Critical thinking is an important skill that can increase students’ ability to learn in any situation. This can be applied to traditional education, or directly in a career related role. Many teachers find it such a valuable skill that they give their students a critical thinking question every day. Developing this ability can mean the difference between “just passing a course” and “understanding the material well enough” so that what students learn from it will follow them throughout their life.
Some characteristics of a critical thinker that teachers should encourage are;
-asking questions as a reaction to something read or discussed;
-determining the “deeper meaning” of a particular passage or topic;
-providing input and opinions to topics as a direct result of analysis and research;
-reasoning in an effort to develop an argument of your own opinion.
It is important for a student to understand more than definition（定义）. One way to truly understand an idea is to have hands-on practice, and to apply concepts learned in a textbook. Such “mini-examples” will interest a student and improve their understanding of a topic. This is how life-long skills can be developed.
Teachers that use critical thinking practices in the classroom can “go above and beyond” by asking questions that promote a greater comprehension of the material. Instructors should be able to challenge students and create an environment where they are analyzing material and gaining a better understanding. This will make the classroom move in a direction for learning. It can also help students to stay interested in the course material, as they always have a new concept to consider.
At the same time, students benefit greatly from developing critical thinking skills. When learned early on, these skills can be used throughout their college education. Students can understand how to consider a topic, analyze it, and discuss it from different points of view. These are skills that will benefit them when they are part of the workforce as well.Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Teachers. | B．Parents. |
| C．Examines. | D．Headmasters. |
Critical thinking can best be described as .
| A．a system to improve people’s memory |
| B．a method to expand people’s knowledge |
| C．a way to increase people’s ability to understand |
| D．a process to make people more critical of others |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refers to .
| A．the ability | B．the difference |
| C．the course | D．the material |
The author thinks “mini-examples” are useful because they .
| A．assist students to better remember definitions |
| B．give students hands-on practice |
| C．help to keep students interested |
| D．help students develop concepts |
People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a similar problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without thinking. They try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six stages in analyzing a problem.
First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot read it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find out the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific.
Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop. He can look at his gears carefully.
After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels.
Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels.
Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. In short , he has solved the problem.What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Six Stages for Repairing Sam’s Bicycle | B．Possible Ways to Problem-solving |
| C．Necessities of Problem Analysis | D．Suggestions for Analyzing a Problem |
In analyzing a problem we should do all the followingexcept .
| A．recognize and define the problem | B．look for information to make the problem clearer |
| C．have suggestions for a possible solution | |
| D．find a solution by trial or mistake |
By referring to Sam’s broken bicycle, the author intends to _________.
| A．illustrate the ways to repair his bicycle |
| B．discuss the problems of his bicycle |
| C．tell us how to solve a problem |
| D．show us how to analyze a problem |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．People do not analyze the problem they meet. |
| B．People often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. |
| C．People may learn from their past experience. |
| D．People can not solve some problems they meet. |
As used in the last sentence, the phrase “in short” means _________.
| A．in the long run | B．in detail | C．in a word | D．in the end |
TAIBEI － Increasing numbers of Taiwanese students are joining the island’s “China rush”, seeking education on the Chinese mainland．
According to official Chinese figures, the number of Taiwanese students admitted into college and postgraduate（研究生）programs on the mainland totaled 461 in 1996, 928 in 1997 and 839 in 1998．Although no latest official numbers were available,” Netbig. Com Said this number had risen between 30 to 50 percent annually in the past two years with well over 1000 entering mainland campuses last year.
The Internet site, based in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, provides education service and information on Chinese mainland college and universities. “Many Taiwanese believe a Chinese education giving more knowledge about the people and culture in the mainland will increase their chances in the Chinese job market, Net. Com vice-president Ingrid Huang said．“I believe it will give me hands-on experience in the business field in the Chinese mainland and a better understanding of the Chinese mainland people,” said Lydia Chang, a 19-year-old majoring in journalism at Shih Shin University. Chang plans to go on to get a master’s degree in business administration in Shanghai, which she says offers the best environment for such studies.
