In 1988, Mary Anderson was at the Miami airport checking in for a flight to Norway to be with her husband when she was told she wouldn’t be able to check her luggage without paying a $100 surcharge (超载) .
Mary had no money as her new husband had left for Norway and she had no one else to call .
“ I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without ,” says Mary .
As tears ran down her face , a voice behind her said , “That’s okay, I’ll pay for her .”
Rather surprised , Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before . He had a gentle and kind voice that was firm and decisive .
Although this happened twenty years ago , Mary still remembers the authority that radiated (发出)from the man .
Mary was pleased to bring her luggage to Norway and told the stranger she would give his money back . The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper and gave it to Mary . She thanked him repeatedly . When she finally walked off towards the boarding gate, he waved goodbye to her .
That man turned out to be Barack Obama .
Mary paid the money back to Obama the day she joined her husband . At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago , and had started his law studies at Harward University .
In the spring of 2006 , Mary’s parents heard Obama was considering a run for President . They wrote a letter saying that they would support him. At the same time , they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier .
And Obama replied , “ I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport . I’m happy I could help her then , and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes . Sincerely , Barack Obama,
United States Senator .” Why did Mary feel completely desperate ?
| A．She had missed the only flight to Norway . |
| B．Her new husband abandoned her suddenly . |
| C．She didn’t have the money to buy a ticket . |
| D．She had no money to pay for the surcharge . |
How did Mary feel when someone offered to help her ?
| A．Amazed | B．Puzzled | C．Delighted | D．Annoyed |
Mary asked the stranger to leave his name and address _________ .
| A．in order to contact him later | B．so that she could repay him |
| C．because he impressed her deeply | D．because she fell in love with him |
What’s the passage mainly about ?
| A．A letter from Barack Obama | B．Mary’s parents support Obama |
| C．Obama helped a stranger 20 years ago | D．Mary was lucky to get help at the airport |
Students who date in middle school have significantly worse study skills. They are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use as their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
"Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence, but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships," said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade.
Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts. He found some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had consistently the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
"At all points in time, teachers rated the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,” according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
"Dating a classmate may have the same emotional complications of dating a co-worker," Orpinas said, "When the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps witness the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and divert attention from studying.”
“Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school,” Orpinas concluded. According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____
| A．have poorer academic performances |
| B．be more likely to hurl others |
| C．enjoy better school lives |
| D．are less likely to use alcohol and tobacco |
When doing his study, Orpinas_____.
| A．followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade |
| B．completed a survey and a report each year |
| C．completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts |
| D．found that the students’ study skills have connection with their frequency of dating |
Study skills may include the following behaviors and qualities Except_____
| A．being diligent | B．being well organized |
| C． being kind and helpful | D．finishing assigned schoolwork |
What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?
| A．They don’t want to see each other any longer. |
| B．Their attention to studying will be affected. |
| C．They will miss their ex-partners sometimes |
| D．They will think it reasonable to get depressed. |
Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is_____
| A．supportive | B．positive | C．negative | D．indifferent |
Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap. Some call it the summer learning setback（退步）. Simply speaking, it means the longer kids are out of school, the more they forget. The only thing they might gain is weight.
Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar. Students get winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation. Some schools follow a year-round calendar. They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time, with a few weeks off in between. The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than three thousand such schools at last count. They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states.
But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year-round school is generally the same as in a traditional school. Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said, “Year-round schools don't really solve the problem of the summer learning setback. They simply spread it out across the year.”
Across the country, research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students. Experts say this can be prevented. They note that many schools and local governments offer programs that can help.
But calling them “summer school” could be a problem. The director of the summer learning center at Johns Hopkins, Ron Fairchild, said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term “summer school”. In American culture, the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood. The parents welcomed other terms like “summer camp”, “enrichment”, “extra time” and “hands-on learning”. According to the first paragraph the summer learning gap .
| A．helps children to gain weight |
| B．leads children to work harder |
| C．improves children’s memories |
| D．affects children’s regular studies |
Compared to traditional schools, students in the year-round ones .
| A．perform better and have more learning gains |
| B．have much less time for relaxation every year |
| C．have generally the same number of class days |
| D．hold more classes with more free weeks off |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Students from poor families often fall behind after the vacation. |
| B．Year-round schools can solve the problem of the learning gap. |
| C．There are schools in each state following a year-round calendar. |
| D．Nothing can help the students who fall behind after the vacation. |
Why did almost all parents dislike the term “summer school”?
| A．They cherish the children’s rights of freedom very much. |
| B．They are worried about the quality of the “summer school”. |
| C．They want their children to be forced to make up the gap. |
| D．They can’t afford the further study during vacation. |
What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．Opening Summer Camps |
| B．Forbidding Summer Schools |
| C．Spreading Year-Round Education |
| D．Minding the Summer Learning Gap |
I am a psychologist. I first met Timothy, a quiet, overweight elevenyearold boy, when his mother brought him to me to discuss his declining grades. A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that his self-esteem (自尊) and general happiness were falling right along with them.
