11-year-old Courtney Thompson was so passionate about gymnastics that she would practice five hours a day until her arms were sore and her elbows swollen. She rarely complained about her tough schedule, and for good reason. Courtney was ranked the best gymnast in the state for her age , and she dreamed of going to the Olympics. But on January 12th,2005, while practicing a routine exercise, she felt an unbearable pain in the left elbow. The medical examination then revealed a severe injury, resulting in an immediate surgery and a slow, painful recovery. 

      What happened to Courtney Thompson is a  red flag   in America’s growing epidemic of youth sports injuries. Across the country, younger and younger athletes are injuring themselves in the pursuit of sports achievement. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 2.8 million Americans aged 5 through 24 received medical treatment for a sports-related or recreation-related injury in 2003,Severe injuries that used to be limited to professionals are now showing up in high school and even junior high athletes.        

      There are many reasons behind the outbreak in sports injuries, but most experts agree on one: the extreme culture of organized youth sports. Gone are the days when children played a variety of games on playgrounds. Child kidnapping and street crime have ended casual neighborhood athletics in many places, leading parents to enroll their children in organized sports under the watchful, though demanding, eyes of adult volunteers and coaches. And movies like Friday Night Lights glorify the thrill of victory for young athletes with single-minded dedication to athletic achievement.

      From high school gyms to county ball fields, 41 million children younger than 19 participated in organized youth sports in 2005, according to the latest research by the National Council of Youth Sports. The figure represents a 25 percent increase since 1997.

      Parental involvement in youth sports has also made childhood games less about having fun and more about training and competing for the top spot , landing a college scholarship or launching a promising career. Hoping to nurture the next Michelle Kwan or Apolo Ohno, some parents guide their children into specializing in one sport. But the repetitive training required to master a sport places enormous stresses on bones and muscles that are still developing.

1.The passage is mainly about     

      A.children’ s participation in organized sports

      B.the main causes of the youth sports injuries

      C.the way to train children in organized sports

      D.the common occurrence of youth sports injuries

2.The underlined part  “red flag”  in the second probably means “     ” .

      A.warning             B.problem                   C.symbol                 D.mark

3.Why is the number of sports injuries among children in America growing?

      A.Because of their increasing fondness for sports.

      B.Because children are not professional enough for sports.

      C.Because more children are seeking for sports achievements.

      D.Because of the involvement of the parents and more organized sports.

4.We can learn from the passage that        .

      A.a(chǎn)bout 10.25 million youngsters participated in organized sports in 1997

      B.parents give limited chances for children to choose their sports

      C.serious injuries often happened to young students in the past

D.Courtney Thompson will never become a famous gymnast

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科目:高中英語 來源:2011—2012學(xué)年度福建省福州三中高三9月月考英語卷 題型:閱讀理解

Scores of farms across he country are opening up to overnight guests.The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn(小旅館) — plus here a moo, there a moo.
Sure, you and your kids have a plan for the theme parks.In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay(干草)? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation.
LIBERTY HALL FARM
Rochester, Vt.; 802/767-3926; www.libertyhillfarm.com.Adults $75, teens $50, kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths.
Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook.You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough(生面團(tuán)) for a pie.Bob’s busy with other work.Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs.Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 am to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season.
HULL-O FARM
Durham, N.Y.; 518/239-6950; www.hull-o.com; Adults $110, kids 10-14 $60, 5-9 $50, 2-4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths.
It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices.But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it.As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch(入口處) of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar.Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride.
MERAMEC FARM CABINS
Bourbon, Mo.; 573/732-4765; http://www.wine-mo.com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person.Trail and riding fees extra.
Climb on the back of the Ford pick up and catch up with the herd.One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back.At the barn(牲口棚) Carol will introduce you to the horses — 15 Missouri Fox Trotters — and lead you on a ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims.Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river.When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants, within 20 miles of the farm.
【小題1】The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that _____.

A.you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant
B.some farms provide country experiences as well as good accommodations
C.farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals
D.if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm
【小題2】We can learn from the three ads that ____.
A.Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors
B.Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook
C.kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm
D.you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm
【小題3】The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?
A.$175.B.$220.C.$235.D.$250.
【小題4】Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?
A.Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks.
B.People who expect to be employed on the farm.
C.Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms.
D.Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms.

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科目:高中英語 來源:2012-2013學(xué)年天津市天津一中高一上學(xué)期期末考試英語試卷(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解

Once there was an 11-year-old boy who went fishing with his father in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before bass (巴斯魚) season opened, they were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure (魚餌) and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.
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“Dad!” cried the boy. “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish ... again and again ... every time he has an ethical (道德的) decision to make. For, as his father had taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult.
【小題1】What happened when the big fish turned out to be a bass?

