In October 2010, I left my hometown and family in Virginia and moved to Iowa so I could be coached by Liang Chow. I’d been dreaming of an Olympic gold medal since I was eight—— but gradually, that dream seemed like a million miles away.
On January 2, 2012, while Mom was visiting me in Iowa, I told her, “I don’t like gymnastics anymore. I want to try dancing, or become a singer. I can get a job in Virginia. I just want to come home.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed and her expression turned to stone. “You’re breaking my heart Brie.” She said. “you’ve been doing gymnastics for ten years, and now you want to quit? Have you lost your mind?”
I hadn’t lost my mind, but I had lost my fire. It’s an entirely different thing to push toward that dream when you feel alone.
“I’m not trying to break your heart, Mom,” I said. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.”
“I know you miss home. But you’ve signed a contract that says you will represent your country to the best of your ability. You’ve got a responsibility to your teammates. And now you just want to walk away? I will not let you be dishonorable. If you don’t like gymnastics, then at the very least, you will finish the season.”
The next afternoon as I dragged myself into Chow’s gym. I thought of the efforts Mom had made in order to pay for my training. I thought of my two sisters: Arielle, who gave up ballroom dancing, and Joyelle, who stopped ice skating so that our single mom could afford to keep me in gymnastics.
For now, here’s what you need to know: Exactly 210 days before I ever attempted my first vault（跳跃）in the London Summer Olympics, my leap of faith came this close to ending in a crash of disaster.
| A．she thought she loved music more |
| B．she was overcome with homesickness |
| C．an Olympic gold was beyond her reach |
| D．the training for the Olympics was too hard |
| A．Heart-broken. | B．Sympathetic. |
| C．Helpless. | D．Calm. |
| A．was born into an athletic family |
| B．realized her Olympic dream |
| C．changed her mind in the end |
| D．had a bad childhood |
| A．A Dream Come True | B．My Leap of Faith |
| C．My Mother | D．A Quitter |
| A．A medical student who will graduate from university. |
| B．A healthcare professional who will give a lecture on cancer. |
| C．A marketing professional who is looking for customers. |
| D．A gymnastic player who wants to give up competition. |
Do you want to speak fluent English like native English speaker, like Obama or Cameron? Do you want to master business English? If your answers are yes, just follow me!
Part Ⅰ:
If you are hunting a chance to improve yourself in English, TOP ENGLISH CITY will be a smart choice. We are members of “the International Language Workshop” and enjoy both of the good honor in English teaching and high quality of our teaching team. We provide affordable, excellent English training programs for those who want to improve both their English knowledge and their language skills.
In TOP ENGLISH GITY, you will be a top English-speaker among your competitors and enjoy the advantage that your competitors have not. You will be proud of being a member of TOP ENGLISH CITY.
Courses designed:
Basic Studies: Sat 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Intermediate（中级）Spoken English: Sun. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Standard Spoken English: Sat. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Basic Business English: Sun. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Intermediate Business English: Sun. 7:00-9:00 p.m.
TOEFL Super Studies: Sun. 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Children’s Weekend: Sat. &. Sun. 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact:
Room 807 American Plaza Tianhexi Rd, 510150 Guangzhou
Tel:86668888-8807
Part Ⅱ: ENGLISH SALON
A place for you to practice your English, to exchange your English learning experiences, to know more about the culture of English-speaking countries, to make more friends who can speak very good English.
You will have free talks, famous English films and songs appreciation, English lectures and games; all are for you to improve yourself in English in the special, full-of-fun Salon.
How to Join:
We are a group with membership system, so if you want to join our group, please make an application to the Tianhe Office of Top English City, filling in the applying forms. You will be given a salon ID card, and becomes our member.
