请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后图表中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。（每空一词）

Many people have trouble with reading. Reading is a process of the brain where you look at eaning in them. If you develop good reading skills, it’ll be very helpful to your future. Aren’t your school teachers always saying “Read more books!”?

Read as much as you are able. Start with titles, names, or other larger print items that you may know or ever thought about. When you start getting bored or need a break, take one. Reading should be fun and enjoyable, don’t force it. After your break, return to where you were, and continue.

Read the page carefully. Don’t rush, take your time. Most people think that skimming the pages is a way of fast reading, but this definitely not true.

Use context clues to find out a word’s meaning. Context clues are when a person figures out the meaning of a word by seeing how the word was used in a sentence. For example, you were reading the following sentence and wanted to know what “pessimist” means: My mother is always happy and optimistic, the total opposite of my brother, the pessimist. So from the sentence, you can gather that “pessimist” means the opposite of happy. If you find a really difficult word, use the dictionary!

Reread! If you don’t understand what you are reading, read over the sentence(s) again. Try reading the words out loud to yourself. If you still don’t understand something, ask a good reader nearby to explain the sentence(s) to you, or simply pick up a book that is easier to read and more proper to your reading level. Feel free to use your finger as a pointer. It will keep your eyes focused on the line you are reading, improving your understanding!

Keep reading! Try to read as much as you can in your free time. Reading will help you in lots of ways; your vocabulary will become larger and you will notice your grades change for the better in school. Have fun reading!

To get the most comprehension, avoid lying down while reading. While reading in bed can help you relax and fall asleep, you can remember more information by having a good posture（姿势）while reading.

Title:   1.  to Improve Reading

Do you know what your child is going to do when the school bell rings at the end of the day? More than 14 million students leave school every afternoon and have nowhere to go, since they do not have access to affordable after-school opportunities. According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC), nine out of ten Americans think all youths should have access to after-school programs, but two-thirds of parents say they have trouble finding programs locally. The bad news is that situation may be getting worse.

After-school hours are the peak time for juvenile crimes and risky behaviors, including alcohol and drug use. The NYVPRC states that children who do not spend any time in after-school activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more likely to become a teen parent. Kids are also at the highest risk of becoming a victim of violence after school, particularly between the hours of 2p.m. and 6p.m.. The highest amount of juvenile crime occurs between 3p.m. and 4p.m. , when most children are dismissed from school.

The NYVPRC defines after-school programs as safe and structured activities that offer children opportunities to learn new skills. The skills students learn can range from technology and math to reading and art. Some programs also offer opportunities for internship(实习), community services , or mentoring. These programs have been shown to improve academic achievements, as well as relieve the stresses on working families. A report by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of justice shows that students in after –school programs have fewer behavioral problems and more self-confidence , and can handle conflicts better than students who are not involved with these programs. In addition, according to the Harvard Family Research Project, after-school programs help students from low-income families overcome the inequities (不公平) they face in the school system.

1.What is the theme of the passage?

A．Prevention of juvenile crimes.

B．Risks kids face after school.

C．A research report on the stresses of students.

D．The benefits of after-school programs.

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?

A．Most parents don’t believe in after-school programs.

B．Students are not willing to attend after-school programs.

C．It’s difficult for parents to find after-school programs for their children.

D．Parents don’t care about where their children go after school.

3.We learn from the second paragraph that __________________ .

A．the teachers should watch over kids after school

B．children are dismissed from school too late

C．after-school hours are a risky time for children

D．children should go home immediately school is over

4.The author of the passage probably __________.

A．fully support after-school programs

B．doubts the effects of after-school programs

C．believes structured activities are useless for children

D．thinks students today are too stressed

5.The underlined word “juvenile” in Paragraph 2 has a similar meaning to “_____” .

A．student           B．teenager          C．adult             D．campus

I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”

At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!” And she swept it into the wastebasket.

I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth…?

She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room – if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!”

Then she turned to me, kissed me and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.

    After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood(情绪) had changed. I was laughing. How would I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.

1. Why did the author shout at the telephone?

    A. He was mad at the telephone.      B. He was angry with his agent.

    C. He was anxious about his wife     D.He was impatient with the secretary.

2.What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?

    A. She said nothing                  B. She shouted at him.

    C. She called the agent                 D. She threw the phone away

3. What made the author laugh?

    A. His own behavior.                   B. His wife’s suggestion

    C. His changeable feelings                  D. His wife’s sweet kiss.

4.What does the underlined word “antics” refer to?

    A. Smart words                           B. Unusual actions

    C. Surprising Looks                 D. Anxious feelings

A letter to Edward, a columnist(报刊专栏作家）

Dear Mr Expert:

I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always Promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20,I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.

Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine ― so much so that they make mine theirs.

It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can shou up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.

I enjoy having my friends here sometimes― it makes the place feel comfortable and warm― but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?

Joan

Edward’s reply to Joan

Dear Joan:

If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.

And if you’ve gathesed yourfriends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere(气氛),you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with― or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.

Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”

63. We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward         .

A. lives away from her parents

B. takes pride in her friends

C. knows Mr Expert quite well

D. hates her parents very much

64.We can infer from the first letter that         .

A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy

B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept

C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all

D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over

65. According to Mr Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?

A. She is afraid of hurting her friends.

B. She does not understand true friendship.

C. Her family experience stops her from doing so.

D. She does not put her needs first.

66. The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means       .

A. dependent life        B. fierce fight           C. bad manners           D. painful feeling

67.The second letter suggests that Mr Expert         .

A. is worried about Joan’s problem

B. warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends

C. advises Joan on how to refuse people

D. encourages Joan to be brave enough

Attention deficit（不足）hyperactivity（活动过度）disorder is known by the letters A．D．H D．Children with A．D．H．D．might have trouble paying attention．They might not seem to listen and might forget things．They might not be able to stay seated or play quietly．They might talk too much and act and speak without thinking about the results of their behavior．These are among the signs named on the web site of America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention．

Doctors usually identify the disorder in children．But experts say the behaviors often last into adulthood．Researchers have been looking for the cause or causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder．Now, a brain-imaging study offers more evidence that could lead to new ways to treat it．Researchers say they observed shortages in the brain's reward system in patients with A．D．H．D．The study found that levels of some proteins were lower than normal．Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says the lack of attention and self –control that mark A.B.H.D. could be caused by problem in the flow of dopamine（多巴胺）. She says people might have difficulty completing an activity if they cannot expect some kind of reward in return. Researchers studied the pathways on which dopamine travels and A.D.H.D. Doctor Volkow says the researchers then compared the pathways to those of 44 adults without the disorder. “There was a lower concentration of dopamine markers in the brain of individuals with A.D.H.D., specifically in the areas of the brain that are involved with reward and motivation. And the dopamine levels were directly linked to the severity, of the patient’s inattention she says.”

The study used brain images taken at Brookhaven National Laboratory in new York State. Gene-Jack Wang is chairman of the Brookdhaven medical department. He says the finding might also help explain why people with A.D.H.D.

are more likely to abuse drugs or overeat. He says they might be attempting to increase their dopamine levels to make up for the deficits in their reward system.