Public schools in New York，America’s biggest city, commonly have numbers for names．But this is unusual．In the United States，the process of naming a school often involves parents and the community
as well as elected school leaders.
Researchers say school names can show civic (市民的) values and also shape them． For example，naming a school after a historic person becomes a way to teach students about that person’s importance in history．
A new study examines the naming of American public schools．The study is from the Manhattan Institute，an organization that does public policy research．The study shows that fewer and fewer schools are being named after people．Instead。more schools are being named after the local areas or natural features like hills．trees or animals．The researchers say these changes raise questions about the civic duty of public education．
The looked at seven states with 20% of all public school students in the country. They found the similar result in every state: new school are less likely to be named after people. This is true especially with presidents. For example, in Arizona, public school in the past 20 years were almost fifty times more likely to be named after such things as landforms or plants .
School officials say they try to choose names that will not offend anyone. For example, a few years ago the city of New Orleans banned the naming of any school after a person who owned slaves. Other school system have rules against naming new schools after any person, living or dead .
The researchers say naming a school after a person can lead it important debates about democratic values. They call for more research to identify the causes and effects of the changes in school names.
The causes may include changes in American culture as well as in the political control of school systems. One area worth exploring , they say, is the link between trends in school names and weak results for public schools on measures of civic education.More schools are being named after the following EXCEPT ________ .
| A．hills | B．trees | C．animals | D．people |
What does “they” in paragraph 7 refer to ?
| A．School officials | B．Public schools | C．The researchers | D．Democratic values |
If the passage appears in a newspaper, which column will it be ?
| A．Culture | B．Science | C．Travel | D．Entertainment |
What’s the best title for the passage ?
| A．Few Us Public School Now Are Named after people |
| B．Public Schools In New York Have Numbers for Names |
| C．The Various Origins of America Schools |
| D．US Public Schools Value the Names of Great Persons |
Happiness is important for everyone. Most people want to be happy but few know how to find happiness. Money and success don’t bring lasting happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness.
Some people believe that if they are wealthy, they will be able to do anything they want, which means happiness. On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high position in the government is happiness. In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things which can’t be bought by money. However, other people believe that having lots of money is not happiness, nor is holding a high position in the government. These people value(重视) their beliefs, or their intelligence, or their health. They think these can make them happy.
Here are a few ways to help you be happier.
The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future, for example, getting into college or getting a good job, that we don’t enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives.
The second secret of happiness is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.
Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to do many meaningful things for other people. If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbor, or simply help around the house.
Now maybe you know how to find happiness!The underlined word “wealthy” means “__________” in the article.
| A．pleased | B．healthy |
| C．excited | D．rich |
Some people who hold a high position in the government think they can _________.
| A．get money and something they can’t buy with money |
| B．do what they want to do at any time |
| C．enjoy health which makes them work hard |
| D．take an active part in all kinds of activities every day |
The writer thinks the secret of happiness is that people ___________.
| A．think about getting a good job |
| B．think of presents they don’t like |
| C．often spend time with close friends |
| D．often spend time on entering the college |
Many people find it happy to ___________.
| A．remember the old days and troubles |
| B．do some meaningful things for others |
| C．go shopping to buy some food |
| D．make much money and little success |
The passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．how to find happiness |
| B．how to save happiness |
| C．to do something good for others |
| D．to value our beliefs or health |
Here are some tips on how to relax after a long day's work.
This will not only make sure you don't notice the cleaning you should do, but also make you more relaxed. When the light is weak, you will be more likely to relax your eyes. Use candles instead of electric lights! They can help you feel comfortable and relaxed.
When it comes to relaxing, it is important for you to enjoy a good meal. Cook some food yourself. Enjoy it when you are cooking as the process (过程) can help you relax. Make the food as delicious as you can! If you're too tired, you should think about ordering food just for this night, but don't make it a habit!
Nothing can take your mind off work as a good friend can! Make sure you don't talk about work all night but do something fun together! After work, your friend is probably tired too, so don't plan on doing everything at once and save the exciting and fun activities for future. Have a cup of tea, play a game or watch your favorite TV series. It's good for you to be social after a long day of work.
It is important to get a good night's sleep if you are planning to work better the next day and have the energy to do something nice after work. If you are working hard for a long period of time, enough sleep is necessary for keeping you going. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Make your body relax and let go.According to the author, in order to feel relaxed, we should _______.
| A．stay under brighter lighting |
| B．turn down the lights and light some candles |
| C．do the cleaning in the daytime |
| D．relax our eyes by using electric lights |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Food. | B．A meal. |
| C．Relaxing. | D．Cooking. |
We can infer from Paragraph 4 that _______.
| A．friends are usually too tired to come out for social activities |
| B．watching TV series with friends won't help us feel relaxed |
| C．being social after a long day's work can help us relax |
| D．we should plan on doing everything at once for fun with friends |
What is the order of the titles for Paragraphs 2 to 5?
a. Eat good food. b. Invite a friend over.
c. Go to bed early. d. Turn down the lights.
| A．a-b-d-c | B．a-d-b-c |
| C．d-a-c-b | D．d-a-b-c |
This passage is most probably written for _______.
| A．people who work hard |
| B．students who study hard |
| C．students who want to learn better |
| D．people who are bad at socializing |
Recently，I came across an interesting article on the differences between British English and American English. I had a lot of fun reading it and thinking of as many differences as I could as an American.
Their cars have “bonnets(发动机罩)”, while ourselves have “hoods”. They park their cars in a “car park” while we leave ours in a “parking lot”. Our “cookies” are their “biscuits”, while their “rubbers” are our “erasers”.