A.The boy and his father discussed what to do with the big fish.
B.The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly.
C.The father lit a match in order to check the time.
D.They worried other fishermen may discover what they had done.
【小題2】From the text we know that the father _________.
A.didn’t love his son
B.a(chǎn)lways disagreed with his son
C.disliked the huge fish
D.was firm and stubborn
【小題3】How did the boy feel when the huge bass was thrown into the water?
A.Excited.B.Embarrassed.C.Disappointed. D.Annoyed.
【小題4】The successful architect went fishing with his children at the same place because _________.
A.they might catch a big fish there
B.he was taught an important lesson there
C.it was a most popular fishing spot
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閱讀短文,按照題目要求用英語回答問題。(請注意問題后的詞數(shù)要求)

My name is Clara. I still remember that chilly December day, sitting in science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and picked up a TIME for Kids magazine. A piece of news caught my eye: NASA was holding an essay contest to name its Mars rover(火星探測器).Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind, Curiosity.

    I couldn’t want for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay. That afternoon, I raced home, sat down at the computer, and typed until my fingers ached. “Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone’s mind...”

    Five months later, my mom received a phone call, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face.

    On August 5,2012,at 10:31 p.m, the rover named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was honored to have a front-row seat in NASA.

    Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandmother and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. She’d tell me stories and point out the stars, Grandma lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas, but the stars kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much I didn’t know about them. That’s what I love so much about space.

    People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mares. My answer is simple because we’re curious. We human beings do not just hole up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what’s over the hill and beyond the horizon.

1.How did Clara get the new about the essay contest?( no more than 10 words)

2.Why did Clara have a front-row seat in NASA?( no more than 10 words)

3.What does Clara remember about the time spent with Grandma?( no more than 15 words)

4.What does the underlined phrase “hole up”mean?(1 word)

5.In your opinion, why is curiosity important?( no more than 20 words)

 

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It's 10:30 pm, and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. The message becomes clear: "R U awake?"

Brandon' s use of technology doesn' t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles (控制臺 ) in his room. With so many choices, it' s no surprise that when he isn' t at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices

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The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. Today, nearly seven out of ten kids have cell phones. Just five years ago, it was four out of ten.

Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. " If you’ve got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?" media expert Cheryl Olson says.

Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. " It' s a matter of balance," says Olson." You’ve got to work on it. "

Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. "It' s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply, " says Rideout.

With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. " Kids should try," adds Rideout. " But parents might have to step in sometimes. "

1.Why do children spend more time in using electronic devices?

A.Because more electronic devices are available to them.

B.Because electronic devices are more exciting than before.

C.Because they have less other activities.

D.Because they have less homework to do.

2.It is known from the passage that  ____.

A.Brandon Blanco feels very annoyed about his late-night text

B.the teenagers using mobile devices have increased by 30% in the past five years

C.Cheryl Olson is not surprised about kids' increasing use of mobile devices

D.most experts think teenagers should not use electronic devices for their studies

3.Which of the following is an example of multitasking according to the passage?

A.Watching TV while using the computer.

B.Talking on the phone while staying with others.

C.Playing video games on the Internet.

D.Listening to music while relaxing.

4.According to the passage, Victoria Rideout would probably agree that ____.

A.kids should do homework while surfing the Internet

B.kids should do homework in a place without disturbance

C.kids should spend more time on homework

D.kids should have more homework than before

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:2011-2012年江西省高二第一次段考英語試題 題型:閱讀理解

Some say everyday miracles(奇跡) are predestined(注定的)—the right time for the appointed meeting. And it can happen anywhere.

In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother’s Little League team in Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest. His heart stopped.

When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid. Penny Brown hadn’t planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift(換班)at the hospital had been changed to see her son’s performance. She was given the night off. Penny bent over the senseless boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and giving him CPR(心肺復(fù)蘇術(shù)), breathing into his mouth and giving him chest compressions. And he revived in the end.

After his recovery, he became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid techniques that had saved his life. He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant in his spare time.

Kevin, now 18, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion, employees rushing toward a table. He hurried into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat. She was choking.

Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, he used skills he’d first learned in Scouts. The food that was trapped in the woman’s throat was freed. The colour began to return to her face.

“The food was stuck in my throat. I couldn’t breathe,” she said. She thought she was dying. “I was very frightened.”

Who was the woman?

Penny Brown.

1. The author wrote the passage to show us that         .

A. miracles are predestined and they can happen anywhere

B. whoever helps you in trouble will get a reward one day

C. God will help those who give others a helping hand

D. miracles won’t come without any difficulty sometimes

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE of Kevin Stephan?

A. He was hit in the face by a boy and almost lost his life.

B. He was a volunteer junior firefighter, teaching the players first-aid skills.

C. He worked part-time in a local restaurant to save money for college.

D. He saved Penny Brown though he didn’t really know how to deal with food choke.

3.Why did Penny Brown change her shift and was given the night off that night?

A. She was invited to give the players directions.

B. She volunteered to give medical services.

C. She was a little worried about his son’s safety.

D. She came to watch her son’s game and cheered for him.

4.The underlined word “revived” in the third paragraph most likely means        .

A. came back to life   B. became worse      C. failed            D. moved

5. When Kevin knew the woman was Penny Brown, probably he first felt        .

A. happy            B. surprised          C. sad             D. worried

 

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