E
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students 
how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes – they are failing because the academic classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well- rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art – there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge – certainly not a good preparation 
for the real world.
72. Music and drama are not included in the high- school curriculum mainly because ________.
A. the school committee pays no attention to them
B. the school is afraid of losing financial support
C. the students are not interested in both of them
D. the state standardized test is more important
73. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test
B. Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’ s school system
C. Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons
D. The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts
74. We can learn that music and art can ______.
A. motivate students in creativity and expression
B. make students round-shaped people in future
C. provide students with analytical thinking
D. prevent students graduating from high school
75. The best title of the passage can be ______.
A. Who Killed Music and Drama? B. Can Curriculum Go Without Music?
C. Why is Music So Important? D. How To Prepare For th
e Real World?
Visitors to Fiji enjoy not only some of the world's best lagoons, with beautiful blue waters and the famous Rainbow Reef，but also rich history and culture spanning thousands of years．While you'll surely spend plenty of time on the beach in Fiji, why not check out some of these cultural destinations to get a sense of traditional life in Fiji?
The Meke is a native dance performed by indigenous Fijians wearing leis and grass skirts．Although similar in importance to the hula dance of Hawaiian the Meke is like nothing you'll see on any other island．Experiencing this culturally and historically significant dance is something that visitors to Fiji simply must do．
Indigenous Fijians are very proud of their heritage，something you'll notice immediately upon walking into the National Museum．The Fiji Museum is located in the beautiful botanical gardens of Suva，the capital city of Fiji. There，you'll find an archaeological collection dating back thousands of years，evidence of Fiji's long history．The lengthy history of Fiji can also be seen in its buildings, including the Parliament Houses and Sri Siva Subramaniya, a Hindu temple．
While you're in Suva to visit the Fiji museum，take plenty of time to absorb the local culture. Suva offers a very active nightlife, including live bands and other forms of entertainment. If you're looking for a Meke show，Suva is a good bet on any night of the week. The city is also a popular destination for tourists looking for souvenirs，including carved Tiki masks and statues．
Like any tropical island vacation, Fiji offers white sandy beaches，palm trees，and beautiful blue skies .If you're planning a variation to Fiji，don’t forget to schedule plenty of time to visit cultural and historical sites，and to take in the parts of Fiji that truly can’t be found anywhere else in the world．The word”lagoons”(in Paragraph 1)probably refers to “”.
| A．lakes | B．theatres | C．museums | D．stadiums |
Which of the following may be the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
| A．Suva is a modern city in the world． |
| B．Suva is a place well worth visiting． |
| C．Fiji's nightlife is especially active. |
| D．Fiji’s culture includes all kinds of art． |
This passage is most likely taken from．
| A．an advertisement | B．a news report |
| C．a research paper | D．a travel book |
It was an afternoon Truman would never forget．
Rayburn and his friend were talking in the office before Truman arrived. The telephone rang. It was a call from the White House asking whether Vice-President Truman had arrived yet. No, Rayburn replied. The caller asked to have him telephone the White House as soon as he arrived.
Truman entered a minute later. He immediately called the White House. As he talked, his face became white. He put down the phone and raced out of the door to his car.
Truman arrived at the White House within minutes. An assistant took him to the president’s private living area. Eleanor Roosevelt, the president’s wife, was waiting for him there. “Harry,” she said, “the president is dead.” Truman was shocked. He asked Mrs. Roosevelt if there was anything he could do to help her. But her reply made clear to him that his own life had suddenly changed. “Is there anything we can do for you ?” Mrs. Roosevelt asked the new president, “You are the one in trouble now.”
Truman had been a surprise choice for vice-president at the Democratic Party nominating convention in nineteen forty-four. Delegates considered several other candidates before they chose him as Roosevelt’s running mate. That was at a time when presidential candidates did not make their own choices for vice-president．
Harry Truman lacked the fame，the rich family and the strong speech-making skills of Franklin Roosevelt．He was a much simpler man．He grew up in the Midwestern state of Missouri．Truman only studied through high school but took some nighttime law school classes．He worked for many years as a farmer and a small businessman，but without much success．
Truman had long been interested in politics．When he was almost forty，he finally won several low-level positions in his home state．By nineteen thirty-four，he was popular enough in Missouri to be nominated and elected to the United States Senate. And he won re-election six years later．
Most Americans, however, knew little about Harry Truman when he became president．They knew he had close ties to the Democratic Party political machine in his home state．But they had also heard that he was a very honest man．They could see that Truman had strongly supported President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs．But they could not be sure what kind of president Truman would become．
At the center of all the action was Harry Truman．It was not long before he showed Americans and the world that he had the ability to be a good president．He was honest，strong and willing to make decisions．When Mrs. Roosevelt said”You are the one in trouble now”，she really meant that ．
| A．Truman’s life had suddenly changed |
| B．Truman was at the center of all the action |
| C．Truman was a surprise choice for vice-president |
| D．Truman had close ties to the Democratic Party |
According to the passage，of Truman’s day，the president’s running mate was ．
| A．decided by delegates |
| B．recommended by presidential candidates |
| C．chosen by the Democratic Party |
| D．elected by vice-president |
Truman served as the U．S．Senator ．
| A．for ten years | B．before he was forty |
| C．before 1943 | D．for two terms |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．An Unforgettable Afternoon |
| B．Vital Telephone Call Makes a Difference |
| C．Truman Makes His Decisions |
| D．Roosevelt’s Death Makes Truman President |
Going Zero Waste means more than just managing the rubbish we create．It means reducing it too．While it might seem like a difficult thing to do, it's well worth it．And what better time to start than Christmas?
