One is never too old to learn. Life learning (sometimes called un-schooling or self-directed learning) is one of those concepts that are almost easier to explain by saying what it isn’t than what it is. And that’s probably because our own schooled backgrounds have convinced us that learning happens only in a fine building on certain days, between certain hours, and managed by a specially trained professional.
Within that schooling framestudy, no matter how hard teachers try and no matter how good their textbooks, many bright students get bored, many slower students struggle and give up or lose their self-respect, and most of them reach the end of the process unprepared to enter into society. They have memorized a certain body of knowledge long enough to rush back the information on tests, but they haven’t really learnt much, at least of the official curriculum.
Life learners, on the other hand, know that learning is not difficult, that people learn things quite easily if they’re not compelled and forced, if they see a need to learn something, and if they are trusted and respected enough to learn it on their own timetable, at their own speed, in their own way—no matter what age and no matter whether we’re at school or at home.
Life learning is independent of time, location or the presence of teacher. It does not require mom or dad to teach, or kids to work in workbooks at the table from 9 to noon. Life learning is learner-driven. It involves living and learning—in and from the real world. It is about exploring, questioning, experimenting, making messes, taking risks without fear of making mistakes, being laughed at and trying again.
Furthermore, life learning is about trusting kids to learn what they need to know and about helping them to learn and grow in their own ways. It is about providing positive experiences that enable children to understand the world and their culture and to interact with it.It is implied in the text that it is hard to ______.
| A．tell the nature of life learning | B．carry life learning through |
| C．learn without going to school | D．find a specially trained teacher |
According to the author, the schooling framestudy often ______.
| A．produces slow students with poor memories |
| B．ignores some parts of the official curriculum |
| C．fails to provide enough knowledge about life |
| D．gives little care to the quality of teaching materials |
Life learners recognize that learning will not be difficult if they are ______.
| A．able to respect other people | B．careful to make a time table |
| C．clear about why to learn | D．cautious about any mistakes |
According to the author, life learning ______.
| A．could prevent one from running risks |
| B．teaches a kid how to avoid being laughed at |
| C．makes a kid independent of his parents |
| D．could be a road full of trials and errors |
Through life learning, children ______.
| A．will grow without the assistance from parents |
| B．will be seperated from the negative side of society |
| C．will be driven to learn necessary life knowledge |
| D．will learn to communicate with the real society |
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bikes to work every day. In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City . They declare that if more people rode bikes to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines.
For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bike riders. For example , they want the city to draw special lanes( 车道) for bikes on some of the main streets, because when bike riders must use the same lanes as cars there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.
But no bike lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea- they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea- they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business.
The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park, the largest place of open ground in New York, is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bike only.
But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bike lanes down-town. In New York, a group of bike riders_________.
| A．are keeping practicing for health |
| B．have no cars of their own |
| C．are complaining (埋怨) there are not enough buses |
| D．are trying to settle the problem of air pollution |
The bike riders suggest that____________.
| A．bikes should be used instead of cars. |
| B．bike lanes should be drawn |
| C．fewer buses or cars should be used |
| D．the number of special lanes should be decreased |
The advantage of the special lanes is that________.
| A．they will make cars and buses run slowly |
| B．they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks |
| C．they will make the city more beautiful |
| D．they will prevent accidents |
The government has not decided whether special lanes should be drawn_______.
| A．so that everyone is disappointed |
| B．because there are different opinions |
| C．because most people travel by train |
| D．because Bike for a Better City is not strong enough |
Cars are not permitted to enter Central Park on weekends_________.
| A．so that Bike for a Better City is pleased |
| B．so that everyone is happy |
| C．and bike lanes are drawn |
| D．but Bike for a Better City is still not satisfied |
O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York. b. Worked in a bank. c. Travelled to Texas.
d. Was put in prison. e. Had a newspaper Job. f. Learned to write stories.
| A．e. c. f. b. d. a | B．c. e. b. d. f. a |
| C．e. b. d. c. a. f. | D．c. b. e. d. a f. |
People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because__________.
| A．they had surprise endings | B．they were short |
| C．they showed his love for the poor | D．they were about New York City |
O. Henry went to prison because__________ .
| A．people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper |
| B．he broke the law by not using his own name |
| C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners |
| D．people thought he had taken money that was not his |
What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?
| A．He was well-educated. | B．He was not serious about his work. |
| C．He was devoted to the poor. | D．He was very good at learning. |
Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?
| A．His life inside the prison. | B．The newspaper articles he wrote. |
| C．The city and people of New York. | D．His exciting early life as a boy. |
A neighbor of mine, while visiting his mother in Boston, took her to a shoe store to buy a new pair of shoes. While she was trying on different styles, my neighbor took the manager aside. “When she picks out a pair that she likes,” he said, “Just tell her that the price is 12 dollars. I’ll pay the regular(正常的)price. I don’t care how much it is.”
The following week, my neighbor was walking by the shoe store and the manager recognized him and called him in.
“What’s the problem?” asked my neighbor as he entered the store.
“Wasn’t my check any good?”
