One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our schools: the almost complete failure of foreign-language teaching. As a French graduate who has taught for more than twenty-five years, I have some ___1_____ of why the failure is so total. 2 the faults already found out in the education system as a whole, there have been several serious 3 which have a direct effect on language teaching.
The first is the removal from the curriculum (课程) of the thorough teaching of English 4. Pupils now do not know a verb from a noun or the subject of a sentence from its object.
Another important error is mixed-ability teaching, or teaching in ability groups so 5 that the most able groups are 6 and are bored while the least able are lost and 7 bored.
Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having 8 lessons. This is why many people who attended French lessons at school have forgotten it a few years later.
Most American schools have accepted what is necessary and 9 modern languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum. Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop 10 resources on a subject which few pupils want or need.
A．questions B．evidences C．ideas D．knowledges
A．Due to B．In addition to C．Instead of D．In spite of
A．errors B．situations C．systems D．methods
A．vocabulary B．culture C．grammar D．sentences
A．wide B．similar C．separate D．unique
A．kept out B．turned down C．held back D．left behind
A．surprisingl B．individually C．equally D．hardly
A．extra B．traditional C．basic D．regular
A．restored B．absorbed C．prohibited D．remove
A．wasting B．focusing C．exploiting D．sharing
The young boy and his father sat quietly watching the snow fall on a snowy Saturday afternoon.
“Dad, my friend told me that every snowflake is 36 . But they look all the same to me. How can we tell?” the child asked.
Dad felt it was his 37 to give a more satisfying answer. “Son, snowflakes are like people. We are each 38 in a very special way. We can test it right now,” he said.
The child stood up, put out his hands, and 39 as snowflakes landed on his gloves. “These snowflakes are all different on my gloves, but those in the yard look the same. Together they are even more_ 40 and striking. Then if people are like snowflakes, why don't they 41 ?”
“Choice,”Dad said. "Their choices 42 them what they are.”
“ 43 choice is a bad thing?” the boy asked.
“Oh, no. Only when we choose the 44 things.”
“How do we tell right from wrong?" the child asked.
Dad was given the chance to build upon the foundation of his son's 45 . He reached down and began to 46 with the snow. He 47 the snow into two sides, three large snowballs on one side and several smaller ones on the other.
“Which side did the right thing?” he asked the boy.
The child looked at both sides but 48 answer. Then Dad placed the three larger snowballs on top of each other.
“It’ s a snowman! The side 49 made me snowman!” the boy replied with 50
Yes, all these people came together and recognized how special each of them was, so they joined in a(n) 51 to build up mankind,” Dad said.
The child then stood up and 52 an arm full of the smaller snowballs. One by one he began to throw them at the other small piles of snow. He said,”This is what happens when people can't work together. They have a(n) 53 .”
Dad was shocked. He stood up, lifted the boy and 54 him tightly, whispering to him, “I hope that your world will learn to work and live together. I hope you will make the right 55
and learn to build the best snowman ever.”
