Here are some books which can inspire kids to think about nature and the environment.

How to Raise Monarch Butterflies

—By Carol Pasternak

Have you ever watched a monarch transform from a caterpillar (毛虫) to a butterfly from up close? In this book, learn everything about the monarch life cycle and how to raise monarchs from eggs to adult butterflies. You will also get to know the efforts involved to protect the species.

A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks

—By Erin McHugh

This year, the US National Park Service’s National Park Week is on April 21-29. During the week, all the national parks offer free admission. Enrich your knowledge with this book, as it introduces the national parks and some interesting places in the US, including their geography, specific animals as well as environmental challenges. The book’s featured places include Yosemite National Park, Ellis Island (home of the Statue of Liberty) and the National Park of American Samoa, the only U.S. national park south of the equator (赤道).

Where Do Recyclable Materials Go?

—By Sabbithry Persad

Tiana had been learning about recycling at school. But when her dog, Bubbles, gets lost running after a recycling truck, she ends up learning a lot more about recyclable materials than ever! Follow Tiana and her family as they search for Bubbles around town and at the Materials Recovery Facility. Along the way, readers will learn a lot about recycling and how they can do their part in protecting the environment.

Scrap Kins Build-It Book Volume 1

—By Brian Yanish

Meet the Scrap Kins. They are creative, friendly monsters (怪物) who live in a recycling center, known as Scrap City. They’ll show you how to turn junk into pretty cool things. Readers will learn how to create cute bags from old jeans, beautiful ships from milk boxes, and more. Remember that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!

1. Which author teaches you how to make an artwork from wastes?

A. Carol Pasternak.    B. Erin McHugh.

C. Sabbithry Persad.    D. Brian Yanish.

2. Why is the National Park of American Samoa special?

A. There is a famous statue in it.

B. It is free for admission.

C. It has its specific animals.

D. It lies south of the equator.

3. Which book is most probably written in the form of a story?

A. How to Raise Monarch Butterflies

B. A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks

C. Where Do Recyclable Materials Go?

D. Scrap Kins Build-It Book Volume 1

4. The common goal of the four books is to _________.

A. teach kids practical skills

B. raise kids’ environment awareness

C. comment on kids’ behavior

D. make kids interested in geography

Last Sunday, I was sitting in a French restaurant enjoying a meal when I got on a phone call from a friend I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. In my enthusiasm and excitement, I talked quite louder than usual voice and in Spanish, my mother tongue.

A few minutes into the call, an old lady sitting at the table beside mine got up, seemingly offended, and asked the restaurant staff to relocate (重新安排) a table as far away as possible from this man who seemed to be impolite.

I sank in my seat out of embarrassment. I ended the call soon afterwards and felt the urge to apologize. Before getting up, I looked around to see where she was and she was at the table farthest away from me. I noticed that the lady was alone and staring out of the window. I found a tinge (气息) of sadness or anxiety and perhaps a desire for aloneness and peace. But I had obviously destroyed it minutes earlier.

Right then I abandoned my plan for a conventional apologetic gesture. Seeing those funny smile cards in my wallet, I took one out and wrote some words to express my apology. On signing my restaurant bill, I asked a waiter to secretly charge the lady’s meal to me and hand her the smile card instead of her bill.

Did she take it the wrong way, I wondered? Did she get confused? Did she refuse the anonymous (匿名的) offer? And so on. I just waited and felt nervous to learn the outcome. To my pleasant surprise, things turned out the best possible way.

The waiter approached me in a joy, telling me, “In the many times she had dined here before, I had never seen the old lady smile as she did when receiving the smile card and the $ 0 bill. She thanked me even though I explained that someone else did the job.”

5. The old lady changed her seat mainly because of _________.

A. the author’s loud voice

B. her private phone call

C. the views out of the window

D. the restaurant staff’s mistake

6. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A. The lady didn’t have a nice mood and liked to stay alone.

B. The author went up to the old lady and apologized to her.

C. The old lady just moved to the farthest table to see outside.

D. The author didn’t stop talking though he felt embarrassed.

7. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A. An Old Lady Who Never Smiles

B. A Smile Card for a Sincere Apology

C. An Unpleasant Experience in France

D. A Misunderstanding Caused by Different Cultures

Many kids help out around the house with chores(家庭杂务) such as emptying the dishwasher, putting laundry away, and taking out the trash. In exchange, some kids get allowances(补贴) or other rewards such as extra computer time.

But some people do not think that kids should get rewards for doing chores. Susie Walton, a parenting educator and family coach, believes that by rewarding kids, parents are sending a message that work isn’t worth doing unless you get something in return. "Running any kind of household is a team effort," Susie said. "A home is a living space for everyone in the family. It’s important for kids to see that we all have responsibilities in the house, and that families decide together how they want their home to look, and how they are going to keep it looking like everyone wants it to look."

