After students come home from a tiring day at school, they tend to worry a lot about their homework.
Whether students are working on English or chemistry homework, they are simply working on the assignment in order to get it done, attempting to memorize the concepts for the time being and do not absorb any of the information afterward. Students are wasting their time on insignificant assignments rather than effectively using that time to achieve other accomplishments. According to www.dailymail.com, many parents are concerned that homework is being assigned rather than being used to integrate (整合) what teachers are covering in the classroom. In their eyes, if less homework is assigned, students would have much less stress and could focus more on their passions and hobbies.
Homework gets in the way of participating in community service events as well as opportunities for getting a job or being a part of an extra-curricular activity. These responsibilities are important for teenagers to take on because they prepare the teenagers for the "real world." Without the proper exposure to work that is not school related, students will find themselves lost after they graduate. If homework were no longer given, students would have a lot more time to mature in other fields rather than being educated only on academics.
In spite of the fact that teachers want students to do better on tests and absorb the material that they are teaching, homework is not accomplishing its purpose. Because school is becoming increasingly more competitive and challenging, homework is becoming a setback rather than extra practice. Its removal would benefit the well being of teenagers as well as encourage them to get out in the "real world" and discover themselves instead of staring at a pile of assignments.Students are wasting their time on insignificant homework because
| A．they are working on it carelessly and hurriedly |
| B．they attempt to get only part of the information memorized |
| C．they spend too much time doing it without understanding |
| D．they fail to take in the information after finishing it |
Many parents think that teachers should ______.
| A．help students integrate the homework |
| B．simplify what they teach in the classroom |
| C．reduce homework to develop students' own interests |
| D．assign more effective homework for students |
From the third paragraph, we can infer that homework might ______.
| A．leave students lack of job opportunities |
| B．make students lose the sense of responsibilities |
| C．weaken students' social adaptation ability |
| D．cause students to feel lost after graduation |
The author insists that homework should be ______.
| A．made simpler and easier |
| B．completely cancelled |
| C．connected with social activities |
| D．switched over to subject competitions |
The news that China bans time-travel TV dramas and movies got a lot of attention on the internet. Yet, time travel in China is a bit different from time travel in common sense．It is anything but science fiction and always goes backwards in time．There is minimum imagination involved--no ever-ending circles that mess up present and future, no advanced technology, no new social orders or new human forms from the twenty--whatever century, everything is a known historical fact when you travel through in China．
It is not even called time travel; rather the Chinese people refer it as time crossover．Time crossover has been an extremely popular theme for online novels for years(in fact , it is an indispensible part of China’s online culture), and didn’t get picked up by TV and the big screen until recent two years．Most of time-travel dramas and movies are adapted from popular online novels and like in other cases adaptations are never better than the original books．
The main plot of time-travel novels or TV dramas can be very well summarized in one sentence: from nobody to somebody．Time travel in China is more about escaping from the reality than about realizing wild dreams．
In China , there is no need of time machine either．People travel backwards in time via the possession of antiques presence at historical places of interest encounter of life-threatening accidents or simple a look into the mirror．Some time-travel novels even start with “I wanted to go back to history so much that one morning when I opened my eyes I was back．” Technology is not relevant at all．
Though China is not short of histories to go back to, people have their own preferences and it is pretty much a gender （性别）thing．If the main character is male then he usually goes back to special times in history when he is able to help build up or tear up a dynasty．A typical example is A Step Into the Past(寻秦记), the first time-travel TV drama in China, which tells the story of how a SWAT member helps to unite China and build up Qin Dynasty ．
On the other hand , female characters primarily go back to Qing Dynasty partly because Qing Dynasty has the most number of princes to fall in love with．Yongzheng Emperor is the favorite．As can be seen in Startling by Each Step（步步惊心）, a Qing time crossover classic, a girl goes back to Qing Dynasty and falls in love with Yongzheng Emperor and his brothers．As for time travel in China, which of the following ideas does the writer agree to ?
| A．it is complicated and can be classified into science fiction. |
| B．it is often based on the familiar story in history. |
| C．it sometimes messes up the times and social orders. |
| D．it always occurs in any times but the time before. |
The writing purpose of this passage is to .
| A．analyze why the time -travel TV dramas are banned in China |
| B．introduce the characteristics of the time-travel TV dramas in China |
| C．show the difference between time travel in China and in other cultures |
| D．advise people to watch the time-travel TV dramas in China |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．China now has banned any forms of productions about time travel |
| B．adapted from online novels, time-travel TV and movie productions enjoy more praise |
| C．the main character always follows a set pattern in the time-travel TV dramas in China |
| D．all the time-travel productions are about heroes and their success |
The news mentioned in the very beginning is intended to .
| A．prove author’s view | B．introduce the topic |
| C．give an example | D．work as a topic sentence |
Loren Gladstone of Toronto is 58, but thinking over how to bequeath (遗赠) his digital property(财产). Doing the paperwork after his parents' death was a challenge. “When my time comes, I wonder if my children will even know what paper is，” he says. As a software developer, his virtual property is both valuable and vital to his business. That reflects a problem. Online lives have increasing economic and emotional value. But testamentary (遗嘱) laws offer confusing and incomplete ways of bequeathing and inheriting (继承) them.