The Qualifications:
You must be fluent in English-speaking or an English lover. Those who are now learning English in the Top English City will be advantageous.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Jin Chanat: 47129198
English Salon, your best friend! Join Right Now!
| A．To raise the interest of readers. |
| B．To show the structure of the passage. |
| C．To list the function of fluent English. |
| D．To give a clue of the advertisement. |
| A．We have all the languages you want! |
| B．Enjoy English, enjoy your beautiful life! |
| C．Want to be an English teacher, follow me! |
| D．Top English City, your smart choice! |
| A．Standard Spoken English and Basic Studies. |
| B．Basic Business English and Intermediate Spoken English. |
| C．TOEFL Super Studies and Standard Spoken English. |
| D．TOEFL Super Studies and Intermediate Business English. |
| A．Requirements. | B．Knowledge. |
| C．Vocabulary. | D．Learning skills. |
| A．Sports section. | B．Family section. |
| C．Advertisement section. | D．Entertainment section. |
For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded killer. For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone’s life as nothing.
Cold can affect other parts of the body. The expression “get cold feet” has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned, and all the work of the organizations will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
The expression“give someone the cold shoulder”probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone instead of speaking to him face to face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others.
A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone. Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted. Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy. Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers.
“Out in the cold”means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise —— he was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.
| A．3 | B．4 | C．6 | D．7 |
| A．I give him the cold shoulder |
| B．I think he is a cold-blooded man |
| C．I think he is a cold fish |
| D．I’m likely to get cold feet |
| A．she is a cold-blooded killer |
| B．she gets cold feet |
| C．she is a cold fish |
| D．she is out in the cold |
| A．cold-blooded | B．cold shoulder |
| C．cold feet | D．cold-hearted |
| A．the relationship between cold and our body |
| B．some expressions about friendship |
| C．some expressions connected with cold |
| D．how cold weather comes into being |
When different species of birds flock (聚集) together, their flight formations are determined by social dynamics both between and within species.
New research from the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter reveals for the first time that, contrary to current models used to explain the movement of flocks, the differences between bird species and social relationships between individuals play a critical role in determining the dynamics of mixed-species flocks.
The unified(群集) behaviour of bird flocks has puzzled scientists for hundreds of years. One naturalist from the turn of the century even suggested telepathy(心灵感应)may be involved. There have since been more logical explanations, including mathematical models that show that repeated interactions among individuals following simple rules can generate coordinated (协同的)group movements. However, these models usually rely on the assumption that individuals within groups are identical and interact independently, which may not reflect reality.
Jolle Jolles, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and author of the paper, said：“Spectacular collective behaviour can be found in a large range of animal species, and we now know that often these complex coordinated group movements may be the result of individuals following simple rules. However, rarely are the individual characteristics and social relationships within them taken into account. Our research highlights that these striking displays of group behaviour are much more complex.”
By analysing high-resolution photographs of mixed flocks of rooks and jackdaws (both from the corvid family), the researchers found that rather than individuals interacting in a consistent fashion throughout the flock, interactions depended on social dynamics between the different species as well as relationships within a species.
The researchers discovered that birds prefer to fly close to members of their own species, and that the larger and more dominant rooks take the lead by flying near the front of flocks. Additionally, the lifelong, monogamous(一妻一夫制的)pair bonds that are characteristic of both species seem to be reflected in flight, as birds often fly particularly close to a single, same-species partner.
Dr Alex Thornton, principal investigator of the Cambridge Jackdaw Project, now at the University of Exeter and author of the paper, said: “Together, our findings demonstrate that to understand the structure of groups — such as bird flocks — we need to consider the characteristics and relationships of the individuals within them.”The underlined word “generate” means ______.
| A．set down | B．take away |
| C．bring about | D．give up |
According to Jolle Jolles, what are seldom considered about coordinated group movement?
| A．Individual characteristics and social relationship between them |
| B．Repeated interactions among individuals and social dynamics |
| C．Telepathy and social relationship between them |
| D．The structure of groups and the varieties of species |
Birds may prefer to fly the closest to _____ .
| A．the largest one | B．the most dynamic one |
| C．the lifelong partner | D．the friendly partner |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How birds interact in simple rules. |
| B．How birds of different feathers flock together. |
| C．Why birds show preference to flocking. |
| D．Why birds display the characteristics. |
A man enters a store to buy milk. He walks out of the store with milk. That is all— milk. At the same time, a woman enters the same grocery store also to buy milk. She buys it. But, she also buys chicken and lemons to make dinner that night. Then she remembers to buy food for her son to eat at school. She also gets a bottle of wine for drinks with friends and a birthday card for her husband's niece. Then she gets coffee for breakfast, ice cream for dessert and remembers stamps to mail the bills. And don't forget soap for the bathroom.
