As she nor her husband smoked, Mrs. Trench was surprised to see cigarette ash on her doorstep as she entered the house. When she opened the living-room door, she was astonished to see a strange man fast
in an armchair! Taking care not to disturb him, Mrs. Trench left the house immediately. She called a taxi and went straight to the police station. When she got there, she lost no time to explain
had happened and added that the man
have got into the house
an open window. Mrs. Trench returned home
a police car together with two policemen. But it was too late: the man had disappeared.
(hurry) upstairs, she went to her dressing-table. She smiled
relief when she saw that the only thing the man had taken was an imitation diamond necklace
was almost
.
The concept of homeschooling is not a new one. Homeschooling means educating children at home instead of sending them to public or private schools. Nowadays, homeschooling has become popular in many countries for a variety of reasons. One of them is poor quality of education in public schools and it’s also because private schools are quite expensive. Some parents believe that because they know their child’s strengths and weaknesses, they can teach him or her better. Some parents prefer homeschooling so as to prevent their children from getting into bad company. There is another group of people who choose to educate their children at home because they want them to learn spirit and values of the family and also their religious beliefs. They also think that homeschooling would help in development of strong family bonds(家庭纽带).
However, there are some negative effects of homeschooling on students as well as parents.
Homeschooling is a full-time job and not fit for parents who have their own careers. It takes a lot of time for parents’ side to make homeschooling a success. Other family members’ responsibilities may also be affected. They may give their full attention to the needs of their children. Besides, a parent may have high educational qualifications, but that does not make him or her a good teacher. Teaching is an art, which requires the ability to understand the needs of the children. It is likely that the parent might have forgotten what he or she has learned, and the curriculum(课程) of the children would also be different. This would make it difficult for the parents to explain the concepts to their children. Parents also have the responsibility of designing the curriculum of students.
In today’s world, competition(比赛) is seen in every field, and school prepares children to face these competitions. However, homeschooling does not give the children a chance to compare with other kids. They will also not be aware of where they stand in educational position among their classmates. This may affect their future lives. Education is not the only thing that the children need to become successful human beings. It is necessary that they learn to communicate in the society, and public school provides them with such an environment, where they meet many people. Schools also provide children with a chance to take part in variety of activities to improve their overall development.
It is true that it has many benefits, but one must realize that school teaches children skills to face and survive.
Homeschooling
| Definition |
Educating children at home instead of in |
| Reasons for the |
Poor quality of education in public schools and Children are taught Children are kept away from bad company. Homeschooling is |
| Negative |
For parents: They can’t They can’t be good |
| For children: They can’t get chances to They lack an environment where they meet many people. They can’t join in |
Many people often lose their chance to live life to the fullest because of procrastination, which means that they always delay（拖延）doing something that must be done at once. Moreover, because they often put off their plans till “tomorrow”, they are less likely to achieve their goals and will give up their dreams and goals finally. As a result, we can say that procrastination is the enemy of a progressive lifestyle.
Now that we know procrastination is something bad, why do some people not take immediate action? Well, there are some things that result in procrastination. Depending on someone else rather than doing by oneself is one of the things. Whenever you wait for something to happen before you act, you make it easier to delay your goals and dreams until “someday”. Another cause of procrastination is that people do not value each moment in their day. Actually, it’s surprising how much you can do if you just decide to do little things with the little time you have. Also those who often procrastinate can always find a good reason for something they refuse to do at once.
If you are one of those who often delay, then it’s time for you to make a decision to act now because things happen only when we decide to act. Get down to doing something like losing weight, saving money or spending more time with family. Don’t let these things continue to be a desire（欲望）for you to do “someday”, but make a decision to do it now.
Once you have made your decision, write down the plan and take action immediately. Making plans can help you think carefully about how you are going to do what you need to do. After understanding how to do what you want to do, get doing with the plan. It doesn’t matter how small the move you make is as the little things you do accumulate（累积）over time and move you to be closer to your goals. So, don’t wait until tomorrow; instead, start now! Just make use of every moment you have to do something that is helpful in realizing your dreams and goals.
Here is a challenge that will also move you to be closer to your dreams and goals if taken seriously. Make a list of ten things you have been putting off. It could be anything from getting a health examination, calling a friend or family member, to getting the car fixed and cleaning out the garbage, etc. And then try to develop the habit of doing them immediately!
| Stay away from procrastination |
||
| Paragraph outline |
Supporting details |
|
| Problems with procrastination |
Procrastination can make one Procrastination can Some people don’t make progress just because of procrastination. |
|
| People who delay doing things are usually not People don’t realize that each Procrastination also has something to do with making |
||
| Ways to stop procrastination |
Make a decision. |
If you want to do something, do it |
| Plan and act. |
By making a plan, you Spend your time doing those |
|
| Make a list. |
List ten things you like to delay. Make it a(n) |
Many people believe that classical music has nothing to do with young people today. However, this issue(问题) frequently causes heated debate.
