Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well—she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been leaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing—watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now." （08上海卷）When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.
| A．satisfying | B．tough | C．meaningless | D．boring |
The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.
| A．Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant | |
| B．Kathy persuaded her to do so | |
| C．Zoe got tired of the city life | D．Zoe loved Wales more than London |
How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?
| A．Tiresome and troublesome. |
| B．Romantic and peaceful |
| C．Mentally exhausting but healthy |
| D．Physically tiring but rewarding. |
Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．A misfortune may turn out a blessing. |
| D．Kill two birds with one stone. |
Riding School：
You can start horse—riding at any age．Choose private or group lessons any weekday
between 9 a．m．and 8：30 P．m．(3：30 p．m．on Saturdays)．There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country．You will need a riding hat．
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6754 Fax：(412)396—6752
Sailing Club：
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification．You’ll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid．Have fun with other course members , afterwards in the clubroom．There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p．m．～8 p．m．)．
Opening Hours：Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6644 Fax：(412)396—6644
Diving Centre： Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners．There are two evening lessons a week，in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely．You only need swimming costume and towel．Reduced rates for couples．
Opening Hours：Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6312 Fax：(412)396—6706
Medical Center：
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university．The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems．Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation．Also，all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores．
Opening Hours：24 hours from Monday to Sunday
Phone：(412)396--6649 Fax：(412)396—6648
Watersports Club：
We use a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing，and water-skiing，A beginners’course consists of ten 20-minute lessons．You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently，but must be able to swim．The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a．m to 4 p．m，with lessons all through the day．
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—4：00 p．m．
Phone: (412)396—6899 Fax396—6890If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous，you should join ________ ．
| A．Diving Centre | B．Riding School | C．Watersports Club | D．Sailing Club |
If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings，you may fax _____________________________ ．
| A．(412)396—6752 | B．(412)396—6648 | C． (412)396—6876 | D．(412)396—6706 |
If you are planning to explore the ocean depths．you should attend your lessons at ______ .
| A．Monday through Friday：7：00 a．m．—10：00 p．m． |
| B．24 hour from Monday to Sunday |
| C．Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m． |
| D．Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m． |
You want to do an activity one evening a week and get a certificate in the end，you can go to __________________________．
| A．Diving Center | B．Sailing Club | C．Riding School | D．Watersports Club |
Which is NOT the convenience that the Medical Center provides?
| A．Well trained staff members． | B．Nursery for newly-born babies. |
| C．Good equipment． | D．Various less expensive medicines． |
Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron that is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid.
It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along.A good title for this reading passage is______.
| A．Popeye the Sailor | B．The Truth About Spinach |
| C．A Mistake with Numbers | D．Folic Acid Makes You Strong |
Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?
| A．They thought spinach made them strong. |
| B．They thought Popeye was funny. |
| C．Spinach had a lot of iron. |
| D．People liked folic acid. |
A research group told people that spinach______.
| A．made Popeye strong |
| B．was a green vegetable |
| C．had less iron than other green vegetables |
| D．had more iron than other green vegetables |
The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from______.
| A．iron | B．folic acid | C．spinach | D．exercise |
Folic acid is ______.
| A．something in food | B．a vegetable | C．dangerous | D．a certain kind of spinach |
Educators have spent ages arguing about whether the traditional classroom structure, with students all working on the same lesson, is really suited to different learning styles.
Twelve-year-old Yuval Kagan looks like he’s ready to work at a call center. He’s among 10 students sitting at a long table covered with laptop computers, talking into their headphones. ”Yes,” he says, looking at his computer screen. Yural is talking to a math teacher. If he has a question, he hits a button called “raise your hand” and the teacher speaks to him.
Yuval says he enjoys this form of teaching. “In a lesson with a class, the teacher always has to tell other students to stop talking, but here you can have one-on-one teaching.”
That personalized approach is what makes School of One different. It’s an after-school math program taking place here at I.S. 228 and two other middle schools. Kids spend part of their time working with online teachers. But teachers can also set instruction in small groups, where a teacher explains a special math problem. And sometimes they work together, as demonstrated by two boys using colorful blocks to figure out a geometry problem.
School of One was first piloted last summer with middle scholars in Chinatown. Assessment tests showed so much progress that the Department of Education expanded the program. Dominick D’Angelo, the principal of I.S. 228, says he wanted his sixth graders to take part because the traditional classroom doesn’t serve every child. But School of One is what its name suggests.
“A student is working at his or her own pace,” says D’Angelo. “Not with a group of 30 other students. If they don’t get it today, they have to work on it again tomorrow. They’re not left behind because they can’t catch up with the class. It’s at their own pace.”
Chancellor Joel Klein says “This kind of approach---students centered, not classroom centered---is going to be a part of the future of Education.”