Digital property may include software, websites, downloaded content, online gaming identities, social-media accounts and even e-mails. In Britain alone holdings of digital music may be worth over ￡9 billion ($14 billion). A fifth of respondents to a Chinese local-newspaper survey said they had over 5，000 yuan($790) of digital property. And value does not lie only in money.“Anyone with kids under 14 years old probably has two prints of them and the rest are in online galleries，”says Nathan Lustig of Entrustet, a company that helps people manage digital property.
Service providers have different rules—and few state them clearly in their terms and conditions. Many give users a personal right to use an account, but nobody else, even after death. Facebook allows relatives to close an account or turn it into a memorial page. Gmail (run by Google) will provide copies of e-mails to an executor (遗嘱执行人). Music downloaded via iTunes is held under a license which can be abolished on death. Apple declined to comment on the record on this or other policies. All e-mail and data on its iCloud service are deleted on the death of the owner.
This has led to cases to court in America. In 2004 the family of Justin Ellsworth, an army man killed in Iraq, took Yahoo! to court in Michigan to get copies of his e-mails. This year, a court in Oregon ruled that another American mother whose son had died could use her dead son's password to enter his Facebook account for a short period. Now five American states have made laws giving executors control over the social-networking accounts of dead users.
But this raises the subject of privacy. Passing music on is one thing; not everyone may want their relatives to read their e-mails. Colin Pearson, a London-based lawyer, says access should come only with a clear provision in a will.
But laws, wills and password safes may be contrary to the providers' terms of service, especially when the executor is in one country and the data in another. Headaches for the living and lots of lovely work for lawyers.Why does Loren begin to think over how to bequeath his digital property at the age of 58?
| A．Because he is afraid his children don't know what paper is. |
| B．Because there's no complete law dealing with digital property. |
| C．Because his digital property is of great value and importance. |
| D．Because he is worried his children will be taken to court. |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Digital property is assessed in terms of nothing except money. |
| B．No laws in America have been made to deal with digital property. |
| C．The relatives may read the e－mail of the dead without permission. |
| D．Lawyers can make money through cases about digital property. |
Facebook, Google and Apple have a similar rule that ________．
| A．users are offered accounts used by nobody else except users themselves |
| B．relatives of the dead may close an account or use it at their own will |
| C．the executor may enter the e－mail and read it by themselves at any time |
| D．the data downloaded by the dead will be copied and then deleted from net |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．Digital Information | B．Testamentary Laws |
| C．Deathless Data | D．Vital Property |
Spring is the time to go out and enjoy the weather and scenery. Here are some events to attend in March of 2012 in Oregon!
Oregon Country Fair (OCF), 9 am to 7 pm on March 8-10
OCF first started in 1969, and it’s blossomed into an outstanding example of what a non-profit should be. OCF is an event of shopping & atmosphere, and food ranging from Indian & Afghani cuisine to Italian & France cuisine. Wonderful craft & music never stop. From the time you get there until the time you leave, everyone has a smile on their faces, and they wave and say hello. For tickets, go and visit www. Oregoncountryfair.org.
30th Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament, 8 am to 6 pm on March 12-14
The Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament is an amateur tournament that draws amateur volleyball players to the small town of seaside, as well as AVP Team players who are the best volleyball players. In the past years, it has drawn more than 700 teams playing on over 80 volleyball courts. Just go west, and you can’t miss it. It is about 20 miles south of Astoria. To learn more about it, visit the website www. Seasideor.com.
Hood to Coast Relay, 3:30 am to 6:45 pm on March 26-27
The Hood to Coast Relay is a 200-mile-long relay that consists of 15 000 runners and 4 100 volunteers. It’s the largest relay in the world, which goes from Mt. Hood to Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon. People of the Oregon coast fear Hood to Coast, because local towns and streets are flooded. There are audiences cheering riders on, and many people set up stations to give riders water. If you would like to get the race route maps, visit the website www. Hoodtocoast.com.
Other event information
To learn about other events, visit the website www. aadfv. blogspot.com.OCF covers the following EXCEPT _____.
| A．music | B．dishes | C．dance | D．artworks |
When was the first Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament held in Oregon?
| A．In 1982. | B．In 1986. | C．In 1988. | D．In 1992. |
If Lisa wants to learn more about an outing in Oregon, she may visit _____.
| A．www. Seasideor.com. | B．www. Hoodtocoast.com. |
| C．www. aadfv.blogspot.com. | D．www. Oregoncountryfair.org. |
Locals of the Oregon coast are afraid of the relay because ______.
| A．the relay will last a long period |
| B．they have to offer food and water |
| C．the weather is bad during the relay. |
| D．too many people will go there. |
Since the beginning of the year, smog has covered parts of North China. In January, Beijing saw only five days without smog. The rising PM 2.5 readings terrified many people, and some health experts said that whenever the smog gets serious, hospitals receive more patients suffering acute respiratory（呼吸系统）and heart diseases.
