New York City schoolchildren can’t use cellphones at school because of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s ban on cellphones in schools. Many parents are opposed to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s ban on cellphones in schools by e-mail messages.
There was a 13-year-old student who was shot with a gun after school, unable to call his mother for help. There was a high school student robbed three times last year, twice in her school building. There was a girl who got a piece of glass placed in her eye during school and was saved from a possible cornea transplant (角膜移植) only because, having disobeyed the cellphone ban, she was able to call her mother and get an operation on time.
The ban has been on for years, but it set off a widespread parental outcry only in April, after some headmasters sent home letters reminding parents that cellphones are not allowed to be brought into school.
Mr Bloomberg has defended the ban, saying that cellphones are bad and often used to cheat or call in friends for fights. If something is important, he says, parents can call schools directly.
On the other hand, many of the e-mail messages from parents described the ban as “cruel and heartless”, “absurdly(荒谬地) wrong-headed”, “anti-parent”, “ridiculous”.
“We respect the fears that parents have,” David Cantor, a spokesman for Schools Minister Joel I. Klein said, “but after all the fact is that having phones in schools always leads to more problems.”A 13-year-old student was shot with a gun after school, unable to call his mother for help, because ____.
| A．his mother had no cellphone |
| B．his mother wasn’t at home |
| C．he didn’t take a cellphone with him |
| D．he was too frightened to call |
From the fifth paragraph we can see many parents _________ the ban.
| A．agreed to | B．thought highly of |
| C．supported | D．were opposed to |
According to what the spokesman said, the school might _______.
| A．call off the ban |
| B．continue the ban |
| C．thank the parents |
| D．allow some students to use cellphones at school |
I used to have a friend that was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the news that he might only live up to six months was a great shock to him, his family, and his friends．However, in spite of the serious illness, he was initially determined to look into all available treatments that might cure or extend his life．I think that when you find yourself in such situations, you tend to look up every possible way for hope of saving your life．
With months going on and his health grew worse, I noticed an unexpected change in attitude that came over him．He had also been a happy person with a cheerful personality, but rather than give in to discouragement and self-pity, he took comfort in God and humanity．His talks focused on others rather than himself, and he spoke of the afterlife as something he was prepared for, believing that his concerned ancestors, including his mother and father, were there waiting for him．
In the last few months, weeks, and days of his life, he was kindly cared for by family, friends, his loving wife, who looked after both his physical and emotional needs, and workers from a local hospice （安养院） came to the home to regulate his medication and provide any other needed support．He didn't complain about his fate, and he willingly allowed others to serve him．Indeed, one might think why God allows death and suffering in our world, but for me, such experiences taught me to value family more and kindness for others．You often can't learn these important attributes in the lap of luxury, and perhaps, such an experience is the greatest and final gift the illness can give those left behind．Which word can best describe the man's initial reaction as soon as he was diagnosed with cancer?
| A．Astonished． | B．Annoyed |
| C．Terrified． | D．Confused． |
What did the man do after he first learned of his illness?
| A．He was operated on immediately． |
| B．He researched cancer treatments． |
| C．He retired from his job． |
| D．He felt sad, doing nothing． |
What was the man's main source of comfort after several months with the disease?
| A．His family and friends． |
| B．The care from others． |
| C．His doctors’ encouragement． |
| D．His belief in humanity． |
In my eyes, the most basic and powerful way to communicate with another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it’s given from the heart. When people are talking，there’s no need to do anything but receive them. Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it. Most of us don’t value ourselves or our love enough to know this. It has taken me a long time to believe in the power of simple saying “I’m so sorry，” when someone is in pain.
One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story people often interrupted to tell her that they once had something just like that happening to them. Her pain became a story about themselves. Eventually she stopped talking to most people. We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand，we move the focus of attention to ourselves. When we listen，they know we care.
I have even learned to respond to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the handkerchiefs，until I realized that passing a person a handkerchief may be just another way to shut him down，to take them out of their experience of sadness. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry，they find me there with them.
This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young. I thought people listened only because they were too shy to speak or did not know the answer. But now I know that a loving silence often has far more power to heal than the kindest words.
What does the author value most in the communication with each other?
| A．Deep understanding. |
| B．Attention from heart. |
| C．Saying “I’m sorry” |
| D．Doing nothing. |
The woman patient stopped telling her story to most people because________.
| A．she didn’t get enough respect from others |
| B．people often told her their own opinions |
| C．people couldn’t understand her sad situation |
| D．she was discouraged by being often interrupted |
If you hand a handkerchief to someone crying，you may________.
| A．stop him from letting out his sorrow |
| B．make him embarrassed |
| C．encourage him to continue to cry |
| D．hurt his feelings |
Which of the following might be the author’s opinion about communication?
| A．Just listen. | B．Keep silent. |
| C．Be careful. | D．Tell your own story. |
Should universities focus on training workers for the next decade or curing diseases for the next century? A group of governors, educators, and CEOs weighed in on the best way universities can prepare for the future. They debated how the U.S. can take the responsibility for research while still preparing students for real jobs.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said that the first thing she thinks about as governor is educating Oklahoma students and strengthening the workforce. So she’s carrying out a program called “America Works: Education and Training for Tomorrow’s Jobs” that aims to “reorganize our education system with the current needs of our employers”.
The state governor added that this new educational approach doesn’t just benefit students and companies, but also improves the state economy. “We’ve been able to attract new companies to our state because of what we’re doing with our universities, because our students are a pipeline for the workforce,” she said. “General Electric Company (one of the world’s biggest companies) is coming to Oklahoma.”
Other group members were more focused on the long-term goals of a research university. Amy Gutmann pointed out that “basic research is the foundation for everything else that happens at a university. And if we don’t do it, nobody else will.”
