Bored? Don't know what to do with your time? Get your friends or family together, go to the park or go hiking, do something fun --just don't turn on your TV. The 10th annual TV-Turnoff Week starts on Monday. The TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization, began the program in 1994 to get children and adults to watch less television so that their time is spent doing more productive things. This year, millions of people will participate and find much more interesting things to do besides sitting in front of the television. Experts are convinced that watching too much TV keeps kids from participating in healthy physical activities. The average household has a television on for 7 hours and 40 minutes a day! Kids spend more time watching TV than they spend in school. Turning off the TV gives you a chance to be with your family and friends. Going without it frees up valuable time that could be spent reading a good book, writing, drawing, or discovering something else that may interest you. There are many organizations that support TV-Turnoff Week, including The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, Girl Scouts USA, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.Even First Lady Laura Bush is a supporter. "Television is no substitute for a parent. It doesn't help develop language skills; it's simply background noise," says Mrs. Bush. Even kids who may not have liked going without TV have discovered the benefits. "I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week," said Drew Henderson, a student in Donora, Pennsylvania. Which is not the advantage of turning off the TV? A) Giving you a chance to be with your family and friends. B) Sparing more time reading books. C) Developing language skills. D) Participating in healthy physical activities.
C
Miss Benson was the kindest and sweetest person that ever walked the earth. She was my second-grade teacher, and I was going to marry her when I grew up. I would sit in my seat for the entire morning. I wouldn't miss one moment for her presence by leaving the room. My hand was always the first to be raised when Miss Benson called for volunteers to clean the blackboards or gather papers. I would arrange and rearrange the papers. They had to be in perfect order before I went back to my seat unwillingly. Early in the term, I started asking my mother to put an extra apple or peach in my lunch, but I never quite worked up the courage to hand my gift to her directly. Each day the delicacy found its way unobserved to the corner of her desk. And each day the response was the same. ''Why, how nice! '' She would pick up the offering and asked: ''What thoughtful little boy or girl brought me this? '' No one claimed the honor, least of all me. I kept my head down, looking at my desk. ''Can it be that I have a secret admirer? '' she added. I would feel the red rising in my face. I was certain that everyone was looking at me, and I would sigh with relief when Miss Benson put the fruit away and started the lesson. Friday was Miss Benson's birthday. Everyone wanted to get her a present. I would give her something, openly. That afternoon was spent combing the fields for wild flowers. Not many were in bloom at that time of year, but finally I managed a patch of beautiful flowers... In the morning I went to the desk and gave the beautiful flowers to Miss Benson. She accepted them happily and held them to her cheek for a moment. My reward was a smile and a pat on the head. The next Monday, Miss Benson was not in class. About the middle of the morning, I was asked to go to the headmaster's office. When I arrived, I was surprised to see my mother. On a table were my beautiful flowers... In the end I was told that the flowers were poisonous. What might have happened to Miss Benson? A) She asked for leave to get married. B) She got ill because of the flowers. C) She gave the flowers to the boy's mother. D) She was punished by the headmaster for patting the boy.
B
Q: Being in an unfamiliar school can be frightening. If you start a new school, you'll have to worry about making friends. Here are some simple tips which help you make new friends more easily. *Try speaking to the students you're sitting next to in class. As they're close by, it is easy to chat to them first. *Try to speak to everyone in your class. You will study here for three years, so it helps if you get along well with them. *If you don't have many friends in your class, try and make new friends in your neighbor classes. You can also chat to them at lunchtimes and after school. *Join a lunchtime or afterschool club. You'll get to meet kids of all years that way. *Ask your teacher to pair you With another student. *Use your "celebrity status" ! Since you're the new person, you'll have got celebrity status, which you can use for a couple of weeks. *Talk to classmates, remember to smile, and be open and friendly. Don't break in while your classmates are speaking. When your classmates talk to you, you should listen carefully and look at them in the eye to make them feel important. *As you grow older, it's natural to make new friends and sometimes that means you begin to grow apart from your old friends. So try and make time for all your friends. But what if a friendship group is pushing you out? If this is happening to you, ask someone you're friendly with what has happened .If the friendship is hopeless, try to find new friends. According to the passage, moving to an unfamiliar school is _ . A) interesting B) exciting C) uncomfortable D) boring
A: C
(Q).
Jolly Joe always arrived at my neighborhood at exactly half past noon. The clang of the bell on his red and black truck was then the sweetest sound in the world. Brightly colored stickers advertising his amazing kinds of treats could be found on all sides of his truck. The whole neighborhood would magically come to life. Holding a nickel , I'd run to the back of the vehicle, where children were already gathering. Jolly Joe would jump out of his truck, the sun shining on his hair. He was an older man, short and round, with a pleasant face and a welcoming smile. I don't know how, but he knew us all by name, as well as which treats we preferred. My favorite was the Buried Treasure. By eating all the ice cream, you'd discover the treasure inside: a lion, a dog or even a funny clown -- printed onto a plastic stick. When it was finally my turn, he'd put his arm deep inside one of the boxes, and pause for a moment, a puzzled look crossing his face. Then, suddenly, he'd pull it out: the Buried Treasure! I couldn't wait to enjoy the cool, sweet ice cream. As quickly as he arrived, it was time for Jolly Joe to go, leaving behind laughing, excited children with sticky hands and faces. Soon the sound of his clanging bell would slowly disappear in the distance. I always hated to see Jolly Joe go, because I knew the rest of the day would be as hot and boring as before. But I took some comfort in knowing that the next day he'd come round the corner at half past noon and once again spread his magic. What would be the best title for the text? A) Lost treasure found at last B) A clanging bell in the distance C) Ice cream man spreads frozen magic D) My friendship with an ice cream man
(A).
C