1 . We have to admit that reading is not a pleasant thing at school. Reading is not based on a child's interests, but to cope with tests. When children are little we make them read aloud, before the teacher and other children, so that we can be sure they "know" all the words they are reading. This means that when they don't know a word, they are going to make a mistake, right in front of everyone. After having taught fifth-grade classes for four years, I decided to try at all costs to rid them of their fear and dislike of books, and to get them to read oftener and more adventurously.
One day, I said to them, "Now, I would like you to read a lot of books this year, but I want you to read them only for fun. I am not going to ask you questions to find out whether you understand the books or not to ask you what words mean. If you understand enough of a book to enjoy it and want to go on reading it, that's enough for me."
The children sat shocked and silent. Was this a teacher talking? One girl, who had just come to us from a school where she had had a very hard time, looked at me steadily for a long time after I had finished. Then, still looking at me, she said slowly and seriously, "Mr. Holt, do you really mean that?" I said just as seriously, "I mean every word of it."
Later, she really astonished me. One day, she was reading at her desk. From a glimpse of the illustrations I thought she was reading Moby Dick(白鲸).I said, "Don't you find parts of it rather heavy going?" She answered, "Oh, sure, but I just skip over those parts and go on to the next good part.”
This is exactly what reading should be. Let the students make their own decisions, find something, dive into it, take the good parts, skip the bad parts, get what you can out of it and go on to something else.
1. What did the teacher tell his students to read for?| A．For pleasure. | B．For knowledge. |
| C．For a larger vocabulary. | D．For higher scores in exams. |
| A．Stupid. | B．Unreasonable. |
| C．Understandable. | D．Too good to be true. |
| A．She skipped over those easy parts while reading. |
| B．She turned out to be a top student through reading. |
| C．She had a hard time finishing the required reading tasks. |
| D．She learned to appreciate some parts of the difficult books. |
| A．Reading requires teachers' guidance. |
| B．Reading helps students do well in school. |
| C．Children should be left to decide what to read. |
| D．Children can not tell good parts from bad ones. |
2 . My name is Eivind Trodden, I'm 42 years old and on Svalbard in the North Pole. My background was originally software engineering, and years later 1 decided to go ahead and get my pilot license. This year I wanted to try- my hands at technology and got a job at Svatsat, the northernmost Satellite（卫星）Ground Station in the world. Now I work as a pilot and an operations engineer.
Originally, I moved here for the job. This was the first pilot job I got. After a while, I was attracted by the place, and right now the most important thing for me is to live here.
It is wonderful full of differences. The polar night is balanced with the midnight sun. Here the year is much like a day. The winter is night. In the morning there is ice, snow and then spring. Then there is the endless day of summer, and finally, the town settles in with the sunset of autumn.
The summer is the most difficult. It is harder to create darkness than light. You have to have good blinds on your bedroom windows. A good trick is to create your own evening. I like to close the blinds and sit down in relative darkness with a good book or a movie before I go to bed.
The dark season is the favorite of many people living here. There are fewer tourists, and people have a chance to get together and be social after the busy summer. You have to be self-controlled though, and not start lighting candles in the middle of the day. Don't underestimate（低估）the cost of living here. You need a large number of tools to experience Svalbard to the fullest.
1. Eivind Trodden’s present work is probably connected with .| A．training the pilots | B．software engineering |
| C．researching the coldest place | D．satellite controlling technology |
| A．Simple lifestyle. | B．His love for the place. |
| C．Better living conditions. | D．Chances to get a job. |
| A．There are less rules to follow. |
| B．There are no tourists to disturb them. |
| C．They have spare time to relax. |
| D．They needn't light candles any longer. |
| A．Great and different. | B．Long but exciting. |
| C．Colorful and moving. | D．Busy but boring. |
3 . Fish cats are a kind of cats that love water and love to fish. They are like tigers and lions, only much smaller, around twice the size of our average pet cats. They live in wetlands of South Asia and mangrove forests （红树林）of South and Southeast Asia. Like many endangered species, fish cats were in danger of dying out more than twenty years ago, mainly because of the great international need for fish food and the people's cutting of the mangroves at an extremely fast speed.
Mangroves of Southeast Asia are home to a great many fantastic species, like fish cats, turtles, shorebirds and others. Mangroves can protect soil, and they can be the first line of protection between storms, tsunamis and the millions of people who live next to them. The fact is that mangroves can store almost five to ten times more CO2 than other forests. So protecting mangroves may well be like protecting five to ten times more of other forests.