And that is the difference between the female and male brains simply explained in a grocery store. Generally speaking，men do one thing at a time. Women do many. Doing many things at one time is often called “multi-tasking”, a very popular word these days.
Now scientific research supports this theory about male and female brains. A recent study has confirmed what we have known all along—men and women think differently.
Scientist at the university of Pennsylvania studied brain images of 949 people aged from 8 to 22 years old. They found that male brains have more connections on one side of the brain, or hemisphere. In female brain, they found more activity and connections between the right and left sides of the brain. The left side of the brain is known as the side of “reason” The right hemisphere is known as the “creative” side.
Regina Verma is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She co-wrote the report. She says when women are asked to do something difficult they might use different parts of the brain. Men, she adds, generally use just one side of the brain.
As a result, men generally deal directly with a problem. There is a strong connection between the “understanding” and the “action” parts of their brains. Women, however, might include other parts of the brain, like the part connected with reason and the part connected with sensitivity when solving a problem. Women take a less direct path to find a solution.
Dr. Venma warns that the study should not lead anyone to expect some behaviors from women and others from men.By describing the scene of shopping, the writer wants to ____ .
| A．reveal men and women's preference of living expense |
| B．criticize women's wasted living expense |
| C．think highly of women's considerate behavior |
| D．illustrate men and women's different brains |
When asked to deal with a problem, _____ .
| A．men tend to take action straight |
| B．women tend to take action straight |
| C．women tend to use a single part of the brain |
| D．men tend to use connected parts of the brain |
Dr. Verma's warning indicates that _____ .
| A．women and men can hardly learn from each other |
| B．women and men can hardly cooperate well |
| C．women and men can hardly complete multitasks |
| D．women and men can hardly perform the same behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．“reason” brain or “creative” brain |
| B．Multi-tasking or single-tasking |
| C．Costly shopping or economical shopping |
| D．Reason or sensitivity |
Older people with hearing loss may suffer faster rates of mental decline. People who have hearing trouble suffered meaningful impairments in memory, attention and learning about three years earlier than people with normal hearing, a study published online January 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals.
The finding supports the idea that hearing loss can have serious consequences for the brain，says Patricia Tun of Brandeis University in Waltham，Mass., who studies aging. “I'm hoping it will be a real wake-up call in terms of realizing the importance of hearing. ”
Compared with other senses, hearing is often overlooked, Tun says. “We are made to interact with language and to listen to each other, and it can have damaging effects if we don't.”
Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and colleagues tested the hearing of 1,984 older adults. Most of the participants, who averaged 77 years old, showed some hearing loss — 1,162 volunteers had trouble hearing noises of less than 25 decibels, comparable to a whisper or rustling leaves. The volunteers; deficits reflect the hearing loss in the general population: Over half of people older than 70 have trouble hearing.
Over the next six years, these participants underwent mental evaluations that measured factors such as short-term memory, attention and the ability to quickly match numbers to symbols. Everybody got worse at the tasks as time wore on, but people with hearing loss had an especially sharp decline, the team found. On average, a substantial drop in performance would come about three years earlier to people with hearing loss.
Lin cautions that the study has found an association between hearing loss and mental abilities; the researchers can't conclude that hearing loss directly causes the decline. Yet more and more studies are turning up ways that diminished hearing could damage the brain.
