Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.
For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ’ this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.
While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.The passage is probably written by .
| A．an experienced teacher | B．a working parent |
| C．an inspired student | D．a city council member |
The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to " ’.
| A．environments | B．holidays | C．wages | D．benefits |
It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to .
.
| A．2 weeks | B．4.5 weeks | C．5 weeks | D．6 weeks |
The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students_____ .
| A． obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs |
| B． get a chance to spend six weeks a term with teachers in school |
| C． benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment |
| D． have more school days to receive free school meals |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A． working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children |
| B． the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out |
| C． the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real "down time" |
| D． some school staff will say “ No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday |
We all long for friendship, but how to make a friend? “The best time to make a friend is before you need one.” Joy Steven said. The following are some tips for you.
People equal friends
Friends usually begin with strangers. Getting in touch with other people is the first step to make a friend. Friends can't be made in empty air. Best friends take time to make.
Friends understand friends
Friends understand each other when talking. Many unpleasant personal quarrels can be avoided if you will take the time to understand others' feelings and points of view.
Friends touch friends
Touching is a warm from of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice them stand close together, touch each other comfortably and listen to each other. Sometimes a friendly touch is more powerful than words.
Friends praise friends
Praise is a powerful tool to make a friend. Honest praise can affect （影响）your friends' lives. So try to praise your friends, including your general ones.
Friends can loyal （忠诚的）and trustworthy
Trust and loyalty go hand in hand for friends. Friends can share secrets with you, because good friends never break confidence（信心）and are loyal forever.From Joy Steven's words, we can conclude that __________.
| A．a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| B．it is never too late to make a friend |
| C．it is late to make a friend when you need one |
| D．everyone needs a friend in his life |
To make and keep many friends, you need to do the following EXCEPT __________.
| A．get in touch with people |
| B．understand your friends |
| C．praise your friends |
| D．quarrel with your friends |
The passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．how to communicate with a friend |
| B．how to develop friendship |
| C．when to make a friend |
| D．how to praise a friend |
" BANG ！ " the door caused a reverberation （回声）. It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I on the other side.
We were both in great anger. " Never set foot in this house again ！ " stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I wandered aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space ： happy and carefree.
But now...I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on.
I thought to myself，"Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?"
In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can't stand his outrageous （蛮横的）words，" I can't throw you away, let alone these old papers?"
All the lights were off except father's.
Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn't know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.
This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on. "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe...With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love-it second to none.Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a. I opened the door and entered the house.
b. Sadly I ran out into the street.
c. I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d. I thought of my father's kindness towards me.
e. I walked about in the street without any aim.
| A．b, e，d, c，a | B．b, e，c, d，a |
| C．b, e，a, c，d | D．b, e，c, a，d |
What made the writer think of his childhood ？
| A．The sight of the street lights. |
| B．The sight of the empty street. |
| C．The sight of a father with a child in his arms. |
| D．The sight of light in his own house. |
Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?
| A．Perhaps the father is getting older and older. |
| B．Perhaps the son has already grown up. |
| C．Perhaps they never agree with each other. |
| D．Perhaps the father has got used to doing that. |
What conclusion can you come to after reading the passage?
| A．The father treats his son in an unfair way. |
| B．The father is actually kind to his son. |
| C．The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son. |
| D．The father is always finding fault with his son. |
Are you a media addict who would go mad after two hours without TV, friend requests, exciting online games and your mobile or would you easily survive?
Recently, university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged. It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban （禁令）by unplugging （切断）all forms of media devices for 24 hours.
Unplugged is being run by Dr. Roman Gerodimos, a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University. Dr. Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers. " They're reporting withdrawal symptoms （脱瘾症状），overeating, feeling nervous, lonely and disconnected. "
During the 24-hour experiment, three of the experiment's guinea pigs had to bear one intrusion （扰乱）from the media ： a BBC reporter and cameraman who followed them around for the day. They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day off-line, but of course, they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops.
