.
For generations of pupils, learning key historical dates, places, and names off by heart has been the base of academic success. But for today’s youngsters, dull rote learning(死记硬背) is meaningless because such basic facts are only a mouse click via Google, Wikipedia and online libraries, according to writer Don Tapscott.
Tapscott, author of the best-selling book Wikinomics and a supporter of the “net generation”, suggests a better approach would be to teach children to think creatively so they could learn to understand and use the knowledge available online.
He said, “Teachers are no longer the fountain(源泉) of knowledge ; the Internet is. Kids should learn about history to understand the world and why things are the way they are. But they don’t need to know all the dates.”
Tapscott dismissed(摒弃) the idea that his approach is anti-learning. Instead, he argued that the ability to learn new things is more important than ever in a world where you have to process new information at lighting speed. And he believes that the old-fashioned model of education still common in today’s schools, involving having facts off pat, was designed for the industrial age. He said, “This might have been good for the mass production economy, but it isn’t suitable for the digital economy, or for the ‘net generation’ mind. Children are going to have to reinvent their knowledge base many times. So for them memorizing facts and figures is a waste of time.”
Tapscott added the brains of today’s youngsters work differently to their parents’, and that multi tasking with digital equipment, such as using the Internet while listening to their MP3 players, can help them to develop critical thinking skills.
Schools are increasingly introducing more independent study and activities, with pupils learning at their own pace and focusing on what interests them most.
68. What is important for the “net generation” in Tapscott’s opinion?
A. Using online knowledge creatively.
B. Memorizing facts and figures.
C. Learning to respect teachers.
D. Teaching their parents to think creatively.
69. The underlined part “having facts off pat” in Para. 4 probably means _______.
A. understanding online information
B. remembering facts clearly
C. mastering digital equipment
D. keeping mistakes in mind
70. According to Tapscott, _______.
A. learning history is of no use to kids
B. Teachers should learn more things from online libraries
C. Kids should not listen to MP3 players while using the Internet
D. to obtain new information is important for kids
As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation．Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down．But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it．In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be．A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life．It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual．Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities, others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties．When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically．In fact we make choice between "flight or fight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death．The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response．It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered．Since we can't remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _____.
| A．they regard working as their greatest enjoyment |
| B．they believe that work is superior to relaxation |
| C．they are traveling fast all the time |
| D．they are becoming busier with their work than ever before |
According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his _____.
| A．strong will to hold out stress |
| B．knowing the art of relaxation |
| C．high sense of responsibility |
| D．having control over performance |
Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress. |
| B．Stress is always harmful to people's health |
| C．It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work. |
| D．Different people can bear different amount of stress. |
In the last sentence of the passage, “do so” refers to _____.
| A．"expose ourselves to stress" |
| B．"find ways to deal with stress" |
| C．"remove stress from our lives" |
| D．"establish links between diseases and stress" |
According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is _____.
| A．to avoid it |
| B．to try to cope with it |
| C．to regard it as a vital motivation |
| D．to find some relaxation |
A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! By Rich Ezzo．It took only about an hour to read.
When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick type of publication．Nothing is wrong with Get Rich Quick, but my mind just doesn’t chase after dreams of wealth．I think that if God ever wants me to be rich, he knows where to find my purse.
When I began reading When Money Talks, Listen!, I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either．He, too, is hungry far more important than money．
Since I love this e-book so much, why wait a week to write the review? Simple．I wanted to see if the effect it had on me was a keeper．After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money．I had so many thoughts running around my mind that I had to install(安装) a stoplight to stop some while others made their way into the picture, then I yielded(让路) them as a few ones arrived in town．I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is．
It has been a week and the effect is the same．I truly do look at money differently and have even done a few things differently this week．This is an e-book you’ll want to read, I promise．I often recommend books to my daughter, and this is one that I didn’t just “suggest”---I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, “Read it, you’ll love it.”
I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn’t go myself．I urge you to visit the author’s website, Myster Money, and to download the e-book．You won’t regret it.The author wrote this passage to _________
| A．strongly recommend an e-book. |
B．show the author's attitude to money. |
C．introduce the general idea of an e-book. |
D．point out Rich Ezzo isn't money hungry. |
According to the passage, a Get Rich Quick type of publication ______.
| A．is what the author really cares for |
| B．deals with how to make money |
| C．is also an e-book written by Rich Ezzo |
| D．is more popular than e-books |
The author didn't write the review as soon as he finished reading the book because________．
| A．he was too excited to write anything |
B．he was not sure whether he did well |
C．he had to wait for Rich Ezzo's permission |
D．he wondered if the book would have long influence on him |
By saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4, the author probably __________.
