Poor parenting is to blame for a major deterioration（变坏） in the behavior of primary school pupils over the past five years,a study suggests.
Classroom disorder is a big problem for teachers, according to researchers ar Cambridge University.In interview with teachers, Professors Maurice Galton and John Macbeath found that many blamed their pupils’ bad behavior on the inability of parents to control children at home.
Many pupils lacked the social skills required to get on in class, said the researchers. “The teachers describe ‘highly permissive’ parents who admitted to indulging(纵容) their children,often for the sake of peace,” the author added.
Examples included a mother who,after great effort,succeeded in getting her five-year-old son to bed at 1 am instead of 3 am,and a boy of seven who broke his Sony PlayStation in a tantrum(发脾气),and then would not behave for a week until his mother bought him a new one.
Professors Galton and Macbeath were also told of parents who would do anything to shut their children up”just to get some peace”.
The researchers,who visited schools they studied five years ago,added,”There appeared to have been a bad influence on school life from a rapidly changing social scene”
“Motivating certain children, it was claimed, had become more difficult because by the time they came to school many of these children had become expert in dealing with adults.”
According to Galton and Macbeath, the top five difficulties to teaching are poor pupil behavior, lack of time for reflection, large class sizes, too many initatives and an overloaded curriculum. “Children arrive at school knowing too much and not enough.”They said.According to many teachers, some students behave badly at school because___.
| A．teachers didn’t give them an interesting lesson |
| B．they lack parental control at home |
| C．their parents have a poor education themselves |
| D．they can’t receive enough attention from teachers. |
Why are some parents highly permissive according to the passage?
| A．To show their strong love to their children. |
| B．To encourage their children to do what they like |
| C．To give their children freedom to choose what they are interested in |
| D．To avoid being disturbed by children. |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Teachers have the duty to control their students |
| B．Parents get the blame for bad behavior of children |
| C．Teachers are responsible for what their students do |
| D．Parents are the models for their children |
Hello, Shanghai!
| Shanghai is hosting the 2010 World Expo with the theme: “Better City, Better Life.” The Expo is a window to the world. Haibao, the mascot, will guide you around the Expo Park. |
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| The World Has Come to You. Join the Trip to the Pavilions! (场馆) |
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| Pavilions |
What’s inside? |
| China Pavilion |
Coloring the Future Red The first stop is the China Pavilion. As the largest national pavilion, it has three floors. There are three parts. Footprint in the East on the top floor shows the changes in Chinese cities. Journey of Wisdom on the second floor shows the China’s four great inventions. Blossoming（绽放的）City on the ground floor shows what future cities will look like. The China Pavilion is painted in seven different red colors. It makes the pavilion look red at different times of day. |
| UK Pavilion |
Life Begins Here You will see a “World Bank” of seeds: There are 60,000 seeds in the UK Pavilion. They are from seed banks in the UK and Kunming in China. If you can’t go to Shanghai, you can find out all about the UK Pavilion at its website online at: http://ukshanghaiexpo. com/ home. php. |
| Norway Pavilion |
A Green Pavilion Norway is the best country for living in the world. At the Shanghai World Expo, you’ll find out what it means to be “powered by nature”. When the sun shines, the roof collects solar energy. The Norway Pavilion uses this energy for electricity. You can also learn about how green energy like the sun, wind and wave power is used to make air cleaner in cities. |
| Visit Expo from Your Home Don’t have enough time or money to visit the World Expo in Shanghai? Check the official website Expo Online, at www. Expo 2010. cn. It has two main parts. One is a site tour. The other is Expo Carnival（嘉年华）. You will feel like you’re enjoying the real Expo Park. Why not check it out? |
Which part of the China Pavilion should people go to if they are interested in the four great inventions?
| A．The ground floor. | B．The second floor. | C．The third floor. | D．The top floor. |
What is the typical feature of the UK Pavilion?
| A．People can see it on line. | B．It is the largest national pavilion. |
| C．People can see 60,000 seeds here. | D．All the seeds are from the UK. |
Which of the following can best explain the meaning of “a green pavilion”?
| A．A pavilion using green energy. | B．A pavilion painted in green. |
| C．A pavilion with more sunshine. | D．A pavilion with cleaner air. |
Construction workers in Southern California have made a wild discovery. They were digging at a building site in San Timoteo Canyon (峡谷) when they unearthed hundreds of ancient animal fossils. Researchers say the bones hold important clues about the history of the region.
Nearly 1, 500 fossils were recovered from the dusty canyon. The remains are about 1.4 million years old. They include the bones of a new species of deer, several small rodents (啮齿目动物) and more. A giant cat fossil was also found. Scientists believe the animal was an ancestor of the saber- toothed tiger. Signs of plant life were uncovered as well.
“This is a huge find,” says Rick Greenwood, a scientist studying the site. “I don’t think most people had any idea that those types of animals were wandering around here more than a million years ago.”
San Timoteo Canyon is located about 85 miles from Los Angeles. The area of the canyon where the fossils were found was once part of a green river valley. Today, the region is dry and plant life is rare.
Most of the fossils are well preserved. Experts say a muddy lake bed may have trapped thirty animals that wandered over for a drink. The mud helped to protect the animal fossils.
The remains are a million years older than those discovered at the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Scientists studying the bones will be able to learn more about how the animals adapted to changes in the environment.
“We have a confused view of what this time period was like, ” says another scientist. “A discovery like this could really be an important contribution.”
