When my daughter was in the fifth grade, she came home from school almost every night with three or more hours of homework. It was my duty to help her get it done. One night she worked until midnight doing her homework.
I felt annoyed, but I didn’t want the teacher to think I was lazy. So I never complained. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed to me that five hours of homework was a bit too much for a fifth grade student.
Later, I found out that parents and educators have discussed about homework for more than a century. Parents who like more homework want to give their children every advantage to succeed in today’s world. Some educators see homework as a way to help students perform better in tests.
Other parents dislike the recent trend toward more homework. They don’t want to stay up until midnight helping their children. They would prefer to spend their time going to the park or reading some really good books with their children. Added to the opposition(反对)are those who say that homework increases the gap(差距)between the rich and the poor. That’s because middle class families do better when it comes to helping their children with their homework.
So, who is right? Is homework an enemy or a help? According to experts, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.The author thought that her daughter’s homework _________.
| A．was too difficult |
| B．was too much to finish |
| C．was done more carefully than other students’ |
| D．could be done as long as she helped her daughter |
The author never complained to the teacher because _________.
| A．she was too angry to talk with the teacher. |
| B．she did not like complaining. |
| C．she was afraid of being thought lazy by the teacher. |
| D．her daughter would be annoyed if she complained. |
In the last paragraph, experts __________.
| A．think middle school students should do lots of homework. |
| B．haven’t come up with any idea to solve this problem. |
| C．think homework should be given, but not too much. |
| D．support the idea that homework is good for students. |
OLYMPIA, March 24—Luo Xuejuan, a swimming gold medalist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, became the first Chinese person to relay the Olympic Flame in Greece on Monday, receiving the flame from the first Olympic torchbearer(火炬手), Greek Alexandros Nikolaidis.
Despite her previous experience as a torchbearer in the Beijing leg of the Athens 2004 torch relay, Luo felt honored and proud of being chosen as the first Chinese torchbearer, the Xihua News Agency reported Luo as saying in an interview.
She talked about the great responsibility that she felt, as she believed she was representing every Chinese athlete and even Chinese person by running her leg of the relay.
Regarding missing the torch lighting ceremony because she had to be in an assigned location to wait for the flame, Luo felt no regret. “Even though I couldn’t see it, I was able to feel the flame light and knew that it was happening at a place nearby,” she said.
Luo expressed her belief that even if people couldn’t communicate with words, the Olympic Flame enables the transmission of the Olympic spirit and brings smiles wherever it might go. In Luo’s mind, the Olympic spirit represents purity, competition, friendship, enthusiasm, peace and harmony.Why didn’t Luo see the torch lighting ceremony?
| A. She was late for the ceremony. |
| B. She was not allowed to go there. |
| C. She waited for the flame as the next torchbearer. |
| D. The ceremony took place at a place far away. |
Choose the best explanation for the underlined word “leg” in Paragraph Three.
| A. One of the long parts that connect the feet to the rest of the body. |
| B. The part of a pair of trousers. |
| C. One of the long thin parts on the bottom of a table. |
| D. One part of a journey or race. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A. Luo Xuejuan was the first Olympic torchbearer in Greece. |
| B. Luo had never been selected as a torchbearer before. |
| C. Luo believed that the Olympic flame helped communication among people. |
| D. Luo felt regretful because she missed the torch lighting ceremony. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A. Luo Xuejuan: A Swimming Gold Medalist. |
| B. The Torch Lighting Ceremony |
| C. The Torch Relay Had Begun |
| D. Luo Xuejuan: the First Chinese Torchbearer of Athens Torch Relay |
This passage is most likely to be seen in a .
| A. novel |
B. newspaper |
C. magazine |
D. textbook |
In many parts of the world，cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughboroug
h in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized, which will mean much saving，no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself, and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis，who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people. By 2010, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen. And by 2020, cars will travel in convoy linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would bum about ten percent 0f the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.” We know from the passage that governments and car manufacturers .
| A. do not believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020 |
| B. are devoted to the technological revolution in car industry |
| C. consider the predictions seriously |
| D. have put the super-intelligent car into mass production |
Which of the following will be the characteristic of the cars of 2020?
| A. The car will speed up out of control． |
| B. We will own as many cars as we want． |
| C. All cars will be driven by computers． |
| D. Cars will produce more pollution than present ones． |
The leader of the research team believes that the present car culture will change because .
| A. cars play a very important role in daily life |
| B. many societies would stop functioning without cars |
| C. cars should not be owned by one individual |
| D. it causes many deaths to human society |
The expression closest in meaning to the phrase “in convoy” in the last paragraph is .
| A. in line B. sidelong |
| C. side by side D. shoulder to shoulder |
What will happen if cars are joined to each other electronically in 2020？
| A. Motorists will get a clear view of the road． |
| B. The weather condition will not have effect on motorists． |
| C. There will be less pollution caused by car． |
| D. All trains will burn less fuel than present． |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don't know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and s
isters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for ad
vice.
