Reading is the key to school success and, like any skill, it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking. Educators call it “automaticity (自動(dòng)性)”.
A child learns to read by sounding out the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With practice, he stumbles less and less, reading by the phrase (短語(yǔ)). With automaticity, he doesn't have to think about the meaning of words, so he can give all his attention to the meaning of the text.
It can begin as early as first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.
According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount (數(shù)量) of time a child spends reading, not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity. It can happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.
You can test yourself by reading something new which is suitable (適合) for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, you probably are an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.
【小題1】Children with “automaticity” can read faster because they don’t have to think about ________.

Do you know how to write an English letter? It is different from the Chinese letter. When we write a letter in English, we should write the date on the top of the right corner. Sometimes we write the insideaddress(信內(nèi)地址)---the number of the house and the names of the street, city and country. Then we can begin the letter at the left corner. We always use words like “Dear sir”, “Dear Mr/Miss/Mrs …”to begin the writing. At the end of the letter, we usually use expressions as “Yours”, “Yours ever” or “Yours sincerely”. Then sign the writer’s name.
It is also different to write an English envelope. You should write your name and address on the top of the left corner and write the receiver’s in the middle or on the bottom of the right corner.
【小題1】When we write a letter in English, we should write the date _______.

Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned(禁止) students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, teachers said mobile phone use is a distraction(娛樂(lè)) to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with(與…聯(lián)系) their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.
【小題1】Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones     .

Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts，and more students will want them.
Mary Bluett，an official said mobile phone use is a distraction（分心的事） to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams. She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school：they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones， but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.
【小題1】Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones __________

Is learning a foreign language ever easy? Yes. If you are five and move to another country, you will quickly pick up the language. But what about for the rest of us who are no longer five, and need to be polite when traveling for business or for pleasure? I think that answer is also yes. Language learning can be easy if you don’t want or need to learn too much.
The key to successful language learning in my mind is not to set the goal too high. It is rather like running. Even if you run twice a week, you don’t necessarily want to be able to run a marathon (馬拉松). You might just want to keep a level of fitness. I think the same can be true for language learning.
Let’s get back to the goal. If you decide to learn ten words in a foreign language before visiting the country, you know that you will be sure to do this. However, if you decide to talk to people with great fluency (流利), unless you are quite a talented person, you will probably fail and give up in half-way.
It is also far easier to start learning a foreign language than to finish. In other words, the better you are, the slower it can be to improve, because you will not be able to move further because of grammar, making sentences, learning less common words, etc. If you are only trying to learn a few foreign words and sentences, you will enjoy faster progress, have more fun, and won’t have to spend too much time.
The idea of learning only a few hundred words in a language, and then stopping, isn’t the usual way to language learning, but it can be a very meaningful and enjoyable activity.
【小題1】In the writer’s opinion, it is easy for adults to learn English if _______.

Most teenagers feel sad or afraid when their parents fight. They might think their parents don’t love each other any more.
In fact, it is normal for parents to disagree and argue sometimes. They might disagree about important thing like jobs and family decisions. They might even disagree about little thing that don’t seem important at all – like what’s for dinner. Maybe sometimes parents feel so strongly about their differences that it may lead to arguments. However, these arguments are often over quickly. Parents may say sorry and make up , and the family returns to normal
As a family member, you should find out what it really means when your parents fight. When your parents get angry with each other, they might say things they don’t really mean. If your parents are fighting, don’t worry too much about it. Try to find a good way to solve it.
If your parent’s fighting really bothers you, you might find it hard to sleep or got to school. If this happens, try talking to your parents. They may not even realize it until you tell them how their fighting has influenced you. You can also tell other relatives, a teacher or a close friend.
Just remember that no family is perfect and arguments are common in every family.
【小題1】What does it mean when parents fight?
A.  They aren’t happy with their family.
B.  They don’t love each other any more.
C.  They disagree with each other about something.
【小題2】The underlined part “make up” in paragraph 2 means “      ” in Chinese.
A.  彌補(bǔ)              B.  組成               C.  和解
【小題3】The underlined word “it” refers to “     ”.
A.  your parents’ fighting.        B.  your parents’ life      C.  your parents’ difference
【小題4】What should we do when our parents’ fighting bothers us?
A.  Talk to them.    B.  Shout at them.       C.  Say something nice to them.
【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?
A.  Parents’ fighting often lasts a long time.
B.  Parents might fight over small things.
C.  Teenagers should never argue with their parents.

