A couple of years ago, I went to a lady's house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 16 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning 17 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 18 , I asked if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been 19 lessons--at age 54! I told her that it was very 20 that she was pursuing (追求) her 21 to play the piano.
Then she asked me the same question.
"I have been playing for 8 years now," I answered.
"Then you must play a song for me before you leave," she requested.
I 22 she was kidding and I simply smiled. At the end of the 23 of the vitamins, she 24 me of our musical " 25 ". She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room and asked me to play a song for her. I thought 26 and decided to play David Lanz's "Return to the Heart", since she had so much passion for 27 , and it was my soul-searching song.
I played the song to the best of my 28 , and with my emotions pouring into it as possible. She loved it. 29 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, "Young man!"
I turned around. And there was an old lady 30 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. "I wanted to come out to 31 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it's very hard for me to 32 my bed, but I really wanted to thank you for the song. It made me feel good..." she said. With that, she turned around and walked 33 back to her room.
I was deeply touched by her 34 and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one's 35 for peace and joy.
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No one doubts that students should study languages, maths and science in high school, but some may be against the idea that they should study art and music as well. To them, these subjects are useless for students' future and are not worth the time and effort. In my opinion, however, it is necessary for middle school students to study art and music.
Art and music are a valuable culture legacy（遗产）, which bring us pleasure and enjoyment. Have you ever been deeply moved by Beethoven's famous Fifth Symphony? Have you ever been shocked by the colorful starry night produced by Vincent van Gogh in his paint? Have you ever longed for the moving love between the Butterfly Lovers when you hear this well-known Chinese melody（曲调）? Art and music are not only images and sounds, but something beyond them. They are the products of passion and human wisdom.
Art and music help make students more creative. Artists and musicians are considered the most creative people in the world. It is because art and music sharpen their senses and provide a different perspective (视角)for them to see the world. Many great scientists benefited from art and music. Einstein, the greatest physicist in the 20th century, as well as an excellent violin player, is a good example.
Enjoying art and music is also a good way to relax ourselves. Middle school students, who typically carry heavy burdens of study, will definitely benefit from it.
In a word, art and music should absolutely be included in the middle school courses, for they can bring students pleasure,creativity and relaxation.According to the author, people who think art and music are useless for middle school students_____.
| A．don't realize the value of art and music |
| B．don't know the history of art and music at all |
| C．never benefit from artists and musicians |
| D．know little about the future education |
In paragraph 2, the author tries to argue that______.
| A．Beethoven is one of the greatest musicians |
| B．art and music help express people's feelings |
| C．art and music are valuable pictures and sounds |
| D．art and music bring people joy and relaxation |
The example of Einstein is used to_______.
| A．show the importance of creativity |
| B．prove that scientists are creative |
| C．encourage students to study art and music |
| D．provide students with a new way to see the world |
Which of the following is used to support the writer's opinion?
| A．Art and music are helpful to make students creative learners. |
| B．Art and music provide people with more opportunities. |
| C．Art and music help people become scientists. |
| D．Art and music must help students in other subjects. |
Which of the following is an effective way for middle school students to study ?
| A．Relaxing themselves regularly while studying. |
| B．Attending concerts during holidays or after school. |
| C．Avoiding too much homework by studying art and music. |
| D．Listening to music while studying language, maths or other subjects. |
As we all know, the Dragon Boat Festival is our country’s traditional festival, but do you know there is also a Dragon Boat Festival in South Korea, which also falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar(阴历)? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 联合国教科文组织) to make the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival its own intangible cultural heritage (非物质的文化遗产). If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.
As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation. "It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China," said Zhou Heping, deputy(副) culture minister. The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.
It is thought that the festival is held in memory of the great poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), who lived in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. Qu was known to be a patriot (爱国者) and admired by ordinary people.
He is said to have jumped into Miluo River, because he had lost hope in his country's future. When people heard about Qu's death, they sailed up and down the river searching for his body. They also beat the drums to frighten away the fish and threw Zongzi into the water to stop the fish touching Qu. Dragon boat racing is said to come from this search for the poet's body.
Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of the local culture.The Dragon Boat Festival _______.
| A．is also kept by South Korea |
| B．comes from South Korea |
| C．was created by South Korea |
| D．is South Korea’s cultural heritage |
What is the reaction of the Ministry of Culture to South Korea’s intending to make the Dragon Boat Festival its own cultural heritage ?
| A．Fighting against South Korea |
| B．Telling South Korea it’s not right to do so |
| C．Considering to do the similar thing |
| D．Asking South Korea not to do so. |
What is the purpose of the Dragon Boat Festival’s being held?
| A．In memory of Qu Yuan |
| B．In memory of all the patriots of China |
| C．To frighten away the fish |
| D．In honor of QuYuan’s birthday |
After Qu Yuan’s death, Zongzi was thrown into the water to _______.
| A．feed him. |
| B．protect his body from going bad. |
| C．prevent the fish biting his body |
| D．attract his soul |
Now, the Dragon Boat Festival has become ______ activity.
| A．a nationwide | B．a worldwide |
| C．an Asian | D．a foreign |
“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”
“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”
“Why do I have to study so hard?”
“It is what your mother would have wanted!”
She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.
“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”
“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”
He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.
“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”
She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.
“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”
He listens without uttering a single sound.
“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”
Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”
The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”
“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.
“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”
“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.
“She asked me to take care of you.”
“You promised her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”
She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.
“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”
He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”
“Mother said you would understand things better.”
“Wise woman, your mother.”
He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.
“I love you.” she looks up at his face.
He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.
