阅读理解

　　It’s summertime, and the living is easy. For many Americans, this is the season to travel. Why? Because school is on vacation, weather is great, and most of all, because we all deserve (应该得到) a break. When Americans take a break, they often head for their favorite vacation spot.

　　Throughout their history, Americans have been people on the move. The early immigrants (移民) had to travel to get to New World. Once they arrived, they settled along the East Coast. But they weren’t content to stay there. Explorers (探险者) and traders journeyed to the unknown western territories. Later, settlers moved west to develop these new areas. As a remit of westward migration (迁移), Americans eventually (最后) occupied (占领) the whole continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Even today, Americans seem unable to stay put. Research says that the average American moves every five years.

　　Besides their habit of changing addresses, Americans are used to travelling. Some people make long-distance commutes(通勤) to work daily. Their jobs may even require them to take frequent business trips. Most companies provide an annual vacation for their employees, and people often use that time to travel.

　　Most Americans prefer to travel within their nation’s borders. Why? For one thing, it’s cheaper than traveling abroad, and there’s no language problem. But besides that, the vast American territory offers numerous (大量的) tourist attractions. Nature lovers can enjoy beaches, mountains, lakes and a wealth of natural wonders. Major cities offer visitors a multitude (大量)of urban (都市的) delights: The convenience of modem freeways, railways and airplanes makes travel in America as easy as pie.

　　Many American vacations are as unique (独特的) as the people who take them. Families often plan their trips with the kids in mind. More and more “family friendly” vacation resorts (度假胜地) offer special programs for children. History buffs (爱好者) seek out famous historical sites and museums. Environmentalists (环境保护论者) prefer green vacation. Some people find sea cruises (海上航游)relaxing and refreshing (使振作). Others hit the water to go fishing, skiing.

　　Americans aren’t the only people in the world who travel. International business, mass (大众的) communication and jet airplanes have created a world of globetrotters (周游世界者).People all over world enjoy going abroad to travel. And no matter where they live, people enjoy visiting scenic (风景优美的)spots in their own country. But being on the go makes Americans what they are now. In America, almost everybody is a tourist sometime.

1．The most important reason for Americans to travel is that ________.

[　　]

A．students are on holiday

B．the weather is wonderful

C．it helps you relax after months of hard work

D．Americans are used to moving

2．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．The early immigrants arrived in the new world by travelling.

B．The early immigrants weren’t satisfied with their life.

C．The immigrants moved from the west to the east.

D．Americans today still don’t like to stay at home.

3．Which of the following is NOT the reason why Americans prefer travelling in their own country?

[　　]

A．It can save more money than travelling abroad.

B．It is easy for you to communicate with people.

C．There are plenty of scenic spots in America.

D．Travelling abroad is inconvenient.

4．“Being on the go”(Sentence 5, Para. 6) most probably means ________.

[　　]

A．travelling

B．moving from place to place

C．going abroad

D．visiting scenic spots

5．The passage mainly tells us ________.

[　　]

A．the history of travelling in America

B．the types of vacations in America

C．unique American vacations

D．travelling is one of favorite sports in America

When traveling abroad, it is wise to carry your money in traveler's checks because checks are protected against loss or theft. If your checks are lost or stolen, the issuing authority will refund(赔偿) your money.

Not only are they safe, they are also convenient. They are available in different currencies and they can be cashed at most banks throughout the world. Most shops, hotels and restaurants also accept them.

Traveler's checks are very easy to use. When you collect them, you sign each check once. The cashier enters the amount in your passport. When you cash, you sign each check again. The cashier will usually ask to see your passport again too.

To get traveler's checks you usually go to your bank. They can be paid in cash or in other ways. Large amounts, however, must be ordered in advance.

For the safety and convenience of traveler's checks, you are charged two commissions(佣金，酬劳): an insurance commission when you buy them and an encashment commission when you cash them.

It is suitable to make a note of the serial numbers of your checks. Keep this separate from your traveler's checks.

