阅读理解

　　Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask．But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history．Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history．

　　The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past．I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures．However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don't seem to learn from history．" Perhaps at least in teaching history to my children I can do a small part in changing this．

　　A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context．We cannot even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less(更不必说)try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be．

　　I teach my children history, for one more reason．I purchased a set of historical audio(录音机)tapes for our children．My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over．It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself．I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr．if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished．I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　Once upon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the ocean to do his writing．He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work．

　　One day he was walking along the shore．As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer．He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach．So he began to walk faster to catch up．

　　As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean．

　　As he got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

　　The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean．” “I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?” “The sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I don't throw them in they'll die．”

　　“But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it．You can't possibly make a difference!”

　　The young man listened politely, then he bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one．”

　　There is something very special in each and every one of us．We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference．And if we can know that gift, we will gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future．

　　We must each find our starfish．And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the world will be better．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　Public schools in Washington,D．C．provide students with musical instruments for free．When something goes wrong with an instrument, Charles West and Larry Jernigan do the repairs．Both men approach their work with a passion(激情)．For them, it's important that students have a joyful experience with music．

　　The two have worked together for almost 20 years．This year alone, they've fixed about 450 instruments．Both men are musicians and music lovers, so learning to do repairs came naturally．

　　“I have been a musician all my life．” says West．“I played in an orchestra here in the city．I majored in music in college．I played in an army band．”

　　Jernigan's musical interests are varied．“I was formerly trained in the piano and guitar．The alto sax, and the flute, I picked up while working here．”

　　In addition to fixing instruments, the two also go to schools to instruct teachers and students on how to make minor repairs on their own．

　　West believes if children start early and stay involved with music, it enriches other areas of their lives．“I see that in other kids．I see it in myself．I have seen it hundreds of times and it works,” he says．“They learn teamwork．They learn patience and respect．”

　　But West has concerns about the future of music in the electronic age．

　　“This instant age has taken away from the sit-down, the patience．And to learn to play an instrument, it takes patience, it takes diligence, it takes time．”

　　Being able to enjoy music on the job is one of the benefits of the job．Both men agree their best rewards are the students' performances．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　The US Army is dedicating millions of research dollars into discovering building helmets to allow soldiers to telepathically communicate with one another on the battlefield．The technology, which seems like something out of a science fiction novel, would use electrodes to pick up code words that soldiers were thinking．Those codewords would then be transmitted back to a computer where the soldier's position and message-telling, for instance, that it is safe to progress towards a target- which would be transmitted to their peers in the field．

　　The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA)was established in 1958 and was dedicated to expanding the Department of Defense technology usage, some of which included state-of-the-art, and top secret, research into the mind．

　　Based largely out of University of California-Irvine, in conjunctThe Defense Advanced Research Projects Agencyion with labs in Philadelphia and Maryland, scientists are trying to improve so-called 'synthetic telepathy' so that it could be used in a battlefield．

　　At this point, they have set their sights on 2017 as the year when their plan may turn into silent action．So far, 45 percent of the commands that are transmitted from one volunteer to another- like "call in helicopter" or "enemy ahead"- are correct．That statistic is expected to improve．

　　According to a soldier quoted in Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper, many of those people who will be the ones utilizing the technology are on board．Others, including civil rights activists, take the opposite view, bringing up concerns about a possible infringement on civil liberties if the technology were to be misused．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided togo for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house．He flew into the water,not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake,a crocodile was swimming toward the shore．His mother － in the house was looking out the window － saw the two as they got closer and closer together．In utter fear,she ran toward the water,yelling to her son as loudly as she could．

　　Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a return to swim to his mother．It was too late．Just as he reached her,the crocodile reached him．From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as thealligator snatched his legs．That began an incredible tug-of-war betweenthe two．The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the motherwas much too passionate to let go．A farmer happened to drive by, heard herscreams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the crocodile．Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy　were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved．

