A public primary school in New York City has stopped giving its students homework．
P．S．116 Principal Jane Hsu wrote a letter to parents last month explaining that after more than a year of analyzing studies，the school had concluded that students’after-school time would be better spent on activities like reading at their own pace and playing rather than working on homework．
Hsu’s letter says that many studies indicate that there is no connection between homework and academic success．Indeed，there are some studies that show that the link between homework and success is doubtful at the primary school level．
An important 1989 study on homework by Professor Cooper found that doing homework led students to perform better in school as they grew older．In later grades，students who did homework performed increasingly better than students who did not．In 2006，Cooper published a study that analyzed 15 years’worth of data on the effectiveness of homework．He found that homework had a more positive impact on students as they aged，and identified stronger relations between homework and achievement for students in grades seven through 12 than for students in kindergarten through sixth grade．
A 2012 study from the Indiana University School of Education on 10th-graders found little relation between time spent on homework and better course grades，although it did find a positive relation between homework time and standardized test performance．
Some parents of P．S．116 students are not happy with the decision to eliminate homework．
“I think they should have homework—some of it is about discipline．I want(my daughter)to have fun，but I also want her to be working towards a goal，”Daniel Tasman，the father of a second—grader at the schoo1．
“You have to do homework in order to gain；you have to do homework because they may not be able to comprehend everything in school，”Sharon Blake，a grandmother of a P．S．116 student．Principal Jane Hsu wrote the letter to the parents to_________．
| A．analyze the test results of the students |
| B．suggest students’reading at their own pace and playing |
| C．tell them about the conclusion of the research |
| D．give them the reason for the decision of the school |
The decision to stop giving students homework depends upon________．
| A．studies on the link between homework and academic success |
| B．students’wish to spend their time on activities or playing |
| C．Professor Cooper’s research on the effectiveness of homework |
| D．the ideas of both school authorities and parents |
Harris Cooper found in his research that________．
| A．kindergarten students spent too much time doing activities |
| B．doing homework made the kindergarten students cleverer |
| C．only elderly students should be given homework to do |
| D．students benefit more from doing homework as they grow older |
What does the underlined word“eliminate”in Paragraph 6 mean?
| A．Refuse． | B．Cancel． | C．Increase． | D．Reduce． |
D
Can trees talk? Yes --- but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree (柳树) attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them tasteless so that the caterpillars got tired of the leaves and stopped eating them. The even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special vapor--- a signal causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make themselves taste also terrible.
Communication, of course, doesn’t need to be always in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar (花蜜) for honey. So shy shouldn’t trees have ways of sending messages?
71.When attacked, a willow tree will protect itself by _______.
A. changing its leaves’ chemistry B. changing its leaves’ color
C. talking to caterpillars D. sending a special vapor
72. From the passage we know that caterpillars _______.
A. like willow trees B. enjoy eating fallen leaves
C. feed on willow tree leaves D. could communicate with willow trees
73.Caterpillars will stop eating willow tree leaves which _______
A . have a chemical change and become tasteless B. have a pleasant taste
C. are being attacked D. are communicating
74.According to the passage, how do willow trees communicate with each other?
A. They talk in words. B. They send a special vapor.
C. They wave their leaves. D. They make special sounds.
75.According to the passage, bees communicate with each other by _______.
A. talking B. making unusual sounds
C. singing D. flying in certain patterns
C
People think being an artist must be a wonderful way to earn one's living. Of course, there are lots of great things about working for oneself, at home alone. What I really like is that nobody tells me what time to start in the morning, what to wear; or whether I can take the afternoon off and go to a football match.
But then, I have no one to chat with when I'm bored, no one to discuss last night's match with during the lunch-hour. Sure, I can spend the afternoon doing something I enjoy like swimming, walking the dog, or even sleeping, if I choose. But the work will still be there when I do finally get back home, and it's still got to be finished in time. Unfortunately, working at home means that people can always find me, whether I’m bored or not and once I’ve answered the doorbell, it's too late——my thoughts have been interrupted. No one would dream of calling if I worked in an office, but in an office I find myself making cups of coffee and listening to friends' troubles. As they talk, my ideas disappear and I feel increasingly stressed thinking of my work waiting to be done.
66. What is the writer trying to do in the text?
A. To encourage readers to work at home.
B. To explain why he has changed his job.
C. To describe his working life.
D. To say how he would like to work.
67. What can the reader learn from the text?
A. How to start working for oneself.
B. What it's like to work at home.
C. Why the writer decided to work for himself.
D. How artists become successful?
68. What does the writer like about his life?
A. He has plenty of opportunities for sport.
B. He is his own boss.
C. He can see people when he wants to.
D. He has a comfortable place to work.
69. What does the writer imagine he might do with colleagues ( 同事 ) ?
A. Have meals in restaurants.
B. Go to the swimming pool.
C. Spend time in the countryside.
D. Talk about sport.
70. Which of these notices would be most useful for the writer to put on his door?
B
It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word "congratulations". I don't remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial (财政的) package. The cost of Dream School's tuition( 学费), room and board was around. $40,000—an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren't as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn't sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents' financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I’d planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful, activities on campus ( 校园 ) including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of to comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my "dream" university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.
