My name is Cherry Carl, and I retired in June, 2003, after 35 years as a teacher and Language Arts Specialist in Santee, California. However, I continued my role as an instructor at the University of California, San Diego, in the Reading Specialist Certification Program until June, 2009.

I wasn't ready to retire. Teaching is in my blood! (My mother always reminded me that when I was little, I dragged the neighborhood kids in to play school whether they wanted to or not!) I still have the strong desire to make a difference for teachers, parents, and students. I'm passionate about the joy of knowing how to read and write and want every child to have the experience of closing a book with a sigh, "Wow, that was a good book!" The only way they can do that is by having the necessary skills and strategies to become independent readers. This website has been created to provide resources and materials for classroom teachers, reading and resource specialists, speech therapists, parents and students in the area of language arts. Please feel free to download and print anything that catches your eye, but please make sure to leave my name on the poetry and worksheets!

If you have specific needs or suggestions, please don't hesitate to a sk. I'm always open to new ideas and requests. That's how the site continues to grow. You can email me at carl1404@msn.com.

Thank you so much for your heartfelt messages and testimonials. You and your children are the reason that I maintain the site and I will continue to offer the materials with little or no fees.

1.By saying “Teaching is in my blood” in Paragraph 2, the author means that ________.

A. she loves teaching all her life

B. she didn’t want to retire at all

C. she is a specialist in teaching

D. teaching is as important as her blood

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Cherry Carl?

A. She became a teacher at the age of 35.

B. She was interested in teaching as a child.

C. She is still a teacher in a middle school now.

D. She gave up teaching totally 35 years ago.

3.If you want some materials from Cherry Carl, ________.

A. you must pay some money for them

B. you can always get them free of charge

C. you should tell her before getting them

D. you should mark her name on them

To many students, high school is just a basic routine. You go to class in the morning, take a break for lunch and go home in the afternoon.

This isn't quite that simple for pupils at Royal West Academy. As if classes and homework weren’t already enough, students are also required to complete a range of extracurricular activities, or ECAs.

The range of ECAs being offered at the school is various, including everything from guitar and jewelry-making clubs, fund-raising marches, to student committees, swimming and tennis.

“I love ECAs. I’m so happy we have them,” said grade 11 student Adrienne, who is a soccer player and member of the graduation committee. “They motivate the students, and they’re a great bonding experience. I think that without them, not half as many students would be joining up for the soccer team.”

Requiring students to complete ECAs is a sign of the times. That’s because young people are preparing for the future in ways that weren’t considered necessary before. This is an era when ECAs are seen as important. Whether it’s for leadership experience, sports, craft skills or volunteer these things are seen as rounding out the individual and improving their future.

ECAs can also help students discover their likes and dislikes. But as the old song says, you can’t always get what you want, especially when so many students are all trying to sign up for the most popular activities.

ECAs can cut into study and homework time if you’re not careful. You really have to get organized or you’ll fall apart.

1.The students at Royal West Academy may do the following ECAs except ______.

A. to play musical instruments

B. to raise money for an organization

C. to attend sports events

D. to have classes discussions

2.From what Adirienne said, we know that _______.

A. most of his classmates are interested in football

B. one can make many new friends in ECAs

C. students get encouraged to join in ECAs

D. half of his classmates are unwilling to join in ECAs.

3.Why are ECAs important now?

A. They prepare the students for their future.

B. They can make students get what they want.

C. they can help students find their strong points.

D. They can reduce students’ learning time.

4.From the last paragraph, we can infer that _______.

A. ECAs can increase your burden of learning

B. you may fall down when playing in ECAs

C. too many ECAs may leave you in trouble

D. you need to organize other students in ECAs

Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)

Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)

Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Angela Merkel (1954 - )

In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 - )

When Sandra Day O’ Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.

Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )

In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.

Marie Curie (1867 - 1934)

Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation. Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.

1.We can infer from the text that Rachel Carson worked to _____.

A. help the poor B. spread geographic knowledge

C. protect the environment D. protect the rights of women

2.What do Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher have in common?

A. Both of them were scientists before coming to power.

B. Both of them are the first woman head of their country.

C. Both of them are famous for being strict.

D. Both of them have worked for three terms.

3.Who once failed to find a job?

A. Jane Addams. B. Sandra Day O’Connor.

C. Rachel Carson. D. Margaret Thatcher.

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. Great women. B. Famous scientists.

C. Strong leaders. D. Ways to success for women.

The color red often means danger --- and by paying attention, accidents can be prevented. At railroad crossings, flashing red fights warn cars to stay back. A red light at a traffic crossing tells cars to stop, so they don't run into other cars.

In the future, the color red also may help prevent danger at construction sites. Thanks to new work by engineers, bridge supports --- or other kinds of materials --- could one day contain a color-changing material. It will turn red before a structure collapses(倒塌) or falls apart.

The secret behind the color-changing material is a particular type of molecule(分子). Molecules come in all shapes and sizes, and make up everything you can see, touch or feel. How a molecule behaves depends on what kinds of atoms(原子) it contains, and how they're held together.