A person who can't hear well might avoid social situations, and isolation(孤立)is known to be bad for the brain. “You gradually become more socially withdrawn, ” Lin says. “Social isolation is a major, major factor for dementia(痴呆)and cognitive decline. ”
Other studies suggest that when people struggle to interpret and decode(译解）words, their brains divert energy away from other tasks, such as memory. Audiologist and psychologist Kathy Pichora — Fuller says that this brain drain happens to everyone, even people without hearing loss. Studies have shown that people are worse at remembering things when they're in a noisy room, for instance. People with hearing loss may be constantly diverting a large swath(—大片)of their brainpower，leaving less for other mental tasks, says Pichora— Fuller, of the University of Toronto Mississauga. Mass does the research to _____ .
| A．present the mental decline |
| B．attach importance to hearing |
| C．compare hearing with other senses |
| D．exaggerate the damaging effects |
What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
| A．The outcome of the test. |
| B．The design of the test |
| C．The participants of the test. |
| D．The purpose of the test. |
Dementia and cognitive decline mainly result from ____ .
| A．social isolation | B．hearing loss |
| C．memory loss | D．speech impairment |
The underlined word “divert” probably means _____ .
| A．block | B．accumulate | C．shift | D．change |
The end of the World Cup does not mean the end of international competition, in Brazil this year. A major football event will happen in the South American country later this month, but with teams of robots playing the game, which is known as soccer in the United States. The robot teams are guided by teams of humans from around the world. The event is known as RoboCup.
Technology students at the University of Pennsylvania are trying for their fourth victory at the competition, which is held this year in the coastal city Joao Pessoa. The students have won the last three RoboCup competitions.
Watching robots play football is similar to watching children play the game. The kicks are not good, there's a lot of falling down, and people are there to guide and support the team members. Jian Qiao Li is one of the leaders of the University of Pennsylvania team.
He says one goal he has for the robot team is to make sure the machines can find the goal and the ball. He also wants the robots to be able to know where they are on the playing field. And he wants the team to be able to better control the walking and kicking abilities of the robots.
Qin He is another leader of the robot team. She says the abilities of the robots increase every year. Ms. He says the US team is meeting its goals. The robots know the differences between the colors green and red, and they can decide where to go and where the ball is on the playing field. She says if there are three robot players on the field at the same time, they will communicate with each other to decide the different responsibilities for each robot.
U. S. Team member Christopher Akatusuka hopes for another victory in Brazil. The team has won the RoboCup the past three years in the Netherlands, Mexico and Turkey.
“They have every good team player right now. As long as their detection is good, I think they'll be very competitive; we just hope to compete against the real good German teams eventually, because the Germans always do very well, ” says Akatsuka.
Mr Akatsuka says RoboCup is an exciting technology competition.
“Each team develops their own software; basically it's a competition of who has the best software, who has the best decision—making at a given point... it’s really exciting, ” says Akatsuka.
The event begins July 19th and ends July 25th. Some RoboCup participants hope to develop a team of robots that can play against humans by 2050.According to the first paragraph, Robocup _____.
| A．is held every four years |
| B．is played by robots |
| C．is a symbol of World Cup's ending |
| D．is a celebration of World Cup |
The robots' performance of playing the game is _______ .
| A．marvelous | B．awkward |
| C．flexible | D．awesome |
The same goal for the robots that Jian Qiao Li and Qin He mention is _______ .
| A．to locate the ball | B．to communicate with each other |
| C．to play at will | D．to distinguish colors |
Akatsuka's final hope for his robot team is ______ .
| A．to invent the best software |
| B．to win the championship in Brazil |
| C．to make the best decision |
| D．to compete with humans |
阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
The “babies” tend to be on or near me, or crying, or both. I spend a fair amount of time trying to get William to sleep, to get Elliott to get involved in something that will actually keep him happy for a little while, or to get William to play on the floor for 10 minutes straight so that I can get something done. But, a lot of days, it seems like I'm not succeeding in any of those efforts.
So, yesterday, a friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook. This particular friend has a baby who is about a month younger than William. The picture was of the baby, who had made his way across the floor to the toys housed along the side of the room. I just kept looking at that picture and thinking that if only William had some different toys to play with, perhaps he would stay occupied a bit longer at a stretch. But William seems so bored with all of his toys! And I am so ready for him to be ready to play. In order to find a way to make him playing longer, I kept looking at that picture. Suddenly, I realized my sons need to play closer to me.
So I cleared off the cubby(围起来的)shelves in the playroom, and my husband and I moved it to the living room. We found all of the toys that would be safe for William and put them in the cubbies. Then, we pulled the play kitchen in.