A．similar B．different C．freezing D．special
A．challenge B．trouble C．responsibility D．position
A．private B．associated C．unique D．isolated
A．inspected B．watched C．glanced D．glared
A．beautiful B．effective C．comfortable D．significant
A．get along B．take care C．cheer up D．break up
A．remain B．appear C．become D．make
A．Though B．However C．So D．While
A．exact B．coincident C．fortunate D．wrong
A．interest B．concern C．worry D．faith
A．communicate B．work C．mix D．relate
A．separated B．divided C．distinguished D．parted
A．couldn' t B．shouldn' t C．wouldn' t D．needn' t
A．that B．what C．how D．when
A．disappointment B．frustration C．enthusiasm D．humour
A．power B．effort C．organization D．attempt
A．gathered B．sorted C．threw D．formed
A．war B．debate C．agreement D．negotiation
A．trembled B．swung C．pulled D．held
A．steps B．turns C．choices D．points
When I was about twelve years old, my mother told us that we would not be ___1___ Christmas gifts for lack of money．I felt sad and thought, “What would I say when the other kids asked what I’d ___2___?” Then，three women ___3___ at our house with gifts for all of us．For me they bought a doll．I would no longer have to be ___4___ when I returned to school．
Years later, when I stood in the kitchen of my new house, thinking how I wanted to make my ___5___ Christmas special and memorable there, I ___6___ remembered the women’s visit．I decided that I wanted to create the same feeling of ___7___ for as many children as I could possibly ____8__．
So I ___9__ a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help．We gathered about 125 orphans （孤儿） at the Christmas party．For every child, we wrapped colorful packages filled with toys, clothes, and school supplies, each with a child’s name．We wanted all of them to know they were ___10__．Before I called out their names and handed them their gifts, I ___11__ them that they couldn’t open their presents until every child had come forward．Finally the __12___ they had been waiting for came as I called out, “One, two, three．Open your presents!” As the children opened their packages, their faces beamed and their bright smiles ___13__ up the room．The __14___ in the room was obvious, and it wasn’t just about toys．It was a feeling---the feeling I knew from that Christmas so long ago when the women came to visit．I wasn’t forgotten．Somebody still remembered me．I know I___15___．
A．sending B．receiving C．making D．exchanging
A．found B．prepared C．got D．expected
A．broke in B．settled down C．showed up D．turned off
A．puzzled B．embarrassed C．worried D．relieved
A．present B．first C．recent D．previous
A．hardly B．suddenly C．regularly D．occasionally
A．strength B．sadness C．importance D．safety
A．know B．reach C．remember D．mention
A．kept up with B．caught up with C．came up with D．put up with
A．fine B．special C．helpful D．normal
A．reminded B．waited C．convinced D．promised
A．chance B．gift C．moment D．reward
A．lit B．took C．burned D．cheered
A．atmosphere B．sympathy C．calmness D．joy
A．matter B．wonder C．doubt D．suppose
For many people today, reading is no longer relaxation. To keep up their work they must read letters, reports, trade publications, interoffice communications, not to mention newspapers and magazines: a never-ending flood of words.
In 16 a job or advancing in one, the ability to read and comprehend 17 can mean the difference between success and failure. Yet the unfortunate fact is that most of us are 18__ readers. Most of us develop poor reading 19 at an early age, and never get over them. The main deficiency（缺乏） 20 in the actual stuff of language itself — words. Taken individually, words have little meaning until they are strung together into phrases, sentences and paragraphs. 21 , however, the untrained reader does not read groups of words. He laboriously reads one word at a time, often regressing（退回） to 22 words or passages. Regression, the tendency to look back over what you have just read, is a common bad habit in reading.
Another habit which 23 down the speed of reading is vocalization — sounding each word either orally or mentally as one reads.
To overcome these bad habits, some reading clinics use a device called an 24 , which moves a bar (or curtain) down the page at a predetermined（预先确定的） speed．The bar is set at a slightly faster rate 25 the reader finds comfortable, in order to “stretch” him. The device forces the reader to read fast, 26 word-by-word reading, regression and sub-vocalization（默读）practically impossible.
At first 27 is sacrificed for speed．But when you learn to read ideas and concepts, you will not only read faster, but your understanding will 28 . Many people have found their reading skill greatly improved after some training. 29 Charlie Au, a business manager, for instance, his reading rate was a reasonably good 172 words a minute before the training, now it is an excellent 182 words a minute. He is delighted that how he can 30 through a lot more reading material in a short period of time.
A．applying B．doing C．offering D．getting
A．quickly B．easily C．roughly D．decidedly
A．good B．curious C．poor D．urgent
A．training B．habits C．situations D．custom
A．lies B．combines C．touches D．involves
A．Hopefully B．Actually C．Logically D．Unfortunately
A．reuse B．reread C．rewrite D．recite
A．scales B．cuts C．slows D．measures
A．accelerator B．actor C．loudspeaker D．observer
A．then B．as C．beyond D．than
A．having B．leading C．making D．indicating
A．meaning B．comprehension C．vocalization D．regression
A．arise B．reduce C．improve D．worsen
A．Like B．Take C．Make D．Consider
A．master B．make C．finish D．get
"Everything happens for the best, "my mother said whenever I faced disappointment, "If you 21 on, something good will happen some day."