School uniforms are common in primary and secondary schools in many countries. Here’s a list of countries below.

	In Brazil, students wear uniforms in private schools. But in public schools, students don’t have to wear uniforms although they might have one. In general, the uniforms are a pair of blue pants and a white T-shirt with the school symbol printed on it.
	School uniforms are used in Cuba. All students wear school uniforms with the color as a symbol of grade level. Children also wear scarves because they are young pioneers(少先隊(duì)員).
	Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are very common. Many boys wear white shirts, short pants and caps. Girls’ uniforms might include a gray pleated (褶)skirt and a white blouse.
	In Singapore, all students must wear uniforms. Though the colors are different from school to school. The normal uniform for boys is shorts or long pants, with a shirt (often white), while girls wear white pinafores(連衣裙) or skirts.

It is common to believe that learning just takes place in school, but much of human learning happens outside the classroom, even from birth and people continue to learn throughout their lives.
Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to use toys, food, and other objects. They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their environments. They learn how to communicate with their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other people important to their world. When they enter school, children learn subjects like reading, writing, and maths. They also continue to learn a lot outside the classroom. They learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished. They learn social skills for communicating with other children. After they finish school, people must learn to deal with many changes that affect their lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job.
Because learning continues throughout our lives and influences almost everything we do, the study of learning is important in many different fields. Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate children. Scientists, social workers and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people’s behaviors.
Learning is closely related (相關(guān)的) to memory, which is the storage(儲(chǔ)存) of information in the brain (大腦). Scientists who study memory are interested in how the brain stores knowledge, where this storage takes place, and how the brain later offers knowledge when we need it. However, scientists who study learning are more interested in behavior and how behavior changes as a result of a person’s experiences. ?
【小題1】The underlined word “siblings” in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.

Many parents like setting family rules for their kids. When kids break rules, parents will give them some punishments, which aren’t included in rules. In fact, when you tell your kids about a new rule, you should talk with them about the price they should pay for breaking the rule — what the punishment will be.
Punishments you set should be reasonable, without violence or threat (暴力或威脅). For example, if you find your son smoking, you may limit his social activities for two weeks. You should punish your kids only in ways you have discussed before the rule is broken. A study shows that the most popular punishment is to limit kids’ TV time.
It’s understandable that you’ll be angry when rules are broken. Punishment is a way to express your anger, but it’s not a very good one. Sharing your feelings of anger, disappointment or sadness with your kids can have a better effect (效果) on them. Try to do that. When your kids know what they have done has made you sad, they will feel compunctious. When they know their actions influence you greatly, they will obey rules better.
Rules are made to help your kids behave better. If your rules or ways of punishment make them unhappy or under a lot of pressure, are they helpful?
【小題1】What’s the passage mainly about?

What do you usually do to get pocket money from your parents? In western countries, many children do chores to get pocket money. They usually start to do this at 10 years old.
School students have to do homework and study for tests. They don’t have a lot of free time in the week. They often do chores at the weekend.
Young kids only do easy chores. So they don’t get much money. But that’s all right. Many of them only want to buy candy. And candy is cheap! They help wash up after dinner and feed the family cat or dog.
When they get older, kids want to buy more and more things. They want things that are more expensive than candy. Then they have to work harder! They often wash the family car, cut the grass, walk the dog and cook dinner.
Some jobs are a good way for kids to learn new things. For example, they can learn to use a lawnmower(割草機(jī)) or how to cook. Of course, their parents help them at first.
【小題1】How do the children in western countries get pocket money?
【小題2】When do they usually start to get pocket money?
【小題3】Why do the school students usually do chores at the weekend?
【小題4】Why do the elder kids have to work harder?
【小題5】How do they do the chores at the beginning?