Question

Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children im prove their literacy skills (读写能力). With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence (自信心), according to Intermoun tain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).

    The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea.“Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.

    Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.

    The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager.

1.What is mainly discussed in the text?

A．Children’s reading difficulties.

B．Advantages of raising dogs.

C．Service in a public library.

D．A special reading program.

2.Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think _____.

A．dogs are young children’s best friends

B．children can play with dogs while reading

C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children

D．children and dogs understand each other

3.By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Li brary is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library ______.

A．uses dogs to attract children

B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA

C．has opened a children’s department

D．has decided to train some dogs

4.A “pawgraphed” book is most probably ______.

A．a book used in Saturday classes

B．a book written by the children

C．a prize for the children

D．a gift from parents

 

Answer 1

答案：1D2C3B4C
解析：

1.文章首段说明，对着狗阅读是一种极不寻常的帮助孩子培养读写能力的方法；第2段说明，盐湖城图书馆认可并接受了这一方法；第3、4段则以实例证明，这一方案非常成功。由此可以看出，整篇文章是围绕“对着狗阅读”这一项目展开的，所以D为该题正确选项。 比较四个选项，可以看出，前三项均在文中有所涉及：A项：children确实有reading difficulties(第2段中介绍较多；但此为助读项目的“前因”，不是本文的中心)；B项：本文所讲的可以算是raising dogs的一项advantage(但文中涉及仅为其一，不应该是选项中的复数概念)； C项：这是由the Salt Lake City Library新近推出的服务项目(但没有提到是谁的研究成果，显然不够周全公道)。 2.第1段中有...dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners(此处幽默隐喻道破以狗“助读”的原理)needed for a beginnig reader to gain confidenee；第2段中又有关于这类读写困难儿童的特征，也提到“often have lower self-respect”。两处综合，再结合常识，可以判断出利用小狗来助读的原因在于这样做能够提高孩子们的自信心，也就是provide encouragement for slly children，C项与此相符。 3.本句出现在第2段开头，其中所说的idea即指上文中由ITA推出的READ项目，下文则有该图书馆儿童部负责人对此idea表示赞同的一番评论，四个选项中，只有B项提及对于the idea的态度，应为正确答案。答过题后，如果到词典里查找一下这条短语的解释，也可证明以上理解和推断是正确的：“seIl someone on an idea”的意思是persuade someone that the idea is a good one and likely to be successful。 本题问及语句...is sold on the idea所在的第2段结尾处关于Lisa Myron的身份(manager of the children’s department)的交待会给C项(has opened a children’s department)误选者造成较大干扰。 4.根据上下文可以推断，“pawgraphed”book是由完成了大部分该项课程(who attended three of the four classes)的孩子在last class时会收到的一本书，也就是由组织者发放的一件“prize”。