“Up until about five years ago, students at this school could have worn anything they wanted on Halloween,” said Rosemarie Nielson, a sixth-grade teacher at St. Theresa School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx where there is a prohibition on toy weapons.

“When you consider all the horrific things that have happened in recent years, including 9/11, I can’t blame any school for wanting to stay away from anything that might promote violence,” Ms. Nielson said.

Mary Ellen Manniello, whose daughter, Courtney, 9, is a fourth grader at St. Gabriel School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, said she understood why officials had banned weapons with costumes. “They’re learning more about guns from issues in the street than educational issues.”

This year, the school has gone one step further and is prohibiting all costumes at its Halloween festivities. Ms. Manniello said it had become “a chaotic scene,” with parents helping their children change into their costumes at school.

Some parents said the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes went too far and denied children a chance to express themselves.

“Halloween has always been the one day when it was acceptable for our children to be dressed like somebody they are not, like a cowboy or a pirate or a person from outer space, and now we’re taking that away from them,” said Laura Santoro, a nurse from New Milford, Conn., whose 7-year-old son, Johnny, is a second grader at Northville Elementary School there.

Ms. Santoro said that her son would dress as Capt. Jack Sparrow, the character played by Johnny Depp in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, at the school’s Halloween party, but that he would not be allowed to take a sword — part of a policy that caught her by surprise last Halloween.

“I sent my son to school last year dressed as a special force Power Ranger, and he was told that he couldn’t take along his red laser blaster, which really surprised me, because the laser is red and made of plastic and lights up, and it could never, ever be mistaken for a real gun,” Ms. Santoro said. “I mean, come on, the whole thing is getting really sad.”

What do you think is the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?

   A. To introduce to the public the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes.

   B. To state parents’ attitudes towards the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes.

   C. To tell the public that children should bring any weapons for Halloween costumes.

   D. To analyse the fact that the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes goes too far.

According to the passage, some parents understand the no-weapon policy for Halloween costumes because ____________.

   A. schools should take a cautious approach to Halloween to prevent violence.

   B. children are buying real guns in the street and there is always violence now.

   C. those parents like to help their children change into their costumes at school.

   D. children are learning more about guns from educational issues.

Which of the following is probably right according to the passage?

   A. Children could bring any weapons into school five or six years ago.

   B. The parents surveyed are those whose children are in elementary schools.

   C. Guns are necessary on Halloween for children to express themselves.

   D. Jack Sparrow is an actor who at one time acted as a pirate in a movie.

What do the underlined words “laser blaster” in the last paragraph refer to?

   A. A kind of costume.                           B. A real gun.

C. A toy weapon.                               D. A kind of plastic.

Stay-at home careers are the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, and those who like to avoid office politics. There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home. Even if you earn little first, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income. Take a look at the following choices for home-birds:

Online tutoring—You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills. The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, chemistry and biology. You can either teach part-time (4 hours) or full-time (9 hours).

Freelance writers—You have a good writing skills but don’t have time to work a nine-to-five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money. Many companies these days require good writers. One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000.

Online-traders—Earn a lot of money by share trading. Just clear the NCFM (Capital Market) exam and you can start trading. You can bring in Rs 10,000 to 1000,000 per month.

Designers—If you have the creative skills and a creative gift, try becoming a designer. Designers are required in different fields. One can earn nearly Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per month.

1.According to the passage, those who likes stay-at-home careers ________.

A. perhaps can’t earn as much as those working in an office

B. needn’t do anything at home and earns a lot

C. can’t be mothers who have children to look after

D. are often worried about office politics

2. If you want to be an online-trader, you will have to ________.

A. be more than 18 years old

B. pass a kind of exam

C. have good writing skills       

D. have creative skills and a creative gift

3.The passage is written mainly to ________.

A. sell products to readers

B. join the author’s company

C. give some advice to readers

D. get help from readers

 

 

35. He ______stay up a few years ago. But now he is used to _____ to bed early.

A. was used to …going                       B. used to …go

C. used to …going                                D. was used to …go

 

He ______stay up a few years ago. But now he is used to _____ to bed early.

A. was used to …going　　　　 　　　　　 B. used to …go

C. used to …going　　　　 　　　　　　 D. was used to …go

 

 

“Up until about five years ago, students at this school could have worn anything they wanted on Halloween,” said Rosemarie Nielson, a sixth-grade teacher at St. Theresa School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx where there is a prohibition on toy weapons.

“When you consider all the horrific things that have happened in recent years, including 9/11, I can’t blame any school for wanting to stay away from anything that might promote violence,” Ms. Nielson s aid.

Mary Ellen Manniello, whose daughter, Courtney, 9, is a fourth grader at St. Gabriel School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, said she understood why officials had banned weapons with costumes. “They’re learning more about guns from issues in the street than educational issues.”

This year, the school has gone one step further and is prohibiting all costumes at its Halloween festivities. Ms. Manniello said it had become “a chaotic scene,” with parents helping their children change into their costumes at school.

Some parents said the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes went too far and denied children a chance to express themselves.

“Halloween has always been the one day when it was acceptable for our children to be dressed like somebody they are not, like a cowboy or a pirate or a person from outer space, and now we’re taking that away from them,” said Laura Santoro, a nurse from New Milford, Conn., whose 7-year-old son, Johnny, is a second grader at Northville Elementary School there.

Ms. Santoro said that her son would dress as Capt. Jack Sparrow, the character played by Johnny Depp in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, at the school’s Halloween party, but that he would not be allowed to take a sword — part of a policy that caught her by surprise last Halloween.

“I sent my son to school last year dressed as a special force Power Ranger, and he was told that he couldn’t take along his red laser blaster, which really surprised me, because the laser is red and made of plastic and lights up, and it could never, ever be mistaken for a real gun,” Ms. Santoro said. “I mean, come on, the whole thing is getting really sad.”

1.What do you think is the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?

   A. To introduce to the public the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes.

   B. To state parents’ attitudes towards the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes.

   C. To tell the public that children should bring any weapons for Halloween costumes.

   D. To analyze the fact that the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes goes too far.

2.According to the passage, some parents understand the no-weapon policy for Halloween costumes because ____________.

   A. schools should take a cautious approach to Halloween to prevent violence.

   B. children are buying real guns in the street and there is always violence now.

   C. those parents like to help their children change into their costumes at school.

   D. children are learning more about guns from educational issues.

3.Which of the following is probably right according to the passage?

   A. Children could bring any weapons into school five or six years ago.

   B. The parents surveyed are those whose children are in elementary schools.

   C. Guns are necessary on Halloween for children to express themselves.

   D. Jack Sparrow is an actor who at one time acted as a pirate in a movie.

4.What do the underlined words “laser blaster” in the last paragraph refer to?

   A. A kind of costume.                B. A real gun.

C. A toy weapon.                    D. A kind of plastic.