Because Skyler and Kreed are speechless teens...

Because Skyler and Kreed are speechless teens with autism (自闭症), making friends hasn’t always been easy for them. Now that they have each other, their friendship is stronger than what any word could ever describe.

Aside from having autism, 14-year-old Skyler is currently deaf and is losing his sight. He also has no effective means to communicate. Kreed, 17, uses a device to communicate and has multiple medical conditions. Once Kreed learned Skyler was also speechless, their friendship began.

“We were able to explain to Kreed that Skyler is deaf and also speechless like him,” Kreed’s mother, Erin Polk, said. “He seemed to understand and ever since then has wanted to be with Skyler and calls him his best friend.”

The best friends, who live down the street from each other, hang out just like typical teenagers. They eat pizza and French fries and watch movies together. They also give each other a helping hand.

“Kreed will help Skyler by leading him to places he is afraid to walk into,” Polk said. “We think his lack of good sight makes it scary for him in new places, so Kreed will always offer his hand to help him through those times.”

For Kreed, his best friend role has given him confidence. According to his mom, being able to help others helps him as well.

“Skyler has given Kreed more social confidence. By having a friend, he can 100 percent be himself and finally to be able to actually help another peer rather than being the person always helped,” she said.

Even though they're speechless, the teens communicate in their own way by giving certain looks or connecting through touch. Kreed doesn’t mind if Skyler gets close to him or touches him, which seems to please Skyler. According to Polk's blog, the teens simply want to be around each other.

It's clear that something unites Kreed and Skyler, but it's more than their autism or speechless communication. It's their beautiful friendship --- that clearly has no boundaries.

1.From the passage, we can learn that Skyler and Kreed ______.

A. have something in common　　 B. are of the same age

C. are unable to see each other　　 D. have no ability to communicate

2.How does Kreed help Skyler?

A. By taking him where he dare not go alone.

B. By giving him good advice on where to go.

C. By taking him to the places where he used to go.

D. By getting rid of his scare on the way to school.

3.According to his mother, by helping Skyler, Kreed ______.

A. has gained confidence　　 B. is also benefited

C. is able to communicate better　　 D. is more outgoing

4.We can infer that in Skyler and Kreed’s culture, it is the custom for people ______.

A. to touch each other a lot in small talk　　 B. to talk to each other in close distance

C. to avoid eye contact while chatting　　 D. to keep their distance while chatting

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C

Old people are easy to feel lonely because their children are busy with their work and have little time to spend with them. Most of them have to be companied by pet dogs. However, it is sometimes impossible for some old people to keep pet dogs because they are too old or ill to take care of pet dogs.

Experts are studying the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression（忧郁症）,physical activity, and life satisfaction. Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to see whether they can improve the quality of life for old people. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, said, “Old people should be more active, challenged, excited. The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”

In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO. Researchers will collect basic data for six weeks. Then, the researchers will review the data to decide if there are any changes in the life of its owner.

“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a 70-year-old lady. “When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”

The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over real dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog needn’t any exercise and feeding concerns.

“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would prefer the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry (毛茸茸的) ,”Beck says. “But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”

Hopefully, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help exciting older people’s minds.

1.From the passage we can learn that old people can easily feel lonely because_____.

A. their children don’t like to stay with them

B. they don’t have pet dogs

C. their children are too busy to stay with them

D. they don’t have robotic dogs

2. The underlined word “note” in the third paragraph means “_____”.

A. to give notice　　 B. to pay attention

C. to write down　 D. to talk about

3.The author may believe that the future robotic dogs can_________.

A. help excit old people’s minds

B. take the place of real dogs

C. cure a lot of serious diseases

D. change people’s beliefs

4.Which is the best title for the passage ?

A. Pet Dogs Need Robotic Dogs

B. Old People Need Robotic Dogs

C. All People Need Robotic Dogs

D. Researchers Need Robotic Dogs

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I prefer to deal with big companies because their service and reputation are better than ________ of small ones.

