Among the Boys is a unique after-school program for boys living in the Highland Park neighborhood of our city. The organizational task is to provide males living in low-income and public housing with opportunities to discover their ability to change challenges into possibilities. The program includes an academic part as well as specific plans for supporting the overall development of the participants. Among the Boys uses painting as an instrument for helping boys examine their world, discuss it, and develop positive ways of handling the challenges they face daily. Young men present personal challenges to the group, such as a recent fight or the long-term drug abuse they observe in their neighborhood. After guided discussion, the youth work as a team, determining how to best represent the issue at hand in a painting. The resulting paintings and explanations of these paintings provided by the young people suggest that something profound(深遠的) occurs through this process. These young men are learning a healthy way to express and cope with the pain and suffering they feel. Art serves as a healing process and a structured method of teaching teamwork, nonviolent values, conflict handling and problem-solving skills.

Activities in Among the Boys are in agreement with the best practices in the prevention of high-risk behavior. First, community-based youth development programs are considered important parts of a comprehensive prevention method, particularly in high-risk neighborhoods. Second, compensatory(補償) education that targets at risk youth for academic failure is also considered an effective prevention method. Third, interventions(介入) aimed at improving youth’s moral reasoning, social problem-solving, and thinking skills are reported to be effective methods for reducing violence in high-risk populations, especially when carried out with elementary school-aged boys. Finally, Among the Boys has an adapted tutoring part, considered an effective prevention tool. Tutoring is typically a one-to-one match between a tutor and a youth, but Among the Boys employs what is referred to as “group tutoring.” Among the Boys makes up for its high student-tutor ratio(比例) with quality and quantity of time, as the program meets after school, on Saturdays, and all day during the summer, and is staffed primarily by males, an unusual quality among educational programs.

Among the Boys is rare and successful form of grassroots program, and represents the dream of a successful male who grew up in the Highland Park neighborhood and has returned to make a valuable contribution to his community. 

1.Which of the following most accurately describes the organization of the second paragraph？

A. A theory is presented and proved with data.

B. A statement is made and supported with examples.

C. A problem is put forward and solutions are suggested

D. A situation is described and a prediction is provided

2. Which of the following statements is implied in the passage?

A. Art programs can promote painting but cannot prevent school failure.

B. Social problem-solving skills are not important for high school-age youth.

C. Most educational programs have some female staff members.

D. Teamwork produces better paintings than does independent work.

3. In discussing Among the Boys’ tutoring part, the author implies that ______.

A. Among the Boys employs a traditional tutoring model

B. tutoring is effective only with elementary school-age boys

C. tutoring prevents the youth’s attention from wandering off

D. increased hours with a group can be as effective as a one-to-one tutoring relationship

4.The founder of the program described in the passage ______.

A. sought contributions to make his program successful

B. designed the program for the same neighborhood in which he grew up

C. is seeking reelection for the Highland Park community school board

D. was a successful graduate of Among the Boys when he was a youth

5. The attitude of the author of the passage toward Among the Boys is ______.

A. forgiving      B. doubtful      C. praising       D. ignorant

（Natural News）Many parents have tried to gave their children a head start on education with get-smart videos and enrichment activities as early as infancy, but free play is often sacrificed, so the American Academy of Pediatrics says that the best medicine for busy children is an increase in traditional “playtime”.

A number of studies suggest that unstructured（無條理的）play can help children become creative, discover their own interests, develop problem-solving abilities, and relate to others socially, according to a report prepared by two academy committees for release Monday at the group’s annual meting. On the contrary, a lack of such playtime can create stress for both children and parents, and it can also cause obesity（肥胖）when children spend too much time sitting in front of educational videos. The report notes lack of playtime could even lead to depression in many children.

The report thinks the lack of playtime lies in the fact that parents want to have super-smart children and safe places for children to play is decreasing. A balance between free playtime and educational activities should be struck, the report states.

“In the current environment, where so many parents feel pressure to be super parents, I believe this message is an important one,” said Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, the report’s lead author and a pediatrician（小兒科醫(yī)師）at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Noted pediatrician, author, and presenter of cable TV’s “What Every Baby Knows,” Dr. T. Betty Brazelton agreed. “Children with structured activities” are missing the chance to dream, to make their own world work the way they want it. That to me is a very important part of childhood.

56. From the passage we can see that today’s children really need more                .

A. enrichment activities                B. conventional playtime

C. structured activities                 D. educational activities

57. Which of the following is a proper word to describe today’s children?

A. Dull.                B. Busy.                C. Happy.                    D. Free.

58. According to the report, the balance between                    _ is important for a child.

A. structured activities and unstructured activities

B. educational videos and recess time

C. fee playtime and traditional playtime

D. enrichment activities and social activities

59. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton mainly emphasizes                   in the last paragraph.

A. children’s ability to dream

B. the roles of structured activities

C. the important activities in his childhood

D. the harm of too many structured activities

60. It can be inferred from the passage that                                    .

A. children given a lot of unstructured activities can be more creative

B. get-smart videos and enrichment can create super children

C. there is a competition among parents to be super parents

D. child obesity is mainly caused by lack of playtime

（Natural News）Many parents have tried to gave their children a head start on education with get-smart videos and enrichment activities as early as infancy, but free play is often sacrificed, so the American Academy of Pediatrics says that the best medicine for busy children is an increase in traditional “playtime”.

A number of studies suggest that unstructured（無條理的）play can help children become creative, discover their own interests, develop problem-solving abilities, and relate to others socially, according to a report prepared by two academy committees for release Monday at the group’s annual meting. On the contrary, a lack of such playtime can create stress for both children and parents, and it can also cause obesity（肥胖）when children spend too much time sitting in front of educational videos. The report notes lack of playtime could even lead to depression in many children.

The report thinks the lack of playtime lies in the fact that parents want to have super-smart children and safe places for children to play is decreasing. A balance between free playtime and educational activities should be struck, the report states.

“In the current environment, where so many parents feel pressure to be super parents, I believe this message is an important one,” said Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, the report’s lead author and a pediatrician（小兒科醫(yī)師）at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Noted pediatrician, author, and presenter of cable TV’s “What Every Baby Knows,” Dr. T. Betty Brazelton agreed. “Children with structured activities” are missing the chance to dream, to make their own world work the way they want it. That to me is a very important part of childhood.

1. From the passage we can see that today’s children really need more 　　 　　　.

A. enrichment activities　　　 B. conventional playtime

C. structured activities　　　 D. educational activities

2. Which of the following is a proper word to describe today’s children?

A. Dull. 　　　　 B. Busy. 　　　　 C. Happy. 　　　 D. Free.

3. According to the report, the balance between 　　 　　　_ is important for a child.

A. structured activities and unstructured activities

B. educational videos and recess time

C. fee playtime and traditional playtime

D. enrichment activities and social activities

4. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton mainly emphasizes 　　 　　　 in the last paragraph.

A. children’s ability to dream

B. the roles of structured activities

C. the important activities in his childhood

D. the harm of too many structured activities

5. It can be inferred from the passage that 　　 　　　　　 　　　.

A. children given a lot of unstructured activities can be more creative

B. get-smart videos and enrichment can create super children

C. there is a competition among parents to be super parents

D. child obesity is mainly caused by lack of playtime