62. How did he author feel when he started to read the letter?
A. He was full of joy. B. He was lost in his dream.
C. He was worried about the money D. He was uncertain which school to go.
63. We can learn from the passage that the parents were_______.
A. honest. B. strict C. supportive D. decisive
64. In Paragraph 5, "offered me a full ride" can be replaced by "______".
A. would pay for transport to the school
B. would show me around the campus
C. would offer free meals at all events
D. would charge me nothing for tuition
65. What does the author mainly want to say?
A. Your second-choice college may actually be your best fit.
B. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.
C. You should try your best to attend your dream school.
D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.
第三部分: 阅读理解（共20题，每题2分，满分40分）
A
It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don't understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modem ways; that they are too serious and too strict with their children; and that they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children's trust and they tend to forget how they themselves felt when young.
For example, young people like to act on the spot without much thinking. It is one of their ways to show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset by something unexpected.
When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success, if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble—— it is just that they feel cut off from the older people's world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That's why young people want to make a new culture of their own. And if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their ways of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say "yes" to what you do. All you want is to be left alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents' control.
If you plan to control your life, you'd better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility, they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.
56. _______ are to blame for the quarrels between parents and their children, according to this article.
A. Parents B. Young people
C. Neither parents nor their children D. Both parents and their children
57. This article is particularly written for__________
A. parents B. both parents and their children
C. young people D. teachers
58. According to the text, young people tend to__________.
A. ask for advice before they really start to do anything
B. do things without thinking carefully ahead
C. be very strict with themselves
D. think in the same way as their parents do
59. Older people tend to__________.
A. remember how they themselves felt when they were young
B. act on the spot without thinking very carefully
C. plan things before they act
D. ask for advice from others
60. Young people like to have clothes, entertainment and music in their own way, because ___.
A. they want to make their parents angry
B. they try to get their parents into trouble
C. they want to try on something new and look different from the older people
D. they know they are cleverer than the older people
61. According to the text , young people want to make a new culture of their own, because ___.
A. they don't feel they belong to the world of the older people
B. they do not want to get into trouble
C. they feel they are cleverer than the older people
D. they want to show they have grown up
E
One of the goals of American education officials is to have all public schools connected to the Internet computer system and have computer for all students .Government studies show that in 1994 only thirty-five percent of American public schools were connected to the Internet .Last year, that number reached eighty-nine percent.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute of State University is a large university in the southern state of Virginia. Officials at Virginia Tech say computers are very important to a student’s education. All students at Virginia Tech have been required to have a computer since 1998.
Each student’s living area at Virginia Tech has the necessary wires to link a computer to the Internet .The students can send and receive electronic mail, use the World Wide Web part of the Internet and link with other universities, all without leaving their room .They can also use their computers to send electronics copies of their schoolwork to their teachers .And they can search for books in the school’s huge library.
Most major American universities and colleges strongly urge or require new students to have a computer. Most colleges and universities also have large rooms where students can use computers for class work.
American high schools also have computers .Many have their own areas on the World Wide Web. If you have a computer you can learn about Fremont Union High School in Sunnyvale, California, for example .Its Web site provides information about the school, the teachers and their electronic mail addresses .It also lists student events and organizations.
Young children also use computer in school. Smoketree Elementary School in Lake Havasu, Arizona has given us a good example .The school also has a World Wide Web site .It tells about the school and the teachers and has a area for young children .These young children use computer in school to learn numbers and letters .They also learn how to use the computer they will need later in their education.
72．From the passage we know_________.
A．so many students in the world have learnt how to use computer to connect to the Internet
B．students in Virginia Tech can use computer to send electronic copies of their homework
C．the government have encouraged students to connect them and teachers by computers
D．the teachers in high schools in America are asked to use computer to give their lessons
73．What is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．Every student in Virginia has access to the Internet.
B．All students at Virginia Tech have been given a computer.
C．Students at Virginia Tech can search for books in their school library in their own room.
D．If you want to learn about Fremont Union School, you can read information in its Web site.
74．Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the report?
A．It is required that new university students have a computer of their own.
B．Pupils in Smoketree Elementary use computer to learn maths.
C．Every pupil in Smoketree Elementary School knows how to send electronic mail.
D．Many high schools have their own areas on the World Wide Web.
75．Which is the best title of the newspaper report?
A．Every Student Should Have A Computer B．Computer Is Used By University Students
C．Every School Has Connected to the Internet D．Computer Use In American Schools
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