Question

Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills （讀寫能力）With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence （自信心） , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.
Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager.
【小題1】What is mainly discussed in the text?

A．Children’s reading difficulties.	B．Advantages of raising dogs.
C．Service in a public library.	D．A special reading program.

【小題2】Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think _______.

A．dogs are young children’s best friends

B．children can play with dogs while reading

C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children

D．children and dogs understand each other

【小題3】By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library_______.

A．uses dogs to attract children

B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA

C．has opened a children's department

D．has decided to train some dogs

【小題4】A “pawgraphed” book is most probably _______.

A．a book used in Saturday classes	B．a book written by the children
C．a prize for the children	D．a gift from parent

Answer 1

【小題1】D
【小題2】C
【小題3】B
【小題4】C

解析試題分析：文中敘述了美國鹽湖城的ITA組織認為，由于狗具有閃亮的棕色眼睛、搖擺的尾巴及無條件的愛，它為兒童獲取自信心提供了“必要的聽眾”。利用對狗閱讀來幫助兒童提高讀寫能力是一種獨特的教育方法，
【小題1】主旨題：短文首句“Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills”是文章的主題句。故最佳選項為D。
【小題2】細節(jié)題：從第二段的句子：“Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,”可知專家認為狗可以給害羞的孩子鼓勵。選C
【小題3】這題是考猜詞技巧的，根據上下文的意思，可以知道是這個圖書館接受了這種理念。選B
【小題4】猜詞題：文段敘述的是孩子們參加“周六下午閱讀訓練班”的事情。根據常識我們知道，在一個學習活動結束時，通常會對一些先進分子進行表彰或獎勵。因此，我們可以作出判斷，“Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class”這句話的意思應該是：那些參加了四個學習班中三個班的學習的孩子們在參加最后一個班的時候可以得到某種獎勵。C選項是正確答案。
考點：考查教育類短文
點評：全篇形成了“主題句+支撐句+結論句”的模式，讀者對文章大意一目了然。這篇文章第一句“Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills.” 就點名主題。接下來是對這一中心思想的解釋。第二段是說明The Salt Lake City Public Library 接受這個想法的原因，第三段描述試驗過程，最后陳述試驗結果。在閱讀中，讀者只要掌握了這些內容，也就獲得了文字的表層理解。