1 . Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?

Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (标签). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious (有营养的) and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren’t necessarily more nutritious, and they’re no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.

The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. “We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier,” says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. “So consumers shouldn’t assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer.”

For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.

While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.

Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn’t always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that “Whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste.” Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.

1. The new research questions whether organic food ________.

A．should replace traditional food

B．has been overpriced by farmers

C．is grown with less harmful chemicals

D．is really more nutritious and healthier

2. Smith Spangler and her colleagues found that ________.

A．organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease

B．traditional food was grown with more natural methods

C．both organic and traditional food they examined were safe

D．there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food

3. Which of the following is relatively healthier according to the passage?

A．Organic chicken and pork.

B．Organic milk and chicken.

C．Traditional chicken and pork.

D．Traditional fruit and vegetables.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward organic food?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Approving.

2 . Every festival has its own meaning. Labor Day, for example, celebrates the value of hard work. Thanksgiving is about showing thanks to people around you. And Valentines’ Day is a time when you express love to your loved ones. But somehow it now seems that all festivals we just care about one thing — shopping. And that can be a big problem.

“In a way, over-consumption (过度消费) is the mother of all our environmental problems,” Kalle Lasn once told CNN. Lasn is the organizer of Buy Nothing Day, a day set up in Canada in 1992 to fight against unhealthy spending habits, and has now become an international event. It’s held on the day, which is known as Black Friday — a famous shopping day in the US and Canada.

You can see the irony (讽刺) here.

Even though the idea of Buy Nothing Day was brought up 26 years ago, we seem to need it now more than ever. It’s just as Lasn said, all the different kinds of pollution in our lives today — bad air quality, the reduction of forest area, endangered animal species, and plastic bags found in the ocean — seem to be the same cause: over-consumption.

The latest example is the Singles’ Day shopping craze of Nov 11, which saw a new sales record. But as Nie Li, a campaigner at Greenpeace, told Reuters, “Record-setting over-consumption means record-setting waste.” And it was reported that last year the Singles’ Day packages left more than 160,000 tons of waste, including plastic and cardboard. The Collins Dictionary has also just named “single-use” its Word of the Year, pointing out the problem that there’re too many things we tow out after only using them once.

So, Buy Nothing Day might only be here for one day a year, but it’s not just to remind us to the a break from shopping on that day, but to change our lifestyle completely, focusing on fun “with people we care about” rather than wasting money on useless things.

1. What’s the authors purpose of writing the first paragraph?

A．To express the people’s love for all festivals.

B．To talk about the meaning of the festivals.

C．To appreciate the value of the festivals.

D．To bring out the topic of the passage.

2. Why did Kalle Lasn organize Buy Nothing Day?

A．To help people save money.	B．To cut the cost for daily life.
C．To prevent over-consumption.	D．To set up a new sales record.

3. What’s Nie Li’s attitude towards the shopping craze?

A．Opposed (反对的).	B．Supportive.
C．Unknown.	D．Neutral (中立的).

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Creating a New Lifestyle	B．Buy Nothing Day
C．Festivals Around the World	D．A Change in People’s Life

3 . Many kids help out around the house with chores such as emptying the dishwasher, putting laundry away, and taking out the trash. In exchange, some kids get allowances or other rewards such as extra computer time.

But some people do not think that kids should get rewards for doing chores. Susie Walton, a parenting educator and family coach, believes that by rewarding kids, parents are sending a message that work isn’t worth doing unless you get something in return. “Running any kind of household is a team effort,” Susie said. “A home is a living space for everyone in the family. It’s important for kids to see that we all have responsibilities in the house, and that families decide together how they want their home to look, and how they are going to keep it looking like everyone wants it to look.”

Other people believe that getting a cash allowance or other rewards motivates kids to do chores, and it also teaches them real world lessons about how we need to work to earn money. There are also new applications that give kids points and digital gifts that can be redeemed (兑取) either online or in the real world. With the Chore Monster app, kids earn digital points by completing chores that they can turn in for real-life rewards such as extra Xbox time or a trip to the mall. “Our goal is to encourage kids to earn rewards.” says Chris Bergman, founder of Chore Monster. “Kids need positive reinforcement to help motivate them.”

What do you think? Should kids be rewarded for doing chores? Or should kids help out around their homes without getting anything in return?

Write a 200-word response. Send it to tfkasks4you@timeforkids. com. Your response may be published in a future issue of Time For Kids. Please include your grade and contact information of your parent or teacher if you want your response to be published. The deadline for responding is 18 February.

1. How does the author start the passage?

A．By stating his own experiences.	B．By presenting some facts.
C．By comparing different views.	D．By listing some evidence.

2. What can we learn from Susie Walton’s words?

A．Kids should be rewarded for doing chores.

B．Parents decide what kids can do for the family.

C．Kids have the responsibility to share housework.

D．Kids can get extra computer time for doing chores.

3. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Chris Bergman’s opinion on raising kids.

B．Main reasons why kids need encouragement

C．How to motivate kids to try new applications.

D．The advantage of rewarding kids for doing chores.

4. What is the purpose of writing the text?

A．To invite readers to express their opinions.	B．To present the author’s viewpoint about parenting.
C．To call on readers to reflect on their behavior.	D．To inform readers of two different opinions.

4 . The idea that you can use humor, laughter, and play to make you healthier probably seems too simple to be true. However, it is really true and simple. The sense of humor, laughter and play plays an important role in keeping you healthy.

Treat the blues with a sense of humor, which is closely tied to laughter. Laughter is infectious. Have you ever heard a big laugh of a young child and been able to keep yourself from smiling? When laughter is shared between people, it makes them closer to each other and increases their happiness. Smiling is the beginning of laughter and a smile is also just as infectious as laughter is. You can experience something by smiling at everyone around you, and you will feel happier just by sharing a smile, even with a stranger.

Play is an important part of making sure that we stay healthy. We are often encouraged to make sure our children play, and are told of the benefits of being out playing. However, what we often forget is that it is just as important for old people to make play be part of their life as it’s for children. Physical play is important for the old and it certainly helps prevent illness. While the studies are still in the early stages, the studies that have been done have shown that physical play certainly plays a part in preventing cognitive (认知的) falling.

Anyway, adding humor, laughter, and play to our life will influence us mentally, physically and socially and bring us many advantages. So we should make full use of humor, laughter and play to make our life more active, more interesting and happier.

1. What does the underlined word “infectious” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Quickly influencing other people.	B．Preventing illness from spreading.
C．Keeping people in high spirits.	D．Playing an important role.

2. What can laughter increase according to the author?

A．Happiness and confidence	B．A sense of humor.
C．Cognitive ability.	D．Good relationships.

3. What does the author think the old should do?

A．They should have a good rest.	B．They should prevent cognitive falling.
C．They should take part in physical play.	D．They should play like children.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Always Keep Our Body Healthy	B．Let Our Body and Mind Relax
C．Have an Active and Happy Life	D．Humor, Laughter and Play for Health

5 . Fantastic Fall Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss

Seymour Apple Festival

Admission to the Seymour Apple Festival is free and so is the entertainment! More than 15,000 people from all over the region come out to take part in the activities, ranging from drawings, vendor booths, food, apple contests, bike decorating contests, and more.

Marionville Apple Festival

The popular Marionville Apple Festival is home to countless activities and events. The carnival, pony rides, and games will keep the kids busy, while adults will enjoy watching the pie-eating contest and browsing dozens of craft vendor booths.

Humansville Fall Festival

The Humansville Fall Festival may be hosted by a small town, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking big fun. Perfect for all ages, this fall festival is celebrating its 70th year and will provide three full days of fun. This year’s festival will feature live music from fantastic local musicians, which will definitely make it different from the ones in other years. You’ll also find fun carnival rides, talented artisans selling their goods, and an amazing parade to wrap up the event on Saturday.

Southside Fall Festival

The Southside Fall Festival is perfect for family celebrations, with an alcohol-free environment and free admission. Enjoy a colorful parade and float contest, delicious food vendors, live music, karaoke, and more.

