The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand---a system of rapid handwriting, and now it's threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2011, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive (草写字母）.The rest? Block letters.

And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.

At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades.

There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?

It was at University of Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity (真实性）can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.

The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive (认知的）opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better-a lifelong benefit.

It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.

There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological (神经系统的)wiring, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.

1.What is the author concerned about after 2011 SAT exams?

A. Keyboarding.      B. Shorthand

C. Handwriting.    D. Block letters.

2.A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to _________.

A. prove how valuable handwriting is

B. explain what a famous poet he is

C. show how unique his poem is

D. stress how fascinating the documents are

3.The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that_________.

A. the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting

B. the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed xKb 1.Com 

C. it doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills

D. the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one

4. According to the author, when is a perfect time to learn handwriting?

A. Kindergarten.           B. Primary school.           C. High school.            D. College.

5.What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?

   A. Devotion.        B. Encouragement.         C. critical.          D. Objective.

We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.

The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.

Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.

I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big “to do” over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.

But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying.

I said, “What are you doing, my dear?”

She turned to me with a sad expression and said, “Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?”

I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better.

Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.

The underlined expression make a big to do over (paragraph 4) means _____.

A. show much concern about              B. have a special effect on

    C. list jobs to be done for                 D. do good things for

   The guests praised Kelly for carrying coats upstairs because of her _____.

   A. beautiful hair                           B. pretty clothes

   C. lovely smile                         D. young age

Kristen felt sad and cried because _____.

the guest gave her more coats to carry

she didn’t look as pretty as Kelly

the guests praised her sister more than her

her mother didn’t introduce her to the guests

   We can conclude from the passage that _____.

parents should pay more attention to the elder children

the younger children are usually more easily hurt

people usually like the younger children more

adults should treat children equally

A few months ago, Dr. Ken Duckworth, a psychiatrist（心理医生） in Massachusetts, was swimming in his community's pool, chatting with other swimmers. When he mentioned his career, one man wanted Duckworth’s opinion on his struggles with depression; another asked for advice on a family member's mental illness.
“I was sort of amazed. They were talking openly about their mental disabilities with a stranger in a swimming locker room, ” said Duckworth, “That wouldn't have happened 15 years ago. ”
New research shows that these swimmers aren't the only ones opening up. According to a new study, more American adults than ever are reporting being disabled by the symptoms of depression, anxiety or other emotional problems.
The report, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, found that people who said they couldn’t perform everyday tasks or engage in social and leisure activities because of a mental illness increased from 2 percent in 1999 to 2.7 percent in 2009. That increase amounts to nearly 2 million more people disabled by mental distress (痛苦) in the past decade, the report said.
Although people did not say they felt more mental distressed compared to past years, they reported that their mental health problems had a greater impact on their daily lives.
Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, the study's author, said it's unclear whether the findings tell a sad story of greater mental distress in recent times or point to a victory for public education about the importance of acknowledging and evaluating mental illness.
“It is possible that people are realizing the effects of mental illness more acutely now than before," he said. "People could be becoming more aware. ”
Mojtabai said it's also possible that a number of factors could be taking a toll on the population's mental well-being. High unemployment, economic hardships and a growing sense of isolation could be putting greater stress on Americans.
But Duckworth said there could be a more positive explanation -- like his fellow swimmers, people may be getting more comfortable with talking about their mental distress.
“I wonder if this tells us that American culture is becoming more open and is giving people the ability to speak about it,” he said. “If people have this problem and are willing to acknowledge it, then we're getting closer to dealing with it.”
【小题1】Why was Dr. Ken Duckworth surprised when other swimmers talked about the depression with him?

It was foolish of him to ______his notes during that important test, and as a result, he got punished

1. A.
   stick to
2. B.
   refer to
3. C.
   keep to
4. D.
   point to

Nowadays, a cellphone service is available to everyone, everywhere. Probably thousands of people have already been using it, but I just discovered it, so I'm going to claim it and also name it: Fake Foning.

The technology has been working well for me at the office, but there are infinite(无限的） applications. Virtually in any public space.

Say you work at a big university with lots of talky faculty members buzzing about. Now, say you need to use the restroom. The trip down the hall will take approximately one hour, because a person can't walk into those talky people without getting pulled aside for a question, a bit of gossip, a new read on a certain line of Paradise Lost.

So, a cellphone. Any cellphone. Just pick it up. Don't dial. Just hold that phone to your face and start talking. Walk confidently down the hall engaged in fake conversation, making sure to tailor both the topic and content to the person standing before you whom you are trying to avoid.

For standard colleague avoidance, I suggest fake chatting about fake business:

"Yes, I'm glad you called, because we really need to hammer out the details. What's that? Yes, I read Page 12, but if you look at the bottom of 4, I think you can see the problem begins right there."

Be engaged in your fake fone conversation. Make eye contact with the people passing, nod to them, gesture keen interest in talking to them at a later time, point to your phone, shrug and move on.

Shoppers should consider fake foning anytime they spot a talky neighbor in the produce department pinching (用手捏) unripe peaches. Without your phone at your face, you'd be in for a 20-minute speech on how terrible the world is.

One important caution about fake foning. The other day I was fake foning my way past a colleague, and he was actually following me to get my attention. I knew he wanted to ask about a project I had not yet finished. I was trying to buy myself some time, so I continued fake foning with my doctor. "So I don't need the operation? Oh, doctor, that is the best news."

And then: Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrmg! Brrrrrmg! My phone started ringing, right there while it was planted on my face. My colleague looked at me, and I at him, and naturally I gasped. "What is the matter with this thing?" I said, pulling the phone away to look at it, and then putting it back to my ear.

"Hello? Are you still there?"  Oops.

1.According to the passage Fake Foning is _______________________.

A．a strategy to avoid people                 B．a device newly produced

C．a service provided everywhere             D．a skill of communication

2.In the author's opinion, in order to make fake foning look real one has to__________________.

A．talk about interesting matters              B．behave politely to people passing by

C．hold the phone while walking              D．appear absorbed in conversation

3.What does the last example show?

A．One effective way is to fake fone one's doctor.

B．One has to be careful while fake foning.

C．Fake foning may not cheat people.

D．Fake foning is always quite successful.

4.After his phone suddenly began ringing, the author___________________.

A．immediately started talking to the caller

B．immediately started talking to his colleague

C．put the phone away and stopped talking

D．continued with his fake conversation

5.What is the tone of the passage?

A．Critical.           B．Humorous.         C．Serious.           D．Unclear.