A．that　 B．those

C．ones　 D．one

高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Sleep and Teens--Biology and Behavior

How much sleep do teens need? And how much sleep are they realistically getting? Based on current data, most teens need about 9-plus hours to have the best or most suitable sleep night. 1.

Many factors combine to decrease sleep in adolescents. We can think in general of two major factors: biological, the brain processes that regulate the amount and timing of sleep, and behavior, all the psychological, parental, societal, cultural features of teen’s life.

2.These changes lay the ground work for the biological night to occur later during the teen years than before. Circadian Rhythms (daily biological clock) seems to slow down as young people progress through the middle school years. At the same time, the sleep pressure system appears to change in a way that makes it easier to stay awake longer, though without changing the amount of sleep that is needed.

Moreover, many teens have a "technological playground" in their bedrooms: television, computer with 24/7 Internet access, telephones, electronic game stations, MP3 players, and so forth. These technologies provide instant and constant contact with peers. Societal and media pressure to consume these technologies is now higher than ever. Yet society also requires that teens go to school at a time of day that is at odds with their biological and social lives. So we see teens turn to caffeine, late-night Internet and cramming in activity after activity as a means to keep awake. 3.

Problems emerge for lack of sleep. 4.For some, grades begin to suffer as they struggle to keep awake during class and while doing homework. And others may simply feel moody, never knowing how to feel or do their best. Worse still, many teens suffer from both physical and mental illness.

5.The earlier teens can start this good sleep habit, the easier it will be for them to stay healthy, happy and smart.

A. Sleep experts recommend teens keep consistent sleep and wake schedule.

B. Teens may schedule sleep like any other daily activity and make sleep a priority.

C. Then they are trapped into a terrible situation where they would never get enough sleep.

D. The sleep-wake bio-regulatory factors appear to change significantly during adolescence.

E. Some teenagers struggle to wake up in the morning, often resulting in late or missed school.

F. Teens may be driven to things that can wake them up because they'll fall asleep if they do not.

G. However, it is indicated that most teens fall short of this goal, many by a considerable amount.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

It is not unusual at all for teens to answer their parents with one work answers. “Where are you going?” “Places.” “When will you be back?” “Sometime.” “Who will you be with?” “People.”

That means that the days of your children bounding in the front door with the details of their day are over. They are breaking away from you so that they’ll be able to stand on their own as a young adult.

Some parents feel sad about this loss of their children’s closeness. Of course you miss those conversations and friendly talks. Once your children move out after high school and establish themselves confidently as a young adult, they’ll come back for easy conversations and even ask for advice. But in order to determine who they are right now they need to separate from you.

Your job, however, is to keep them safe——and that requires knowing there they are and who they are with. Let them know clearly that it’s not because you want to dominate their life and control them; it’s because it’s a safety issue for family members to keep track of one another.

When they’re home and sit down to eat a meal, sit down with them. You need to open up to them about your life. Tell them of an interesting incident at the office, let them in on a bit of family gossip(闲谈), discuss a piece of news with them. They are glad that you see them as old enough to be in on a few experiences of your life. By letting a teen in on your life, they just may let you in of theirs

1.The underlined word “That” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to “ ”.

A．teens no longer tell parents their detailed information

B．teens don’t tell parents where they had been any more

C．parents are impatient to listen to their children

D．parents are occupied by doing their business

2.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．the generation gap is becoming wider and wider

B．teens quarrel a lot with their parents

C．teens don’t want to live with other family members

D．some parents feel distant from their teenage children

3.The author believes that teens’ one-word answers show________.

A．their awareness of independence

B．their physical and mental changes

C．an unpleasant parent-child relationship

D．their wishes for keeping silent

4.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．Parents should understand their children.

B．parents should keep their children safe.

C．Parents should open their hearts to their children.

D．Parents should give their children enough freedom.