1.People like to carry their money in traveler’s checks when traveling abroad, because______.

A．they cannot be lost or stolen

B．they can be used anywhere

C．they are safe and handy

D．they can save travelers plenty of money

2.If your traveler's checks are lost or stolen, who will refund you?

A．The authority that issues you the passport.

B．The insurance company.

C．The bank where you buy your checks.

D．The travel agency that arranges your travel.

3.You sign your traveler’s check for the second time in order to ________.

A．get your passport                       B．cash it

C．claim insurance                         D．pay for commission

4.Which of the following statement is TRUE?

A．You need not pay a commission for the safety of your traveler’s checks.

B．People usually get traveler’s checks from foreign banks.

C．Traveler’s checks can be exchanged for the money of the country you visit.

D．You cannot get your passport until you get your traveler’s checks.

Columbus College , 241 Queen Elizabeth Drive ,Kowloon City

To:     All Staff

From:  Jakie Mok , Secretary; Sports Development Committee

Date:   May 20, 2010

     A week ago , “Sports for Life” programme was sent to the parents, requiring them to select a sport they wanted their child to play. Since then, our staff have received lots of calls from parents asking for more information about it. Here is a memo (备忘录) for your reference when you answer the phones.

Sports 1: Basketball.

     We expect that this will be the most popular of the four sports. Therefore, students should be advised to sign up as soon as possible. Students will take a private bus to and from Kwun Tong Sports Park .To cover the cost of hiring a bus ,each student will have to pay ＄10 each time. There will be four basketball courts available for our use with one teacher watching over each game.

Sports 2: Gym

     We will be using St.Peter’s Memorial Park. There are two reasons for choosing their park. First, it is not very busy and crowded before 6:00 pm. Second, it has lot of trees with plenty of shade. Students must bring along two bottles of water to prevent thirst. Three activities, skipping , jogging , outdoor aerobics (有氧运动),all of which are free of charge, will be arranged. And there will be a teacher on duty for each of the activities.

Sports 3: Hiking

     Hiking(远足)will take place at Kowloon Peak. The activity will start at 2:30 pm and finish 90 minutes later. Three teachers will accompany the students, and a hiking instructor will accompany each group of 15 hikers. Each instructor will cost ＄75/hr.

Sports 4: Swimming

     The Kowloon City Aqueatic Centre is a 10-minute walk from our school. Four teachers will go to the pool and conduct the goings-on from the poolside. We will only be able to reserve the pool for one hour (i.e. 2:45pm to 3:45pm).Only students skilful at swimming can take up this activity. The pool will have two lifeguards present. Girls must wear a swimming suit. The cost is ＄10 per visit.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   A. Students selecting basketball had better register(注册) early.

   B. Students participating in gym should arrive at 6:00 pm.

   C. Hiking usually begins at 2:30 pm and lasts 2 hours.

   D. Students having swimming suits can take up swimming.

It can be inferred from the passage that      

   A. students taking part in basketball will walk to the courts.

   B. every student can gain admission to one of the four sports

   C. hiking students can have a regular rest in the shade of trees

   D. students taking up the four sports should bring bottles of water

It can be concluded that          

   A. each sport will take only on hour

   B. students will be charged for the four sports

   C. all the sports will take place at Kowloon Peak

   D. teachers will accompany students on each sport

The purpose of the memo is to        

   A. attract students’interest in the programme

   B. require the parents to select a sport for their child

   C.help the staff explain the programme to the parents

   D.remind teachers and lifeguards to be present on time

Teaching a child to read at a young age gives him a valuable start in life. Reading is the basic part of education and a child’s reading ability will influence his school success greatly. Learning difficulties, many of which begin from poor reading skills, can damage a school child’s confidence and affect his future achievement. Young children are programmed to learn and they can learn better with encouragement. Ten to twenty minutes of reading a day still leaves plenty of time for play.

