Say Yes to Reading
Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boy’s Life 2012 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.
The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words— 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories(类别)：
● 8 years old and younger
● 9 and 10 years old
● 11 years old and older
First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift certificate(礼券) good for any product in the Boy Scouts official retail catalog(零售目录). Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift certificate and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate.
Everyone who enters will get a free patch(眼罩). In coming years, you’ll have the chance to earn different patches.
The contest is open to all Boys’ Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry. Send your report to:
Boys’ Life Reading Contest
S306
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Entries(参赛作品) must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2012 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Winners of the 2011 reading contest will be announced in the July 2012 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.
And the 2010 first-place winners are:
8 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER
Tyler Bergmann chose “Can You Keep a Secret?” by PJ Petersen as his favorite book. “It talks about honesty and the importance of being trust-worthy, which really matter between friends,” Tyler writes.
9 AND 10 YREARS OLD
Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones” by Rick Riordan. Writes Nathaniel: “As I read, I learned about places I have never been and things I have only imagined.”
11 YEARS OLD AND OLDER
Devin MacGoy, 12 chose “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Grane. “A reader can take away many lessons,” Devin writes.
1.The purpose of the passage is to ________.
A．persuade kids to enter a contest
B．ask kids to read more books
C．encourage kids to buy Boys’ Life
D．advertise some children’s books
2.According to the passage, _________.
A．each first-place winner will get $100
B．the report should have 500 at least
C．whoever enters will get a patch for free
D．one can copy some words from the book
3. Who learns something about friendship from reading a book?
A．Tyler Bergmann B．Nathaniel Griffis
C．Devin MacGoy D．PJ Petersen
4. After Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones”, he might be ________.
A．puzzled B．worried C．bored D．excited
Alex Wood began fundraising when he was four years old. He sold lemonade and cookies to raise money for a school in Haiti. Later, Alex sent 15 bags of food he collected from his neighbors to a food store near his home which asked for donations(捐赠).
Alex wanted to help more people. He decided to donate to Heifer International, an organization that gives farm animals and farm training to poor people around the world. His goal: $5,000 for a “gift ark”. That amount would mean that 15 pairs of animals would be given to people in need. Those families would agree to give one of their animals’ young to other needy families.
Alex decided that baking was the best way to raise money. He started a business, named it Clean Hands Bakery, and now sells his baked goods year round. In his family’s kitchen, he created all kinds of cookies and cakes. He says his top sellers are lemon pound cakes and chocolate cupcakes. Alex likes the baking as much as the fundraising. “I like it that you can take so many ingredients(原料) that don’t taste good on their own and come up with something amazing,” he says.
In September 2011, Alex reached his goal of $5,000 and bought a gift ark. “I feel absolutely overjoyed that I got to my goal,” he says. “I can’t help everybody by myself, but I can do my part, which I hope will inspire other people to do their part, too.” One of the people Alex has already inspired is his younger brother. “He had people donate to me, instead of giving him a birthday present.” Alex explains. “In the end he donated $200 toward my goal.”
So now that he’s met his goal of a gift ark, will Alex keep baking and fundraising? He says yes. He wants to end world hunger, one cupcake at a time.
1.What did Alex Wood donate to Heifer International?
A．$5.000 in cash B．Farm animals
C．A gift ark D．Lemon Hands Bakery
2. According to the passage, Clean Hands Bakery ______.
A．was set up in September 2011
B．uses many unusual ingredients
C．belongs to Heifer International
D．sells food cooked by Alex himself
3. What’s Alex’ younger brother’s attitude towards his fundraising idea?
A．Doubtful B．Curious C．Supportive D．Uncaring
4. What would be the best title for the passage?
A．A charity helping the poor.
B．Feeding the world by baking.
C．The best way to raise money.
D．Cooking with different ingredients.
The first visit to a foreign country that I can remember was when I was about seven years old. We live about 5 miles away from the Canadian border(边界). My family and I went to Parc Safari, Quebec, a wonderful place that has animals and rides. We drove down a nice long road. My sister and I sat in the back of the car, and it was a hatchback(有仓门式后背的汽车) so we opened it up. I remember feeding the animals snacks we had bought for ourselves.