Fall Into Arts Festival

Make sure to bring the kids along for this festival that celebrates all things creative. The Fall Into Arts Festival features a host of kid-friendly activities like a lego build, sand art, bubble stations, chalk the sidewalk, a jump house, and more. Parents will have plenty to do as well, with an excellent variety of artists, festival food, a mini film festival, and much more.

1. Which festivals are free of charge?

A．Seymour Apple Festival and Southside Fall Festival.

B．Southside Fall Festival and Fall Into Arts Festival.

C．Humansville Fall Festival and Fall Into Arts Festival.

D．Seymour Apple Festival and Marionville Apple Festival.

2. What makes Humansville Fall Festival special this year?

A．Fun activities on Saturday.

B．The duration of the festival,

C．The area of the hosting town.

D．Musicians’ live performance.

3. Fall Into Arts Festival is specially welcomed by_________.

A．families with kids	B．modern artists
C．visitors of all ages	D．Movie lovers

6 . Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.

Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(缺乏). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .

Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.

You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks(滴水) in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.

1. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?

A．Using river water.	B．Throwing batteries away.
C．Throwing rubbish into lakes.	D．Paving parking lots.

2. What can be inferred from the text?

A．All water shortages are due to human behavior.

B．It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs.

C．There is much we can do to reduce family size.

D．The average family in America makes proper use of water.

3. The last paragraph is intended to _________.

A．show us how to fix leaks at home

B．tell us how to run a dishwasher

C．prove what drinking glass is best for us

D．suggest what we do to save water at home

4. The text is mainly about _________.

A．how human activity affects our water supply

B．how much we depend on water to live

C．why droughts occur more in dry climates

D．why paving roads reduces our water

7 . A long time ago, on neighboring farms lived two brothers. But disagreement arose between them. It was the first serious one between them in 40 years of farming peacefully side by side. In the end, they fell apart.

One morning, a man with a carpenter’s toolbox came for some work. The elder brother said, “I just have a job for you. Look at that farm across the creek(河沟). My younger brother lives there. It was he who used his bulldozer(推土机) to dig the creek last week to upset me. So I want you to build me a fence, an 8-foot-high fence so I won’t see his place any more.” The carpenter smiled and said, “I see. I’ll try to do a wonderful job that satisfies you.” Then the elder brother left and went downtown.

At sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s jaw dropped open when he saw what the carpenter had done. To his surprise, there was no fence there at all! Instead, there was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! What a piece of work! He saw his younger brother coming up to him with the hands outstretching. “You are quite a man to build this bridge after all I have said and done to you! ” The brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. When they turned to see the carpenter, he was lifting his toolbox on his shoulder, ready to leave. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other work for you,” said the elder brother. “I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have so many more bridges to build.”

1. What was the life like for the two brothers before the disagreement?

A．They lived a poor and miserable life.

B．They were friendly neighbors, helping each other.

C．They never spoke to each other.

D．They lived together on the same farm.

2. It can be learned that the carpenter was ________.

A．clever but untrustworthy	B．hardworking and obedient
C．experienced but cold-hearted	D．skilled and helpful

3. The best title for this passage is ________.

A．A Fine Piece of Work	B．A Clever Carpenter
C．Disagreement between Two Brothers	D．Two Brothers

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The younger brother used his bulldozer to dig a creek.

B．The elder brother was angry with his younger brother at first.

C．The brothers were both satisfied with the carpenter’s work at last.

D．At first, the carpenter planned to build an 8-foot-high fence as asked to.

8 . Recently, a group of scientists decided to find out what the funniest joke in the world was. This is obviously a difficult task, as no two people really agree about what is funny and what is not — especially when they are from different countries.

Here is the joke which the experts decided was the funniest joke in the world:

Two hunters were out in the woods. One of them fell to the ground. He didn’t seem to be breathing; his eyes were closed. The other hunter took out his mobile phone and called the emergency services. “My friend is dead!” he cried to the operator. “What can I do?” The operator said, “Don’t worry. First, make sure he’s dead.” There was a silence, and then a shot was heard. Bang! The hunter’s voice came back on the line. He said, “OK, now what?”