Many parents are concerned that learning to read is too challenging a task for a pre-school child, but they should also remember that most children learn to speak by the time they are 3. Learning a language is probably the single most challenging task any individual can undertake, yet children do it without formal instruction, achieving the fluency much better than adult language students.

There is a window of opportunity in terms of IQ development, which is most open during a child’s early years. A scientific study, carried out by Dr. Peter Huttenlocher at the University of Chicago, showed that the number of connectors, called synapses（神经元突触）, between the nerve endings in a newborn baby’s brain is similar to the number in the average adult brain. These synapses increase rapidly during early childhood. By 12-24 months a child’s brain has about 50% more synapses than the average adult brain. After that the synapses which are not in use begin to atrophy（衰退）. For most people, from age 16, the number remains steady. It begins to drop again as we move into our golden years. Doing intellectual activities at a young age, such as learning to read, can stimulate（刺激）and preserve these connectors in the brain resulting in a long-term beneficial（有益的）effect on IQ development.

Another notable study is probably the Milwaukee project. This study took a group of babies, all of whose mothers had low IQs, and gave them special training for seven hours a day, five days a week, until they started first grade. By the age of 6 these children had an average IQ 30 points higher than their contemporaries. The overwhelming conclusion is that the early intellectual stimulation can have a positive, long-term effect on a child’s brain development.

From birth you should talk to and explain things to your baby. Reading to him can be a wonderful way of spending quality time with your child. The enjoyment of books and being familiar with the idea of print will pave the way for（为……铺平道路）learning to read later.

If your child is a fast learner you can help him realize his potential by introducing him to the joy of the printed word at an early age. This will lay the foundations（基础）for both a high achieving school career and a lifelong love of reading. If your child shows early signs of reading difficulties, your efforts may help him get rid of such problems before he goes to school.

It can be difficult to teach your own child because emotional（引起情绪激动的）issues arise easily. Online programs for learning to read English are excellent options. They allow children to repeat new materials as many times as they need to, without wearing out the parents’ patience.

1.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Children should be taught to read at an early age.

B. Children can read better than most adult students.

C. Children have more synapses than most adults.

D. Children are supposed to learn to read on the Internet.

2.Why does the author mention the study by Dr. Peter Hutten locher?

A. To remove parents’ worry.

B. To explain IQ development.

C. To explain how a baby’s brain works.

D. To show the parents’ wrong ideas.

3.How can children benefit from learning to read at a young age?

A. It can build up great confidence in their mind.

B. It can help preserve the connectors in their brains.

C. It can help produce more connectors in their brains.   

D. It can help them find both their weaknesses and strengths.

4.At the end of this passage the author advises _______.

A. parents not to get angry too often

B. children to enjoy reading as early as possible

C. children not to wear out their parents’ patience

D. parents to get their children to take an online program

Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mom was one of those people.

My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life.

We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”

At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day,my mother spoke to me in her gentle,loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I would walk again if I want to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her.A year I returned to school—walking on my own !

When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.

Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.

Not surprisingly, Mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business,we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed.Fifteen years later,we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $1billion a year.

You may not have started out life in the best situations. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.

1.What Kemmons’mom often told him during his childhood was______

A．caring            B．moving           C．encouraging       D．interesting

2.According to the author, who played the most role in making him walk back to school again?

A．Doctors           B．Nurses            C．Friends           D．Mom

3.What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?

A．His terrible experience in the hotel

B．His previous business success of various levels

C．His mom’s support

D．His wife’s suggestion

4.Which of the following best describles Kemmons’s mother?

A．Modest,helpful and hard—working

B．loving, supportive and strong—willed(有坚强意志的)

C．careful, helpful and beautiful

D．strict, sensitive and supportive.

5.Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?

A．Self-cofidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family

B．Mom’s encouragement, clear goals. Self—confidence and hard work

C．Clear goals,mom’s encouragemen, a poor family and higher education.

D．Mom’s encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities