阅读理解Passage Two Questionsare based on the following passage

阅读理解A gentle way to steer people away from sugar is to make inexpensive, low-sugar foods_____.

阅读理解Sign has become a scientific hot button. Only in the past 20 years have specialists in language study realized that signed languages are (47)______ — a speech of the hand. They offer a new way to probe how the brain generates and understands language, and throw new (48)______ on an old scientific controversy: whether language, complete with grammar, is something that we are born (49)______ . or whether it is a learned behavior. The current interest in sign language has roots in the pioneering work of one rebel teacher at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the world''s only liberal arts university for deaf people. When Bill Stokoe went to Gallaudet to teach English, the school enrolled him in a course in signing. But Stokoe noticed something (50)______: among themselves, students signed differently from his classroom teacher. Stokoe had been taught a sort of gestural code, each movement of the hands (51)______ a word in English. At the time, American Sign Language (ASL) was thought to be no more man a form of pidgin English (混杂英语). But Stokoe believed the "hand talk" his students used (52)______ richer. He wondered: might deaf people actually have a (53)______ language? And could that language be unlike any other on Earth? It was 1955, when even deaf people dismissed their signing as "substandard". Stokoe''s idea was academic heresy (异端邪说). It is 37 years later. Stokoe — now (54)______ his time to writing and editing books and journals and to producing video materials on ASL and the deaf culture — is having lunch on the Gallaudet campus and explaining how he started a (55)______ . For decades educators fought his idea that signed languages are natural languages like English, French and Japanese. They assumed language must be based on speech, the modulation (调节) of sound. But sign language is based on the movement of hands, the modulation of space. "What I said," Stokoe explains, "is that language is not mouth stuff — it''s (56)______ stuff." Word Bank A) looked I) light B) over J) revolution C) representing K) odd D) devoting L) unique E) wondering M) genuine F) different N) brain G) gained O) spoken H) with

阅读理解Psychiatrists (精神病专家) who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing —— older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents'' biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, "end up retiring much later." For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream. 　　Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he''s also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he''s learned that young at heart doesn''t mean young. Lately he''s been taking afternoon naps (午睡) to keep up his energy. "My body is aging," says Metcalf. "You can''t get away from that." 　　Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. "They worry they''ll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they''ll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school," says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: "that they won''t be alive long enough to support and protect their child," she says. 　　Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility (受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband. Randy, had twins. "We both wanted children," says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, "a sense of family." Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. "The dads are older, more mature," says Dr. Silber, "and more ready to focus on parenting."

阅读理解Some College Students Are Angry That They Have to Pay to Do Their Homework [A ] Digital learning systems now charge students for access codes needed to complete coursework, take quizzes, and turn in homework

阅读理解One of the most exciting features of the Digital Divide Network website is the ability for every DDN member to have a personal blog(网络日志). Blogs contain journal entries written by the author, who''s referred to as a blogger. Most blogs display the most recent entry at the top of the Web page, with previous entries below that in reverse chronological order. Blogging has revolutionized Internet publishing in the last several years because it gives everyone with Internet access the opportunity to become an online writer. Whether they want to talk about culture, politics, the Internet or their favorite hobbies, bloggers have popped up everywhere. Experts estimate there are at least five million blogs online today, and every day, thousands of people become bloggers for the first time. Bloggers have different reasons for creating a blog. Some bloggers just like to generate debate. Others use blogging as civic journalists, writing news stories you might otherwise not see in mainstream media. Organizations often use blogs to publish newsletters, or share resources with their colleagues. Even students blog to publish their classroom writings online for peer review. But generally, most people blog because they feel they have something important to say, and are empowered by expressing themselves over the Internet. Whether it''s a casual hobby or an intense avocation, blogging is a wonderful way to share your ideas with others. There are a variety of blogging tools available to the public. Many of them are fee-based services, while others are free but require the inclusion of advertising on your blog, or require a high amount of technical expertise. Because of this, we decided to create a blogging tool that would allow members of the Digital Divide Network to create their own blogs with an easy-to-use interface that''s free of advertising. As you''ll see, our blogging tool is designed for beginners, but experienced bloggers may use it to "mirror" their existing blogs on the Digital Divide Network.

阅读理解Policy on Student Privacy Rights Policy Statement Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), you have the right to: --inspect and review your education records; --request an amendment to your education records if you believe they are inaccurate or misleading; --request a hearing if your request for an amendment is not resolved to your satisfaction; --consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information from your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without your consent; --file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Family Policy Compliance Office if you believe your rights under FERPA have been violated. 1. Inspection What are education records? Education records are records maintained by the university that are directly related to students. These include biographic and demographic data, application materials, course schedules, grades and work-study records. The term does not include: --information contained in the private files of instructors and administrators, used only as a personal memory aid and not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record; --Campus Police records; --employment records other than work-study records; --medical and psychological records used solely for treatment purposes; --records that only contain information about individuals after they have left the university; --any other records that do not meet the above definition of education records. How do I inspect my education records? --Complete an Education Inspection and Review Request Form (available online as a PDF document or from The HUB, 12C Warner Hall) and return it to The HUB. --The custodian of the education record you wish to inspect will contact you to arrange a mutually convenient time for inspection, not more than 45 days after your request. The custodian or designee will be present during your inspection. --You will Not be permitted to review financial information, including your parents financial information; or confidential letters of recommendation, if you have waived your right to inspect such letters. --You can get copies of your education records from the office where they are kept for 25 cents per page, prepaid. 2. Amendment How do I amend my educational records? --Send a written, signed request for amendment to the Vice President for Enrollment, Carnegie Mellon University, 610 Warner Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Your request should specify the record you want to have amended and the reason for amendment. --The university will reply to you no later than 45 days after your request. If the university does not agree to amend the record, you have a right to a hearing on the issue. 3. Hearing How do I request a hearing? ?Send a written, signed request for a hearing to the Vice President for Enrollment, Carnegie Mellon University, 610 Warner Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The university will schedule a hearing no later than 45 days after your request. How will the hearing be conducted? --A university officer appointed by the Vice President for Enrollment, who is not affiliated with your enrolled college will conduct the hearing. --You can bring others, including an attorney, to the hearing to assist or represent you. If your attorney will be present, you must notify the university ten days in advance of the hearing so that the university can arrange to have an attorney present too, if desired. --The university will inform you of its decision, in writing, including a summary of the evidence presented and the reasons for its decision, no later than 45 days after the hearing. --If the university decides not to amend the record, you have a right to add a statement to the record that explains your side of the story. 4. Disclosure Carnegie Mellon generally will not disclose personally identifiable information from your education records without your consent except for directory information and other exceptions specified by law. What is directory information? Directory information is personally identifiable information of a general nature that may be disclosed without your consent, unless you specifically request the university not to do so. It is used for purposes like compiling campus directories. If you do not want your directory information to be disclosed, you must notify The HUB, 12C Warner Hall, in writing within the first 15 days of the semester. Notifying The HUB covers only the disclosure of centralized records. Members of individual organizations such as fraternities, sororities, athletics, etc. must also notify those organizations to restrict the disclosure of directory information. Carnegie Mellon has defined directory information as the following: --your full name --local/campus address --local/campus telephone number --email user id and address --major, department, college --class status (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, undergraduate, or graduate) --dates of attendance (semester begin and end dates) --enrollment status (full, half, or part time) --date(s) of graduation --degrees awarded --sorority or fraternity affiliation For students participating in intercollegiate athletics, directory information also includes: --height, weight --sport of participation What are the other exceptions? Under FERPA, Carnegie Mellon may release personally identifiable information from your education records without your prior consent to: --school officials with legitimate educational interests; --certain federal officials in connection with federal program requirements; --organizations involved in awarding financial aid; --state and local officials who are legally entitled to the information; --testing agencies such as the Educational Testing Service, for the purpose of developing, validating, researching and administering tests; --accrediting agencies, in connection with their accrediting functions; ?parents of dependent students (as defined in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Service Code); --appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency, if necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals; --officials of another school in which the student seeks or intends to enroll; ?victims of violent crimes or non-forcible sexual offenses (the results of final student disciplinary proceedings); --parents or legal guardians of students under 21 years of age (information regarding violations of university drug and alcohol policies); --courts (records relevant to legal actions initiated by students, parents or the university). 5. Complaints If you believe the university has not complied with FERPA, you can file a complaint with the: Family Policy Compliance Office Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20202-4605

阅读理解PassageOne Aging happens to all of us, and is generally thought of as a natural part of life

阅读理解Britain is not just one country and one people; even if some of its inhabitants think so

阅读理解Passage One Questions 21to 25are based on the following passage For thousands of years, people have known that the best way to understand a concept is to explain it to someone else

阅读理解Break-up Once in a person''s lifetime, everyone finds this one perfect person whom they fall hopelessly in love with and live happily ever after. That is a mere fallacy, in the real world, this simply does not happen. Yes, people do have common interests and therefore develop romantic involvement, but it is basic common sense that these relationships have a life span and simply cannot last. Real life relationships are definitely more like "The Real World" rather than "Romeo and Juliet". Romanticism is wonderful in itself, and thus two people can live in heavenly bliss, but it all must come to an end somehow. It is a fact of life that couples do break up, and there are many reasons why. There are countless-reasons, ranging from cheating to abuse, attributing to breakups. Wealth One reason why couples might break up is money or a lack thereof. If one partner in a relationship is always paying or keeping up all the bills, his/her partner just might grow tired of it and decide that it is a valid reason to separate. For example, a woman who is al ways lending her boyfriend money for his rent, car note, and social expenses will probably eventually grow tired of it and leave him. Addiction More reasons why couples separate, addictions often result in ugly breakups. Whether it is an addiction to drugs, gambling, or whatever, hardly anyone would be willing to take that on an everyday basis. Most people would agree that it is not pretty to see someone throw their life away on addictions. It is simply not attractive and thus, not many people would want to be with someone with an extreme problem like that. Physical Assets An unfortunate reason for a breakup, physical disabilities, also occurs at times. This can range from a paralyzing accident to infertility. To some people, having children is the most important priority in their adult life. Having a partner whom is unable to have children can very much hinder a relationship. Thus, it will not last. Likewise, having a partner who has a paralyzing disability might be too much for someone to take. Being with a person, who becomes handicapped, though unfortunate, is a big burden to place on a per son. Test of Time and Distance Growing apart, an instance in which two people just do not feel attraction towards each other anymore is very commonplace, resulting in an end of a relationship. Some couples simply "fall out of love". Some people can only stand so much of another person be fore they grow tired of the situation. Also, it could be as a result to distance. For example, when a couple who were together in high school go their own ways in choosing colleges, this, most often than not, results in the couple breaking up. A long distance relation ship like that simply that does work out often. "l Want the Better. '' In direct relation to growing apart, a person sometimes finds another person besides their boy/girlfriend who they are attracted to. Finding somebody "better" will kill a relationship quickly, and start a new relationship. If a person finds someone more attractive than the person they are currently with, they might have to weigh their options and decide that they want to go another direction. Cheating Likewise, when a person finds someone they like, this could result in cheating, another reason why couples break up. If a guy catches his girlfriend is cheating on him, or vice versa, this could very well be a valid reason to end that relationship. Finding someone cheating leads to a lack of trust and thus, kills the relationship. Abuse Also, another very serious reason resulting in a break-up is abuse. When someone abuses his or her girlfriend, spouse, or children, a break-up is definitely necessary. Some one who is taking abuse is playing with fire by letting it go on. They are simply risking their lives, and thus, they need to let it stop so a break up has to occur. Besides physical and sexual abuse, people can also abuse power and money. Nevertheless, no matter what kind of abuse it is, none of it is healthy, and all are good reasons for a break-up. "We Are So Different." Lastly, the most common of all reasons for break-ups are differences. This can include different life goals; differences in religion; different race; incompatible personalities; and families that don''t approve. With life goals, if one person in a relationship is shooting high and wants to be successful, while the other person just wants to work a minimum-wage job, things just don''t add up. It would be very unlikely that these two people can have a long-term relationship. When it comes to race, families, and religion, it is plain facts that some people just value these things greatly and take them seriously. Some Jewish people don''t want their kids to end up with someone of Catholic faith, and vice versa. The same result with race, some people just do not want their white child to end up with a black per son. That is just one of the great tragedies of society. The last thing, incompatible personalities, is just a product of society. At some point, most couples just realize that they are too different and cannot be together. Nothing is wrong with this, in fact, this is what the whole process of dating is supposed to discover. Dating, the process of going out with people, is supposed to help someone find the person he/she is most comfortable. The Way Out Everyone goes through life experiencing romantic relationships. But it is very rare that one of these relationships span an entire lifetime. People have fun together but also, people often break-up. As one can see, there are many reasons why break-ups occur. These reasons can range from simply growing apart to finding your partner cheating or simply being too different to be together. These break-ups and reasons for them are not meant to scare someone away from relationships. The simple fact is, one should enjoy relationships, but at the same time, identify warning signs so one can see when a break up is necessary.

阅读理解Passage Two PepsiCo is to spend billions of dollars to develop drinks and snacks and reformulate existing ones with lower sugar, salt and fat, as consumers demand healthier options and regulatory pressure intensifies amid an obesity epidemic（流行病）

阅读理解How to Deal with Loneliness Loneliness is a feeling of emptiness or hollowness inside you. You feel isolated or separated from the world, cut off from those you would like to have contact with. There are different kinds of loneliness and different degrees of loneliness. You might experience loneliness as a vague feeling that something is not right, a kind of minor emptiness. Or you might feel loneliness as a very intense deprivation (剥夺) and deep pain. One type of loneliness might be related to missing a specific individual because they have died or because they are so far away. Another type might involve feeling alone and out of contact with people because you are actually physically isolated from. For instance, if you work alone on the night shift or are alone in a part of a building where people seldom go. You might even feel emotionally isolated when you are surrounded by people but are having difficulty reaching out to them. It needs to be emphasized here that loneliness is not the same as being alone. A person will always have time when they chose to be alone. Rather, loneliness is the feeling of being alone and feeling sad about it. And, of course, all of us feel lonely some of the time. It is only when we seem trapped in our loneliness that it becomes a real problem. Loneliness is a passive state. That is, it is maintained by the state that we only passively let it continue and doing nothing to change it. We hope it will go away, eventually, and we do nothing but let it envelop us. Strangely, there are times when we might even embrace the feeling. Yet, embracing loneliness and sinking down into the feelings associated with it usually leads to a sense of depression and helplessness, which, in turn, leads to an even more passive state and more depression. To stop feeling lonely, we first must accept that we are feeling lonely. Sometimes admitting that to ourselves is difficult. We then have to express those feelings of loneliness in some way. We might find ourselves writing in a diary, writing an imaginary letter to a friend or relative, drawing or painting a picture, making up a song, or doing anything else that lets us begin to express the feelings we have inside us—including talking with other people! Expressing our feelings might lead us to discover that we feel a number of things which might be connected to our feelings of loneliness, including sadness, anger, and frustration. We might be able to begin to see where these feelings are coming from— what they are connected to in our lives. As we begin to see the connections we will be more able to begin to make changes. The big change, of course, is to stop being passive and become more active. If we''re missing someone, such as parents, family, or friends, we can telephone, write, e-mail or visit them. Talking to an understanding friend can often help change our moods as well. If we don''t have an understanding friend, talking with a pastor (牧师), teacher or counselor might be a place to start. If we are lonely because we are missing someone who has died, being able to express our grief at their loss and beginning to remember our happier moments with them and knowing that those memories can always be with us, can move us away from the lonely feelings. This can also apply to losses of significant friendships or lovers. Getting involved in some sort of activity or club can accomplish several things. It can take our minds off of feeling lonely as we get involved in the enjoyable activity. It can actually change our mood directly in this way. It can give us opportunities to meet people with similar interests and practice our people-meeting skills. It can provide some structure in our lives so that we have things to look forward to. It can remind us of how good we might have felt in the past doing similar things. Sometimes these effects can come very quickly and sometimes they may come more slowly. Everyone feels lonely from time to time. Using some of the suggestions above will most likely help cope better with those feelings. If you find mat you are having difficulty dealing with feelings of loneliness on your own, you may want to seek out the help of a mental health professional in your community. Note: This document is based on an audiotape script developed by the University of Texas, Austin. With their permission, it was revised and edited into its current form by the staff of the University of Florida Counseling Center.

阅读理解Adventures in Foreign Languages It could reasonably be argued that, for those of us who live in the USA and speak English as our native tongue, there is very little motivation to learn a foreign language. We can travel for thousands of miles and still be surrounded by native English speakers. We can easily spend our entire lives without having any real need to speak another language. It is even possible to comfortably visit many tourist destinations around the globe, speaking only English. Clearly, learning a foreign language is a non-essential skill in our society. Benefits in learning a foreign language Nevertheless, learning a foreign language offers several possible benefits. Some of the commonly stated benefits are: ●Fosters a feeling of international community, by promoting an awareness of other cultures and countries. ●Enriches our understanding of our own language, by bringing grammatical structures and word roots into sharper focus. This may be especially true when studying languages that share linguistic elements with English. ●The study of linguistics, and learning to think and speak in another language, offers its own intrinsic pleasures and rewards. Language can be fun. ●Opens up the possibilities of reading non-English literature. ●Expands global travel opportunities. Linguistic adventure I think these are good reasons, so I wanted to provide my children with some exposure to foreign languages. But what language should I teach? What language am I qualified to teach? I took four years of French in high school (and got straight A''s), but I never reached any real level of fluency, and I have retained very little of the small amount of French I once knew. Is there any language that I could realistically learn/teach alongside my children? I''d like to tell you about our linguistic adventures, and where we ended up. After a bit of research, I settled on Spanish for our first foray into foreign languages. But how should I teach it, given that I don''t know Spanish myself? I know of one family who hired a full-time Spanish nanny to communicate to the children only in Spanish. It worked very effectively for them, but this was not an option for my family. Another option would be to take my children once a week to a private instructor. Many families find this to be the most practical way to learn a foreign language. Yet I have also heard many families complain that their children have learned surprisingly little from such classes. Perhaps they have learned a bit of vocabulary (colors, parts of the body, numbers, etc.), but they are still unable to express themselves in the second language, or construct any sentences beyond a few drilled-in, rehearsed phrases. Deciding on Esperanto So I went back to the drawing board and did some more web research, looking for a language or method that would allow us to discover some of the joy that can come from learning a foreign language. By sheer luck, I stumbled across a little-known language, and within just a few hours of reading about it, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for! The language was Esperanto. When I tell people that we''re learning Esperanto, I usually get some strange looks. But that''s okay. When I tell people we home school, I often get strange looks as well; I''m used to doing things that are outside of the mainstream. And as with home schooling, it can be very difficult to sum up in a couple of sentences all the reasons why it''s so worth while, particularly to someone who may already have preconceptions to the contrary. Why is Esperanto unique? So for those of you who know very little about Esperanto, I hope you''ll indulge me for a moment. I would like to explain some of the features that make it such a unique language, and elaborate on why I think it is such a wonderful pedagogical tool for exploring foreign languages. Esperanto was invented in 1887 by L. L. Zamenhof, a Polish physician. Invented? Yes, that''s right, Esperanto was invented. Zamenhof''s vision was that Esperanto would become the world''s second tongue, breaking down language barriers in Europe and throughout the world. Obviously, Esperanto has not (yet?) become the world''s common language, so in this respect, Esperanto did not live up to the dream of its creator. Because of this, many people, if they have even heard of Esperanto at all, are only vaguely aware of it as some sort of "failed" experiment in creating a common language. Nevertheless, the reality is that Esperanto has flourished, and only 120 years after it''s conception, is now studied and spoken by people all over the globe. It lives and evolves just like other languages, and it can be used to express all facets of human thought and emotion. Yet a majority of these Esperanto speakers learned the language through self-directed study or correspondence courses! Although all languages require effort to learn, Esperanto is astonishingly simple when compared to a native language. The key to its simplicity is its consistency and regularity. For example, each letter has exactly one phonetic sound, no exceptions. Each word has the accent on the second-to-last syllable, no exceptions. All words ending in "o" are nouns. All words ending in "a" are adjectives. All words ending in "e" are adverbs. Unlike many foreign languages, inanimate nouns are not categorized as "masculine" or "feminine". Verb conjugation is very straightforward, and there are no irregular verbs. Another key facet of Esperanto is that it has a powerful system of word building, making it easy to form new words out of roots and affixes you already know. Since a large part of learning a language involves accumulating vocabulary, this word-building system means that in Esperanto you need to learn only, say, a tenth as many word roots to ex press the same number of concepts as you would in another language. But simplicity is not reason enough to learn a language. So let''s take a look at how Esperanto measures up in achieving the benefits of a foreign language program. Looking back at the list from the beginning of the article, let''s consider those issues point by point. Esperanto is an international language Belonging to no particular country, Esperanto is truly an international language. Within two months of beginning Esperanto, my kids were exchanging postcards in Esperanto with children from Russia, France, Sweden, Poland, and Uzbekistan. I am delighted that they have had this opportunity to feel connected to people from all over the globe. My children don''t expect everyone to learn English; nor do they expect to learn every other language. But they are eager to communicate with anyone willing to meet them halfway. Most of the Esperanto word roots are derived from Latin. This means that you can en joy very similar English vocabulary-building benefits by learning Esperanto, with a small fraction of the effort. Furthermore, Esperanto uses grammar-coded word endings to make the parts of speech and grammatical structure of each sentence exceptionally clear. Since Esperanto is only a century old, there is not a huge body of Esperanto-only literature. Nevertheless, there are over a hundred original Esperanto novels and collections of poetry, as well as many outstanding translations of works from other countries. Esperanto magazines report current events from the perspectives of people all over the world. By learning Esperanto, you become part of an international "club" of people genuinely interested in meeting and communicating with people from other lands. There are lists you can obtain of Esperantists from countries around the world, eager to host visitors, and give them an insider''s look at their culture and community. I know several Esperantists who have used these lists to travel the world inexpensively, making new friends, and seeing the world in a decidedly non-touristy way. I can hear some of you thinking, "It sounds interesting, but 1 really, really want my kids to learn Spanish (or French, or Japanese, or whatever). We don''t have time to spend on Esperanto." Amazingly, study after study has shown that learning Esperanto has no cost! For example, in one study, a control group of high school students took four years of French, while the experimental group took one year of Esperanto followed by three years of French. At the end of high school, the experimental group had greater fluency in French! In other words, the benefits they gained from studying Esperanto more than offset the time lost from studying another language.