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children's growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, pare
nts often try to choose their children's friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children fr
om meeting their good friends. The question of "choice" is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don't like?Many teenagers think their know them better than their parents do.
| A. friends B. teachers |
| C. brothers and sisters D. classmates |
When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to .
| A. go to their friends B. talk with their parents |
| C. have a discussion with their family D. talk with their friends on the phone |
Which of the following is different in meaning from the sentence "Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends."?
| A. Some parents may even not allow their children to meet their good friends. |
| B. Some parents may even ask their children to stay away from their good friends. |
C. Some parents may even not let their children meet their good friends . |
| D. Some parents may want their children to stop to meet their good friends. |
The passage suggests (暗示) that _______.
| A. Parents cannot choose friends for their children successfully |
| B. Perhaps some children's friends are chosen by their parents. |
| C. Children won't let their parents choose friends for them. |
| D. Parents often try to choose their children's friends for them. |
Which of the following do you think is right according to the passage?
| A. Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B. In all families, children can choose everything they like. |
C. Parents should try their best to understand their children bett er. |
| D. Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in intercultural(跨文化的)experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness (意识, 认识)of being unclear.
Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm even when things do not go as one wants them to, or hopes they will, or has even been sure they will. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.
A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in his own reactions than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.
The awareness of being unclear is a more difficult concept than patience or a sense of
humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear to the newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in the situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said, “things are just so different here.”The passage mainly tells us .
| A. that it’s not easy to travel abroad |
| B. that humor is very important in communication |
| C. of some characteristics in dealing with foreigners |
| D. of three main ways useful for communicating with foreigners |
According to the passage, what characteristic should be most focused on?
| A. Patience. |
B. The awareness of being unclear. |
| C. The sense of humor. |
D. Understanding each other. |
“The awareness of being unclear” refers to .
| A. knowing the meaning of an exact situation |
| B. not stating clearly what happens |
| C. realizing the possible misunderstanding in a situation |
| D. being aware of the unclear situation |
According to the writer, the Chinese students are .
| A. a hard-working student |
B. recently back from the moon |
| C. interested in the study of moon |
D. not used to the culture in America |
Which of the following can best sum up the passage?
| A. A. It is necessary to learn the language before you go to the country. |
| B. Americans are used to the culture of other countries. |
| C. One needs many characteristics to live in a foreign country. |
| D. To live in a foreign land one should get fully prepared. |
We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought m
e to this spot in a small town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why.
“Look down, Elsa,” father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the crisscross (十字形) of twisting, turning streets leading to the square. “See, my dear,” father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another.”
Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said.
When I turned to father for help, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan.
At school the next day, I secretly poured my luncheon（午餐）soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I asked our cook to serve it to mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered（喷溅出）“ The cook must have gone mad！” Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day!
In the years that followed I often remembered the lesson father taught me. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. I wouldn’t stop working until I tried every possible means to my goal. Father’s wise words always remind me that there is more than one way to the square.The author’s father took her to the top of a church tower to ____________.
| A. enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole town |
| B. find out how many ways lead to the square |
| C. inspire her to find out another way to solve her problem |
| D. help her forget some unpleasant things earlier that day |
What did the author want her mother to do earlier that day?.
| A. Do something delicious for lunch. |
| B. Taste her awful lunch. |
| C. Dismiss the mad cook. |
| D. Speak to the school about lunch. |
The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph suggests that__________________.
| A. the cook agreed to serve the soup to the writer’s mother. |
| B. the author’s mother was angry with the cook. |
| C. her father persuaded her mother successfully. |
| D. the method the author thought of was effective. |
What did the author’s mother think of her luncheon soup after she tasted it?
| A. It was delicious. |
B. It wasn’t so bad as the author said. |
| C. It is terrible.. |
D. It was as good as her cook did. |
By sharing her own experiences, the author tries to tell us ____________.
| A. when one road is blocked, try another |
| B. how bad the lunch of her school is |
| C. how wise her father is |
| D. about the church tower near her home |
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