IV阅读理解：40分(共20小题；每小题2分，共40分)
A
Technology and the present generation of kids go hand in hand. Taking advantage of this factor, Lim Hojoon, the designer from South Korea, has come up with an educational gadget (小装置) especially for children.  
Kidget, as the name suggests, is a combination of two words – kid and gadget. This kid-friendly gadget has various uses. When your child is in a mood to read, it takes the form of a storybook. When the mood is to draw and color, this wonder gadget turns into a perfect canvas (画布). Your child can freely give color to all his/her imaginations. Should he or she wish to have some fun, see this device change into a musical instrument. You too would enjoy doing activities with your loved one using this gadget. This touch screen device will definitely prove to be an ideal friend.
As many parents agree, in this age of technological advancements it is much easier to introduce children to new gadgets than adults. While many adults refrain (克制) from trying out something new, kids are more than prepared to take the leap. Keeping this fact in mind, Kidget is the perfect gift for the child of the 21st century. You will be surprised to see how fast your little one gets acquainted with the device. You might even find yourself lagging (落后) behind at times.
Kidget has another hidden advantage. It helps take the load off young shoulders. With three things rolled into one, a child has much fewer books, stationary items and related goods to carry. It comes with a promise to make life simpler for kids. Not only is it simple to use but also easy to carry along. The stylish protective case comes with a belt attached to it. Children up to 14 years of age, the targeted audience, enjoy the freedom that comes with it.
56. The Kidget probably can’t serve as a ______.
   A. storybook  B. perfect canvas C. musical instrument D. television
57. We learn from the second paragraph that Kidget ______.
  A. has many functions   
  B. is only suitable for kids  
  C. can make kids addicted if not properly used  
  D. can change its shape and color

58.A hidden advantage of Kidget is that ______.
A．it can be put into a schoolbag
B．children can carry much less with it
C．it has a stylish protective case
D．it contains all the textbooks
59. We can infer from the text that Kidget ______.
A．is easily operated by kids
B．meets with parents’ disapproval
C．needs to be further improved
D．replaces schoolbags

B
Dear Reader，
I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all -- there wouldn't be time enough in a day. That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter. I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse. That's how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours. One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life. I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving. Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation(拯救) on a farm. Three years after I started writing it, it was published. (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.)
Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write. I started early – as soon as I could spell. In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing. I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction is trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures. I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead. As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school. Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book. And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets. Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting. I can't send books, either – you can find them in a bookstore or a library. Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books. This is not true – books are made by the publisher. If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it. That's why I can't send books. And I do not send autographs – I leave that to the movie stars. I live most of the year in the country, in New England. From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains. I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events. In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her web. In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet. But real life is only one kind of life – there is also the life of the imagination. And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too – truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely,
E.B. White
60. How many animal characters in E.B.White’s books have been mentioned in his letter?
 A. 2. B. 3. C. 4. D. 5.
61. Which of the following has inspired E.B.White to write his famous Charlotte’s Web?
   A. His dream of a little boy acting like a mouse. 
   B. His sympathy for a dying pig.
   C. His impression of spiders wearing skill.
   D. His imagination of a swan blowing a trumpet.
62. Which of the following may not be the question asked by E.B.White’s readers?
   A. Where do you live? 
 B. Are your stories true?
   C. Can you come and visit our school?
 D. Why do you send us this printed letter?
63. From the letter, we can know that E.B.White _____.
   A. could spell at a very young age        B. makes a living by writing
   C. lives under a roof of four generations   D. is busy writing animals all his life
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