阅读理解Passage One It is simple enough to say that since books have classes fiction, biography, poetrywe should separate them and take from each what it is right that each should give us

阅读理解Passage One There is no denying that students should learn something about how computers work，just as we expect them at least to understand that the internal-combustion engine(内燃机)has something to do with burning fuel， expanding gases and pistons (活塞)being driven

阅读理解The more time children spend watching television the poorer they perform academically, according to three studies published on Monday. (47) television viewing has been blamed for increasing rates of childhood obesity (肥胖) and for aggressive behavior, while its (48) on schooling have been inconclusive, researchers said. But studies published on the topic in this month'' s Archives of Pediatrics (小儿科) & Adolescent Medicine concluded television viewing (49) to have an adverse effect (反作用) on academic pursuits. For (50) , children who had televisions in their bedrooms--and (51) watched more TV--scored lower on standardized tests than those who did not have sets in their rooms. In contrast, the study found having a home computer with (52) to the Internet resulted in comparatively higher test scores. "Consistently, those with a bedroom television but no (53) home computer had, on aver age, the lowest scores and those with home computer but no bedroom television had the highest scores," wrote study author Dina Borzekowski of Johns Hopkins University. The American Academy of Pediatrics has (54) parents to limit children'' s television viewing to no more than one to two hours per day--and to try to keep younger Children away from TV altogether. In two other studies published in the same journal, children who (55) watched television before the age of 3 ended up with lower test scores later on, and children and adolescents who watched more television were less (56) . to go on to finish high school or earn a college degree. WORD BANK A) Inadequate I) urged B) available J) Excessive C) regularly K) instance D) therefore L) reception E) access M) tended F) likely N) Ordinary G) impact O) Limitless H) converted

阅读理解The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows (47)______ from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others. So the massacre (大屠杀) on the road may be regarded as a social problem. In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people, just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a (48)______ both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one''s actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even beyond carelessness to total (49)______. Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 per cent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can distort drivers'' reactions, slow their judgment, and blind them to dangers that might (50)______ be evident. The experts warn that it is vital for every driver to make a (51)______ effort to keep one''s emotions under control. Yet the irresponsibility that (52)______ for much of the problem is not confined to drivers. Street walkers regularly violate traffic regulations, they are at fault in most vehicle-walker accidents; and many cyclists even believe that they are not (53)______ to the basic rules of the road. Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicle have been raised both at the point of (54)______ and through periodic road-worthiness inspections. In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no (55)______ in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to convince people that driving is a skilled task (56)______ constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road. WORD BANK A) extremely B) otherwise C) requiring D) improvement E) manufacture F) accounts G) conscious H) subject I) negligence J) principle K) essentially L) boasting M) apt N) consistent O) convert