Some people say that classical music is associated only with old people. For example, if you look at the audience at a classical concert, the majority is over the age of fifty.
Others say it is more popular than we first imagine. Many young people listen to classical music without realizing it. It is often used in films and advertisements. For example, a famous piece of classical music was used as the theme music for the 1990 World Cup. Not many people could have given its name, but millions enjoyed it.
Also, some people point out that young people produce new music based on classical ideas: for example, it is said that rap(说唱) music was invented by a classical musician in 1912, but it is now used by young people in pop music.
However, young people point to the fact that classical music has been outstripped(超越) by technology. To play a classical instrument, such as a violin, you need to study hard and practice for hours. Nowadays, you don’t need to get aching arms from practicing. A teenager can write and make music using a computer program in the comfort of their own bedroom.
A final point to bear in mind is that the term "classical music" is used to refer to a great variety of music, from jazz to pieces for large orchestras. This makes it even more difficult to say whether classical music is relevant（与…相关） to young people.
So, it may be only a minority of young people who play classical instruments, but when it comes to enjoying classical music, it depends on the piece of music. It may be more relevant to young people in the modern world than they realize!
| Title |
Classical Music |
|
| Introduction |
The issue of whether classical music is |
|
| Opinions |
Evidence |
|
| ★ Classical music is associated only with old people. |
☆ |
|
| ★ Many young people don’t |
☆ Classical music is often found in films and advertisements. |
|
| ★ Classical ideas provide a |
☆ Young people now |
|
| ★Technology has put classical music at a |
☆ A young man can write and make music on a computer |
|
| ★ “Classical music” can refer to various |
☆ Classical music |
|
| Conclusion |
Classical music may still be |
|
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
任务型阅读(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡相应题号的横线上。
A library is a place where a large collection of books are lined. However, quite different from traditional ones, a new library which opened last month in San Antonio, Texas, US is very special in the thing —there is not a single book in it.
In fact, the world’s first “bookless” library, known as BiblioTech, looks more like an Internet café—instead of bookshelves. It has iPads, laptops and desktop computers to use on site and 500 e-readers for members to borrow. Most importantly, there is no printed material, reported Time.
“Our digital library is stored in the cloud, so you don’t have to come in to get a book,” Laura Cole, BiblioTech’s special projects coordinator, told CNN. The library at the moment has a collection of 10,000 e-books and is trying to add more.
The idea of a bookless library no longer seems new since e-books have been around for quite some time. At the end of 2012, 23 percent of Americans aged 16 and older read e-books, up from 16 percent the year before. At the same time, the proportion(比例) of Americans who read a printed book fell from 72 percent to 67 percent.
“Not all libraries are going to be like us,” Nelson Wolff, a local official told CNN. “But we surely do hope it’s going to drive them to do so. The world is changing, and libraries can’t stay the same —if they want to stay connected with the changing world.”
Also, located in a low-income (低收入的) neighborhood where 40 percent of families don’t have a computer and half are not available(可获得的) to broadband Internet service, BiblioTech provides digital convenience to people who lack it.
All in all, the newly-born library, though young, may be promising in the future soon to come.
| Title |
A |
| Introduction |
●A new library came into ●It has no book in it at all. |
| Features of the library |
●Computers, iPads and laptops took the ● ●There is no printed material. ●Books are stored in the ●More e-books will be |
| ●People are ●The changing world ●Such bookless libraries meet low-incomers’ |
|
| Conclusion |
The bookless library may be promising in the future. |
Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on many public issues. He says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.
Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? In a summer vacation, millions of kids spend valuable time sending messages, watching TV, playing video games and doing shopping in the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.
Summer vacation once made sense in the past when you didn’t need an education to get a good job. But now things have changed. For today’s students, academic skills are important to students’ future success, but such skills are affected in the summertime. Many nations don’t give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive(连续的) weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to thirteen weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.
Summer vacation also causes challenges for today’s families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home Mom. Now two-thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.
But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose significant ground in the summertime.
A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to hard boring work. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time to devote to athletics, languages, music and the arts. Summer vacation can be a grand thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated.
Title: Summer Vacation
| Theme |
A long summer vacation isn’t |
|
| Basic Information |
13 weeks in most American schools |
|
| Students’ |
·Sending messages and watching TV ·Playing video games ·Doing shopping |
|
| Disadvantages |
· ·Being a ·Hurting students’ academic achievement and resulting in |
|
| Suggestion |
A longer school year does not have to |
|
| Though being a ground thing, summer vacation might be out of |
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