　　The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars．The boy lifted his pant legs．And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter．But look at my arms．I have great scars on my arms, too．I have them because my mom wouldn't let go．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world．It is responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide(about 5 million deaths each year)．If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020．Half the people that smoke today, that is about 650 million people, will eventually be killed by tobacco．

　　Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide．The economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating(破坏性的)．In addition to the high public health costs of treating tobacco-caused diseases, tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving(剥夺)families of breadwinners(养家糊口的人)and nations of a healthy workforce．Tobacco users are also less productive while they are alive due to increased sickness．A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of 200 thousand million US dollars, a third of this loss being in developing countries．

　　Tobacco and poverty are closely linked．Many studies have shown that in the poorest households in some low-income countries as much as 10％ of total household expenditure is on tobacco．This means that these families have less money to spend on basic items such as food, education and health care．It contributes to a higher illiteracy rate, since money that could have been used for education is spent on tobacco instead．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　The men who race the cars are generally small, with a tight, nervous look．They range from the early 20s to the middle 40s, and it is usually their nerves that go first．

　　Fear is the driver's constant companion, and tragedy can be just a step behind．Scarcely a man in the 500 does not carry the scars of ancient crashes．The mark of the plastic surgeon is everywhere, and burned skin is common．Sometimes a driver's scars are invisible, part of his heritage．Two young drivers, Billy Vukovich and Gary Bettenhausen, raced in their first 500 in 1968．Less than 20 years before, their fathers also competed against one another on the Indy track-and died there．

　　All this the drivers accept．Over the years, they have learned to trust their own techniques, reflexes, and courage．They depend, too, on a trusted servant－scientific engineering．Though they may not have had a great deal of schooling(an exception is New Zealand's Bruce McLaren, who has an engineering degree), many drivers are gifted mechanics, with a feeling for their engines that amount to kinship．

　　A few top drivers have become extremely wealthy, with six-figure incomes from prize money, endorsements, and jobs with auto-product manufacturers．Some have businesses of their own．McLaren designs racing chassis(底盘)．Dan Gurney's California factory manufactured the chassis of three of the first four ears in the 1968 Indy 500, including his own second place car．

　　Yet money is not the only reason why men race cars．Perhaps it isn't even the major reason．Three-time Indy winner(1961, 1964, 1967)A．J．Foyt, for example, can frequently be found competing on dirty tracks in minor-league races, where money, crowds and safety features are limited, and only the danger is not．Why does he do it? Sometimes Foyt answers, "It's in my blood．" Other times he says, "It's good practice．" Now and then he replies, "Don't ask dumb questions．"

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Each year about a quarter of a million Americans study abroad．For many of them, a summer or a semester in a foreign country now involves more than just sitting in classrooms and hanging out with other American students．Instead, they are encouraged and sometimes required to be involved in the local communities they are studying in．

　　“It's absolutely important that they know something about how people in other parts of the world live and think, and how they behave,” says William Finlay, head of the sociology department at the University of Georgia．In 2008, he co-founded a study abroad program with South Africa's Stellenbosch University．It combines traditional academic in-class learning with community involvement．

　　“We've been working with a non-government organization in the township．Our students typically either work with little children in day care centers or work in the library and teach very basic computer skills to young children,” says Finlay．

　　The three-week program proved to be an unforgettable experience for Hillary Kinsey．She says, “It was interesting to learn the history of the area and then talk to these people and see what the social dynamics were, and how certain groups felt about other groups．”

　　When Hillary Kinsey returned home from South Africa, she and other students in the program established a non-profit group．Kinsey says the group wants to contribute to advancing education and development in South Africa．“One of the purposes of the group is that we hope to raise money and awareness about the situation where those people live and help to promote any sort of educational development that we can, ” Kinsey added．

　　While many study abroad programs focus on helping Americans to learn foreign languages, others take a more intensive approach．“In all of our locations, we place students with local roommates,” says Mark Lenhart, director of CEF Academic Programs, which sends more than a thousand students to China, Korea and other countries each year．