I asked about Timothy’s typical day. He awoke every morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home around four thirty each afternoon. He then had a quick snack, followed by either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor. He finished dinner at 7 pm, and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours. Quickly doing the math in my head, I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a day at a writing desk.
What if Timothy spent thirteen hours a day at a sewing machine instead of a desk? We would immediately be shocked, because that would be called children being horribly mistreated. Timothy was far from being mistreated, but the mountain of homework he faced daily resulted in a similar consequence — he was being robbed of his childhood. In fact, Timothy had no time to do anything he truly enjoyed, such as playing video games, watching movies, or playing board games with his friends.
Play, however, is a crucial part of healthy child development. It affects children’s creativity, their social skills, and even their brain development. The absence of play, physical exercise, and freefrom social interaction takes a serious toll on many children. It can also cause significant health problems like childhood obesity, sleep problems and depression.
Experts in the field recommend the minutes children spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their grade level. As a fifthgrader, Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes a day of homework (instead of three times that amount). Having an extra two hours an evening to play, relax, or see a friend would soundly benefit any child’s life quality.What did the writer think of Timothy after learning about his typical day__________?
| A．Timothy was very hardworking. |
| B．Timothy was being mistreated. |
| C．Timothy had a heavy burden. |
| D．Timothy was enjoying his childhood. |
Which of the following statements best describes the writer’s opinion________?
| A．Children should be allowed enough time to play. |
| B．Playing board games works better than playing video games. |
| C．The more they play, the more creative children will become. |
| D．The depression caused by homework makes children unwilling to play. |
According to the passage, how long should a thirdgrader spend a day doing homework________?
| A．About ten minutes. | B．No more than twenty minutes. |
| C．No more than thirty minutes. | D．About fifty minutes. |
Do you want to go out of town for a bit of rest and relaxation? Before you start packing, visit these best travel sites for vacationers. In my opinion, they help people deal with common problems that pop up during a trip.
Oyster.com
Based on the advertised photos, the hotel you are considering appears to be clean and modern. Take a second look through the eyes of Oyster.com. Their representatives inspect resort areas and post the real images uncovering marketing lies. You see ACTUAL pictures of the rooms, attractions and beautiful beaches.
Skyscanner.net
Are you planning to travel on a budget? Discover the best deals for flights, hotels and car rentals at Skyscanner.net. They offer reasonable and comprehensive travel comparison. The best part is that their services are free. You don’t have to sign up, provide personal information or go through a social network.
Virtualtourist.com
Chat with someone other than a travel agent about a location. At Virtualtourist.com, fellow travelers and locals talk about their experiences in specific areas. This site is set up like a forum(论坛), so you can ask questions and get answers in the comfort of your own home. Find out where to eat, play and get pleasure in a place without getting food poison or robbed by criminals.
Travel.state.gov
Unfortunately, Americans get into trouble abroad sometimes. Prepare for possible emergencies by visiting Travel.state.gov. There, the Bureau of Consular Affairs offers advice on how to handle the bad things that happen to good people in other countries. You learn what to do in the case of child abduction(绑架), a lost passport and illness. In addition, these officials post travel warnings regarding dangerous regions and why foreigners should avoid them.
Are you ready to do your homework? Prepare for your departure by checking out these best travel sites for vacationers. Learn what you need to know now before walking out of the door.What is the characteristic of Oyster.com?
| A．It offers you a lot of travel information. |
| B．It tells tourists where the cheap hotels are. |
| C．The photos on the site are really reliable. |
| D．The representatives of Oyster.com are enthusiastic. |
What is the biggest benefit of your visiting Skyscanner.net?
| A．You can accept their services for free. |
| B．You can book the most modern hotels. |
| C．You can make many friends through the social network. |
| D．You can find the cheapest tour description and direction. |
We can learn from this passage that _____.
| A．Virtualtourist.com gives you a chance to chat with a travel agent |
| B．you’ll get answers to your travel questions at Virtualtourist.com |
| C．the Bureau of Consular Affairs is in charge of Travel.state.gov |
| D．if you lose your passport you’ll get help from Virtualtourist.com |
Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Or do they? Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (实业家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.
Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy (嫉妒) . As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood”. Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green-eyed monster” and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported that the UK was now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It’s not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a Professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems arrogant (傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were friendlier, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.What does the underlined “it” in the second paragraph refer to__________?
| A．One group of people | B．A great survey | C．A nation | D．National character |
Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that .
| A．the British public are hardworking |
| B．they are not popular simply because they are successful |
| C．love of success is Britain’s national character |
| D．they are considered as “green-eyed monsters” |
What does the result of the Warwich University test show_________?
| A．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed |
| B．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money |
| C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people |
| D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others |
The writer of the passage seems to suggest that .
| A．jealousy is Britain’s national character |
| B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated |
| C．the British dislike the entrepreneurs because they do not behave properly |
| D．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Germans are fashionable and the Italians are serious. |
| B．About 350 entrepreneurs in the UK felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. |
| C．The British people are not lazy and they work longer hours than anyone else in the world. |
| D．Carey Cooper said that the British really dislike success. |
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