London——Laura Spence has excellent grades, a place at Harvard University and a US $25,000 a year scholarship. The British Government says that is scandal(丑闻).
Not because the 13-year-old girl is going to Harvard, but because she was rejected by Oxford University. Her case makes people talk about the long-running problems about elitism(精英主义) in British education.
“I think it’s a scandal if a child has to go to Harvard rather than getting into Oxford, don’t you?” Education Secretary David Blunkett said on May 26th in an interview on BBC radio.
British Treasury chief Gordon Brown said in a speech on May 25th it was “an absolute scandal”, a girl with those grades was turned down by Oxford’s Magdalen College. He noted that Spence comes from Monkseaton in northeastern England, where people sometimes complain they get fewer chances than people living in the richer, more populous south.
Oxford and Cambridge University now take the majority of their students—53 percent—from publicly funded schools. Elite(精英)private schools such as Eton and Harrow account for the other 47 percent, even though they serve only 7 percent of secondary students.
A BBC reporter had seen notes of Spence’s interview at Magdalen. “As with other comprehensive school pupils, she’s low in confidence and difficult to draw out of herself in spite of being able to think on her feet,” the BBC quoted the notes as saying. Still, the notes concluded that Spence “will be an excellent doctor.”
“It appears as if some of our institutions have admissions procedures which may be because of absurd prejudices against children from comprehensive schools…are not giving these children a fair crack of the whip”, Education Minister Wicks told the BBC.
5.Laura Spence was rejected by Oxford University because.
A.she was a girl of 13 years old B.she lacked confidence and she couldn’t think by herself
C.she didn’t win excellent grades
D.she was a shy girl from a comprehensive school in the poorer, less populous north
6.If Laura Spence was from such a school as Eton,.
A.she would be admitted to Oxford B.she would be accepted by Harvard
C.she could cause longrunning problems about elitism in British education
D.she wouldn’t be an excellent doctor
7.What’s the meaning of “a fair crack of the whip”in the last paragraph?
A.A good chance. B.Warning. C.Rejection. D.Admission
8.According to Education Minister Wick’s words, we know he .
A.thought there was something wrong with procedures of admissions to their institutes
B.took the side of Oxford University
C.considered giving up children from comprehensive schools D.didn’t tell the truth to the BBC
In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge money on beverage (饮料) containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw material for new products, but because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it wound end up buried in landfills (垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic.
Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled in the United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded (被丢弃的) plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence post, paint brushes, etc.
As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard until somebody figures out how to give it a second life — and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life value. Without enough markets to take in materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually reduce prices for used materials.
Fewer landfill space and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste-management choice. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal (清除，处理), which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and reduces the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a better raw material.What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?
| A．A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling. |
| B．Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling. |
| C．Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them. |
| D．Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles. |
The returned plastic bottles in New York used to .
| A． be turned into raw materials |
| B． be separated from other rubbish |
| C． have a second-life value |
| D． end up somewhere underground |
The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is .
| A． how to reduce their recycling costs |
| B． to sell them at a profitable price |
| C． how to turn them into useful things |
| D． to lower the prices for used materials |
Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because .
| A． recycling causes little pollution |
| B． other methods are more expensive |
| C． recycling has great appeal for the jobless |
| D． local governments find it easy to manage |
It can be concluded from the passage that .
| A． recycling is to be suggested both economically and environmentally |
| B． local governments in the U. S. can expect big profits from recycling |
| C． rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materials |
| D． landfills will still be widely used for waste disposal |
Why should you learn Sign Language? Do you want to improve your communication with a family member or friend who is deaf? Do you want to be able to communicate with deaf people in general? Would you like to advance in your career by being able to communicate in ASL? Do you want to be a Sign Language interpreter?
Sign language is not just a random (随意的) collection of gestures but a full-blown (完全成熟的) language in its own right, complete with its own grammatical rules. Each country or region has its own sign language, as different from each other as English is from Spanish. Each version of sign language is somewhat linked to the spoken language in its region. For example, American sign language does share similarities with English, even though it is its own language.
The advantages of knowing sign language in addition to a spoken language are many. Communication becomes possible on many levels with the deaf community, with other people either hearing or not in any of the above situations, as well as many more.
While other languages take years to learn, American Sign Language can be taught in a much shorter time period. It is one of the easiest languages to learn because most of the signs were developed to mimic the actual word or phrase it is representing. Even the alphabet signs look like the letters of the English alphabet.
American Sign Language, or ASL, is the third most used language in the United States. Used by the deaf community, interpreters, and friends and family of the deaf. There are a lot of sites on the internet that not only shows you the sign with video, but will help you practice reading signs as well.