A journalism graduate student, surnamed Lin, at the National Taiwan University said he would like to study law on the Chinese mainland since “there will be better career prospects now that more Taiwanese companies are going there”. “They hope the children could build up connections which could later become useful in their business operations,” said Yang Ching-yao, professor of the Chinese mainland studies. A Netbig. Com survey showed the campuses favored by Taiwan students included Beijing, Qinghua and Renmin universities in Beijing, and Jinan and Zhongshan universities in Guangzhou. The most popular studies were law, business and Chinese medicine.
At present, Chinese Taibei doesn’t recognize diplomas earned in the Chinese mainland nor help with any inquiries about studying there. But recognizing the trend, education authorities are giving a final form to a policy accepting certificates（证书）from selected universities.ore Taiwanese students study on the Chinese mainland because ___________.
| A．Taiwan will reunite with the mainland sooner or later |
| B．the fees asked for are lower than those of Taiwan |
| C．what they have learned on the mainland will bring them a bright future |
| D．there are many famous universities for them to choose |
Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland so that their children ___________.
| A．could receive better education | B．could learn more about the policy there |
| C．could do well in the business operations | D．could make more friends there |
The underlined word “it” in the third paragraph refers to __________.
| A．Netbig. Com | B．a Chinese education on the mainland |
| C．the Chinese job market | D．the university |
The author wrote the article to tell us ______________.
| A．more Taiwanese students are studying on the mainland |
| B．the number of Taiwanese students going to universities on the mainland had been increasing year after year |
| C．education on the mainland is more attractive compared with that of Taiwan |
| D．Taiwan and the mainland should cooperate with each other in every field. |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．Chinese Taibei recognizes diplomas earned on the Chinese mainland |
| B．The number of Taiwanese students going to study on the mainland will surely be increasing in the next few years. |
| C．Chinese Taibei doesn’t help with any inquiries about Taiwanese studying in the mainland |
| D．Education of Taiwan is far behind the mainland. |
So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that“ reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable ,what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest（探索）for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children. ”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading.he problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that _______________.
| A．it is one of the most difficult school courses |
| B．students spend endless hours in reading |
| C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance |
| D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading |
.he teaching of reading will be successful if _______________.
| A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students |
| B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading |
| C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading |
| D．teachers can make their teaching activities observable |
The underlined word“ scrutiny” most probably means“______________”.
| A．inquiry | B．observation |
| C．control | D．suspicion |
According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ______________.
| A．children become highly motivated |
| B．teacher and learner roles are interchangeable |
| C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge |
| D．reading enriches children’s experience |
The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
| A．teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read |
| B．teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible |
| C．reading ability is something acquired rather than taught |
| D．reading is more complicated that generally believed |
Honeybees are disappearing for unknown reasons around the United States．Last winter, bees disappeared from 23 percent of American beekeeping businesses．Causes of the phenomenon, however, have remained a mystery．
Now, scientists from several universities and the United States Department of Agriculture say they have a possible explanation for the bee decli
ne（数量下降）．It is a little known virus called Israeli acute--paralysis virus （IAPV）．The virus kills bees．Researchers in Israel first described it in 2004 , but until now, bee experts hadn’t paid much attention to it．
When trying to find out why the bees were disappearing, a research team at Columbia University studied bee colonies （群体）, some with and the others without decline．The research turned up large numbers of two types of fungi （真菌） once suspected of causing the bee decline．The research results, however, showed that the fungi were almost as common in colonies without a decline as they were in colonies with a decline．The researchers concluded that the two fungi probably weren’t the cause．
Studies of the presence of IAPV, however, showed more interesting information．In those studies, done by a team at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, the virus showed up in 83 percent of samples from colonies with symptoms （症状）．Only five percent of samples from symptomless colonies had it．
Scientists still don’t know whether IAPIV
can single--handedly cause the bee decline．They believe that even if the virus is making colonies sick , it could have a partner in crime．It’s possible, for instance, that insects or chemicals in the environment weaken bees, making them more likely to catch IAPV．
Scientists are still trying to figure out how IAPV came to the Uni
ted States．The United States currently allows bee products to be imported from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand．If it turns out that this trade is spreading disease, the rules might eventually change．According to the passage ，IAPV is a virus that ______．
| A．hasn’t attracted much attention |
| B．well-known to doctors and scientist |
| C．was first found by Austrian researchers |
| D．is dangerous to animals and human beings |
The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph probably means______．
| A．the virus could also cause other damages |
| B．there must be something that is the real cause |
| C．IAPV is not the only cause for the bee decline |
| D．the virus may be caused by the polluted environment |
From the third and fourth paragraphs, we know researchers draw their conclusions by means of _______．
| A．calculating | B．comparing | C．examining | D．investigating |
What still remains unknown to American scientists according to the passage?