William was so interested in what I was doing that he sat there and played and chewed on his toys while we moved furniture. When we were done, I moved him over closer to the cubbies and he got so excited that he didn't disturb for an hour, while I made dinner and cleaned up! Even Elliott played happily for a few hours. It was a dream come true! And I got to know that my lack of happy children was because of my desire for a toy—free living room.The babies were unhappy and trapped the author because they_______.
| A．fought with each other |
| B．were told not to play on the floor |
| C．were blamed for destroying property |
| D．were given a living room without a toy |
The underlined sentence “And I am so ready for him to be ready to play. ” means that ______.
| A．the author is determined to keep her son playing longer |
| B．the author is willing to play with her son |
| C．the author is prepared to teach her son to play |
| D．the author is tired of her son's naughty behavior |
Why did the author move furniture and toys into the living room?
| A．Because she wanted to sort out her house. |
| B．Because she wanted to throw the unnecessary items. |
| C．Because she wanted to have her sons closer to her. |
| D．Because she wanted to teach her sons to cook. |
What was the author's dream?
| A．She could keep the living room tidy. |
| B．Her sons could learn to stand by themselves. |
| C．Her sons could be interested in what she was doing. |
| D．She could do what she desired without interruption. |
When Danny Wallace, 26, got bored, he put an ad on the worldwide web reading simply: “Join Me. Send a passport photo.” A year and a half later his east London flat is the headquarters for a global internet-based “club” whose members carry out good deeds for strangers every Friday.
It’s not common for people in London to talk to strangers. If you see someone struggling with something, part of the brain goes “I want to help”. But the trained part of the brain says: “They will think you are mad or going to mug them”, so you walk away.
Join Me now has about 3,000 members around the world who do an act of kindness every Friday. For example, I’m usually out on a Friday so I go for one of the standard acts — the unexpected cup of coffee. You might be sitting in a cafe and see an old man in the corner drinking coffee or tea, and you walk up with another cup of whatever they are drinking , and say: “ I’ve bought you a coffee” and walk away. It’s a pleasure to see the look of surprise on their faces. There can be some suspicion, but I think that was mostly in the early days when I didn’t know how to do it properly. I would walk up quite nervously like I was doing something wrong and I didn’t know when to leave. In the end, I learned through trial and error. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn’t. I discovered that you have to walk up with confidence and humour and not “get in their faces”. You say: “This is for you”, then you go. It’s hit-and-run kindness. And there is no point in doing it half-heartedly. You’ve got to do it because you really mean it.
Join Me is without geographical boundaries, but there are quite a few members in London, and such stories about things happen on the underground or on the buses. One lady got on the bus and put a £10 note down and said: “That’s for me and the next nine people”. So at every stop, anyone who got on was told it was paid for. A lot of people were doing this sort of thing anyway. For them it’s an excuse or reason to do something nice for a complete stranger, and it gives them the confidence to walk up and start chatting.
When Londoners see someone in trouble, they _______.
| A．often give a hand |
| B．pretend not to have seen it |
| C．stop and ask questions |
| D．telephone the police |
According to the passage, members of Join Me often _______.
| A．put an advertisement on the worldwide web |
| B．go out and make friends with strangers |
| C．do an act of kindness every Friday |
| D．buy coffees for the strangers |
The underlined expression in the third paragraph possibly means _______ .
| A．finding something very difficult |
| B．doing something without much effort |
| C．making a few mistakes |
| D．experimenting to get the right result |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Hit-and-run Kindness | B．History of Join Me |
| C．Danny Wallace and Join Me | D．Why not Join Me |
Entering Space, astronauts can give us a fascinating account of a shuttle flight, describing the pressure of a countdown and launch, the complexities of living the days in the strange weightless environment, the challenges of working in space, the emotional effect of seeing earth from space, the drama of the meteoric landing.
However, there are also plenty of things that astronauts can’t do because of their weightless environment, and that’s very sad. What’s more, they can’t even let their sadness show, because it’s impossible to cry in zero gravity.
Of course, astronauts can still produce tears. But crying is much more difficult in space, reported The Atlantic in January. Without gravity, tears don’t flow downward out of the eyes like they do here on Earth. This means that when you cry in space, your tears have nowhere to go – they just stick to your eyes.
