Alex Harley was born in the northeast of New York in 1921, but he spent most of his early life with his mother's family in southern Tennessee. His grandmother told him stories about their family. Their history, she said, began with Toby. He was a slave from Africa and his name was Kunta.

　　Alex Harley went to school and then to college. In 1939, he joined the US coastguard. As he was a black his job was to wait on table and wash dishes. In his spare time, be learned to write stories. He served in the coastguard for 20 years. After he retired（退休）, he put all his time into writing.

　　Alex Harley remembered the stories his grandmother had told him. He began to study his family history. After a lot of research, Harley decided that Toby was probably Kunta Kinte of the West African Mandingo people, who was caught near the village of Juffure on the Gambia River. He was sold as a slave in Annapolis, Maryland in 1767. Then Harley made a trip to Gambia and talked with a history expert in Juffure. The African historian made his conclusion stronger.

　　Alex Harley wanted to tell the experiences of the black people in 18th-and-19th-century America. He spent 10 years researching and writing his family story for the book Roots. It was published in 1976. It won a special Pulitzer Prize. A few years later, a film series（连续剧）based on Harley's book was shown on American television.

(1) Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.

a. He made a trip to Gambia.
b. Alex Harley knew the stories about their family.
c. Kunta lived near the Gambia River.
d. Harley retired from the US coastguard.
e. Toby was sold as a slave.
f. He began to study his family history.
A．e,c,b,f,d,a.	B．c,e,b,d,f,a.
C．e,b,d,c,a,f.	D．e,b,d,e,a,f.

(2) When did Harley learn to write stories?

[　　]

A．Before 1959.	B．After 1921.
C．Before 1939.	D．After serving in the army.

(3) Which conclusion did he draw after doing a lot of research?

[　　]

A．Toby was a history expert.

B．Toby's hometown was near the Gambia River.

C．Toby was an African historian.

D．Toby's hometown was Annapolis.

(4) Which of the following might have happened after watching Roots on TV?

[　　]

A．Every American began to talk about their family history.

B．None of Americans began to talk about their family history.

C．Many Americans became interested in researching their family History.

D．Only the black people became interested in researching their Family history.

　 Most people trade money for entertainment. Movies, concerts, and shows are enjoyable but expensive. If you think that you can’t have a good time without spending a lot of money, read on. A little resourcefulness and a few minutes of newspaper-scanning(浏览)should give you some pleasant surprises.

　 People may be the most interesting show in a large city. Stroll through busy streets and see what everybody else is doing. You will probably see people from all over the world, you will certainly see people of every age, size and shape, and you will get a free fashion show, too. window-shopping is also a safe sport—if the stores are closed.

　 Check the listing in your neighborhood paper. Local colleges or schools often welcome the public to hear an interesting speaker or a good debate. The film or concert series at the local public library probably won’t cost you a penny. Be sure to check commercial(商业的)advertisements, too. A flea market can provide hours of pleasant browsing. Perhaps you can find a free cooking crafts demonstration in a department store.

　 Plan ahead for some activities. It is always more pleasant not to have people in front o f you in a museum or at a zoo. You may save some money, too, since these places often set aside one or two free admission days at slow times during the week. Pretend that you are a tourist from time to time, and get to know hour city all over again including the indispensable sights that people travel miles to see. If you feel like taking an interesting walk, find a free walking tour, or plan one yourself. You will see your city in a new perspective once you know more about its history or its architectural(建筑的)treasures. With imagination and s spirit of adventure you can quite easily find good entertainment at no cost at all.

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

　 A. There are many kinds of amusements you can enjoy without spending much money.

　 B. Local colleges often hold meetings to debate the issues people are interested in.

　 C. The film shown at the local public library is often free of charge.

　 D. You should be a tourist if you want to know more about the city you live in.

2. “You will certainly see people of every age, size and shape.” “Shape” here refers to people

　 being ____.

　 A. old and young　　　　　　　 B. fat or thin

　 C. tall and short　　　　　　　 D. beautiful and ugly

3. If you are wandering through the busy street, which attract you most?

　 A. Various buildings.　　　　　　 B. Car driving.

　 C. Window-shopping.　　　　　　 D. Free walking.

4. “One or two free admission days at slow times,” “slow times” here means ____.

　 A. business is good　　　　　　　 B. business is bad

　 C. strolling is slow　　　　　　　 D. people are slow in learning

5. The best title for the passage is ____.

　 A. Amusement at No Cost

　 B. Movies, Concerts and Shows

　 C. The Cheapest Window-shopping

　 D. The Most Enjoyable Street Musicians

 

Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education is the formal (正规的) teaching and care of young children. It primarily focuses on learning through playing to encourage the child’s different kinds of development. 　 71　

Studies with Head Start programs throughout the United States have shown some evidence that there are quite a few advantages to early childhood education, which can produce significant gains in children’s learning and development. Compared to a child who does not attend pre-school, children completing their early education programs are found to be better at math and reading skills. They are excited to learn and have the tools to do so. 　 72　 These children are more competent in their pre-school, kindergarten and school-age years, and they are usually reported as “friendlier” by parents and the children’s peers (同伴).

　 73　 In studies with matched control groups, more students who had early schooling experiences were employed at the age of 19, fewer were on welfare, and fewer were involved with the criminal activity. What’s more, some studies show that children attending pre-school are more likely to graduate and have higher education, and be well integrated (综合) as an adult.

　 Early childhood education gives most children a jump-start on education for their kindergarten and primary school years. It is clear that early childhood education can have some great benefits for children. 　 74　 If early childhood education is less effective, perhaps the best model is finding strategies for allowing a parent to stay home with his or her child for at least the first two to three years. Also important is considering a child’s own personality. 　 75　

A. The long-term influence of early education is significant as well.

B. They can benefit greatly from encouragement in their early childhood.

C. Yet its quality must be assessed to see what kind of benefits it actually provides.

D. They are also able to relate to others in a superior way and that improves their social skills.

E. Many experts of education have concerned about what early childhood education means today.

F. Individual differences in children mean that not all children will get equal benefits from early childhood education.

G. It consists of activities that serve children in the pre-school years and is designed to improve later school performance.