| A．How and why to kill IAPV． |
| B．How IAPV came to America． |
| C．Whether bee products should be imported． |
| D．How to change the rules of the bee products trade． |
The best title for this passage would be _____．
| A．Bee Disease | B．How to Kill IAPV |
| C．A Virus—IAPV | D．Two Types of Fungi |
A classic series of experiments to determine the effects of overpopulation on communities of rats was conducted by a psychologist，John Calhoun．In each experiment，an equal number of male and female adult rats were placed in an enclosure（场地）．The rat populations were allowed to increase．Calhoun knew from experience approximately how many rats could live in the enclosures without experiencing stress due to overcrowding．He allowed the population to increase to approximately 
twice this number Then he fixed the population by removing the children that were not dependent on their mothers．At the end of the experiments，Calhoun was able to conclude that overcrowding causes a breakdown in the normal social relationships among rats，a kind of social disease．The rats in the experiments did not follow the same patterns of behavior as rats would in a community without overcrowding．
The females in the rat population were the most seriously affected by the high population density（密度）．For example，mothers sometimes deserted their children，and，without their mothers’care，the children died．The experiments showed that in overpopulated communities，mother rats do not behave normally．Their behavior may be considered diseased and pathological（病理学的）．
T
he leading males in the rat population were the least affected by over population．Each of these strong males claimed an area of the enclosure as his own．Therefore，these individuals did not experience the overcrowding in the same way as the other rats did．．However leading males did behave pathologically at times．
Their antisocial（反社会）behavior consisted of attacks on weaker male，female，and immature rats．This unusual behavior showed tha
t even though the leading males had enough living space，they too were affected by the general overcrowding．
Non-leading males in the experimental rat communities also exhibited unusual social behavior．Some withdrew（缩回） completely ,avoiding contact with other rats．Other non-leading males were too active，chasing other rats and fighting each other．
The behavior of the rat population has similarity in human behavior．People in densely（密） populated areas exhibit unusual behavior similar to that of the rats in Calhoun’s experiments．In large urban areas，such as New York City，London，and Cairo，there are deserted children．There are cruel，powerful individuals，both men and women．There are also people who withdraw and people who become too active．Is the major cause of these disorders（混乱）overpopulation?
Calhoun’s experiments suggest that it might be．In any case，social scientists and city planners have been influenced by the results of this series of experiments．Which of the following inferences（推断）can NOT be made from the first paragraph?
| A．Overpopulation causes pathological behavior in rat populations． |
| B．Calhoun had experimented with rats before． |
| C．Calhoun’s experiment is still considered important today |
| D．Stress does not occur in rat communities unless there is overcrowding． |
The author implies that the behavior of the leading male rats is sometimes similar to that of
| A．people who would like to keep to themselves |
| B．people who abandon their children |
| C．too active people |
| D．cruel，powerful people |
The main point of this passage is that _______________．
| A．although rats are affected by overcrowding，people are not |
| B．overcrowding may be an important cause of social pathology |
| C．the social behavior of rats is seriously affected by overcrowding |
| D．Calhoun's experiments have influenced many people |
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