“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”
He kisses her head.
“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.
He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.
Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.
Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”
He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.
“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”
“You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.
She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.
The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.
Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”What can we know about the couple’s relationship?
| A．They understood each other very well. |
| B．They quarreled a lot and are separated. |
| C．They used to have misunderstandings. |
| D．They were quite sure of each other’s love. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth. |
| B．Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone. |
| C．The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted. |
| D．Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him. |
Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?
| A．Because he was too busy with his work. |
| B．Because he didn’t know he was wanted. |
| C．Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees. |
| D．Because he didn’t know she was in hospital. |
What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?
| A．You want another cup of water? |
| B．Are you kidding me? |
| C．Are you trying to make me cry? |
| D．Are you thinking about the water factory? |
Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?
| A．Regretful | B．Satisfied |
| C．Confused | D．Doubtful |
LONDON, Feb. 18，2014（Xinhua News agency）—Britain will send experts to East China's Shanghai to learn from the city's experience in maths teaching in an attempt to raise the teaching standards.
British Education Minister Elizabeth Truss is to lead a delegation of experts on a fact-finding mission to Shanghai's schools next week to see how children there have become the best in the world at maths, to get a first-hand look at maths classes and teaching methods there, and particularly to investigate why the performance of almost all children in Shanghai is high, regardless of gender or income.
Britain was last year placed 50th out of 148 countries and regions in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking in quality of maths and science education. Two years ago, Shanghai topped the 2012 international PISA tables for maths, while England was ranked in 26th place. The top five were all in Southeast Asia, with 15-year-olds in Shanghai judged to be three years ahead of their peers in maths.
The education department said: "England's performance in maths has lagged behind while other countries have improved and overtaken us, including Poland and Germany." Actually, it is the latest step in the government's drive to raise standards in maths, looking at what has made schools in the far East the most successful in the world in teaching the subject.
"Shanghai is the top-performing part of the world for maths—their children are streets ahead. Shanghai and Singapore have teaching practices and a positive mind that make the difference. They have a belief that diligence makes up for lack of ability," Truss said. "Our new curriculum has borrowed from theirs because we know it works—early learning of key arithmetic, and a focus on times tables and long division（长除法）, for instance."
She was determined to change the situation as performance in maths is weakening the country's skills base and threatening the productivity and growth. The government is emphasizing maths because of the importance of good grades in the subject to young people competing for good jobs in a global labor market and to the economy more generally.
An education and skills survey released by the Confederation of British Industry last year showed that 30 percent of employers reported dissatisfaction with the standard of school and college leavers' numeracy. More than two-thirds of employers said they wanted both maths and science promoted more in schools.Why does the British government send a delegation of experts to Shanghai?
| A．To see how children from rich families have become the best at maths. |
| B．To investigate why the performance of almost all children in China is high. |
| C．To get a first-hand look at science classes and teaching methods there. |
| D．To raise the teaching standards in maths in Britain. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the two international competition results?
| A．British students performed better in 2013 than in 2012. |
| B．British students did better than the students from Poland in 2013. |
| C．The students from Singapore did better than the students from Germany. |
| D．The students from Germany did better than the students from Poland. |
What has made schools in Shanghai the most successful in teaching maths in the eye of Truss?
| A．Curriculum and teaching methods. |
| B．Teaching practices and a positive mind. |
| C．Early learning of key arithmetic and times tables. |
| D．A focus on times tables and long division. |
How will students’ poor performance in maths affect the country?
| A．By threatening the country's competitiveness of economy. |
| B．By weakening the country's political system. |
| C．By losing international competitions in education. |
| D．By failing to find jobs in a global labor market. |
What can we infer from the news?
| A．The students in Britain don’t work hard at Maths. |
| B．The students in shanghai are the smartest in the world. |
| C．The education of science in Britain is no better than that of maths. |
| D．Most British citizens are dissatisfied with teachers’ work. |
My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal.
“I’ll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?” I said, thinking he’d be so excited to put his own stamp on things.
“That’s okay, mom. You put money in. I don’t want to waste mine,” he sweetly sang as he colored. “I want to fill my bank all the way up.”
Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought.
I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need — and even want to do it himself.
But of course he doesn’t really understand yet. “There’s a big disconnect between the people ‘over there’ and my piggy bank,” said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle.
“There’s nothing wrong with the child. There’s just no connection.”
As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: “Try not to do it now,” Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need “should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.”
She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving:
* Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand.
* Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won’t be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope （like this writer just did）.
* Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year.
* Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to.
At her house, Hoefle said, “When you got something new, you gave something up.” Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. “There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids’ lives.”
So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I’ll make sure he understands why they should be filled—gradually.When the writer asked her son to give money to help the poor, he __________.
| A．declined to donate |
| B．sang a sweet song |
| C．put all his money in a bank |
| D．seemed very surprised |
Hoefle’s attitude towards children’s unwillingness to donate money can be best described as “___________”.
| A．critical | B．tolerant |
| C．positive | D．worried |
Which of the following is Hoefle’s approach to educating kids about charity?
| A．Giving courses about charity. |
| B．Setting a rule for children to give. |
| C．Inviting a lot of poor people home. |
| D．Giving children enough real life chances. |
What can we learn about the writer from the passage?
| A．She often makes donations for people in need. |
| B．She taught her son a lesson over dinner that evening. |
| C．She is at a loss as for what she should do next. |
| D．She invited a parenting educator home for advice. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Kids, please help those in need. |
| B．Why are kids unwilling to donate? |
| C．Kindness is lost in the young generation. |
| D．How can we help kids learn generosity? |
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