Everybody is afraid of something. That’s what more than 1,700 kids told us when we asked them about fears and scary stuff. We gave kids a list of 14 scary things and asked which one frightened them most. Here are the top 5 answers from our survey: ①Scary movies and TV shows; ②Scary dreams; ③Thunderstorms, hurricanes, and other terrible weather; ④War and terrorism*; ⑤Sounds heard at night.
It seems that not everyone is afraid of the same thing. What makes one person scared can be of no big deal for someone else. Plenty of kids said their biggest fear wasn’t on our list.
What is fear?
Fear is a feeling that everyone has — it’s programmed into all of us — and that’s a good thing because fear is there to protect us. We’re born with a sense of fear so we can react to something that could be dangerous. The baby cries, and their mom comes over to comfort him or her, helping the baby feel safe and OK again.
Real vs. Pretend
The best way to get over a fear is to get more information about it. As kids get older, they understand more and start seeing the difference between what is real and unreal. So when William’s imagination leads him to think of witches, he can tell himself, “Wait a minute. They’re only pretend things. I don’t need to worry about them.”
The same goes for the dark. A kid’s imagination can start playing tricks when the lights go out. What’s under my bed? Is that a thief I hear? With the help of a parent, kids can get more comfortable in the dark. Using a nightlight or shining a flashlight under the bed to see that there’s nothing there can help kids fight that fear.
1.Which of the following can’t help a kid fight the fear of dark?
A. Using imaginations to think of witches.
B. Their parents coming over to comfort them.
C. Using a nightlight to see there’s nothing under the bed.
D. Shining a flashlight to see there’s nothing under the bed.
2.What does the underlined word “pretend” in paragraph 4 mean?
A. Ugly. B. Usual.
C. Unreal. D. Lovely
3.What is the second paragraph of the passage mainly about?
A. Fourteen scary things kids list.
B. People are afraid of different things.
C. The biggest fear for kids are always the same.
D. The things frighten people are the same as the survey.
4.Which is TRUE about the writer’s opinion?
A. Having a sense of fear is not a bad thing.
B. Nothing can help kids to get over a fear.
C. Fear is something we get when we are older.
D. Not all people can react to dangerous things.
I will never forget one day in my first year in high school. I was sitting on the stairs, putting my head in my hands and crying out to my parents because I would never be able to save enough money for college. My parents tried to comfort me, but it seemed impossible to save＄64,268, the cost for the private college that I wanted to enter.
Now let me tell you the amazing story of how I saved this sum of money. It all began with a newspaper route in Ankeny, IA. I hated delivering newspapers that route, but decided to continue for six months until my family moved to Wausau. With a few dollars from my newspaper route, a small nest egg began to develop. My next job was working in an athletic company. The money continued to grow very slowly. Half a year later, I worked for a fruit store. Then, when I was in junior high school, I began to be a waitress at Denny’s restaurant. It was hard work, but the money began to roll.
By the time my senior year arrived, I had saved a large sum of money. This was encouraging, but I knew that I would also need some help, so I began to apply for scholarships. Sometimes I got upset because I was rejected again and again. Then, my first scholarship offer came in,＄2,000 a year to play tennis. This is only a small sum of money at a school that costs about＄14,000 a year, but it was a start. Several other scholarships also came and soon I was up to have＄9,050 in scholarships. With scholarships and savings, I saved enough money for my first year.
Several years later, I was off to college. Because of careful saving, I did not have to work during the school year.
1.How much should the writer pay for college?
A. ＄2,000 B. ＄14,000
C. ＄64,268 D. ＄9,050
2.Which is the writer’s first job?
A. Serving as a waitress.
B. Delivering newspapers.
C. Working at a fruit shop.
D. Working in an athletic company.
3.Why did the writer want to get scholarships?
A. Because he needed some help.
B. Because he liked playing tennis.
C. Because he didn’t want to pay for college.
D. Because he hated to work in an athletic company.
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Different Jobs B. My First Scholarship
C. Save Money for College D. Make Money to Be Rich
How many animals are killed for human use every year in the United States? The numbers are in the billions, and these are just the ones we know about. Let’s break it down.
