Almost two-thirds of children want their parents to spend more time reading to them before bed, and most prefer Mum’s storytelling to Dad’s, researchers said.

They carried out a study that showed younger children aged 3-4 were most hungry for more stories, with over three-quarters saying they wished their parents read to them more often.

More than half of all children aged 3-8 said story time was their favourite pastime with their parents.

"The results of our research confirm the traditional activity of storytelling continues to be a powerful learning and emotional resource in children's lives," said child psychologist Richard Woolfson.

Storytelling ranked higher than television or video games among pastimes for kids, and 82 percent said reading a story with their parents helped them sleep better, according the survey of 500 children aged 3-8 in Britain.

The best storytellers were mothers who used funny voices to illustrate different characters or made their own special sound effects to keep the story moving, researchers said.

When mum and dad are not at hand, celebrities(名人) will do: over 30 percent of children said they would like to hear a bedtime story from Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, with teen idols(偶像) Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus and Emma Watson.

"It can be very difficult for parents to find the time to read with their children, but these moments can help build strong relations and play a vital part in their child's development," said Woolfson.

1.The underlined word “pastime” in the passage most probably means          .

A．old time          B．entertainment      C．emotion           D．character

2.The author develops the passage mainly by        .

A．pointing out similarities and differences      B．following the natural time order

C．comparing opinions from different fields      D．providing examples and statistics

3.Reading a story with their parents helped most kids aged 3-8         .

A．grow stronger      B．become more emotional                  C．sleep better D．become more powerful

 

All the Harry Potter books by Joanne Rowling, a poor single mother ____ in Edinburgh,        ______all over the world.

A. lives; are well sold                 B. living; sell well

C. lives; sell good                    D. living; are well sold

 

Harry has been reading all day---he ______ be tired.

A．should

B．has got to

C．has to

D．must

 

Here are some of the best movies you like. I believe they can accompany you to spend your dull weekend.

The Matrix

In this story a computer hacker searches for the truth behind the mysterious force . In the 22nd century it turns out that the world is controlled by a magic computer system called the Matrix and people live in an unreal world. The computer hacker and his comrades overcome much difficulty and at last find the way to take over the Matrix and save the world.

Men in Black

      This comedy is about J and K, agents in a top secret agency , and they fight bravely with the alien to save the galaxy from a bad-tempered alien “bug” and save the Earth from being destroyed .

Harry Potter

    Harry has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle’s house. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he’s a powerful wizard——with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he uncovers the truth about his parents’ deaths and about the bad man who’s to blame .

Andromeda Strain

      When a satellite crashes in New Mexico, the Air Force sends two men to reach it. To their horror, they discover that the probe carries an alien virus that’s already killed all but two of the residents of the town where it landed. Now, scientists must stop the virus from spreading .

12 Monkeys

      In the year 2035, James Cole is forced to be sent back to 1996 by scientists to discover the origin of a virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth’s population. When Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, he’s arrested and locked up in a mental hospital, where he meets the son of a famous virus expert.

In which film secret agents fight with the bad creature from outer space?

A. The Matrix    B. Men in Black    C. Andromeda Strain  D. 12 Monkeys

Harry Potter _________.

A. does’t know he’s a powerful wizard until he is 11 years old

B. has a happy and pleasant childhood with his aunt and uncle

C. hates to stay at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

D. Knows how his parents died before he goes to the Hogwarts school

Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Men in black is a comedy.

B. The Matrix is a mysterious force which is later taken over by a group of computer hackers.

C. The alien virus killed all the residents of the town where it landed.

D. James Cole is sent back to 1990 mistakenly and is kept in a mental hospital.

   The author writes the passage in order to ________.

A. let readers know more about the latest movies

B. increase the income of the cinemas of the city

C. tell readers some interesting summaries of movies

D. help readers to choose the best movie they like

Harry Potter lives and studies in a world _________ anything can happen, ______ attracts millions people.

A．where, which      B．to which, that       C．that, which        D．on which, that