This year’s Newsweek list of the top 100 high schools shows that today those with fewer students are rising.
Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek Top School List based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22.
Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern high schools outside the cities with thousands of students. Big schools meant economic efficiency, a greater choice of courses, and better football teams. But only years later did we understand that it involved the difficulty of strengthening personal connections between teachers and students. SAT scores began dropping; on average, 30% of students did not complete high school in four years, a figure that rose to 50% in poor city neighborhoods. High schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.
Size isn’t everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable trend toward smaller schools. This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools — most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment of only 150 students per grade. About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred.
Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California, is one of those ranking No.423 — among the top 2% in the country. In 2003, Hillsdale remade itself into three “houses”. 300 students arriving ninth graders are randomly assigned to one of the houses, where they will keep the same four core subject teachers for two years before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents. Along with the new structure came the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95.”It was rough for some. But by senior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics,” says Jeff Gilbert. “Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them.”
But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.
Ranking schools is always controversial. Over the years this system has been criticized for its simplicity — list of top U.S. high schools was made merely according to the proportion of students taking college-level exams. This year a group of 38 superintendents (地区教育主管) from five states wrote to ask that their schools should be excluded from the calculation. “It is impossible to know which high schools are ‘the best’ in the nation,” their letter read. “Determining whether different schools do or don’t offer a high quality of education requires a look at many different measures, including students’ overall academic accomplishments, their later performance in college, and taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities.”What can we learn about the schools sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation?
| A．They are often located in poor neighborhoods. |
| B．They are popular with high-achieving students. |
| C．They are mostly small in size. |
| D．Another 150 schools invested by the Foundation are planned to be set up. |
According to Jeff Gilbert, the classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could ______.
| A．tell their teachers what they did on weekends |
| B．experience a great deal of pleasure in learning |
| C．maintain closer relationships with their teachers |
| D．deal with the demanding biology and physics courses |
Newsweek ranks high schools according to ______.
| A．their students’ academic achievement |
| B．the number of their students admitted to college |
| C．the size and number of their graduating classes |
| D．their college-level test participation |
What attitude does the author have towards the present trend in high school education?
| A．Subjective. | B．Objective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Disapproving. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Providing Good Education for Baby Boomers |
| B．Top School List Winning National Support |
| C．Small Schools Rising in popularity |
| D．Students Meeting Higher Academic Standards |
Have you ever noticed the colour of the water in a river or stream after a heavy rainfall? What do you think caused this change in colour? It is soil that has been washed into the river from the riverbank or from t}le nearby fields．
Components of Soft
Soil is made up of a number of layers（层），each having its own distinctive colour and texture．The upper layer is known as the litter．It acts like a blanket．limiting temperature changes and reducing water loss．The topsoil layer is made up of small particles of rock mixed with rotten plant and animal matter called humus（腐殖质），which is black and gives the topsoil its dark colour．This layer is usually rich in nutrients，oxygen，and water．Below the topsoil is the subsoil，a layer that contains more stones mixed with only small amounts of organic matter．This layer is lighter in colour because of the lack of humus．Beneath the soil lies a layer of bedrock．
Soil forms from the bottom up．Over time bedrock is attacked by rain, wind，frost, and snow．It is gradually broken down into smaller particles in a process called weathering．Plants begin to grow，and rotten materials enrich the topsoil．Most of the soil in Eastern Canada．for example．Was formed from weathered rock that was exposed when the ice disappeared l2．000 years ag0．
Water Beneath the Soil
Surface water collects and flows above the ground in lakes．ponds．and rivers．Once in the soil or rock，it is called groundwater．Gravity pulls groundwater through the soil in a process called percolation（渗透）．Eventually the water reaches a layer called the water table．Under this is bedrock through which water cannot percolate．
As water percolates downward，it dissolves organic matter and minerals from the soil and carries them to deeper layers．This causes a serious problem because plants require these nutrients for growth.
Soil pH
Soil can be acidic．neutral．or basic．The pH of the soil is determined by the nature of the rock
from which it was formed．and by the nature of t}le plants that grow and rot in it．
The acidity of rain and snow can lower the pH of the groundwater that enters the soil．By burning fossil fuels such as coal，oil and gasoline，humans have been contributing to higher levels of acidity in many soils．When fossil fuels are burned．gases are released into the air and then fall back to earth as acid rain．Acid soil increases出e problem of carrying nutrients to lower soil levels．As nutrients are removed，soil is less fertile．Plants grow more slowly in acidic soil，and also become easily attacked by diseases．
| 1． |
The layer of soil that provides necessary nutrients for plant growth is called．
|
| 2． |
According to the text．which of the following is NOT true?