5.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To give advice

B．To direct teenagers

C．To present findings

D．To comfort parents

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is not unusual at all for teens to answer their parents with one work answers. “Where are you going?” “Places.” “When will you be back?” “Sometime.” “Who will you be with?” “People.”

That means that the days of your children bounding in the front door with the details of their day are over. They are breaking away from you so that they’ll be able to stand on their own as a young adult.

Some parents feel sad about this loss of their children’s closeness. Of course you miss those conversations and friendly talks. Once your children move out after high school and establish themselves confidently as a young adult, they’ll come back for easy conversations and even ask for advice. But in order to determine who they are right now they need to separate from you.

Your job, however, is to keep them safe——and that requires knowing there they are and who they are with. Let them know clearly that it’s not because you want to dominate their life and control them; it’s because it’s a safety issue for family members to keep track of one another.

When they’re home and sit down to eat a meal, sit down with them. You need to open up to them about your life. Tell them of an interesting incident at the office, let them in on a bit of family gossip(闲谈), discuss a piece of news with them. They are glad that you see them as old enough to be in on a few experiences of your life. By letting a teen in on your life, they just may let you in of theirs

1.The underlined word “That” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to “________”.

2.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

3.The author believes that teens’ one-word answers show________.

4.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

5.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

________ with teens who spend much of their free time in front of TV sets, those who are physically active often have better grades.

A. Compared B. To compare　

C. Comparing　 D. Having compared

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent study suggests that teens’ relationship with parents, friends and teachers may have a lot to do with why they don’t get a good night’s sleep.

David Maume, a sociologist and sleep researcher, analyzed federal health data, which interviewed 974 teenagers when they were 12, and then again at 15. He found that family dynamics (动态) have much to do with how well kids sleep. Teens, who had warm relations with their parents and felt like they could talk to them or their parents were supportive of them, tended to sleep better. However, families that were going through a divorce or a remarriage tended to affect teens’ sleep.

And problems at school also affected teens’ sleep. Feeling safe at school and having good relations with teachers tended to promote better sleep. As did good relationships with friends. Kids who took part in sports or other positive social activities or shared similar academic goals with their friends were also more likely to get a good night’s sleep.

These add up to what makes lots of sense: a general feeling of well-being helps teens sleep. If we’re happy and contented, we’re much more likely to sleep better than if we’re sad and anxious.

Now, of course, teens can hardly resist being drawn to their computers and social networking. Maume also found that when parents were strict not only about bedtime, but also about limiting technology, kids slept better. It’s a finding that seems obvious, but parents really do matter when it comes to health habits of their teenagers.

Clearly, teenagers aren’t getting 9 to 10 hours a night, which puts them at risk for all the consequences of lack of sleep, including poor academic performance, colds and stress.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Teens’ sleep is linked to their relationship with people around them.

B. Lack of adequate sleep puts teens at risk of many bad consequences.

C. Modern technology has something to do with teens’ sleep problems.

D. It is necessary for teens to join in sports and positive social activities.

2.According to Maume’s analysis, who will probably have a poor night’s sleep?

A. Teens who feel like talking with their parents.

B. Teens who have friends sharing their dreams.

C. Teens who feel contented about themselves.

D. Teens who lack a sense of security at school.

3.Para 5 functions as 　　　　　　　　 .

A. a comparison     B. an introduction        C. a conclusion        D. an addition

4.Parents are supposed to 　　　　　　　　 when their kids are growing up.

A. continue their broken marriage            B. allow children to decide when to sleep

C. limit teens’ using new technology        D. force teens to have 10 hours’ sleep daily

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent study suggests that teens’ relationship with parents, friends and teachers may have a lot to do with why they don’t get a good night’s sleep.

David Maume, a sociologist and sleep researcher, analyzed federal health data, which interviewed 974 teenagers when they were 12, and then again at 15. He found that family dynamics (动态) have much to do with how well kids sleep. Teens, who had warm relations with their parents and felt like they could talk to them or their parents were supportive of them, tended to sleep better. However, families that were going through a divorce or a remarriage tended to affect teens’ sleep.