Ten years ago, in South India, many people came together to change the future of their home. In less than 10 years, with international support, the state forest departments and the local people worked together to restore over 20,000 acres of unproductive fish and shrimp farms back into mangroves. Now experts are working with them in helping study and protecting the mangroves as well as the species living in them. Fish and shrimp farmers are now willing to work with experts to test the harvest of nature protection like fishes, turtles and other species in mangroves. The local farmers are encouraged to protect and plant mangroves where they have been lost. A win-win-win for fish cats, local people and the global ecosystem（生态系统）is being built.
1. What made the fish cats endangered?| A．Natural enemies and environment pollution. |
| B．Cutting of mangroves and lack of water. |
| C．Being too large and need for fish food. |
| D．Less fish and overcutting of mangroves. |
| A．They can prevent extreme weather. |
| B．They can take in more CO2 effectively. |
| C．They help plants grow better on the soil. |
| D．They are perfect home to all species. |
| A．Ways of turning farms into forests. |
| B．Changes of South India in 10 years. |
| C．Efforts to protect the mangroves. |
| D．Work in protecting shrimps. |
| A．Fish Cats and Mangroves Protection |
| B．The Importance of Mangroves |
| C．Ways to Protect Fish Cats |
| D．Man and Nature |
4 . Singapore’s tradition of eating out in places called hawker centers is now recognized by the United Nations for its cultural importance.
A hawker is a person who sells food or goods and advertises by shouting at people walking by on the street. Hawkers are an important part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas where hawkers sell their goods are very popular. Famous chefs, such as Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay have praised them.
On Wednesday, the United Nations, cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city’s “hawker culture,” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore sought to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago. Now that it has been recognized, Singapore must provide a report every six years to UNESCO. The report must show efforts the city-state has made to save and support its hawker culture.
“These centers serve as ‘community dining rooms’, where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast, lunch and dinner,” UNESCO said.
In the 1970s, Singapore cleaned up its streets so the city moved street hawkers to new eating centers. These areas were part of an effort to improve the island. Now, the centers offer many different low-cost meals for local people and provide a pleasing social setting. The 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians showed its stars enjoying meals at a famous night market. Some sellers even received Michelin stars from a famous restaurant rating system for their meals costing only a few dollars.
But, now the average age of a hawker in Singapore is 60 years old. Younger Singaporeans now want to work in offices. They are less interested in working in small restaurants. The COVID-19 health crisis also hurt sales, preventing foreign visitors and locals from eating out.
1. What do we know about hawkers from paragraph 2?| A．They sell goods in the open-air area. |
| B．They are famous chefs. |
| C．They are Singapore natives. |
| D．They are popular all over the world. |
| A．For the efforts Singapore has made. |
| B．For its importance in showing Singapore’s culture. |
| C．For the report Singapore provided. |
| D．For the recommendation by UNESCO. |
| A．To advertise the film. |
| B．To introduce the stars. |
| C．To show the popularity of hawker centers. |
| D．To help the sellers receive Michelin stars. |
| A．The difficulties hawker culture are facing. |
| B．The average age of hawkers. |
| C．The effect caused by COVID-19. |
| D．The future of the hawker culture. |
5 . People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation. Although it might seem like a good time, the result is opposite, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University.
For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. Halfway though the task, the students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn't take any break at all.
Surprisingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles.
Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break—but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.
“Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, and more, in ways that are different than how we use other screens like computers, and laptops," Kurtzberg said.
This is echoed by a recent study from the US University of Chicago. It found that even if cellphones are turned off or turned face down, their mere presence reduces a person's cognitive capacity.
1. What can we learn from the study?| A．The participants were divided into groups at the beginning. |
| B．The last group had the hardest time solving the word puzzles. |
| C．Computers and laptops cause more distraction. |
| D．Cellphones may make people less focused on work. |
| A．Agreed. | B．Remembered. | C．Overcome. | D．Complained. |
| A．Try putting your smartphone away during your next break. |
| B．Using computers to shop online rather than cellphones. |
| C．Stop checking messages and connecting with people by cellphone. |
| D．Turning off your cellphone during work time. |
| A．Ways to relax for students. | B．The result from a word- puzzle game. |
| C．A study on using smart-phones to relax. | D．Effects brought by the smart-phone. |
6 . Ready to jump into gardening? It can be a little frightening at first, but gardening is an extremely rewarding hobby to get into. On this page, we'll introduce the basics of vegetable gardening and planning: how to pick the right site for your garden, how to create the right size garden, and how to select which vegetables to grow.
