aim we want most of all is to help children understand they can enjoy reading, as well as practice their skills,” said Hannas, an education researcher. He suggested parents take their children to the library and allow them to pick out books that interest them.
Each night, students take home two books to read with their parents or other family members. They have to return the books the next day with a signed note from their parents showing that the books were read, and have passing tests that check how well they understand the books.
“We’re trying to get parents into the habit of reading with their kids.” said the headmaster. “Nothing is better than sitting on a sofa with your child and reading and laughing.”
Through books, Mrs. Smith, a parent, said she’s able to give her two daughters more experiences than she could.
“I think reading opens all the doors and creates imaginations in children,” she said, “I think if you read well, you can succeed in anything in life.”
【小题1】The aim of the at-home-reading activity is to __________.