　　He says American students benefit from such one-on-one interactions, in spite of the challenges they face．Lenhart says, “They have to adjust to the local life．This will enable students to become more employable when they graduate．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　As a boy growing up on a farm near the Caribbean coast of Colombia(哥伦比亚), Alvaro Cogollo loved both plants and vallenato, the traditional music of the region．As a biology student in the 1970s, Cogollo traveled around the country to document its rich botanical heritage and, informally, studied the music that tells an important story of Colombia．

　　“We were colonized by the Spanish; later, Africans were brought as slaves to exploit gold mines; and the native peoples were already here,” he says．“That is what authentic vallenato represents with its three instruments：the accordion(手风琴), from a European origin; la caja drum, which is of African origin; and la guacharaca, a beating instrument made from a palm tree, which is from native American origin．”

　　Over the course of his nearly four-decade career, Cogollo has discovered more than 150 new species of plants, 17 of which bear his name．Although Cogollo never earned a PhD, his colleagues say he's made invaluable contributions to knowledge of Colombia's plant at a time when deforestation(砍伐森林)is a big threat to the country' s biodiversity．Governments have focused on trying to move the country out of poverty and conflict through exploiting its natural resources, not through scientific resource development．But Cogollo sees things a different way．By educating the public about alternative uses for the land, and researching plants' potential uses－including as medicines, foods, and bio-fuels－Golombia could improve its economy and quality of life without neglecting conservation, Cogollo says．

　　Cogollo's other major achievement has been the transformation of a neglected botanical garden in a Medellm neighborhood into a well-known center for research, environmental education, and community gatherings．What had been a club for wealthy orchid enthusiasts now offers free admission and attracts rich and poor alike．The success of the botanical garden has in turn contributed to the transformation of Medellm．Once seriously damaged, by violent wars between armed groups, the city has had some improvements that include better public safety, tougher pollution controls and the creation of green spaces．

　　What Cogollo has focused his latest efforts on is teaching Colombians from all social classes and backgrounds about the importance of biodiversity and conservation through a shared musical heritage．“The fact that Alvaro's been able to give talks to audiences filled with all kinds of people is very important, and that's what happened in Medellm the first time he talked about vallenato music,” Dr．Forcro says．“People sitting there had no idea of environmental conservation, and then they did．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　Once considered a fringe(非主流的)food by the U．S．culinary mainstream, sweet potatoes are fast becoming popular everywhere from fast food chains to expensive restaurants and the White House table．

　　Three years ago, the “Wall Street Journal” wrote in a front page article that except for their use in a Thanksgiving dish, sweet potatoes were a wholly uninteresting food．Yet over the past two years, the number of restaurants offering a sweet potato-based side dish has increased 40 percent．Food giant ConAgra just spent ＄155 million to open the world's first plant devoted entirely to frozen sweet potato products, and U．S．farmers are planning to harvest a record-setting 2 billion pound crop．

　　“It's not something we believe is a fashion,”said Andy Johnston of ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston．

　　According to research conducted by ConAgra, 30 percent of sweet potato eaters report consuming the vegetable several times per month．Only 12 percent eat them only during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday season．

　　Analysts attribute the sweet potato's growing popularity in large part is due to sweet potato fries, which account for the majority of the vegetable's presence in U．S．restaurants．In fact, Google searches for “sweet potato fries” increased 40 percent over the past year．

　　Sweet potatoes have also become popular among more conscious eaters, however, in part because they are high in vitamins and have a low glycemic(血糖的)index in spite of their sweetness．Both Weight Watchers and the South Beach Diet have recommended sweet potatoes, roasted in a little oil rather than fried, and doctors are recommending them for diabetics．

　　“Within the diabetic community, it's become pretty common knowledge that sweet potatoes are good for you, so there's a great appeal because so many people have diabetes now,”said Chef Michel Nischan, who helps host a TV show for people with diabetes．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)