We need to copy the way Nature wastes nothing．Many things are created by human society that we know will soon become useless and be thrown out．How many plastic bottles or even PCs end up in the rubbish bin? Instead，we should design products that can be more easily repaired，reused and recycled．
Kamikatsu, a Japanese village，has already gone Zero Waste．The 2，000 villagers compost their leftovers，and recycle everything else．There are 34 different boxes at the re-cycling centre! Residents grumble about the inconvenience，but they also see the benefits．
People who live Zero Waste lives are careful about what they do．They never take more than they need．Reusing plastic bags at supermarkets is a great way to reduce waste．And those who plan before they shop avoid having to throw food out later．Also，it’s best not to go food shopping when you’re hungry：You’ll be sure to buy too much!
Let’s think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas．By sending recyclable cards，we can help our friends and family reduce waste．And what better way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas than with a real tree that can be replanted in the spring?
Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act．It takes ambition，and it's not always easy．But just think how good it would be，both for ourselves and for the environment, if we never had to waste anything．When is this passage probably written?
| A．After a Christmas． | B．Before Zero Waste starts． |
| C．Before a Christmas． | D．When Zero Waste is very popular． |
What should we do to reduce waste according to the passage?
| A．To stop using plastic bottles or even PCs． |
| B．To create more things that can be repaired quickly． |
| C．To avoid sending cards on Christmas． |
| D．To copy the way Nature wastes nothing． |
If we want to live Zero Waste lives we should do the following except .
| A．taking no more than we need |
| B．reusing plastic bags |
| C．not going food shopping when we’re hungry |
| D．not making a plan before we shop |
What’s the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To enjoy a clean Christmas． |
| B．To complain about the pollution． |
| C．To educate people to behave well． |
| D．To call on people to attend Zero Waste． |
Small talk is meaningless conversation in terms of content，but is often seen as socially important in certain situations，or context．In many English-speaking countries，it can be viewed as rude or unfriendly not to make small talk.
Discussing the weather with people who you don’t really know is an example of small talk that many of us are very familiar with on a daily basis．We may chat about the weather with the cashier at the supermarket or with the attendant at the gas station．Small talk may also be related to the situation such as waiting in line．People in the line may comment to others about how slow it is in the post office or bank that day，for instance．We also engage in small talk with people we may see every day but don’t really know such as those we share the elevator with in our office building．
Small talk is common at parties when guests may know the host but not each other．It is considered rude not to mingle and speak with other guests at social functions，so small talk can break the ice and get guests chatting．Compliments(赞美)may be a type of small talk such as one woman at party complimenting another on her dress．
Some people like small talk because they find silence uncomfortable and／or they enjoy communicating verbally．Others enjoy meeting new people and use small talk to start conversations. When making small talk，especially with strangers or those you don’t know very well，it’s important to observe certain socially acceptable conventions．First，small talk should be general and not personal or about controversial topics. Second，while compliments are acceptable，they shouldn't refer to the person’s body or sound like a pick-up line．What do people usually talk about in small talk?
| A．Light topics． | B．Personal topics． |
| C． Meaningless things. | D．Controversial affairs． |
Who do we usually have small talk with?
| A．Close friends． | B．People we don’t really know． |
| C．Family members． | D．Our seniors． |
At parties，it’s considered rude to ．
| A．speak to one guest only and not speak with other guests |
| B．speak to several guests at the same time |
| C．compliment a woman on her dress |
| D．have small talk with the host |
We can infer from the last paragraph that．
| A．compliments are the most acceptable in small talk |
| B．we should refer to a person’s body when complimenting in order to sound sincere |
| C．there are some rules in making small talk |
| D．some people use small talk to make new friends |
When the lazy days of summer arrive and the schedule is packed with swimming，camp，and family vacations，it can be a challenge to find time for learning. But kids’ reading skills don’t have to grow cold once school’s out. Here are some ways to make reading a natural part of their summer fun.
Explore your library. Visit your local library to check out books and magazines that your kids haven’t seen before. Many libraries have summer reading programs，book clubs，and reading contests for even the youngest borrowers. With a new library card，a child will feel extra grownup checking out books.
Read on the road. Going on a long car trip？Make sure the back seat is stocked with favorite reads. When you’re not at the wheel，read the books aloud. Get some audiobooks (many libraries have large selections)and listen to them together during driving time.
Make your own books. Pick one of your family’s favorite parts of summer—whether it’s baseball，ice cream，or the pool—and have your child draw pictures of it or cut out pictures from magazines. Stick the pictures onto paper to make a booklet and write text for it. When you’re done，read the book together. Reread it whenever you like!
Keep in touch. Kids don’t have to go away to write about summer vacation. Even if your family stays home，they can send postcards to tell friends and relatives about their adventures. Ask a relative to be your child’s pen pal and encourage them to write each week.
Keep up the reading habits. Even if everything else changes during the summer，keep up the reading routines around your house. Read with your kids every day—whether it’s just before bedtime or under a shady tree on a lazy afternoon. And don’t forget to take a book to the beach！Just brush the sand off the pages—it’s no sweat!The purpose of the passage is to________.
| A．encourage parents to read |
| B．give advice on raising kids |
| C．raise a good summer reader |
| D．suggest places for vacations |
If you drive on a long trip in summer，you can ________.
| A．visit the local library and join book clubs |
| B．borrow some audiobooks to listen to |
| C．keep in touch with friends by sending postcards |
| D．read your own picture books with your son |
By saying “Just brush the sand off the pages—it’s no sweat”，the author means ________.
| A．taking away the sand on the book is very difficult |
| B．a special book is needed when you’re reading on the beach |
| C．one can remove the sand on the book with a brush easily |
| D．there’s no trouble reading even on the beach |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Parents. | B．Students. |
| C．Teachers. | D．Editors. |