And problems at school also affected teens’ sleep. Feeling safe at school and having good relations with teachers tended to promote better sleep. As did good relationships with friends. Kids who took part in sports or other positive social activities or shared similar academic goals with their friends were also more likely to get a good night’s sleep.

These add up to what makes lots of sense: a general feeling of well-being helps teens sleep. If we’re happy and contented, we’re much more likely to sleep better than if we’re sad and anxious.

Now, of course, teens can hardly resist being drawn to their computers and social networking. Maume also found that when parents were strict not only about bedtime, but also about limiting technology, kids slept better. It’s a finding that seems obvious, but parents really do matter when it comes to health habits of their teenagers.

Clearly, teenagers aren’t getting 9 to 10 hours a night, which puts them at risk for all the consequences of lack of sleep, including poor academic performance, colds and stress.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Teens’ sleep is linked to their relationship with people around them.

B. Lack of adequate sleep puts teens at risk of many bad consequences.

C. Modern technology has something to do with teens’ sleep problems.

D. It is necessary for teens to join in sports and positive social activities.

2.According to Maume’s analysis, who will probably have a poor night’s sleep?

A. Teens who feel like talking with their parents.

B. Teens who have friends sharing their dreams.

C. Teens who feel contented about themselves.

D. Teens who lack a sense of security at school.

3. Para 5 functions as ________.

A. a comparison        B. an introduction               C. a conclusion           D. an addition

4. Parents are supposed to ________ when their kids are growing up.

A. continue their broken marriage

B. allow children to decide when to sleep

C. limit teens’ using new technology

D. force teens to have 10 hours’ sleep daily

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Cell phone use and texting are increasingly common, especially among teens. And that could be a problem. Texting affects learning and performing on test, a new study finds. So a Montana teen, Colin decided to test that.

They asked 47 classmates to take part in a two-part experiment. The goal was to test how well these students understood written material. Each one had to read a paragraph or two about a certain topic, then answer questions about it.

In the first part, the participants had 15 minutes to understand and then answer questions about six readings. Throughout this test, they met no distractions.

During a new set of readings, the brothers sent messages to the participants’ cell phones every 90 seconds. In each message, there were questions that required a reply.

Participants should have scored better on the second test because it was easier. In fact, they scored worse when distracted by messages. Only a few students scored as well when replying to messages as they did when undistracted. But importantly, nobody performed better during the texting part.

The brothers presented details of their findings at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Boys and girls scored equally poorly while texting, the brothers noticed. Older participants didn’t do any better than younger ones. And it didn’t matter if a student thought he was good at multitasking. On average, the brothers found that even students who were confident of their abilities did just as poorly while texting. Surprisingly, even though the students remembered less of what they read while texting, most of them answered questions in messages perfectly.

“Our teachers are very happy to see these results,” says Coler. The teens’ new data strongly support their teachers’ opinion that texting while studying is a serious distraction.

1. What did Colter and Colin want to test?

A. Cell phone use and texting are more common.

B. Teens should avoid cell phone use and texting.

C. Texting affects students’ performance on test.

D. The effect of texting differs from person to person.

2.What can we learn from the two-part experiment?

A. The written material in the two parts was the same.

B. Participants in part 2 received more than one message.

C. The time of the test in two parts was the same.

D. All the participants were distracted by messages.

3.The brothers’ findings were related to participants’ ________.

A. reading performance　 B. quality

C. writing ability 　　　 D. reading speed

4. From the results of the experiment, we can find _________.

A. boys were better at multitasking than girls

B. the easier the tests were, the more mistakes were made

C. nobody did good jobs in the two-part experiment

D. some students’ test results were not affected by texting

5.What’s Colter’s teachers’ attitude toward the results?

A. Surprised.　　 B. Worried.

C. Satisfied.　　 D. Serious.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析