In May 2011, astronaut Andrew Feustel experienced this during one of his spacewalks. “Tears,” he said, “don’t fall off of your eye... They just kind of stay there.”
Besides making your vision unclear, this can also cause physical pain. Back on Earth, tears are supposed to bring comfort to the eyes. But that’s not the case in space. The space environment dries out astronauts’ eyes, and when tears suddenly wet the eyes, it can cause pain rather than comfort. “My right eye is painful like crazy.” Feustel told his teammate during the walk.
Since gravity doesn’t work in space, astronauts need some extra help to get rid of the tears. Feustel chose to rub his eyes against his helmet to wipe the tears away. Another choice is to just wait – “When the tears get big enough they simply break free of the eye and float around,” astronaut Ron Parise told The Atlantic.
There are lots of small things – things like crying – that we are so used to on Earth. We usually take them for granted, until they become a problem in a totally different environment, like space. There, astronauts can’t talk to each other directly. They also can’t eat or drink in normal ways. They can’t even burp (打嗝), because there is no gravity to hold the food down in their stomach. If they do burp, they just end up throwing up (呕吐) everything in their stomach, according to the UK National Space Center.
Thus, perhaps it’s only space explorers who can honestly say: “Gravity, you’re the best.”What can we conclude from the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs?
| A．Astronauts are unable to feel sad in space. |
| B．Tears produced in space don’t flow downward. |
| C．Astronauts produce fewer tears in space. |
| D．Tears produced in space flow down more slowly. |
What can the astronaut do to get rid of the tears?
| A．Get the tears big enough to break away from his eyes. |
| B．Get the tears big enough to fall off of his eyes. |
| C．Rub his eyes against his helmet to let the tears float forward. |
| D．Rub his eyes by hand to let the tears float around. |
What’s the second-to-last paragraph mainly about?
| A．Suggestions on how astronauts can stay comfortable in space. |
| B．Why burping is impossible in space. |
| C．Things that humans can’t do without gravity. |
| D．Other basic things that are difficult to do in space. |
What can be the best title of this passage?
| A．In the sky, you can’t cry |
| B．In the sky, you can’t burp |
| C．No Gravity, no tears |
| D．Better life with gravity |
Thank you, Dean Areen, for that very generous introduction, and very special thanks to my good friends President Lucy Reed and Executive Director Betsy Andersen for the extraordinary work you do with the American education.
It is such a pleasure to be back here at the ASIL. I am embarrassed to confess that I have been a member of ASIL for more than 30 years, since my first year of education school, and coming to the annual meeting has always been a highlight of my year. Let me start by bringing you special attention on something you already know.
As a professor I have grown accustomed to the opinion regarding American education. We are repeatedly told that American schools are failing, that colleges are not teaching, and that the students of today are not as good as the students of the past.
There are, of course, problems with the education system. Because of economic inequality some schools are significantly better than others and the ideas of equality of education and equality of opportunity are cruel jokes. However, the only fact that there are serious problems does not mean that all the dire claims are true.
One stock（陈腐的）claim is that America has fallen behind the world in education in terms of performance on various test. While the fact that America is behind other countries is a point of concern, there are at least three points worth considering here. The first is the above-mentioned economic inequality which will tend to result in poorer performance when taking the average for America. The second is that many countries have put considerable effort into improving their education systems and therefore it is worth considering that America’s decline is also due to the improvement of others. The third is the matter of the measures---do they, in fact present an accurate picture of the situation? I am not claiming that the data is bad. I am merely raising a reasonable concern about how accurate our picture of education is at this time.