But Daniel Willingham, a professor of Psychology says “Studies have been done trying to prove that some people learn best visually, however, other people learn best aurally (听觉上). They have shown that there’s no benefit in meeting the needs of those learning styles.” He adds, “It’s not clear whether considering different styles of learning makes a real difference.”
The city has raised money from private donors to keep the program going next fall. And though officials say they didn’t deliberately launch it this spring in time for the state exams, they’ll be very curious to see the performance of those 240 sixth graders at the three schools now using the School of One.
Title: Arguments about classroom structures and learning styles
| A comparison of two |
●Classroom centered: all the students work on the ●Teachers have to tell students to keep |
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| School of One |
● ●Teachers can also organize the kids in small groups to explain special problems. Sometimes they can |
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| Experts’ opinions |
●The new approach will be part of the future of Education. ●Some people learn best visually, while other people learn best by ●It is not ●We are not |
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| Officials’ expectations |
● How the three schools’ sixth graders |
Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loves experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colours, shifting and changing, and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead!” A new message appeared on the screen:
“ENTER NAMES
VOYAGE １
VOYAGE ２
Mark’s finger flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED.
START TRANSPORT PROGRAM.
AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED(自动回收程序已启动).”
The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled out in terror, reaching for the power switch. A beam(光束) of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed：
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL．
DESTINATION: MARS.
RETRIEVE DATE: 2025 Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?
| A．He wanted to take a voyage. |
| B．He was so much attracted by it. |
| C．He was eager to do an experiment. |
| D．He wanted to practice his skills. |
Where did the boy’s father most likely work?
| A．In a scientific research center. |
| B．In a computer company. |
| C．In an electronic factory. |
| D．In an information processing center. |
Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.
| A．a software producer |
| B．a company website |
| C．an astronomy program |
| D．a computer game |
. What is the most possible reason for Jason to shut off the computer?
| A．He was afraid of being scolded. |
| B．He didn’t like the loud noise and light. |
| C．He didn’t want to play games. |
| D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen. |
What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
| A．They were hidden in the strong light. |
| B．They were sent to another planet. |
| C．They were blown into the air. |
| D．They were carried away to another country. |
| Singapore National Eye Centre “I could have lost my vision. SNEC restored (恢复)my sight.” |
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| A macular hole, a hole at the most crucial part of the retina brought Bonny Huang who is from Hong Kong to the Singapore National Eye Centre for treatment. The retina is the light sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye. In no time the potentially blinding condition was treated and his vision is now restored. |
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| “In April 2008, I noticed straight lines started to become distorted, and white patch appeared in the centre of my vision. I went to the Singapore National Eye Centre immediately. The ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery, found a central macular hole in my left eye.” The treatment of this condition involves delicate judgment dependent on the experience of the doctor. The success of the recovery, however, relies largely on the face-down posture by the patient. “The Ophthalmologist explained to me the operational procedures, and taught me how to comply with the post-surgery face-down posture. |
The best part is that when I forgot some of the key points he told me, he showed no sign of resentment but instead comforted me not to worry before he went through the points again. I underwent an operation which lasted for only one hour, and maintained a face-down posture for three weeks. The result was very successful.” “I once consulted my Ophthalmologist during his lunch time, and he attended to me without finishing his lunch. His understanding and concern shown towards his patients can be scarcely found in other medical centres. I am very pleased to have received timely treatment in Singapore National Eye Centre where the doctors care about their patients.” |
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 50 senior and experienced eye surgeons, total staff strength of 460 Ultra-modern facility with state-of-the-art technology and equipment Quality assurance programme backed by 100% clinical audit of outcomes High impact research teams leading to latest treatment strategies Multi-expert approach to treatment of complex eye conditions 250,000 outpatient visits, 14,000 major eye surgeries, 13,000 laser procedures annually Singapore National Eye Centre 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, International Patient Service 24-hour Hotline: 65-6100- 9393 E-mail: ips@snec.com.sg or visit www.snec.com.sg |
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According to this passage, the Eye Centre is ______.
| A．a charity organization helping people solve their eye problems |
| B．an institute focusing on eye-treatment research |
| C．a hospital specializing in eye-problem treatment and research |
| D．an international institute treating people’s diseases |
Mr. Huang’s case in the advertisement is intended to ______.
| A．give people advice on how to find good doctors to treat eye diseases |
| B．assure people of high quality of SNEC |
| C．explain the consequences of neglecting eye problems |
| D．tell foreigners they are welcome to SNEC |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of SNEC?
| A．Patients outside Singapore should call SNEC on work days. |
| B．Latest treatment strategies result from multi-expert approach to treatment of eye diseases. |
| C．High impact research teams are invited to deal with complex conditions. |
| D．Nearly 11precent of the staff of SNEC are senior and experienced ophthalmologists. |