Other people believe that getting a cash allowance or other rewards motivates kids to do chores, and it also teaches them real world lessons about how we need to work to earn money. There are also new applications that give kids points and digital gifts that can be redeemed(兑取) either online or in the real world. With the ChoreMonster app, kids earn digital points by completing chores that they can turn in for real-life rewards such as extra Xbox time or a trip to the mall. "Our goal is to encourage kids to earn rewards," says Chris Bergman, founder of ChoreMonster. "Kids need positive reinforcement(强化) to help motivate them."

What do you think? Should kids be rewarded for doing chores? Or should kids help out around their homes without getting anything in return?

Write a 200-word response. Send it to tfkasks4youtimeforkids.com. Your response may be published in a future issue of Time For Kids. Please include your grade and contact information of your parent or teacher if you want your response to be published. The deadline for responding is February 18.

8. How does the author start the passage?

A. By comparing different views.

B. By listing some evidence.

C. By presenting some facts.

D. By stating his own experiences.

9. According to Susie Walton, _______.

A. kids should be rewarded for doing chores

B. parents decide what kids can do for the family

C. kids have the responsibility to share housework

D. kids can get extra computer time for doing chores

10. Paragraph 3 is mainly about ________.

A. Chris Bergman’s opinion on raising kids

B. the advantage of rewarding kids for doing chores

C. main reasons why kids need encouragement

D. how to motivate kids to try new applications

11. The purpose of writing the text is to __________.

A. inform readers of two different opinions

B. call on readers to reflect on their behavior

C. present the author’s viewpoint about parenting

D. invite readers to express their opinions

For many people who live in cities, parks are an important landscape. They provide a place for people to relax and play sports, as well as a shelter from the often severe environment of a city. What people often overlook is that parks also provide considerable environmental benefits.

One benefit of parks is that plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. According to one study, an acre of trees can absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide that a typical car emits in 11,000 miles of driving. Parks also make cities cooler. Scientists have long noted what is called the Urban Heat Island Effect: building materials such as metal and concrete (混凝土) absorb much more of the sun’s heat and release it much more quickly than trees and grass. Because city landscapes contain so much of these building materials, cities are usually warmer than surrounding rural areas. Parks and other green spaces help to lessen the Urban Heat Island Effect.

Unfortunately, many cities cannot easily create more parks. However, cities could benefit from many of the positive effects of parks by encouraging citizens to create another type of green space: rooftop gardens. While most people would not think of starting a garden on their roof, human beings have been planting gardens on rooftops for thousands of years. Some rooftop gardens are simple container gardens that anyone can create with the investment (投资) of a few hundred dollars and a few hours of work.

Rooftop gardens provide many of the same benefits as other urban parks and garden spaces, but without taking up the much-needed land. In the summer, rooftop gardens prevent buildings from absorbing heat from the sun, which can significantly reduce cooling bills. In the winter, gardens help control the heat that materials like brick and concrete release so quickly, leading to savings on heating bills. Rooftop vegetables and herb gardens can also provide fresh food for city settlers, making their diets healthier. Rooftop gardens are not only something everyone can enjoy but also a smart environmental investment.

12. The underlined word “emits” in the second paragraph probably means _________.

A. gives out    B. takes up

C. carries away    D. breathes in

13. Which of the following contributes to the Urban Heat Island Effect?

A. More building materials.

B. More trees and grass.

C. More parking lots.

D. More rooftop gardens.

14. When it comes to rooftop gardens, what can be inferred from the passage?

A. They make people much happier.

B. They provide more benefits from urban parks.

C. They help to save money and keep a healthy diet.

D. They have become very popular in recent years.

15. What’s the author’s attitude towards rooftop gardens?

A. Doubtful.    B. Supportive.    C. Critical.    D. Objective.

Nowadays more and more children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones.  ____16____Some are shy “in real life” but are confident to communicate with others online; others find support from people of their own age on relationship issues, or problems at home.

Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can introduce problems, such as bullying or arguments.   ____17____ But there are also a few people who use the Internet for offensive (冒犯性的) or illegal aims. Children must be made aware of  both the good things and the dangers.

___18___ Just as you decide which TV programs are suitable, you need to do the same for the websites and chat rooms your children visit. Remind your children that online friends are still strangers. Reminding them of the risks will keep them alert (警惕).

___19___So it’s likely that your children may know more than you do. We get left behind when it comes to the latest gad-gets and the interactive areas of websites, like chat rooms and message boards, which are especially strange. ____20____  Chatters love to use abbreviations (缩写) such as: atb — all the best, bbfn — bye bye for now, gr8 — great, Idk — I don’t know, kit — keep in touch, paw — parents are watching, lol — laugh out loud. It seems like another language, and it is!

A. Going online is great fun.

B. Computer studies are part of schoolwork now.

C. The language of chat is strange to many parents, too.

D. There are some websites that are not suitable for children.

E. To keep children safe, your management must cover the family computer.

F. They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world.

G. Surfing the Internet takes too much of the time that should be spent on lessons.