Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way. " He was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.

　　Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant（微不足道的), it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

　　Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.

　　Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.

　　"Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today. "

　　"I learned that the population of Nepal is .... "

　　Silence.

　　Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation（拯救）of the world would depend upon it. "The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well…" he'd say. "Get the map; let's see where Nepal is. " And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.

　　This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

　　As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming（肯定) our value, giving us a sense of dignity（体面), Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

　　Later during my training as a future teacher, I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting (传授) what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.

21. What do we know from the first paragraph?

　　A. The author's father was born in a worker's family.

　　B. Those born stupid could not change their life.

　　C. The town elders wanted to learn about the world.

　　D. The poor could hardly afford school education.

22. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to "

　　A. one new thing          B. a request                  C. the news                 D. some comment

23. It can be learned from the passage that the author _______ .

　　A. enjoyed talking about news

　　B. knew very well about Nepal

　　C. felt regret about those wasted days

　　D . appreciated his father's educational technique

24. What is the greatest value of "dinner time" to the author?

　　A. Continual learning.                                       B. Showing talents.

　　C. Family get-together.                                     D. Winning Papa's approval.

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25. TV Ears helps you ______.
  A. improve your sleeping quality                   B. listen to TV without disturbing others
  C. change TV channels without difficulty        D. become interested in ballgame programs
26. What makes TV Ears different from other headsets?
  A. It can easily set TV on mute                      B. Its headset volume is adjustable
  C. It has a new noise reduction ear tip             D. It applies special wireless technology
27.This advertisement is made more believable by ______.
  A. using recommendations                             B. offering reasons for this invention
  C. providing statistics                                    D. showing the results of experiments

In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics（策略）.

One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they

will buy more junk food later in their trip. In department stores, section is generally next to the women's cosmetics(化妆品) section：while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over cosmetics they might want to try later.

Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wine went up.

When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few second upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the poll through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.

28. Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?

   A. To save customers time.                   B. To show they are high quality foods.

   C. To help sell junk food.                      D. To sell them at discount prices.

29. According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?

   A. Opening the store early in the morning.

   B. Displaying British wines next to French ones.

   C. Inviting customers to play music.

   D. Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread.

30. What is the California builder's story intended to prove?

   A. The house structure is a key factor customers consider.

   B. The more costly the house is, the better it sells.

   C. An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste.

   D. A good first impression increases sales.

31. What is the main purpose of the passage?

   A. To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.

   B. To introduces how businesses have grown from the past.

   C. To report researches on customer behavior.

   D. To show dishonest business practices.

Daniel Anderson, a famous psychologist, believes it’s important to distinguish television’s influences on children from those of the family. We tend to blame TV, he says, for problems it doesn’t really cause, overlooking our own roles in shaping children’s minds.

One traditional belief about television is that it reduces a child’s ability to think and to understand the world. While watching TV, children do not merely absorb words and images (影像). Instead, they learn both explicit（表面的) and hidden meanings from what they see. Actually, children learn early the psychology of characters in TV shows. Furthermore, as many teachers agree, children understand far more when parents watch TV with them, explaining new words and ideas. Yet, most parents use an educational program as a chance to park their kids in front of the set and do something in another room.

Another argument against television is that it replaces reading as a form of entertainment. But according to Anderson, the amount of time spent watching television is not related to reading ability. TV doesn’t take the place of reading for most children; it takes the place of similar sorts of recreation, such as listening to the radio and playing sports. Things like parents’ educational background have a stronger influence on a child’s reading. “A child’s reading ability is best predicted by how much a parent reads.” Anderson says.

Traditional wisdom also has it that heavy television-watching lowers IQ scores and affects school performance. But here, too, Anderson notes that no studies have proved it. In fact, research suggests that it’s the other way around. “If you’re smart young, you’ll watch less TV when you’re older,” Anderson says. Yet, people of lower IQ tend to be lifelong television viewers.

For years researchers have attempted to show that television is dangerous to children. However, by showing that television promotes none of the dangerous effects as conventionally （传统地)believed, Anderson suggests that television cannot be condemned（谴责） without considering other influences.

32. An educational program is best watched by a child _________.

A. on his own                                                  B. with other kids

C. with his parents                                           D. with his teachers

33. Which of the following is most related to children’s reading ability?

A. Radio-listening                                             B. Television-watching

C. Parents’ reading list                                      D. Parents’ reading background

34. Anderson believed that _________.

A. the more a child watches TV, the smarter he is

B. the younger a child is, the more he watches TV

C. the smarter a child is, the less likely he gets addicted to TV

D. the less a child watches TV, the better he performs at school

35. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To advise on the educational use of TV.          B. To describe TV’s harmful effects on children.

C. To explain traditional views on TV influences. D. To present Anderson’s unconventional ideas.

This Way to Dreamland

Daydreaming means people think about something pleasant, especially when this makes them forget what they should be doing. Daydreamers have a bad reputation for being unaware of what’s happening around them. They can seem forgetful and clumsy._36__They annoy us because they seem to be ignoring us and missing the important things.

But daydreamers are also responsible for some of the greatest ideas and achievements in human history. _37__ Can you imagine what kind of world we would have without such ideas and inventions?

So how can you come up with brilliant daydreams and avoid falling over tree roots or otherwise looking like a fool?

First, understand that some opportunities for daydreaming are better than others. Feeling safe and relaxed will help you to slip into daydreams.__38 _ And if you want to improve your chances of having a creative idea while you’re daydreaming, try to do it while you are involved in another task—preferably something simple, like taking a shower or walking, or even making meaningless drawings.

It’s also important to know how to avoid daydreams for those times when you really need to concentrate. “Mindfulness”, being focused, is a tool that some people use to avoid falling asleep.__39_

Finally, you never know what wonderful idea might strike while your mind has moved slowly away.___40_

Always remember that your best ideas might come when your head is actually in the clouds.

A. Having interesting things to think about also helps.

B. They stare off into space and wander by themselves.

C. Without wandering minds, we wouldn’t have relativity, Coke or Post-it notes.

D. At one time, daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses.

E. It involves slow, steady breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive.

F. Daydreams are often very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to        understand.

G. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep a notebook or voice recorder nearby when you’re in the daydream zone.