Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical(批判性的) thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes（过程）. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen--beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are interested in life and want to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning（推理）are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure（尺度）of intelligence（智慧）, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein. Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately made Hoffman feel comfortable by saying, “Please go slowly. I don’t understand things quickly.” Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically, _______.
| A．it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast |
| B．we might be controlled by other people’s ideas |
| C．we will follow the ideas of others naturally |
| D．we might be fooled by other people’s ideas |
If you are a critical thinker, you will ________.
| A．take one view against another view |
| B．trust the reports in the newspapers |
| C．think deeply about different ideas |
| D．criticize other people for their mistakes |
In the last paragraph, “something new” suggests that ________.
| A．speed can improve intelligence |
| B．intelligence is not decided by speed |
| C．the smarter you are, the faster you do things |
| D．the faster you do things, the smarter you become |
There is not enough oil in the world now. As time goes by, it becomes less and less, so what are we going to do when it runs out? Perhaps we will go back to use horses, carriages and bicycles.
In the Second World War, some people didn’t use gas(气体) made from petroleum (石油) in their cars. They made gas from wood and plants instead. The car didn’t go fast, but they ran, so this was better than nothing. However, in the future, we can’t cut down all our trees to make gas; we need our trees for other things, too.
Besides different types of gas, we can also use electricity to run our cars, but first we must make the electricity! Some countries have coal(煤炭) and they make electricity with that, but we might not always have coal, either. Other countries have big, strong rivers, and they can use the power of water to turn turbines (涡轮机) and make electricity more easily and cheaply.
We are also able to get power from the ocean tides(潮). We put turbines into the mouth of the river. Then the tide comes in, the water turns the turbines and then it goes out, it turns them again.
Which of these ways will be used to run our cars in the future?When might people have to go back to use horses and carriages?
| A．When they are poor. |
| B．When they run out of oil. |
| C．When they need more exercise. |
| D．When there aren’t any big trees in the world. |
What did some people use to make gas in the Second World War?
| A．Water | B．Coal | C．Wood and plants | D．Tides |
How many ways are suggested to make electricity in the passage?
| A．2 | B．5 | C．4 | D．3 |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is True?
| A．There is more petroleum than we can use now. |
| B．Trees are needed for some other things besides making gas. |
| C．We got electricity from ocean tides in the old days. |
| D．Gas wasn’t used to run cars in the Second World War. |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．how to run our cars |
| B．what to do when oil runs out |
| C．different types of gas |
| D．the ways to make electricity |
If you live in the United States, the law says you can’t have a full-time job until you are 16 years old. At 14 or 15, you can work part-time after school or on weekends, and during summer you can work 40 hours each week. Does all that mean that if you are younger than 14, you can’t earn (赚) your own money? Of course not! Kids who are between the ages of 10 and 13 can earn money by doing lots of things.
Valerie, 11, told us that she made money by cleaning up other people’s yards. Lena, 13, makes money by knitting (织) dog sweaters and selling them to her neighbors, and Reisa said she had started taking art classes and showing her work to people. People have asked her to draw pictures for them and they pay her for them. Jasmine, 13, writes articles for different magazines!
Earning is learning. By working to earn your own money, you are learning the skills you will need to succeed in life. These skills can include things like getting along with others, using technology (技术) and using your time. Some people think that asking for money is a lot easier than earning it; however, when you make your own money, you don’t have to depend on someone else. The five dollars that you earn will probably make you feel a lot better in your hand than the twenty dollars you ask for.Kids can have full-time jobs at the age of _________ in the USA.
A. 17 B. 14 C. 13 D. 10If you are 15 years old, you can’t work _________.
| A．after school | B．on weekends | C．during summer | D．on weekdays |
Reisa makes money by _________.
| A．cleaning up other people’s yards |
| B．drawing pictures for others |
| C．writing articles for different magazines |
| D．knitting dog sweaters and selling them to her neighbors |
According to the passage, which of the following is Not True?
A. You are learning how to succeed by working in your teens.[
B. Kids are encouraged to live independently in the USA.
C. Earning one’s money is better than asking for money from others.
D. Kids don’t need to get along with others when making money.From the passage we know that _________.
| A．parents won’t let their children earn their own money |
| B．it’s hard for kids under 14 years old to earn money in the USA |
| C．kids can learn skills if they try to earn money on their own |
| D．if kids try to earn money, they won’t have enough time to study |
Some people say, “Extreme(极限的) sports are so dangerous. Why would anyone want to do them?” But the danger is what makes them so excited. Keep reading to find out the most popular ones.