Teaching even hearing babies sign language seems to be the fashion in recent years and for good reason. Communicating in sign language is fun and natural as babies naturally use body gestures in early communication. Teaching baby sign language actually appears to enhance the learning of verbal skills and brain development of the children involved.Which two regions share similarities in their sign language?
A. Spain and Britain.
B. Mexico and USA.
C. Australia and Canada.
D. Japan and Korea.Sign language ________.
| A．is a collection of gestures |
| B．is easier to learn than English |
| C．is not very popular in USA |
| D．has no link to the spoken language |
One of the reasons for learning sign language is that it ________.
| A．increase self-confidence |
| B．provides more choices of career |
| C．trains brains |
| D．is interesting |
Babies’ learning sign language cannot ________.
| A．help them talk sooner |
| B．help them walk sooner |
| C．increase communication at a very early age |
| D．enrich relationship with parents and the people who take care of them |
Which of the following topics is not discussed in the passage?
| A．What is sign language? |
| B．The advantages of knowing sign language. |
| C．The relation of American sign language and English. |
| D．Ways of learning sign language. |
How to protect children Web fans from unsuitable material online while encouraging them to use the Internet has long been discussed in the US. For some parents, the Internet can seem like a jungle, filled with danger for their children. But jungles contain wonders as well as danger and with good guides, some education, and a few precautions, the wilds of the Internet can be safely navigated. “Kids have to be online. If we tell our kids they can’t be allowed to surf the Internet, we’re cutting them off from their future,” said an expert.
Most kids have started to use search engines. Many of them are great for finding tons of interesting Internet sites, and they can also locate places where you might not want your kids to go. There are search engines designed just for kids. A certain software contains only sites that have been selected as safe. The most popular way would be to use what is known as a “content screener”. But this can’t be wholly reliable, and the best thing parents can do is to talk to their kids and let them know what is OK or not OK to see or do on the Internet. Another way is that mum or dad is nearby when the child is surfing the Internet.
A few other tips:
—Don’t put the PC in a child’s room but keep it in an area where mum or dad can keep an eye on things. That also makes the Internet more of a family activity.
—Ask your child what he or she has been doing and about any friends they make online.
—Tell your child not to give online strangers personal information, especially like address and phone number.
And tell your children never to talk to anyone they meet on line over the phone, send them anything, accept anything from them or agree to meet with them unless you go along.Who is this article written to?
| A．Teachers. | B．Parents. |
| C．Researchers. | D．Children web fans. |
What is the main subject about the passage?
| A．Opposing children’s online. | B．Internet in America. |
| C．American children going online. | D．Appreciating the Internet. |
What is the best way to protect children from improper material?
| A．To talk to the children and persuade them to tell right from wrong. |
| B．To be nearby when they are surfing the Internet. |
| C．To fix a content screener on the computer. |
| D．To buy some search engines for children. |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
| A．Surfing the Internet is the best way of educating children. |
| B．Using a content screener is most reliable for keeping children having ways to the Internet. |
| C．Searching engines can help children to select materials fit for them. |
| D．Children’s not having chances to go to the Internet may have effect on their progress. |
According to the passage, we can infer that ________.
| A．software fit for children want programming |
| B．the Internet contains a lot of harmful sites |
| C．the Internet will be protected by law |
| D．a child who is online is in danger |
Laptop(便携式) computers are popular all of the world. People use them on trains, airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allow students to do schoolwork at anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the more important of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without doing to computer lab. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees---- anywhere at all.
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptops use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries, and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials also are testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use the computers. The laptops will allow teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “ Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we are given students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.
46.The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ---------.
A. use for their schoolwork B. access the Internet
C. work at home D. connect them to libraries
47.Why is the word “speak” in the second paragraph in quotation marks?
A. They don’t really talk B. They use the computer language
C. laptops have speakers D. None of the above reasons is correct.
48.Which of the following is true about Westlake College?
A. all teachers use computers B. 1500 students have laptops
C. it is an old college in America D. Students there can do everything
49.A window on the world in the last paragraph means that students can ----------.
A、attend the lectures on information technology B、travel around the world
C、get information from around the world D、have free laptops
50.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The program is successful B. The program is not workable
C. The program is too expensive D. We don’t know the result yet
Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.
1.A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引号)？
A.Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner”
B.Because the first diner was not what it is now
C.Because diner was a new word
D.Because it is a special kind of restaurant
2.What meals did the first diners serve?
A. only breakfast B. Only lunch C. Only night-meals D. All of the above
3.According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________
A. Two ways B. three ways C. four ways D. five ways
4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant
B．The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee
C．Burger King is a fast-food restaurant
D．Sandwiches became bigger
5.The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
A. The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States
B.Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside
C.American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers
D.Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways
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