|
| 3． |
We can infer from the passage that the water table lies．
|
| 4． |
The underlined word "dissolve" is used to express the idea that organic matter and minerals from soil are．
|
Transport Guide
The Brisbane City Council（BCC）is responsible for bus and ferry services with in the city limits and suburbs．Most buses will either arrive at the city or an interchange where connecting buses can be caught．BCC buses operate from 5：30 am to 11：00 pm Monday to Thursday and 5：30 am t0 12：00 am on Fridays .On weekends and public holidays buses operate less frequently Pre—paid bus tickets can be purchased from the QUT （Queensland University of Technology）bookshop，the campus newsagency．most other newsagencies and general stores，and any BCC Customer Service Centre．Short-term students at QUT cannot use their ID cards to gain a discount fare on BCC public transport．You will need to buy an adult ticket to travel．Bus fares are dependent on the number of zones you have to travel．There are several types of tickets：
Single：one way ticket to reach your destination，including transfers within 2 hours．
Daily: unlimited travel within the zones．
Off-peak’ Daily：discounted unlimited travel between 9：00 am and 3：30 pm and after 7：00 pm
Monday to Friday, and all day on weekends and public holidays．
Weekly：unlimited travel within the zones for one week from the date of issue．
Monthly：unlimited travel within the zones for one calendar month from the date of issue．
Ten-trip Saver: 10 trips at any time within the zones on buses and ferries only．
Transport routes．timetables and fare information are available from:
Public Transport Information Centre
69 Ann Street （corner of George St）
Brisbane City
Phone l3 12 30（Transport Information Service）
64．The transport guide above is most likely provided by ．
A．Public Transport Information Centre
B．the Brisbane City Council
C．Queensland University of Technology．
D．BCC Customer Service Centres
65．We can learn from the passage that ．
A．buses are scheduled as usual on weekends and public holidays
B．regular students at QUT need to buy adult tickets
C．Pre—paid tickets can be bought from the Public Transport Information Centre
D．Ten-trip Savers can be used at off-peak time
66．An exchange student staying at QUT for five days has to travel between zones every day．What type of ticket would he probably buy?
A．Single． B．Weekly． C．Off-peak Daily． D．Ten—trip Saver．
It was the first mow of winter -- an exciting day for every, child but not for most tether. Up until now, l had been able to dress myself for recess（课间休息）, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher at Princess Elizabeth School near Hamilton, Ontario, had been through first snow days ,tony times in her long career, but I think struggled still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow pants. But I straggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and matching scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots. In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will be able to put on own boots. “ I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do an the work. After mush wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced，“They’re on the wrong feet．”With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again．Then I said，“These aren’t my boots．you know．”As she pulled the offending boots from my feet，she still managed to look both helpful and interested．Once they were off．I said，“They are my brother’s boots．My mother makes me wear them，and I hate them!” Somehow，from long years of practice，she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl．She pushed and shoved．less gently this time，and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet．With a great sigh of relief，seeing the end of her struggle with me，she asked，“Now，where are your gloves?’’
I looked into her eyes and said．“I didn’t want to lose them．so I put them into the toes of my boots．”According to the passage，the little girl got from her brother．
| A．the wool snow pants and the jacket | B．the jacket and the boots |
| C．the jacket and the hat | D．the boots and the gloves |
What made it so hard for the teacher to help the little girl put her boots on?
| A．The gloves in the toes of the boots． |
| B．The slowness of the teacher. |
| C．The wrong size of the boots． |
| D．The unwillingness of the girl． |
It can be inferred that before the little girl finally went out to enjoy the first snow of winter，the teacher had to help her put on her boots ．
| A．once | B．twice | C．three times | D．four times |
Which of the following sentences from the text BEST indicates that the teacher is very considerate?
| A．In her calm，motherly voice she said，“By the end of winter，…”（Paragraph 2） |
| B．With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to…（Paragraph 4） |
| C．…．she still managed to look both helpful and interested．（Paragraph 4） |
| D．…，she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl.（Paragraph 4） |
When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, they usually talk simultaneously（同时的）about a variety of subjects, including children, men, careers and what' s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen -- they can' t do both -- and they don' t understand that women can. Besides, women consider that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships -- not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the subtle body language signals that reveal how the characters are feeling emotionally. Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully in order to maintain relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to relate the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a means of bonding. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls' mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr Michael Lewis, author Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at, baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents res the brain bias of their children. Since a girl' s brain is better organized to send and receive speech ,
we therefore talk to them more. Consequently, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short grunts in reply.
56.While watching TV with others, women Usually talk a lot because they
A. are afraid of awkward silence with their families and friends
B. can both talk and watch the screen at the Same time
C. think they can have a good time and develop relationships
D. have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands
57. After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to .
A. experience the happy time again B. keep a close tie with her
C. recommend her a new scenic spot D. remind her of something forgotten
58. What does the author want to tell us most?
A. Women' s brains are better organized for language and communication
B. Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men.
C. Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts.
D. Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking.
59. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Women Are Socially Trained to Talk B. Talking Maintains Relationships
C, Women Love to Talk D. Men Talk Differently from Women
A few years ago I had an “aha!” moment regarding handwriting.
I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task. It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting，and then I realized whose it must be. I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year，maybe two，and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.
It was a very important event in the computerization of life—a sign that the informal. Friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters，and we recognized one another's handwriting the way we knew voices or faces.
As a child visiting my father’s office，1 was pleased to recognize，in little notes on the desks of his staff，the same handwriting 1 would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge—except that those notes were signed “dad” instead of “RFW”.
All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The Rise and Fall of Handwriting，a book by Florey. Sire shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well，but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen.
I don’t buy it.
I don’t want to see anyone cut off from the expressive，personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer，part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting.
What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16th-century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand—as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying classical paintings. However，they have worked in many school systems.
51. Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague’s handwriting?
A. He had worked with his colleague long enough.
B. His colleague’s handwriting was SO beautiful.
C. His colleague’s handwriting was SO terrible.
D. He still had a 1ot of Work to do.
52. People working together in an office used to ____________.
A. talk more about handwriting
B. take more notes on workdays
C. know better one another's handwriting
D. communicate better with one another
53. The author’s father wrote notes in pen _________.
A. to both his family and his staff
B. to his family in small letters
C. to his family on the fridge
D. to his staff on the desk
54. According to the author，handwritten notes _______.
A. are harder to teach in schools
B. attract more attention
C. are used only between friends
D. carry more message
55. We can learn from the passage that the author __________.
A. thinks it impossible to teach handwriting
B. does not want to lose handwriting
C. puts the blame on the computer
D. does not agree with Florey
粤公网安备 44130202000953号