PICK THE RIGHT LOCATION
Picking a good location for your garden is absolutely key. Here are a few tips for beginners to choose a good site: First, plant in a sunny location, because most vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Secondly, plant in a place without too much water. Thirdly, find an environment that is not likely to change. Avoid places that receive strong winds, floods or too much foot traffic.
CHOOSING A SMALL PIECE OF LAND
Remember: It's better to be proud of a small garden than be frustrated by a big one! One of the most common errors that beginners make is planting too much or too soon. Plan your garden with care. Start small, and only grow what you know you'll eat.
CHOOSING VEGETABLES
Many vegetables are common, productive plants that are relatively easy to grow. It would be wise to contact your state's Cooperative Extension Service (CES) to find out what plants grow best in your area. Choose what you (and your family) like to eat. If no one likes Brussels sprouts, don't plant them! Be aware of how many vegetables your family will eat. Be careful not to overplant.
1. Which is the right place for a vegetable garden?
| A．A small piece of sunny land. |
| B．A lower place near a water pool. |
| C．A location with strong winds. |
| D．A place full of traffic. |
| A．By going online for information. |
| B．By getting advice from CES. |
| C．By surveying your neighbours. |
| D．By experimenting with various vegetables. |
| A．Expert gardeners. | B．Farmers. |
| C．Gardening beginners. | D．Housewives. |
7 . Donzella Washington, 80, graduated from Alabama A&M University on Dec.6 with a bachelor's degree in social work. She made history as the oldest graduate of Alabama A&M in their 144-year history.
In 2010, her mother died, followed by her sister and husband's death, which all happened in three years. Washington said that her motivation (动力)behind going back to school was her husband, Jeff, who was one of her biggest supporters.
“My father supported everything she did, especially returning to school," her daughter, Kimberly Washington, said. “Although my father did not have a traditional college education, he knew the value of gaining one.”
Before moving to Alabama, with her daughter in 2012, Washington and her husband lived on a farm in California, where they fostered (收养)about 30 children - including a group of six siblings in the 1970's so that they could stay together.
“I have seen her work tirelessly to achieve this dream and to finally be there to see her was a very proud moment. The most challenging part has been comforting her when she was missing my father most... those moments when she cries and all I can do is hold her and love on her. Kimberly continued.
Another one of the challenges Washington overcame was a stuttering （结巴）problem growing up. So she began taking speech classes. Then, years later, she picked up social work and business classes one — by — one at Lawson State Community College before transferring to Alabama A&M University.
Now, Washington said she's not slowing down any time soon. She said that she's even considering going back to school to get her master's degree. In the meantime, she hopes to provide volunteer service wherever necessary.
1. Why did Donzella Washington go back to school?| A．To make a history. |
| B．To find a better job. |
| C．To set an example to her daughter. |
| D．To meet her husband's wish. |
| A．The sadness over losing her loved ones. |
| B．Her weakened memory. |
| C．Challenge of taking speech classes. |
| D．Slowing down in walking. |
| A．Determined and hardworking. | B．Easy-going and sharp. |
| C．Far-seeing and odd. | D．Warm-hearted and polite. |
| A．Every road leads to Rome. |
| B．It's never too late to achieve dreams. |
| C．Doing is better than saying. |
| D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
8 . A group of second-year college students have discovered hidden writing on a page from a book from the 1500s, using a special camera system they built.
Surprisingly, finding hidden writing on very old documents isn’t all that unusual. In fact, there’s even a special name for documents like this: a palimpsest (再生羊皮纸卷).
Long ago, writing was done on parchment — thin, dried animal skins specially prepared for writing. But parchment wasn’t easy to make and wasn’t cheap. So it became common to erase the old writing off a parchment and then reuse it for another piece of writing. That’s what creates a palimpsest.
The writing erased off the parchment can’t be seen directly, but scientists have learned ways to use special lighting to reveal the original writing. But it’s unusual for young college students to discover palimpsests.
Last year, first-year students at the Rochester Institute of Technology took part in a class that brought together many students to take on a project as a group. The project was to build a special camera system that could take pictures using different kinds of light.
Over the summer, the students working on the imaging camera managed to finish it. When they were done, they borrowed several old parchments from the collection at the school’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection. When they put one of the pages under their camera system with UV light, the hidden writing suddenly appeared. Under the UV light, handwriting in French could easily be seen behind the fancy writing and decorations normally visible on the page.
Zoe, a student involved in the project, said, “This was amazing because this document has been in the Cary Collection for almost 10 years and no one noticed it.” The students are even more excited because even though the parchment is no longer part of a book, they know where 29 other pages from the same book are. The students, who are now working with others to locate the other parchments, hope these, too, will have hidden writing and that they can figure out what it means.