Mother was right, as I discovered after graduating from college. I had 22 myself for a sports announcer. So I went to Chicago to knock on the door of every station and was 23 every time. In one station, a kind lady told me that 24 stations wouldn't employ a person without 25 since I had just graduated. "Go out in the town and find a small station that might give you a chance, "she said.
I returned to Dixon, where I had finished my high school education and had 26 in the school football team. My father said that our town had built a store and wanted a man to manage its sports department. The job sounded just 27 for me but I wasn't hired.
My disappointment had 28 as if by design. "Everything happens for the best," Mum 29 me. Dad lent me his car to look for a job. I tried WOC Radio Davenport. The program director told me they had already hired an announcer. 30 I left his office, I asked aloud," 31 can a fellow get to be a sports announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?" Suddenly, I heard the director 32 . "Do you know anything about football? " Then he asked me to 33 an imaginary game. It was easy, and I did it without difficulty. The director was 34 and told me I would be broadcasting a game on the 35 Saturday.
A．put B．take C．move D．carry
A．devoted B．designed C．found D．enjoyed
A．invited B．promised C．refused D．accepted
A．large B．all C．no D．small
A．experience B．examination C．agreement D．college
A．played B．joined C．taken D．fought
A．possible B．successful C．right D．important
A．shown B．disappeared C．resulted D．turned
A．woke B．advised C．demanded D．reminded
A．While B．After C．Before D．So
A．What B．How C．Whenever D．Wherever
A．calling B．answering C．broadcasting D．announcing
A．make B．act C．broadcast D．play
A．moved B．sorry C．thankful D．satisfied
A．future B．coming C．last D．later
When I was in the 8th grade in Ohio, a girl named Helen in my class had a terrible accident. As she was 36 to the bus in order not to miss it, she slipped on the ice and fell under the back wheels of the bus. She 37 the accident but was paralyzed from the waist down. I went to see her, in my 13-year-old 38 thinking that she wouldn’t live 39 from then on.
Over the years, I 40 and didn’t think much about Helen after that. Three years ago, in Florida, my oldest son was hit by a car while riding his bike, 41 a terrible brain injury. While I was looking after my son, a lady who said she was the hospital’s social worker called. It was a (an) 42 trying day. I burst into tears for no reason and rang 43 .
A short time 1ater, a beautiful woman, in a wheelchair, 44 into my son’s room with a box of 45 . After 16 years, I still 46 Helen. She smiled, handed me the tissues and hugged me. I told her who I was, and after we both went through the shock of that, she began to tell me about 47 since we last saw each other. She married, had children and got her degree so that she 48 the path for those people who were less 49 than her. She told me that if there was anything she could give me, it would be 50 .
Looking at this wonderful, giving person, I felt 51 . But I also felt the first hope I had since learning that my son was 52 . From this person that I thought would have no 53 of life, I learned that where there is life, there is hope. My son miraculously 54 and we moved north, but I owe Helen 55 that I can never repay.
A．walking B．riding C．running D．driving
A．lived B．survived C．existed D．escaped
A．mind B．brain C．head D．thought
A．equally B．calmly C．quietly D．normally
A．studied B．moved C．worked D．1ived
A．suffering B．causing C．bearing D．catching
A．normally B．particularly C．necessarily D．eventually
A．up B．off C．back D．down
A．ran B．walked C．rolled D．moved
A．tissues B．presents C．pills D．candies
A．realized B．knew C．recognized D．reminded
A．her life B．her son C．her family D．her work
A．cleared B．smoothed C．cleaned D．opened
A．rich B．healthy C．strong D．fortunate
A．money B．hope C．pity D．medicine
A．small B．pitiful C．weak D．shameless
A．admitted B．beaten C．hurt D．hospitalized
A．use B．value C．meaning D．quality
A．treated B．worsened C．relieved D．recovered
A．some money B．some tissues C．a debt D．a hope
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