Later, news of polluted underground water in some provinces scared people who wondered whether the water they drink is safe.
So the need to emphasize environmental protection while developing the economy is heard everywhere.
Smog especially is a common concern. Like a popular online post said, air may be the only thing that is equal for everyone, despite your income or vocation. People with higher incomes are able to drink only bottled spring water and eat only organic food by paying higher prices, but they breathe the same air as everyone else.
At a meeting on Monday, many Representatives have expressed their concerns about the air quality, too. One talked about his experience in Beijing. “After taking a taxi from the capital airport to my hotel, which took about an hour, I washed my nose and found the inside of my nose was black. We should ask ourselves this question: Why do we want to develop? It's for living a better life. Dirty air is definitely not a better life," he said.
China needs to develop its economy and invest(投资) in high-tech. Every Chinese wants a strong country. But without blue sky, clean water and safe food, the achievements in the economy will become meaningless. Space technologies are not to be developed for building a base on Mars so that one day all human beings can migrate to the red planet because they have destroyed Earth.
What the public wants is a strong and beautiful China. Former president Hu Jintao spoke at the 18th Party Congress last November saying that great efforts must be made to promote ecological progress and build a beautiful China. The words have shown the central government's resolution to address the environment issue. The effect of smog doesn’t include.
| A．the rising of PM 2.5 readings |
| B．more people suffering diseases |
| C．the increase of people’s income |
| D．patients increased in hospital |
Why smog has become a common concern?
| A．Because people have to pay higher prices. |
| B．Because nobody can avoid it. |
| C．Because we have to develop industry. |
| D．Because a popular online-post discussed it. |
The underlined word “they” in paragraph 6 refers to.
| A．human beings | B．other plants |
| C．space technologies | D．industrial development |
From the last two paragraphs we can infer that.
| A．high-tech can completely solve the problem of pollution |
| B．space technologies should be developed in a large scale |
| C．we can move to the Mars after the earth has been destroyed |
| D．we must protect the environment while developing economy |
I knew I was all right now. Nobody else would come ahunting after me. I got my traps out of the canoe and made me a nice camp in the thick woods. I made a tent out of my blankets to put my things under so the rain couldn't get at them. I caught a catfish and towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper.
When it was dark I sat by my camp fire, feeling pretty satisfied; but by and by it got sort of lonesome, so I went and sat on the bank and listened to the current crashing along, and counted the stars and drift logs and rafts that came down, and then went to bed; there was no better way to put in time when you are lonesome; you can't stay so, and you soon get it over.
And so for three days and nights. No difference—just the same thing. But the next day I went exploring around the island. I was boss of it; it all belonged to me, and I wanted to know all about it; but mainly I wanted to spend the time. I found plenty of strawberries and green summer grapes; and the green blackberries were just beginning to show.
Well, I went fooling along in the deep woods till I judged I wasn't far from the foot of the island. I had my gun along, but I had shot nothing; it was for protection. About this time I almost stepped on a goodsized snake, and it moved quietly and smoothly through the grass and flowers, and I was after it, trying to get a shot at it. I clipped(疾驰) along, and all of a sudden I bounded(跳) right on to the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking.
My heart jumped up among my lungs. I never waited to look further, but unlocked my gun and went sneaking back on my tiptoes as fast as I could. Every now and then I stopped a second among the thick leaves and listened, but my breath came so hard that I couldn't hear anything else. I moved quietly along another piece further, then listened again; and so on, and so on. If I saw a stump(树桩), I took it for a man; if I stepped on a stick and broke it, it made me feel that a person had cut one of my breaths in two and I only got half, and the short half, too.
There was no time to be fooling around. When getting to the camp, I got all my traps into my canoe again to have them out of sight. I put out the fire and threw the ashes around to look like an old last year's camp, and then climbed a tree.
I suppose I was up for two hours; but I didn’t see or hear anything—I only thought I heard and saw as much as a thousand things. Well, I couldn’t stay up there forever, so at last I got down, but I kept in the thick woods and on the lookout all the time. All I could get to eat was berries and what was left over from breakfast.The underlined part “put in time” in the second paragraph probably means _____.
| A．kill the time | B．take the time |
| C．employ the time | D．waste the time |
Why did the boy always carry his gun with him wherever he went?
| A．To show off his gun. |
| B．To hunt some animals for food. |
| C．To protect himself. |
| D．To play with it for fun. |
How did the boy feel when he saw the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking?
| A．Surprised. | B．Excited. | C．Frightened. | D．Puzzled. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The boy brought with himself a tent |
| B．The boy felt a bit lonely on the island. |
| C．The boy was surely the only person on the island at that time. |
| D．The boy might be bitten by some animal when the story happened. |
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