1. What was parchment designed for in ancient times?| A．Writing. | B．Decorating. |
C．Imaging.  | D．Collecting. |
| A．Heat up. | B．Bring out. |
| C．Adjust to. | D．Clear away. |
| A．Make a handwriting-recognizing camera. |
| B．Identify what the parchments are made of. |
| C．Track the origin of the palimpsests in the Cary Collection. |
| D．Discover hidden writing and its meaning on more parchments. |
| A．To tell about a new discovery. | B．To recommend a special book. |
| C．To explain a cultural phenomenon. | D．To introduce an old document. |
9 . Allison Guallpa concentrates on following the video directions for an unusual painting at home — the eighth-grader must draw a face using fruits or vegetables. She chooses peaches for rosy cheeks and a banana for the mouth.
That’s just one project Guallpa and other children are participating in during a 10-week, free, virtual art education series led by Marie Saint-Cyr, owner of Saint-Cyr Art Studio. Other challenges have included drawing a black-and-white still life of bottles, creating a watercolor landscape (风景) and copying works of artists like Van Gogh.
Saint-Cyr began the program during the summer of 2020 to give children an opportunity to express themselves and their feelings during dramatic changes in their lives because of COVID-19. Saint-Cyr, 25, moved to Long Island at 8. The programs she attended after her arrival were free and influenced her so much that she wanted to create something alike for the next generation.
Parents first contact Saint-Cyr through her website, Saintcyrartstudio.com. Saint-Cyr works with program supporters who pay her and provide the supplies for the children, which parents can pick up or have delivered. Saint-Cyr then provides 30-minute videos through Google Classroom that walk students through creating their artwork projects. At 4 p.m. meetups Mondays through Thursdays, whoever can make it attends a Zoom meeting where children show off their works in progress, give each other feedback (反馈) and ask questions. They also do 5-to 10-minute small exercises to improve their skills. It might be “Find an object and draw it without lifting the pencil off the paper”. At the conclusion of the series, Saint-Cyr displays students’ work in the “walk-through” virtual gallery online. It looks as if viewers are really walking through a museum display with all the kids’ professional artwork hanging on the walls.
Instead of being bored, the students participating in the program have got something to do — create things, see all the students’ works and get ideas. Saint-Cyr is considering bringing the program to nearby schools as an optional after-school activity.
1. How does Guallpa learn to create the unusual painting?| A．Through TV programs. |
| B．Through picture books. |
| C．Through school courses. |
| D．Through video instructions. |
| A．To strengthen teacher-student relationship. |
| B．To help kids express emotions artistically. |
| C．To provide parents with painting supplies. |
| D．To sharpen kids’ organizational skills. |
| A．How the art program works. |
| B．How parents react to the art program. |
| C．What kids do at the regular meetings. |
| D．What viewers think of kids’ creations. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Opposed. |
10 . If you want to help others and improve the world, you still can, without leaving the house. Many volunteer opportunities require only a computer or a phone. We’ve rounded up four websites offering a variety of choices.
Points of Light
Founded by President George Bush, this is the world’s biggest organization about volunteer service.
History and garden lovers can help make collections more available by copying historic documents or tagging (加标签) images of American gardens by plant type in its database.
Help research cold cases of missing and unidentified people for the Doe Network.
Volunteer Match
This is a huge database of more than one million virtual (虚拟的) volunteer listings.
Got a legal background? Lawyers can review online content for Illinois Legal Aid.
Retired business owner? There are many opportunities to instruct small business owners in sales and marketing, business planning and product development.
Create the Good
AARP, the membership group for people 50+, operates this volunteer opportunities database for the 50+ age group.
Offer career advice to high school students in poor families in fields from baking to handyman by email for Career Village.
Raise awareness about scams (诈骗), especially those aimed at older people, identified by AARP’s National Fraud Team.
United Nations Volunteers
This group lists organizations for peace and development all over the world. You can:
Research money and its sources for young people who start business in Asia and the Pacific.
Brainstorm ideas to collect plastic waste in Cameroon.
Want to get involved? Click here to become a member or send an email to membership @seniorplanet.org to learn about opportunities.
1. What do all the volunteer opportunities have in common?| A．They are difficult to acquire. |
| B．They require no related knowledge. |
| C．They allow one to provide help at home. |
| D．They’re aimed at excellent professionals. |
| A．Teach the elderly how to bake. |
| B．Raise money for poor families. |
| C．Provide job suggestions for poor students. |
| D．Train teenagers to run their own businesses. |
| A．Points of Light. | B．Volunteer Match. |
| C．Create the Good. | D．United Nations Volunteers. |