The time we went we were told there would not be monkeys because they had escaped and had not been found. I remember thinking to myself, how cool it would be to see a monkey in our backyard.
Even though the monkeys were not there it was still so much fun. When we reached the area that had camels, giraffes and other animals, I remember one of the camels reached into the car to get our snacks. However, we were a little gross out because the camels seemed to froth(吐白沫) at the mouth and we had camel slobber(口水) all over the car and us.
It was one of the best family vacations that I can remember. It was not too far from home, it was in a different country and it was with my family. I cannot remember if we went on the rides or not but seeing many animals was a great time. Now I am grown up and have a son, and I am planning to go there again. He is 7 years old and I think he is at a great age to enjoy a trip like this. I am sure it has changed a lot over the years but it will still be a great family trip.
1.Where did the author live when he was 7 years old?
A．In Canada B．Near the Canadian border
C．In the central US D．In Parc Safari
2. We fed the animals something _____.
A．offered by people living there
B．we bought for them
C．we prepared for ourselves
D．cooked by my sister
3.what does the underlined part “gross out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A．surprised B．excited
C．tired D．uncomfortable
4. What does the author intend to do?
A．To revisit the place he went to at seven.
B．To take his 7-year-old son to a zoo.
C．To have a family trip in his own country.
D．To have a holiday abroad with his parents.
完型填空（共20小题；每小题1．5分，满分30分）
This is a story about doing well by doing good. Sandy Greenberg was a very good student, 36 he came from a poor family. He went to Columbia University on a scholarship and there he met his 37 who also was receiving financial aid(经济资助).
Sandy got a(n) 38 disease during his second year at university. The 39 was, it wasn’t found out early enough, and 40 he became nearly blind. But Sandy said that he was so 41 because when he lost his 42 , his roommate read his textbooks to him every night. Because of this, Sandy went on with his study and 43 with honors. Later he went off to study at Oxford. He was still quite 44 , but he had managed to 45 about five hundred dollars as he went along. His roommate, 46 , also went on to graduate school(研究生院). One day, Sandy got a call from him at Oxford, telling him that he 47 $500 to start a(n) 48 business. So Sandy sent all the 49 he had saved to his roommate. He said, “What else could I do? He made my life; I needed to do 50 to make his life. ”
Sandy’s roommate was Art Garfunkel, who became a famous singer. He 51 up with another musician named Paul Simon. That $500 52 them a lot and they made a record that eventually became “The Sound of Silence”.
Each of us will be faced with problems we didn’t 53 in our lives. How we are able to deal with those difficulties will be 54 by how we deal with others along the way. What we get will depend a lot on what we 55 .
1. A．so B．for C．but D．and
2. A．doctor B．partner C．teacher D．roommate
3. A．heart B．eye C．blood D．brain
4. A．trick B．idea C．trouble D．chance
5. A．in particular B．as a result
C．for example D．on the whole
6. A．lucky B．strong C．calm D．painful
7. A．hearing B．sight C．confidence D．business
8. A．grew B．lived C．worked D．graduated
9. A．kind B．weak C．poor D．clever
10. A．save B．spend C．borrow D．pay
11. A．therefore B．as well as
C．however D．at the same time
12. A．needed B．earned C．owned D．lost
13. A．computer B．fashion C．music D．advertising
14. A．records B．money C．medicine D．books
15. A．something B．everything
C．anything D．nothing
16. A．kept B．ended C．teamed D．put
17. A．satisfied B．pleased C．surprised D．helped
18. A．understand B．expect C．believe D．like
19. A．checked B．questioned C．educated D．affected
20. A．learn B．give C．wish D．bring
— In order to improve your English, you need to practice more.
— ______. Practice makes perfect.
A．Certainly, go ahead B．Well, it depends
C．I don’t think so. D．I couldn’t agree more
How the fire in the dancing hall started _________ a mystery.
A．to remain B．remains
C．is remaining D．is remained
