Ⅰ.阅读理解
Every year in America, highschool students who want to go on to college take a national examination called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT for short. Their score is an important factor in determining which colleges will admit them. The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one's mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English part involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension.
But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, handwritten on the spot. That's an interesting way to test writing ability, but content aside. Have you ever seen young people's handwriting lately? Or anyone's for that matter, in this age of computer keyboards? Students write numbers and sign their names on bank checks. They scribble class notes in what can generously be described as the written word.
Yet today's kids are asked to write, thoughtfully and clearly, for several minutes on this SAT test. Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl (潦草的笔迹) of young people who've been typing on computers since the age of three! Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one's score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers. And don't forget, we all have to use handwriting from time to time, as computers go down when the power goes out.
Then how to improve the handwriting? Well, with a few simple steps you can improve your handwriting.
Position the pen. You should hold the pen between the forefinger and the thumb. You should then rest it near the first knuckle (指节) of the middle finger. The rest of your fingers should be curled (卷曲) under your hand and your hand should remain relaxed.
Evaluate your writing. What do you like and what don't you like about the way you write? Make changes to your letters till you like how they look.
Take your time. Make sure that, while you are writing, you take your time. Speed can definitely make your writing terrible. If it is worth writing well, then take your time.
Practice. Practice it a lot; it's not enough to do it once and hope for the best. It has to be something you work at to make great improvements.
这是一篇说明文。在美国，每年想要上大学的高中生都要参加一项叫作学术能力倾向测试的全国考试，简称SAT。这个考试增加了当场书写部分，但是当前学生不注重书写，因此短文也介绍了如何提高书写的建议。所以此项改革会督促学生练字。
1．At present, the SAT tests students on ________.
A．math, English, reading and writing
B．math, grammar, reading and handwriting
C．math, foreign language and writing
D．math, foreign language and handwriting
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。由第一段以及第二段“The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one's mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English part involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension. But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, handwritten on the spot.”可知，学业能力倾向测验衡量一个人的数学能力和对英语的使用。传统上，英语部分涉及语法问题和测试阅读理解的段落。但是SAT考试增加了一个问题，要求考生当场手写来回答问题。所以目前，SAT考试考查的是学生的数学，语法，阅读和书写。故选B项。
2.The underlined word “scribble” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
A．writing quickly and roughly
B．typing simply and correctly
C．painting clearly and neatly
D．describing properly and well
答案：A
解析：词义猜测题。由第三段“Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl (潦草的笔迹) of young people who've been typing on computers since the age of three！”可知，祝那些必须克服这些潦草的字迹给三岁起就开始在电脑上打字的年轻人的写作评分的人好运。所以通过上下文的语境可以判断出，在第2段画线的“scribble”一词可能是指写得又快又粗略。 故选A项。
3．According to the text, good handwriting can ________.
A．help students pass the test
B．make a student more popular
C．show students' ability
D．assist students in getting a job
答案：D
解析：细节理解题。由第三段“Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one's score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers. ”可知，老师们坚持认为，好的书写不仅能帮助一个人在SAT考试中取得好成绩，而且在以后的生活中，还能给潜在的雇主留下深刻的印象。所以根据短文，好的书写可以帮助学生找工作。故选D项。
4．The author mainly wants to tell us that ________.
A．writing seems to be very important in the SAT
B．those who will go to college have to take the SAT
C．students should practice handwriting more often
D．kids don't know how to write in the computer age
答案：C
解析：推理判断题。通读全文可知，在美国，每年想要上大学的高中生都要参加一项叫作学术能力倾向测试的全国考试，简称SAT。这个考试增加了当场书写部分，但是当前学生不注重书写，因此短文也介绍了如何提高书写的建议。所以此项改革会督促学生练字。所以作者通过这篇短文主要想告诉学生应该多练习书写。故选C项。
