Children who spend more time reading with their parents have a greater chance of becoming better readers than those who don't. With help from their parents, children can learn techniques to improve their reading skills. "A lot of parents think after their child learns to read, they should stop reading to them," Donna George said. "They are sadly mistaken." George offers her services to parents at the Title I Learning Centers. She said reading aloud to children may be the most valuable thing parents can do. "It is better for children to hear things at a higher level than where they are," George said. "Parents are their child's first teacher." Parents help their children build listening, phonics , comprehension and vocabulary skills when they read aloud to them. Before parents can identify reading problems, they should escape the enemy----television and limit the time their children spend watching television. George suggested not allowing kids to have a TV in their bedrooms, setting a schedule of when kids can watch or keeping a list of how many programs children watch. Louise Joiners said while her 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son enjoy reading, the television sometimes becomes a _ . So she tries to build the situation by suggesting books the entire family will enjoy reading together, like the Harry Potter series. Parents who do not read themselves should not depend on their children being enthusiastic about it. If parents would read to their children at least 15 minutes every day, children would not have so many problems in school. It is the parents' job to help build that desire in their children, and of course to know what kind of books to read is also important. Which one would be the best title for the passage? A) Parents Are Their Child's First Teacher. B) How to Improve Children's Reading Ability. C) Children Spend More Time Reading with Parents. D) How Parents Make Their Child a Better Reader.
D
The arrival of autumn starts the traditional fall festivals which aim to welcome the new season. Here's a guide to several fall festivals that are held in the Roanoke region each year. Boones Mill Apple Festival It is held the third Saturday in September every year.The festival is hosted by the Boones Mill Lions Club and attracts people from all over Virginia. The most important things of the festival include art shows, fried apple pies,and a high school band. There are lots of food,crafts,music,and games for every age group. Admission is free. For more information, call 540-334-5975. Blue Ridge Folklife Festival Ferrum College hosts the festival as an October celebration of the harvest every year.The festival shows some farm fresh produce and the farming practices of the last year.Children can enjoy playing many of the games.The festival begins at 10:00 a.m.Admission is $ 10 for adults and $ 5 for children and senior citizens.You can call 540-365-4412 or visit the website:http://www,blueridgeinstitute.org. Mountain Magic Fall Festival The town of Buchanan on the outskirts of Roanoke is the place where the Mountain Magic Fall Festival is held.The festival is held in October and has two to four groups of crafters,antique dealers,and food vendors.Live Bluegrass music plays all day and children enjoy visiting the pet zoo. The auto show and farmers' market are also big attractions. Call 540-357-2509 for more information. Vinton Fall Festival A 5K walk, a truck ride, and a civil war group are just some of the exciting parts of the Vinton Fall Festival.The festival is held in October under the golden shade trees in downtown Vinton.Other attractions include hayrides,agriculture judging, health education,and children's activities.Phone: 540-343-1364. If your children want to see some animals,you probably should go to _ . A) Boones Mill Apple Festival B) Blue Ridge Folklife Festival C) Mountain Magic Fall Festival D) Vinton Fall Festival
C
Q: It was a sunny winter day. I had gone down the tower when a blind man came toward me. He kept close to the wall, touching it lightly with his arm. I stood still and looked at him walking toward the tower. "What does a blind man want to climb up the tower for?" I wondered, "Not the view certainly, perhaps he wants to jump. "Thinking of this terrible reason, I thought I should follow him. He went up slowly and stopped from time to time. I followed him a few steps behind. When he got to the first corner of the bell tower, I came close to him. "Excuse me," I said as politely as I could, "but I wonder why you came up." "You'd never guess." he said. "Not the view or the fresh air on this winter day?" "No." he said. "Tell me, then." He smiled, "Perhaps climbing up the tower. You have noticed - and yet, not being blind, perhaps you won't - how the sun shines into the tower through the windows here and there, so that one can feel the cool steps suddenly become quite warm, even in winter. But behind the wall there is shade . There is no place so good as this for feeling the difference between light and darkness. Though I'm blind, I also want to feel the happiness brought by the sunlight. In fact, it isn't my first time to be here." He said and seemed as pleased as a child. I had never thought that even a blind man could have his way to enjoy the beautiful life. But we often paid no attention to its value because we never lost it. We went down the tower together and I left him. From then on, I began to treasure what life has given me. The winter met the blind man on _ . A) a sunny winter day B) a rainy winter day C) a sunny summer day D) a rainy summer day
A: A
(Question)
Do youwanttoimprovetheway youstudy? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It seriously affects their ability tostudy, sodotheir test results.If so, use these tips tohelpyou. Study Techniques *You should always study in the same place. You shouldn't sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don't watch TV while youare studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if youattempttostudyin thisway. Always try tohave a white wall in front ofyou, so there is nothingtodistract(make less concentrated) you. *Your eyes will become tired if youtrytoread a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees. *Don't try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another.If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes. Test-taking skills *All your hard work will be for nothing if youare too nervoustotake your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means donotstudyall night before your test! It is a better ideatohave a long-termstudyplan. Try tomake a timetable for yourstudywhich lasts for a few months. *Exercise is a great waytoreduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improveyour concentration. Eat healthy food too. *When youarrive intheexamination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check thetime ontheclock duringthetest, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give thetest paper your undivided attention. Which of thefollowing statements is true accordingtothepassage? A) Check thetime duringtheexam at a certain time. B) Staying up all night and studying is tiring, but effective way. C) You should studyin a different place every day, soyoudon't get bored. D) Your concentration will improveifyoustudyand watch TV atthesame time.
(Answer)
A