Another stock claim is that American students are doing badly on standardized tests. While there is clearly value in assessment, it is reasonable to consider whether or not such tests are a proper and adequate measure of education. It is also worth considering whether the puzzle with these tests is itself causing damage to education. That is, as teachers teach for the test and students learn for the test, it might be the case that what is being taught is not what should be taught and what is being learned is not what should be learned. According to the professor, many people’s attitude towards American colleges is ______.
| A．approving | B．positive |
| C．indifferent | D．negative |
What does the underlined word “dire” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．Extremely serious or terrible |
| B．Long and boring |
| C．Fair or objective |
| D．Exact or precise |
Judging by the text, the claims are centered on ______.
| A．fair judgment of American education |
| B．an accurate picture of American colleges |
| C．American students’ performance on tests |
| D．what should be taught in the American classroom |
The passage is written mainly to ______.
| A．explain why American students do badly on tests |
| B．show dissatisfaction with American education |
| C．defend American system |
| D．offer advice on American education reform |
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account（交易账户）where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7 —that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:
●No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no accounts keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits（储蓄）without taking them out in a month.
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy —we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet. You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
| A．Special gifts are ready for parents. | B．Services are convenient for its members. |
| C．The bank opens only on work days. | D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
The Winners Club provides magazines which ______.
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．help to make more of your money |
| D．are full of adventure stories |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To set up a club |
| B．To introduce a new banking service |
| C．To organize key-cards |
| D．To provided part-time jobs |
You may think that light pollution isn’t something extraordinarily important. You may believe that every other type of pollution has a larger impact on the environment than light pollution does. But light pollution is serious.
Light pollution, or “sky glow”, is the glow（亮光） you can see at night above cities and towns. Light pollution is a problem that has been accompanying man ever since he started his first fire some 15,000 years ago. Light pollution is the light（散射光） that comes from streetlights, buildings, parking lots and any other source of light that is reflected or directed into the atmosphere.
Urban light pollution means that one-fifth of the world’s population can no longer see the Milky Way(银河) with the naked eye(肉眼). Many city kids, even if they did look through the orange smog above their heads, would probably see only a handful of stars. We have lost our view of the stars, and we have mucked up our night-time environment as well. Astronomers are calling for the dark places on Earth to be preserved as national parks.
Lots of people find the ever-brightening night annoying, and animals that are programmed to prefer the dark may avoid a brightened habitat. Sea turtles can get lost searching for a beach to lay eggs, and their hatchlings(孵化的幼仔)may confuse over-lit beachfront resorts(度假胜地) for the ocean horizon, wasting precious energy needed to find the sea and escape predators(食肉动物). Because their necks aren’t yet long enough to see things far away, baby turtles rely on the mirror image of the moon to guide them to the sea, to begin their new life. A car may even hit a particular turtle, which was thinking the light from a nearby city was moonlight reflecting off the ocean waves. Birds that live in and around cities can die because of sky glow, too. The bright lights can blind them, leading to countless collisions with buildings and other tall structures.
Reducing light pollution is not difficult.Light pollution is the easiest type of pollution to end. people can help reduce much sky glow by using lighting only when necessary. The stars above us are priceless heritage— for not only for astronomers but for all humans. More of our children should be able to look up at night and see the Milk Way is not just a candy bar.The underlined part “mucked up” probably means_________ .
| A．ruined | B．protected |
| C．affected | D．blamed |
All the following statements are false EXCEPT_________.
| A．Light pollution does not have as large an import on the earth as other types of pollution do |
| B．Light pollution exists everywhere on the eafth |
| C．People in some parts of the world cannot see the Milky Way with their naked eyes as a result of light pollution |
| D．Loght pollution came into existence with modem technology |
Beacuse of light pollution,the sea turtles hatchlings may___
| A．find the sea easily |
| B．cscape predaton |
| C．be misled by bright lights from beachfront resorts |
| D．find the way to the sea with the help of bright lights |
The author mentions the Milk Way in the last paragraph to show that_________.
| A．we should take action to reduce light pollution |
| B．light pollution isn’t something important |
| C．most kids are looking forward to seeing the Milk Way |
| D．the Milk Way can’t be seen with naked eye |
Staying silent can be just as powerful as the words you mean to say, like when the act of hugging will be more comforting than saying, “Sorry for your loss.”
Another time when silence is golden is when you are unsure of what to say. If you are confused about your own feelings concerning a matter, it’s best to stay quiet until you are more certain because more harm can be done by revealing false or exaggerated feelings
Choose silence instead of blurting out ‘in-the-moment’ feelings that are hurtful and not really how you feel in the grand scheme of things. When you feel the urge to say an unkind thing, take a few breaths and think of the possible consequences of your words.
