Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure (奇遇)？Riding the train can be a real adventure.That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak.I often take a four?hour trip to visit my children.Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.

Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride，there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation— in another language.It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train.I think it was annoying.

Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two?day trip by train.She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home，although she had no trouble driving.The train ride was the only choice for her.She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.

She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents.That is a very good question.Both of us are old and have children.She asked that same question from time to time.

There are always many people on the train from all walks of life，different countries，and many languages.Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures.If you get hungry，you can buy food in the food car at any time.If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.

It sure beats driving the car，which has to stop for food and restrooms.And it is better than taking the bus.

1．According to the passage，the purpose of the author’s train ride was________.

A．to do business　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．to see her children

C．to visit places of interest 　　　　　　　　　 D．to see her old friends

2．Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “distraught” in Paragraph 3?

A．Disappointed. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．Satisfied.

C．Worried. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．Pleased.

3．Which of the following is TRUE about the old lady sitting next to the author?

A．She is too old to drive now.

B．She does not like to take trains.

C．Although she is old，she has a good memory.

D．Her daughters live far away from her home.

4．In the author’s opinion，on the train Amtrak________.

A．the services are quite good

B．the food is terribly expensive

C．all the passengers are polite

D．all the passengers are American

5．What is the best title for this passage?

A．Train ride—a cultural experience

B．A painful experience on the train

C．The history of Amtrak

D．A wonderful lady

Does handwriting have a practical use today? Do we really need it? Many educators say yes．

Handwriting is important because research shows that when children are taught how to do it，they are also being taught how to learn and how to express themselves．Students with fluent（流畅的）handwriting produce better homework and get higher grades，a new study by Professor Steve Graham shows．

Handwriting is a basic skill of learning，expert Emily Knapton says．She believes，“When kids have trouble with handwriting，it affects all their subjects．Spelling becomes a problem；maths becomes a problem，too．Both of the subjects will be much easier for these kids to learn if their handwriting is improved．”

Fluency and speed of handwriting are very important．Graham's study has also shown that from kindergarten（幼儿园）through the fourth grade，kids think and write at the same time．If they have to struggle to remember how to spell the words，their ability to express themselves will suffer．Stephen Pevely，a professor of education says，“From the writing speed of primary school students，we can know the quality and quantity of their writing in middle school．”

Predictions of handwriting's end didn't begin with the computer；they date back to the introduction of the Remington typewriter in 1873．But for at least a generation（一代人），handwriting has seemed much less important．Now，supported by new research，educators are trying to bring back its special importance into the classroom．

1．Many educators agree that handwriting ________ today．

A．is not necessary                       B．is unimportant

C．has a practical use                       D．is useless

2．Graham's study shows that students with fluent handwriting probably have ________．

A．lower grades                           B．worse homework and grades

C．good reading skills                        D．better homework and grades

3．When a student has good handwriting，his spelling and maths will be ________．

A．much easier        B．much harder      C．great fun          D．a problem

4．The underlined word "suffer" in the passage means “________”．

A．be strongly influenced                        B．be deeply moved

C．be badly affected                         D．be seriously hurt

5．Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Kids' handwriting has a good effect on their learning．

B．Handwriting helps improve kids' performance in all their subjects．

C．Students should try to improve the fluency of their handwriting．

D．Handwriting came to an end after the typewriter appeared．

In Europe many people died during the Second World War. As a result, at the end of the war there were many orphans（孤儿）there. A man called Hermann Gmeiner wanted to help these children. His idea was simple. He wanted orphans to have a home, and he wanted them to have the care and kindness of parents. Gmeiner asked people to give him some money. With this money he built the first SOS Children’s Village at Imst, in Austria. It opened in1949. This is how the SOS stand for “Save Our Souls（灵魂）.” This means “Please help us!” An SOS Children’ village gives help to orphans.
Hermann Gmeiner’s idea for helping orphans soon spread（传播）all over the world. By 1983 there were 170 SOS Children’s Villages in the world. People in many countries give money to help the villages. Today the children from the first village have grown up. Now some of them work in other SOS Children’s Villages.
In SOS Villages orphans live in family groups. There are several houses in each village. The biggest village has 40 or 50 houses! Between seven and ten children live in a house. A woman lives with each group of children and looks after them. She gives the children a lot of love and kindness. She cooks meals for them and makes comfortable, happy home for them.
Of course, the children don’t spend all their time in the village. They go to school, they go out with their friends. But the village gives them a home—sometimes for the first time in their lives.
【小题1】Which of the following came last?