“That’s not it,” answered the manager, “The problem is that your mother is bringing all her friends in for those 12-dollar shoes!”My neighbor went to Boston ________.
| A．to buy shoes for his mother |
| B．to see his mother |
| C．to pay for the shoes he had bought for his mother |
| D．to see the manager of the shoe store |
The regular price my neighbor had paid must be _______.
| A．12 dollars | B．lower than 12 dollars |
| C．higher than 12 dollars | D．unknown to himself at all |
It seems very probable that my neighbor wanted to _______.
| A．please his mother | B．cheat his mother |
| C．cheat the manager | D．please his mother’s friends |
The manager called my neighbor in when he saw him because______.
| A．he didn’t have enough shoes for his customers(顾客) |
| B．my neighbor’s mother had taken a wrong pair of shoes |
| C．there was something wrong with his check |
| D．he found it hard to satisfy his customers |
What do we know about the character(个性) of my neighbor’s mother?
| A．She would like to buy expensive things. |
| B．She would like to buy cheap things. |
| C．She would like to help others when they’re in trouble. |
| D．She would like to have her son pay for her shopping. |
Few of us act alone in the real world. Most things are done with the help or ideas of other people. Group projects are great practice for high school, college, and real life, when you will probably have a job that requires working with others. Right now, group projects can be fun and they often allow you to do a bigger, more interesting project than you could alone. With group work, you can actually learn more in less time.
Group projects also give you a chance to get to know kids you might not otherwise know or talk with. Group projects are also a great way to practice skills you’re not so sure of. For example: working on a deadline, staying organized, or being patient. And if you’re a little nervous talking in front of a group, a joint project can help you become more comfortable with it. Maybe your group will pick you to tell the whole class about your project. If so, you’ll know your whole group is rooting for you!
One of the most important things about group work is talking and meeting together. It’s a good idea to continually check with everybody on their progress to see if anyone needs help. You might think the first step is to figure out who will do what, but actually it’s getting to know another a little. Take a few minutes to chat. Even if you know each other well, it can help to take a minute to think about your skills and share your strengths and weaknesses. The second step is to go over ground rules from your teacher and any that you want to create together as a group. Group projects can give you a chance to do the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．get to know more friends | B．learn more than you do alone |
| C．work in an organized way | D．get rid of shyness forever |
The underlined phrase “root for” in the second paragraph means _______.
| A．like | B．support | C．offer | D．prevent |
What’s the purpose in checking others’ progress?
| A．To learn what they will do next. |
| B．To find good topics to talk with them about. |
| C．To help them when they need help. |
| D．To make sure that their work is finished on time. |
According to the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．group members should be your close friends |
| B．talking with group members should be the first step of group work |
| C．knowing persons is more important than your projects |
| D．rules from teachers are more important than working among group members |
Argosy Christmas Ship Festival
Seattle December1—December 23, 2010
The Argosy Christmas Ship Festival is a ship –to –shore holiday celebration that has become a local Northwest tradition. Aboard the Christmas Ship , some of the finest Northwest choirs(唱诗班) sing holiday greetings . These performances are broadcast via speakers to bonfire(篝火) sites and to other boats participating in the parade.
Holiday Island Lights Festival
Friday Harbor, Sand Juan Island December 1—December 31, 2010
An island-wide holiday tradition that includes local businesses decorating contest, a tree lighting ceremony on Dec . 4 with shops staying open until 7:00 pm. On Dec. 11 a Lighted Boat Parade starts the evening, to be followed by the Santa ship coming into Friday Harbor for the children , shops staying open until 7:00 pm . Dec 18-19 Roche Harbor’s Christmas Festival begins at 3:00 pm and will include artists booths, Victorian carol singing , story telling, theater and dining.
Christmas Lighting Festival
Leavenworth December4—December 19, 2010
This old –fashioned Lighted Farm Implement parade, which expressed its admiration for the Yakima Valley’s agricultural heritage, including entries with up to 35,000 lights decorating the tractor, plow or thresher of your choice! Pre-parade activities include a Christmas Tree Ceremony and other special entertainment before the parade. Join us and you’re sure to enjoy the carolers dressed in traditional clothing as they wander through out the Downtown area.
Holiday with Lights
Federal Way December 10, 2010—January 1, 2011
With over a million twinkling lights displayed throughout the park, your heart will be filled with cheer and the spirit of the season! Holiday light displays, festive music and strolling caroler, visit with Santa, enchanted village rides, and much more. Which of the following festivals lasts the longest?
| A．Argosy Christmas Ship Festival | B．Holiday Island Lights Festival |
| C．Christmas Lighting Festival | D．Holiday with Lights |
If you want to attend a Lighted Boat Parade, you should go to _______.
| A．Seattle | B．Leavenworth | C．Friday Harbor | D．Federal Way |
If you want to learn something about agriculture heritage, you will possibly attend___.
| A．Argosy Christmas Ship Festival | B．Holiday Island Lights Festival |
| C．Christmas Lighting Festival | D．Holiday with Lights |
If you plan to attend one of the activities on Christmas Day, you will have ______choice(s).
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号