Silence can be your best friend during negotiations. Say your piece, then close your mouth, and let the other person come to their own conclusions. Your silence shows that one, you are confident in what you just said, and two, you respect the other person enough to hear what they have to say.
Sometimes silence is the best and most timely solution because the other person is not in a position to hear what you have to say. For example, when a friend needs for you to listen to her problems, but she is unable to accept your advice at that moment.
Practice being silent at work when you don’t have anything meaningful to contribute. Unless you can elevate the conversation by pointing out something interesting, missing, or beneficial, it’s best to just observe and learn.
Finally, silence is golden when you don’t want to engage in a fool’s argument. As some squabbles will never be resolved, one must agree to disagree.
Hower,there will be times in your life where you will need the power of your voice,the voice within you that wants and needs to be respected and apprecitsed.The passage mainly tells us about ___
| A．when to stay silent | B．why to stay silent |
| C．how to stay silent | D．whether or not to stay silent |
What is the best to do during negotiation?
| A．Grasp every chance to say more than the other |
| B．Close your mouth and just listen to the other |
| C．Say what you chould and draw a conclusion |
| D．Speak out your own points and let the other speak out theirs |
What does the undedined word “elevate” most probably mean?
| A．start | B．conclude | C．interrupt | D．cancel |
To follow this passage,the writer is likelhy to continue telling about___
| A．the power of your voice |
| B．the occasions when you should speak up |
| C．the advantages of speaking up |
| D．the dissdantages of staying silent |
Early childhood Teacher
Children’s Preschool is a non-profit,parcot cooperative child care center located in the East Rock neighborhood of new Haven.We are looking to hire an experienced teacher fo 25-30 hours per week.As a teacher,you will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children by providing them with a safe and nurturing environment that encourages their social,emotional,physical,and intellectual development.
Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education required.
Experience working with children ages 3 to 5 years old.
Knowledge of NAEYC and CT Benchmarks.
Can bring to this position maturity, responsibility, and a sincere interest in working with children.
Strong interpersonal and organaizational skills.
Knowledge of various resources for curriculum ideas and the skills to apply that information in directing daily activiities.
Send cover letter, resume and educational philosoghy.
Contact: Kathy
Phone: (203)777-2491
City: New Haven
Zip: 06511
English Teacher---Private Middle School
SUMMARY
IECC(Islamic Education Guidance Center) is located in Toronto, ON, Canada. We are looking for an instructor is preferably female who is comfortable working in an Islamic environment as the school is situated within a Mosque. This individual must provide high-quality instruction to students and work collaboratively with the school leader, colleages, students, parents and the board to accompish or surpass the a cademy’s educational goals. Work as a collaborative team member to carry out the academy curriculum and accompish short and long term academy goals.
Requirements
State teacher license/certification.
Bachelor’s degree with subject area emphasis and/or courswork and/or experience necessary to be considered high qualified for the grade/subjects to be taught.
Demonstrated commitment to young people’s learning success and achievenment.
Demonstrated proficiency in a teaching/tutoring capacity as acquired through past experience in tutoring, teaching or other education-related experience, evidence of successful experience in student and parent relations.
Contact: Sherikh Bashir M. Nur
mohbashiir@gmail.com or mrsbashiir@gmail.com with resume, references, and acquired certifications.Children in children’s Preschool are most popbably___
A.under 3 years old B.aged from 3 to 5
B.above 5 years 0old D.under 5years oldAllthe following qualifications are required by both ads EXCEPT____
A.good teaching capacity
B.a certain degree
B.good command in English
C.associated experiencdIf you are interested in teaching preschool children,you may contact by___
| A．telephone or letter | B．email |
| C．letter or email | D．telephone or email |
Who is the most lkely tobe hired by IECC?
| A．A woman who just graduated from college with a master’s degree. |
| B．A man who has just graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree. |
| C．A man who has taught in high school for four years with Islamic belief. |
| D．A woman who has taught in high school for four years with Islamic belief. |
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