Then there are the food words. Would you want to eat something called “Toad in the Hole” or “Bangers and Mash” or “Spotted Dick”? I’m here to report they are all very tasty. There are American equivalents(相等物)，of course. We’ve got “Shoofly Pie”, “Chicken Fried Steak” and “Mississippi Mud Pie”. What they call “crisps” is what we call “potato chips” and when we ask for “chips” in England we will get what we know at home in America as “French fries”.
They find it hysterical that we call the “toilet” the “bathroom” and they really double over(弯腰) with laughter when we ask for the “restroom”. American ladies in England who ask for the “little girl’s room” or the “powder room” will be met with blank stares. A “fag” is a “cigarette” in the UK, which can lead to endless confusion for British visitors looking for a cigarette in America. Americans on the other hand are endlessly confused by English signs put up over doorways saying “Way Out”. We Americans walk on the sidewalk not the pavement. “Pavement” in America is the actual cement(水泥) the sidewalk is made of.What do British people call French Fries?
| A．Chips. | B．Crisps. |
| C．Shoofly. | D．Mississippi Mud Pie. |
The examples given at the end of the passage mainly show that _______.
| A．Americans don’t like dealing with the British |
| B．English signs are very hard for people to understand |
| C．American English is very different from British English. |
| D．Americans and the British may find it hard to understand each other |
What does the understand word “hysterical” in paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．difficult | B．Funny |
| C．Perfect | D．Normal |
It would be difficult for British people to look for a cigarette in America because ______.
| A．American people don’t like giving others cigarette |
| B．it is not allowed to smoke in public in America |
| C．Americans don’t know a “fag” means a “cigarette”? |
| D．American people don’t smoke often |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some similar habits between Americans and the British. |
| B．Different communicating ways between Americans and the British. |
| C．Different body languages between Americans and the British. |
| D．Some differences between American English and British English. |
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington D.C. I saw many of our nation’s treasures, and I also saw a lot of unfortunate people like beggars and homeless folks in the streets.
Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended(伸出). In a natural reaction, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it in her hand. I didn’t even look at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar.
But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
Immediately, I realized what I had done. I acted with prejudice(偏见)—I judged another person simply for what I thought she was.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in America at the age of 15. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, cashier, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice. I remember a time, at age 17— I was a busboy, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well at school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington D.C. cured me of my blindness. She reminded me to always keep my eyes and heart open.When the author came to America at first ______.
| A．he usually did some work with a little payment. |
| B．he used to beg for some money on the street. |
| C．he lived a comfortable life as a network engineer. |
| D．he was respected by others all the time. |
According to the passage, what did the author regret?
A. That he gave all his change to the blind woman.
B. The way he treated the blind woman.
C. That he came to Washington D.C. for a visit.
D. That he didn’t tell the woman the way to the post office.The father mentioned in the passage wanted ______.
| A．to encourage his son to make a living by himself |
| B．his son to become a busboy in the future |
| C．his son to work harder at school |
| D．to remind his son to depend on himself at school |
We can infer all of the following statements from the passage EXCEPT ______.
| A．He disliked being bothered by beggars. |
| B．He was delighted to give away his money to beggars. |
| C．He once suffered a lot. |
| D．The blind woman didn’t beg for money at that time. |
What does the author want to tell us through this story?
| A．Don’t dream up ways to get what you want. |
| B．Money is the root of all evils. |
| C．An easy life makes a person forgetful. |
| D．Be good to others all the time. |
Throughout the world, clothing has many uses. It is used to provide protection from cold. It is also worn to prevent others from seeing specific parts of one’s body. However, the parts of the body that must be covered vary widely throughout the world. Some clothing is worn to provide supernatural protection. Wearing a lucky shirt to take an exam is calling for supernatural assistance.
People in all cultures use clothing and other forms of bodily decoration to communicate status(身份), intentions and other messages. In North America, we dress differently for business and various leisure activities. North American women usually are much more knowledgeable of little difference in messages communicated by clothes than men. At times, this leads to silly mistakes of understanding of female intentions on the part of men. Of course, clothing styles also are intended to communicate messages to members of the same gender（性别）.
Long before we are near enough to talk to someone, their appearance tells their gender, age, economic class, and often even intentions. We begin to recognize the important cultural clues at an early age. The vocabulary of dress that we learn includes not only items of clothing but also hairstyles, jewelry, and other body decoration. In most cultures, however, the same style of dress communicates different messages depending on the age, gender, and physical appearance of the individual wearing it.
Putting on certain types of clothing can change your behavior and the behavior of others towards you. This can be the case with a doctor’s white lab coat, or an army uniform. Most uniforms are clearly symbolic so that they can rapidly and unmistakably communicate status. For instance, the strange hairstyle and clothing of the English “punks” are essential aspects of their uniforms.
There are many forms of body decoration other than clothes that are used around the world to send messages. These include body and hair paint, and even body deformation. When doctors put braces on teeth, they are actually doing the same thing – deforming or reforming a part of the body to make it more attractive.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A． Clothing and Culture |
| B． Ways of Sending Message |
| C． Clothing and Social Behavior |
| D． Communication through Clothing |
Some people wear lucky shirts to take an exam because they believe .
| A． clothes can hide their fear for the exam |
| B． clothes have extraordinary power |
| C． shirts can make them more comfortable |
| D． shirts provide protection against bad weather |
In North America, men sometimes misunderstand women’s intention because .
| A． men are more careless than women |
| B． women spend more time on their clothes |
| C． men and women have different views on clothing styles |
| D． men care less about the different messages communicated by clothes |
According to the passage, the behavior of others towards you can be changed by your .
| A． age | B． dress |
| C． status | D． gender |
From the passage, it can be inferred that .
| A． clothing plays an important role in social activities |
| B． words of dress are unable to communicate different messages |
| C． dress is better than language in communicating messages |
| D． messages communicated by clothes are the same in different cultures |
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