阅读理解When student complete a first draft, they consider die job of writing done — and their teachers too often agree. When professional writers complete a first draft, they usually feel that they are at the start of the writing process. When a draft is completed, the job of writing can begin. That difference in attitude is the difference between amateur and professional, inex?perience and experience, journeyman and draftsman. Peter F. Drucker, the prolific (高产的) business writer, calls his first draft "the zero draft" —after that he can start counting. Most writers share the feeling mat the first draft, and all of those which follow, are opportunities to discover what they have to say and how best they can say it. To produce a progression of drafts, each of which says more and says it more clearly, the writer has to develop a special kind of reading skill. In school we are taught to decode what appears on the page as finished writing. Writers, however, face a different category of possibility and responsibility when they read their own drafts. To them the words on the page are never finished. Each can be changed and rearranged, can set off a chain reaction of confusion or clarified meaning. This is a different kind of reading, which is possibly more difficult and certainly more exciting. Writers must learn to be their own best enemy. They must accept the criticism of others and be suspicious of it; they must accept the praise of others and be even more suspicious of it. Writers cannot depend on others. They must detach themselves from their own pages so that they can apply both their caring and their craft to their own work. Such detachment is not easy. Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury supposedly puts each manuscript away for a year to the day and men rereads it as a stranger. Not many writers have the discipline or the time to do this. We must read when our judgment may be at its best; when we are close to the best moment of creation. Most people think that the principal problem is that writers are too proud of what they have written. Actually, a greater problem for most professional writers is one shared by the majority of students. They are overly critical, think everything is dreadful, tear up page after page, never complete a draft, see the task as hopeless. Therefore, the writer must learn to read critically but constructively, to cut what is bad and reveal what is good. At the end of each revision, a manuscript may look worked over, torn apart, pinned together, added to, deleted from, words changed and words changed back. Yet the book must maintain its original freshness and spontaneity (原创性，创作冲动).

阅读理解One of the surviving traditions in historic Stone Town is the coffee baraza. Baraza means "gathering of people" , and here refers specifically to small crowds of people who gather over a cup of kahawa for the latest gossip. Historically the elders, or "wazee" , would congregate in the centre while the young would line the fringes. Age denoted respect. Today, the baraza atmosphere is less formal, and reflects the local flavour or atmosphere. Some barazas are located in places with colourful names, such as " Kwa Haji Tumbo" (Haji with the Big Stomach''s Place) , "Kwa Boko" (Place of the Hippo) , "Mfereji Maringo" (Place of the Clogged Water Tap) , or "Shangani" (Place of the Beads). An integrated part of cultural and religious traditions, the baraza also has a social monitoring function. Children, although often sent to buy coffee for parents or grandparents, are denied drinking it. " It is bad for you," the wazee might say. Having bought the coffee, with a bit of luck the young boys and— girls were never allowed to buy coffee at the baraza—have been able to snatch the salient parts of the latest gossip as well. During the fasting and "spiritual cleansing month of Ramadan, Muslims very often break their fast after sunset to a free first serving of baraza coffee. Following evening prayer, everybody returns for second or third rounds of coffee. Zanzibari coffee is made from locally grown beans, and served plain and strong, in small cups similar to jasmine teacups from Chinese restaurants. Although not quite as hair-raising as espresso, it beats filter coffee by a long shot for both flavour and texture. The baraza is the first place where people meet after prayer, weddings, births, funerals, or other important events. In the old days, a "muuza kahawa," or coffee vendor, would "patrol" the streets on foot. He carried cups and coffee beans in large pockets on his robe, and a classic brass coffee pot in his hand. In ways almost reminiscent of European ice-cream vans, the muuza-kahawa would rattle his coffee cups in a certain rhythm, and sing a slogan that would be specific to him alone. People would quickly recognise the sound, and make their way to their usual spot. Although the muuza kahawa is gone today, the baraza remains the focal point for local happenings and gossip. It is where the grapevine starts or ends, and where potent Arabica coffee can be enjoyed by anyone passing by, for a few shillings. For visitors to the island, the baraza offers an excellent opportunity to have a relaxed chat with locals. Many of the wazee have rich experiences to draw on, and can furnish you with unique and compelling stories of Zanzibar back in the days. They often speak very good English, sometimes even other languages as well.