About 35 different animal species are represented in the fossil collection. Scientists began removing bones from the site last fall. The project was completed this summer. Starting next year, the fossils will be on display at the Western Science Center in the nearby city of Hemet, California.
What does the passage mainly focus on?
| A．The secret of ancient animals’ deaths. |
| B．The preparation for a future fossil exhibition. |
| C．A great discovery of fossils. |
| D．The history of San Timoteo Canyon. |
From what Rick says, we know ________. (原创)
| A．fossils were discovered in the canyon for the first time. |
| B．the canyon in ancient times was quite different. |
| C．more research work will be carried on in the canyon. |
| D．the river water helped to protect the animal fossils. |
Compared to the discovery at the La Brea Tar Pits, the canyon-involved fossils _______.
| A．are far older | B．include more species |
| C．are better preserved | D．make experts more confused |
What do we know about the fossils from the passage?
| A．All of them are of new species. |
| B．Some of them have been destroyed |
| C．They were looked for under experts’ guidance. |
| D．They will be on show in the near future. |
It is true that shyness can be a disadvantage socially for those who suffer from it seriously. I mean real shyness, not somebody who is simply quiet. Quiet people could be shy, but on the other hand, they may just be observing because they are unsure of you or others in your company. They may be capable of being extrovert (性格外向的) and sociable, but on some particular occasions, they are quiet.
I have learnt from my experience that those who observe and listen more and talk less can gain a position of strength. This means that even a very shy person, the type who is reluctant to talk in company (在交际场合) , especially new company, can become a strong person in just about anything they choose. Remember, knowledge is power, and a shy introvert (性格内向的人) is in a better position to gain knowledge than an extrovert. Introverted people can give great attention to learning, and as good listeners they can take in an enormous amount from others. Over time, people can come to respect them far more than the extrovert who speaks a lot. Usually about themselves.
What does it take , then for a very shy person to be that successful person they have always wanted to be ? They may only need one more thing to push themselves on their way. They need to dare themselves to take the leap; and when they do , they will probably find all the knowledge they have gained over the years will help them on their way to the top in their chosen field.
What does the first paragraph mainly want to tell us?
| A．A person who is quiet may not be shy. |
| B．A shy person may not be a calm one. |
| C．Quiet people are usually doubtful. |
| D．Shyness is sometimes a bad feature. |
The underlined word “reluctant” in paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．lazy | B．careful | C．eager | D．unwilling |
According to the author, introverted people can be successful because they usually ___________.
| A．have a strong will | B．talk less and show off less |
| C．learn more than extroverts | D．have a good attitude to learning |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that “one more thing” probably refers to __________.
| A．energy | B．courage | C．quietness | D．knowledge |
Count Me Out
Call me old-fashioned. Call me old. Call me what you want, but I refuse to become part of this new Internet world.
I do not possess a computer at home or at the office. Actually, I stopped going to an office 35 years ago, when all communications were done with a pen, a typewriter, or, if the matter was of world-shaking importance, over the telephone. Likewise, if you like something advertised in a newspaper or magazine, you visited the shop selling it at the given address, or you phoned the number shown. Then you spoke to the fellow and asked for further details.
Tell me what you think of the following ad that appeared the other day in the newspaper. It was for a cure for cancer and this is what it said: “Awareness is the key. Visit spfulford. com at the awareness site.” There was no address or telephone number for the site. So what do unfortunate people without a computer do if they are seeking a cure for their illness?
There are, I am told, certain advantages in having access to the Internet. You can, for example, send love messages across the world or even get married to someone that you meet online. This bit doesn’t interest me; I have been happily married for 60 years. There are, of course, other activities for Internet users besides finding love. They can pay bills, order groceries, or discuss with their doctors.
And this is by no means all. More amazing things are yet to come in the near future. I read a newspaper report recently that quoted Stephen Hawking, an important British scientist. “The complexity of a computer as it exists today is probably less than the brain of an earthworm,” he said. “But, as technology advances, computers will become more complex, and a time may come when the Internet may develop ‘consciousness.’ In other words, the Internet will be able to think, have feelings, and may well be able to act on its own.”
If Professor Hawking is right, I may change my attitude to computers. As I grow older each day, I would like one of those that not only thinks for me but also accepts responsibilities for all my mistakes.
What’s the meaning of the title “Count Me Out”?
| A．Get me out of the Internet world. |
| B．Computers are trying to take control of life. |
| C．Modern technology pushes old people away. |
| D．Do not expect me to be a supporter of the Internet. |
According to Paragraph 2, the author thinks computers are .
| A．unnecessary | B．convenient | C．expensive | D．advanced |
What might the author like about the future computer?
| A．Taking blames. | B．Curing illnesses. |
| C．Delivering messages. | D．Responding to emotions. |
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “Homeless to Harvard：The Liz Murray Story” , shown in late April.
Liz Murray , a 22-- year-- old American girl, has been writing a real--life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug--addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.
Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, My understanding was that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.
She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that "next to nothing could hold me down". She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. "I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time."
Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is "as simple as making a decision". The word “setback” in the first paragraph most probably means___________?
| A．danger | B．difficulty | C．unhappiness | D．disaster |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Liz’s Harvard Dream | B．Bitter Childhood of Liz |
| C．Liz’s Love for Her Parents | D．Liz’s Struggle for Her Life |
What actually made Liz throw herself into her studies ?
| A．Her parents’ addiction to drugs | B．Her mother’ s disease |
| C．Lack of food and clothes | D．Her mother’ s death |
According to the passage, which is NOT true about Liz?
| A．strong-- willed | B．envious | C．determined | D．respectful |
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