“And if nobody does that research, we’ll pay the price in health care bills,” argued Vagelos, who is a former CEO of Merck & Co., Inc, one of the largest pharmaceutical (制药的) companies in the world. “The jobs of universities are basic research, which is what is needed for attacks on disease,” he said. “There has been a reduction in coronary heart disease (冠心病) by 60% in the last forty years because of this research, and that reduces health care costs.”
James Hunt, former North Carolina governor, argued for a happy medium. Effective communication, he said, would help the public see that the research conducted at universities actually serves a practical purpose.
Eli Broad, founder of the Broad Foundations, agreed. “We have to show the public what research has achieved,” he said. “We have to show how it actually goes from basic research to something they can understand.”Why does Oklahoma appeal to General Electric Company?
| A．University graduates in the state are well trained. |
| B．There’s much support from the local government. |
| C．Many students in the state hope to be workers. |
| D．The state economy has been growing rapidly. |
What is Gutmann’s attitude toward Fallin’s program?
| A．Curious. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
Vagelos mentioned coronary heart disease in order to show _____.
| A．the achievements of Merck & Co., Inc |
| B．the difficulty of developing new drugs |
| C．the heavy burden of health care costs |
| D．the importance of basic research |
Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
| A．Universities or colleges? |
| B．Workers or researchers? |
| C．Basic or further research? |
| D．Education or development? |
You may have never heard of Lanthanum, Cerium or Neodymium, but these elements (元素) and others known as “rare earth” play a major role in modern technology. They can actually be found in many places on the earth, but not in quantities that can be mined. Only a few countries — China, America, India, Australia, Brazil and Malaysia have any that can be mined enough to be traded.
Even though some of these elements such as Cerium are as abundant as Copper, they are not found in concentrated amounts on the earth’s surface. They are often mixed together with other metals, which makes extraction (提取) of these elements an expensive and an environmentally messy process. It was due to this reason that the term “rare earth” was invented.
Rare earth metals are used widely in our life. Rechargeable car batteries, computers, iPhones, DVD players, computer monitors, televisions, lighting, lasers, glass polishing, and superconductors all use quantities of rare earth metals. Also, with the advancement in “green” technology like solar panels, these shiny materials are becoming more important than ever. An average electric car uses 10 pounds of Lanthanum for its rechargeable battery!
America has large deposits (存储量) of rare earths and has one of the first mines. It was opened in Southern California in 1940. The element “Europium” was the first metal to be separated in quantity for use in color televisions. However, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, as China started producing these elements in Inner Mongolia, the mines in America and elsewhere could not keep pace. The mine in Mountain Pass, California also failed environmental regulations and shut down in 2002.
Now, recognizing the importance of having more than one supplier of this important resource, other rare earth owning countries like India and Australia are either dusting off their rare earth mines or speeding up their production. It is believed that the debate over rare earths will become louder in the coming months and years.What can we learn about rare earths?
| A．They are actually as abundant as Copper. |
| B．They can be mined easily as other metals. |
| C．They can only be found in a few countries. |
| D．They are not really as rare as they are named. |
Compared with China, America _____.
| A．paid more attention to Europium |
| B．has larger deposits of rare earths |
| C．started producing rare earths earlier |
| D．has more rare earth mines |
It can be inferred from the text that rare earths _____.
| A．are now in great demand |
| B．can now be used in few fields |
| C．are harmful to the environment |
| D．will soon be replaced by other metals |
“Your first home,” Laurence Yep wrote in his book, The Lost Garden, “will always be the one that you remember best. I have been away from it for over twenty years, but I still go back in my dreams.” For Yep, whose father came from China, home was an apartment and the family grocery store in a neighborhood of San Francisco. It was there that he learned about patience, hard work, and getting along with neighbors.
Mr. Brown, Laurence Yep’s high school English teacher, often set high goals for his students. He was the first person to encourage Yep to write. The experience of that class changed the direction of Yep’s life. At the age of 18 Yep published his first short story, a sci-fi fantasy. He has since written many books and many kinds of books. He has retold Chinese folk stories and written for the theater. In nearly all these varied works, Yep, who is married to the children’s book author Joanne Ryder, has returned to questions he has been asking himself since childhood: What does it mean to be Chinese and American? Can one who belongs to two cultures ever feel at home anywhere?
When asked, “How has being of a Chinese by origin been important to you?” Laurence Yep replied, “As a child I wanted to be as American as possible. Then, in my early twenties, I became very interested in my Chinese roots. For years after that, I thought that my function as a Chinese American writer was to act as a bridge between two cultures. Now, though, I am not so sure that it is possible to join them together. Compared with Asian culture, American culture pays more attention to individuals and competition. The two cultures pull in opposite directions. So I see myself now as someone who will always be on the border between two cultures. That works to my benefit as a writer because not quite fitting in helps me be a better observer.”According to Paragraph 1, Laurence Yep _____.
| A．misses his first home very much |
| B．goes back to China from time to time |
| C．moved to San Francisco at an early age |
| D．once worked part-time at a grocery store |
2We may infer from Paragraph 2 that Mr. Brown _____.
| A．asked Laurence Yep to be a good observer |
| B．taught Laurence Yep the value of patience |
| C．helped Laurence Yep finish his first book |
| D．had high expectations of Laurence Yep |
The last paragraph is mainly about Laurence Yep’s _____.
| A．childhood memories |
| B．varied writing styles |
| C．view of the two cultures |
| D．relationship with his family |
Which of the following best describes Laurence Yep’s attitude to life?
| A．Learn to accept your own differences. |
| B．Put the needs of others ahead of your own. |
| C．Work hard and you will receive many benefits. |
| D．Challenge others as you would wish to be challenged. |
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