Elliot Day wrote，"Today, my whole morning routine （常规）was thrown up into the air. Despite being aware of the social importance of the media, I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers. "
And Charlotte Gay wrote，" I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been my mobile; not only is it a social tool, but also it's my main access point of communication. "
Earlier in the year, a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media, often plugged into several things at once.
So, with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate, how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?What's the purpose of the first paragraph?
| A．o ask for information. | B．To entertain the readers. |
| C．To lead to the topic. | D．To present an idea. |
About Dr. Roman Gerodimos' experiment, we know that __________.
| A．volunteers felt uncomfortable in it |
| B．three pigs were included in it |
| C．a BBC reporter discussed the experiment |
| D．volunteers were allowed to take their laptops |
The underlined expression "was thrown up into the air" in the fifth paragraph means __________.
| A．went on normally | B．was completely disturbed |
| C．turned out perfectly | D．was badly designed |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．Surviving without the media. |
| B．Unplugging your life. |
| C．Valuing social communication. |
| D．Setting aside time for sleep. |
Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity. But, it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, began writing at age 6. In her biography, she remembers with great fondness when her good friend, Sean, whom she met in secondary school, became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.
"He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which pieant much more to me than I ever told him at the time. "
Despite many setbacks Rowling persevered in her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls, it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that " the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into my head. To my immense frustration （沮丧），I didn't have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four （delayed train） hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me. "
That same year, her mother passed away after a ten-year battle with multiple sclerosis, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Unemployed, she completed her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being rejected by 12publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend ！Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter __________.
| A．at the age of 6 |
| B．on a train journey |
| C．after her mother's death |
| D．in her secondary school |
She felt frustrated on the train because __________.
| A．her train was delayed for four hours |
| B．she didn't have a pen with her |
| C．her mind suddenly went blank |
| D．no one would offer her help |
It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is __________.
| A．open-minded | B．warm-hearted |
| C．good-natured | D．strong-willed |
The text mainly tells us __________.
| A．hardship makes a good novelist |
| B．the courage to try is a special ability |
| C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere |
| D．encouragement contributes to one's success |
Technology has totally transformed our ability to communicate with each other. Linking to each other both literally and figuratively, many of us connect through cell phones, email, instant messaging, blogs, and networking web sites, yet we may be less connected to each other than we think.
According to a study, Americans are becoming increasingly socially isolated （孤立的）. The study suggests, for example, that one quarter of Americans say that they have no one to discuss important personal issues with, and that the number of close friends that Americans have has dropped from three to two. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reports that this spreading isolation is experienced more sharply among those with less education, people of color, and older Americans. Unsurprisingly, those who are young, white, and well educated tend to have stronger social networks.
From my own experience I have to say that I've never felt more connected, thanks to a web of friends, family, and colleagues. One of my closest friends is someone I met through an online discussion group who lives hundreds of miles away from me. We have met face-to-face only twice, yet our regular electronic correspondence and cell phone calls maintain our close friendship. And, speaking of blogging, my blog has introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise and has led to enduring and important friendships.
On the other hand, I recently saw a scene unfold that proved to me how deeply disconnected we as Americans have become. I had just wrapped up a presentation on mediation at a family therapy （治疗）center.
As I was leaving, I noticed a mother and her teenage son who had just completed their session with their family therapist. After making their next appointment, they both took out their cell phones, placed calls, and began loud conversations with whoever was on the other end. I walked out behind them to the parking lot to my car. They both jumped into their cars, and, as I saw them drive off, they were still talking on their cell phones.
But, alas, not to each other.What does the passage lead you to believe?
| A．Americans are more socially connected today. |
| B．Americans are more socially isolated today. |
| C．Technology plays a bigger role in American society. |
| D．Americans don't make good use of technology. |
Which of the following has nothing to do with the isolation among Americans?
| A．Age. | B．Education. |
| C．Skin color. | D．Sex. |
What is true about the mother and son in the passage?
| A．They came for therapy in the same car. |
| B．They were quite close to each other. |
| C．There was not much communication between them. |
| D．They preferred talking to each other on cell phones. |
The author probably feels __________ with the mother and son.
| A．puzzled | B．disappointed |
| C．amused | D．surprised |
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