To get a rough picture of one way atoms are held together in a molecule, imagine you and your friends standing in a large circle, holding hands. Each person represents one atom, your clasped hands represent the bond, and the entire circle represents a molecule.

The molecule being used to turn the material red is called mechanophore(機(jī)械響應(yīng)性聚合物). When one chemical bond in the mechanophore molecule breaks, the rest of the molecule turns red.

There is a way to get rid of~ the red color: light. When a bright light is shone on the mechanophore, the broken bond is fixed and the red color disappears. This "self-healing" may be a problem for engineers who want to use the color-changer in big construction projects that will be outside, in the sunlight. And if bright light keeps the red color from appearing, then the mechanophore's warning system will be useless.

Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color-changing molecules can be used outside the lab. If mechanophore can be used in the real world, they are suggested to be employed in a new kind of paint.

1.The first paragraph mainly tells us __________.

A. the color red is widely used in our life

B. how to prevent car accidents

C. the color is an important signal of warning

D. how to use color red

2.The color red will be used at construction sites to _________.

A. tell different materials used in the building

B. warn people that the building is dangerous

C. make the building more beautiful

D. tell people the building is under construction

3.The example given in the fourth paragraph is to show _________.

A. the way atoms are held together in a molecule

B. how a molecule behaves in an object

C. how to play an old game

D. how people get along with each other

4.What can make the mechanophore’s warning system ineffective?

A. Paints B. Water C. Poor building materials D. The bright light

From time to time, we all get a bit down. Maybe we are feeling bad because we’re not doing well with our goals. There are many reasons for feeling down, but I’m not able to discuss all of them. ___1.___

Make a list. Sometimes we are sad simply because we are troubled by all the things we have to do. ___2.___ Make a list of the most pressing things you have to do. Thus you’re getting things under control. You can see, right in front of you, what you need to do, and that can pick up your mood.

___3.___ You’ve made a list, and you still feel puzzled? Well, get started on the first thing you need to do. Once you get into action, you’ll feel better. And once you start doing something, you will feel much better than lying around feeling sorry for yourself.

___4.___ I like Brown Eyed Girl, the Kinks, the Ramones, or an upbeat Beatles tune. You might have your own brand of feel-good music. Whatever it is, let yourself move to the beat. It may just be what the doctor ordered.

Talk about it. Get a best friend, family member or coworker you can talk to. ____5.____ It can also help you work out the reasons you’re feeling down.

A. Take action.

B. Play some lively music.

C. Get out of the house and do something.

D. Getting things off your chest makes a big difference.

E. Start simply by picking up a piece of paper and a pen.

F. Do whatever you need to do to feel good about yourself.

G. What I can talk about are some things that have worked for me.

I was fifteen when I walked into Black Stump Bookstore in Liverpool. As I was looking at on the shelves, the shop owner asked if I’d like . I needed to start for college, so I said yes. I worked after school and during summers for the lowest wages, and the job helped my first year of college. I had worked in many other jobs: I made coffee in the Students’ Union during college, I was a hotel maid and I make maps for the Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most .

One day a woman asked me for books on women’s diseases. She seemed fearful. I showed her almost everything we had at that time and found other books we could order. She left the store less . I’ve always remembered the felt in having helped her.

Years later, as a in London, I heard about a black child born his fingers connected. His family could not a corrective operation, and the boy lived in hiding his hand in pocket. I my boss to let me do the story. After my story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called, offering to perform the for free. I visited the boy in the room soon after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his hand and say “ Thank you.” I felt a sense of .

In the past I was at Black Stump Bookstore, I always sensed I was working for the customers, not the store. Today, it’s the same. BBC News pays my , but I feel as if I work for the viewers, helping them understand the world.

1.A. maps B. titles C. articles D. reports

2.A. a book B. any help C. any suggestions D. a job

3.A. planning B. leaving C. preparing D. studying

4.A. pay for B. fit for C. run for D. enter for

5.A. so B. never C. even D. still

6.A. boring B. exciting C. satisfying D. disappointing

7.A. in need B. in all C. in order D. in store

8.A. worried B. surprised C. doubted D. puzzled

9.A. pride B. failure C. regret D. wonder

10.A. doctor B. store owner C. bookseller D. TV reporter

11.A. in B. with C. by D. for

12.A. pay B. offer C. afford D. spend

13.A. peace B. honor C. horror D. danger

14.A. chose B. forced C. persuaded D. permitted

15.A. action B. program C. treatment D. operation

16.A. waiting B. recovery C. reading D. guest

17.A. repaired B. connected C. injured D. improved

18.A. pleasure B. sadness C. humor D. responsibility

19.A. if B. though C. until D. while

20.A. prize B. salary C. cost D. bill

We now live in ____ is called the Information Age.

A. when B. which C. what D. that

Do you think that bridge ____ 2,000 meters long? It doesn’t seem ____ long.

A. measures, that B. is measured, so C. is measured, such D. measures, much

Nine in ten high school students say there are significant differences in their attitude toward chatting on line, compared with _________ of their parents.

A. those B. that C. it D. one

The visiting professor gave us some advice,________ of great help to our English learning.

A. I think it is B. I think which is C. which I think is D. which I think it is