This is perhaps amusing. Culturally, it depends on us knowing that often hunters are not considered to be very intelligent people, and that often they are quite violent. But perhaps this is not so all over the world. It’s also quite a black joke — a joke about something that isn’t really a funny subject. The experts also found the second funniest joke in the world. Here it is:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson went on a camping trip. After dinner, they went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes woke up. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.”

“I see millions of stars, Holmes,” replied Watson.

“And what do you infer from that?”

“Well, there are billions of stars... we are a small part of the universe.” “Watson, you idiot! (笨蛋)” he said. “Someone has stolen our tent!” I personally think this is better.

Can scientists in the end decide what is funny? Some things are much too complicated, even for scientists.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Few jokes can make scientists laugh.

B．Only scientists can find out the funniest joke.

C．There are different jokes in different countries.

D．People hold different opinions about what is funny.

2. What does the author think of the first joke?

A．It is not so funny as the experts thought.

B．It is really the funniest joke he has ever heard.

C．It can greatly affect readers’ attitudes toward hunters.

D．It shows that not all hunters are intelligent.

3. What can affect a person’s understanding of a joke?

A．The person’s feeling.

B．The length of the joke.

C．The person’s cultural background.

D．The language that the teller uses.

4. Which of the following is the best title for this text?

A．Uninteresting Jokes

B．Different Kinds of Jokes

C．The Funniest Joke in the World

D．Tips on How to Make Others Laugh

10 . Learning to say “yes, and”

When I first heard about the improvisation (即兴交流) class, I was hesitating. As a quiet and shy girl, I feared improvising in front of strangers. However, I knew I wanted to work as a science communicator after finishing my Ph.D., so it seemed like a perfect chance to learn how to speak and communicate with others effectively. I signed up, knowing the experience would give me help.

During our first class, we learned an important concept of improvisation: “yes, and.” It means that, as improvisers, we’d better accept what fellow performers say. If someone says that rhinos (犀牛) are librarians, for example, then rhinos are librarians. We do not question the logic; we say “yes” and then continue with the scene as if nothing is wrong.

The first few scenes were hard, but as weeks turned into months, I became more comfortable and even started to enjoy our classes. I became better at listening, relating to my conversation partners, and communicating clearly in the moment. Once when I was giving a presentation about my science, an audience member surprised me with a question that didn’t grow out of the information I’d presented. Instead of getting confused and nervous, I took the “yes, and” approach—accepting the question and letting my mind focus on why it was asked. That helped me find an appropriate answer. I got pretty excited about it.

The benefits of improvisation go beyond communication. Before attending the class, I would get stuck when my experiments produced unexpected data, thinking that I had made a mistake. But now, instead of getting discouraged, I will stay open to the possibility that the results are real, keep exploring the data and end up identifying a new type of cell—one that isn’t behaving as expected.

I think all scientists can benefit from this lesson. If the data say rhinos are librarians, then it’s worth finding out whether rhinos are, in fact, librarians. As scientists, our job isn’t to challenge data that support, a preconceived story, but to say “yes, and.”

1. Why did the author attend the improvisation class?

A．To get a different experience.

B．To finish her Ph.D. at university.

C．To give up her job as a science communicator.

D．To improve her speaking and communicating ability.

2. What was the author’s change after attending the improvisation class?

A．She formed her own idea quickly.

B．She came up with lots of creative responses.

C．She paid more attention to the logic of answers.

D．She became a good listener before giving an opinion.

3. The author mentions applying the “yes, and” approach to her scientific experiments to ________.

A．explain the process of using the method

B．prove the benefits of the improvisation class

C．share her own research experiences with readers

D．attract fellow scientists to attend the improvisation class

4. What can be inferred about scientists from the last paragraph?

A．They should attend the improvisation class.

B．They should question all preconceived ideas.

C．They should carry on research by admitting earlier data.

D．They should try to improve their academic knowledge.