Bungee jumping: People on some South Pacific islands have been bungee jumping for hundreds of years. In 1979, some people bungee jumped off a bridge in England and made the sport popular around the world. Bungee jumping came to China in 1996.
Skateboarding: At first, this sport was called “sidewalk surfing”. Skateboarders often jump high into the air, go down steps or slide(滑行) down rails on their boards. They wear baggy trousers(宽松裤) so they can move more freely.
Skydiving: This is probably the scariest(最惊险的) extreme sport. Skydivers jump out of airplanes about four kilometers up in the sky. They usually free-fall for a while and then open a parachute to slow down for a safe landing.
Snowboarding: This became a winter Olympic sport in 1998. People tie their feet to the board with special shoes. They don’t use any ski sticks. Then, they ride down hills, jump high and do tricks.What made bungee jumping popular all over the world?
| A．A history of hundreds of years. |
| B．Jumping over a river in England. |
| C．Coming to China in 1996. |
| D．Jumping off a bridge in Britain. |
In which sport do people jump from a plane?
| A．Bungee jumping. | B．Skydiving. |
| C．Skateboarding. | D．Snowboarding. |
Why do people wear “baggy trousers”?
| A．They have many bags on them. |
| B．They can hold many things. |
| C．They make people move freely. |
| D．People wearing them can move fast. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “parachute”?
| A．直升飞机 | B．降落伞 | C．滑板 | D．飞艇 |
Why do some people like to do the extreme sports?
| A．It’s dangerous but exciting. | B．It’s exciting and safe. |
| C．It’s scary but safe. | D．It’s easy to learn. |
Ted and Susan are good friends. Last Saturday, Ted asked Susan to go with him to watch a movie or take a walk down by the lake. Susan really wanted to go, but she was really busy all Saturday. First, her mom asked her to help clean the house in the morning, and then she had to go to the dentist’s at 12:30. Two hours after that, she met Julia to help her with her science. Then she had to go to soccer practice with her brother at 4:30, and her mom asked her to cook dinner for the family at 5:30. Then, she had to do her history homework.
Ted knew that Susan was going to have a full day. So he asked her to watch a video at home. Susan thought that was great, but something was wrong with their video player. So they had to just play a game.What did Susan have to do on Saturday morning?
| A．Watch a movie. | B．Clean the house. |
| C．Go to the dentist’s. | D．Take a walk. |
What was wrong with Susan?
| A．She had a fever. | B．She had a sore throat. |
| C．She had a toothache. | D．She had a stomachache. |
What time did Susan meet with Julia?
| A．At 12:00 p.m. | B．At 1:00 p.m. |
| C．At 2:00 p.m. | D．At 2:30 p.m. |
How many things did Susan have to do on Saturday?
| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Susan couldn’t watch the video because the video player didn’t work. |
| B．Susan’s Saturday was not busy. |
| C．Susan can’t cook diner. |
| D．Ted couldn’t play a game with Susan in the evening. |
The Real Chinese Food
In China, there're many different kinds of food. Some of them are very popular. Dumplings are the real Chinese food. Now let's talk about them, OK?
Everyone in China likes dumplings very much, and there are many different kinds of dumplings. Some have meat and vegetables in them, others have sugar( 糖 ), eggs and so on. I like dumplings with vegetables and pork best.
Usually people make dumplings at home. If you have no time to make them, you can buy them in any supermarkets. Then you take them home and eat them with vinegar.
The Spring Festival is very important in China. When it comes, we make dumplings, usually we put a coin ( 硬币 ) in a dumpling. If one eats the dumpling with the coin in it, he will be lucky in the year.
Now tell me, do you like dumplings?
Welcome to China, we'll ask you to eat the real Chinese food: dumplings.In China, _______ are the real Chinese food.
| A．noodles | B．dumplings | C．moon cakes | D．only vegetables |
The writer likes dumplings with ______ best.
| A．meat | B．seafood |
| C．vegetables and pork | D．vegetables |
You can buy dumplings in a supermarket when ______.
| A．you have time | B．you are happy |
| C．you are busy | D．you are hungry |
The word “vinegar” in the sentence means _____.
| A．糖 | B．酱油 | C．辣椒 | D．醋 |
What will people feel if they eat the dumplings with coins in them?
| A．They’ll feel unhappy. | B．They’ll be angry. |
| C．They’ll feel lucky. | D．They’ll be sad. |
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