How many animals are killed for food? According to Farm Animal Rights Movement, about 10 billion land animals are killed every year for food in the United States, and about 58 billion are killed around the world. What’s more, this does not even include wild animals.
How many animals are killed for experiments? From 17 million to 100 million! The numbers are difficult to tell because most animals used in experiments are not reported.
How many animals are killed for fur? Every year, over 40 million animals are killed for fur around the world. About 30 million animals are raised on fur farms and killed, about 10 million wild animals are killed for fur, and this does not include sea animals and those that are injured and die later.
How many animals are killed by hunters? According to In Defense of Animals, hunters kill the most animals every year. Over 200 million animals are killed by hunters in the United States every year. This does not include animals that are injured and die later and those who die after their mothers are killed.
If these numbers are shocking enough for you and you want to do something to help, act out at this very moment. Refuse wild animals on dinner tables, say no to fur coats and try your best to protect the environment. Also, don’t forget to tell the numbers above to the people around you.
1.How many animals are killed every year for food around the world?
A. About 30 million.B. About 10 billion.
C. About 40 million.D. About 58 billion.
2.Who kills the most animals?
A. Farmers.B. Scientists.
C. Hunters.D. Mother animals.
3.Which is NOT the reason why people kill animals according to this article?
A. For fur. B. For food.
C. For experiments.D. For environment.
4.Why does the writer use so many numbers in the article?
A. To tell us animals are human’s best friends.
B. To show which country kills the most animals.
C. To hope us to do something to protect the animals.
D. To tell us there are many animals around the world.
1.Sally Smith sent the postcard from ___________.
A. Barcelona, Spain B. Boston, USA
C. Mexico City, Mexico D. Bangkok, Thailand
2.Bill will probably be back in____________.
A. a day B. a week
C. two weeks D. a month
3.Which of the following is mentioned in the three postcards?
A. Barcelona is a big city. B. Mexico city is very hot.
C. Bangkok is a very old city. D. Mexico City is small but beautiful.
The water tap was leaking again, and the noise was driving Tina crazy.
Tina looked at her . It was nearly eleven o’clock. Her parents were . She climbed out of bed quietly in order not to wake them up. mother’s Mr. Fix-It Book was on the top shelf. Tina took the book. She read it quickly she found the page she was looking for, and then she began to read carefully. After a while, she stepped down quietly.
Next, Tina opened a box in the kitchen and picked out the tools she needed and several small things. It was not for her to do the repair. She tried several times but couldn’t make it. Finally, the water tap was in pieces. One by one, she laid them out on the table . That way she would know how they went back.
Tina worked late into the night. At one point, she thought she was done. Oops! A small piece that she had forgotten still lay on the . Slowly Tina took the water tap apartone more time. This time she made sure was left on the table. She the water tap on and then off. One…two…three…She waited a full minute. There was leak! Tina smiled and put the tools back into the box. Then she went back into bed.
The next morning, Dad breakfast in the kitchen when Tina got up.
“Did you notice anything, Dad?” she asked.
He looked around and listened. “Hmm, something is missing… I can’t find out it is… Wait, it’s too in here!”
“That’s right,” Tina said. “Something is missing. I the water tap. It doesn’t leak
any more.”
“That’s my girl. You’re the in my eyes,” Dad said. “It’s a good thing you are really like your mother..”
1.A. watch B. bookC. shelfD. tool
2.A. talkingB. readingC. sleeping D. studying
3.A. His B. MyC. HerD. Your
4.A. althoughB. until C. ifD. because
5.A. difficultB. easyC. dirtyD. clean
6.A. carefully B. carelesslyC. loudly D. angrily
7.A. bed B. box C. chairD. table
8.A. everythingB. somethingC. anything D. nothing
9.A. gotB. turnedC. putD. took
10.A. no B. littleC. someD. much
11.A. madeB. makesC. has madeD. was making
12.A. whenB. whoC. what D. that
13.A. noisyB. quiet C. smallD. large
14.A. picked upB. gave upC. went upD. fixed up
15.A. best B. friendliest C. earliest D. funniest
—Jenny, I’m going to study at a famous high school in Canada next week.
—_________. I wish everything is fine with you there.
A. Congratulations! B. That’s right.
C. Not at all. D. You’re welcome.