| A．shows that the book brought him many new thoughts |
B．shows how bad the traffic is in town |
C．describes the difficulty in understanding the book |
D．explains it's hard to change one's attitude to money |
Which of the following is supported by the passage?
| A．The author had known Rich Ezzo before. |
B．The author hasn't dreamed of getting rich immediately. |
C．The author always prefers e-books to paper books. |
D．The author likes Get Rich Quick-type of publications. |
A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation．She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself．
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily．“I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation．The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title．“What is your occupation?” she asked．
The words simply popped out．“I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, and then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t）, in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out)．Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it)．But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out．
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (依托) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern．
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?
| A．The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was. |
| B．The recorder was impatient and rude. |
| C．The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced. |
| D．Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society. |
How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?
| A．curious | B．indifferent | C．puzzled | D．interested |
How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?
| A．calm | B．panic-stricken | C．confident | D．cool |
Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?
| A．Because the author cared little about rewards. |
| B．Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab. |
| C．Because she thought the author did admirable work. |
| D．Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of. |
What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it. |
| B．To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect. |
| C．To show that the author had a grander job than Emily. |
| D．To show that being a mother is hard and boring work． |
British people have the worst quality of life in Europe, according to a report which highlights （强调) the long hours, bad weather, low life expectancy and high price of many goods.
In a study of ten of the largest European countries, Britain, which was considered a popular country to live in, now comes last followed by Ireland, with France and Spain topping the table.
Though British families enjoy the highest income in Europe, they still have to fight with a high cost of living, with fuel, food and alcohol all costing more than the European average.
With the high price of petrol, the UK is the second most expensive country in Europe. However, diesel (柴油) is more expensive in the UK than anywhere else in Europe.
The report by the website uSwitch analyses 10 European countries against 17 different benchmarks(基准点), from the price of gas, electricity, fuel, food and drink to the money each country spends on education, health to working conditions and the weather.
The top three countries are France, Spain and Denmark, with Sweden, Ireland and Britain coming eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.
The study comes less than a week after the United Nations moved Britain out of the top 20 list of most desirable countries to live in for the first time.
Although France and Germany were at the beginning hit hard by the global financial crisis, both have officially got out of the trouble, while Britain has yet to prove this has happened. Later this week, despite (尽管) signs of recovery in the housing market and rising sales, unemployment is still expected to have climbed to above 2.5 million for the first time since 1994.Which country has the best quality of life in Europe according to the report?
| A．Ireland. | B．France. | C．Sweden. | D．Denmark |
Which is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．British families are suffering from the high cost of living. |
| B．The report comes after the website uSwitch analysed 10 Asian countries. |
| C．The price of petrol is higher in Britain than anywhere else in Europe. |
| D．The quality of British life is reported to be terrible because of the bad working conditions. |
The underlined word “desirable” probably means.
| A．terrible | B．attractive | C．expensive | D．different |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Britain is still struggling to get out of the global financial crisis. |
| B．Unemployment in Britain is expected to go down soon. |
| C．Recovery in the housing market leads to unemployment in Britain. |
| D．Britain has recovered from the crisis together with France and Germany. |
Dear daughter,
You are a wonderful person and your mother and I think the world of you. It will not be long before you leave home to make your way in the world. Can I please give you some friendly advice? Here are some things that you should never do.
1. Never Look Down Upon Yourself.
You are great and able to achieve great things so believe in yourself. When things go badly, never stop believing. Some girls get upset, blame themselves and lose self-esteem. All kinds of problems can follow.
2. Never Get Obsessed With Your Appearance.
We think you look great (though some of the clothes you wear worry us!). Please be happy with the person ,you are and the body you have. Eat reasonably, take exercise and be healthy. Some girls show too much concern about losing weight or getting the perfect shape. You look fine.
3. Never Compromise Your Personal Safety.
Never put yourself at serious risk. This means that you cannot trust people until you really know them and that sometimes you have to avoid things that look like they might be fun. Never get drunk or take drugs. Unluckily there are some bad people out there and it is best not to take risks.
4. Never Give Less Than Your Best.
We are very proud of what you have achieved so far. You should be proud too. Keep doing well. Keep trying your hardest at everything you do. No one can ask for more than that.
5. Never Forget That Your Parents Love You.
Whatever happens in life, your family will still be your family. Whatever difficulties you meet with, you can always talk to us and we will try to help. We are here for you. Why has the father written the letter to his daughter?
| A．To express his love for her. | B．To give her some advice. |
| C．To tell her what she should do. | D．To help solve her problems. |
What does the father think of his daughter’s appearance?
| A．He thinks she looks fine although she’s unhealthy. |
| B．He is satisfied with the clothes his daughter wears. |
| C．He thinks his daughter should be happy with her appearance. |
| D．He thinks his daughter should lose weight to get the perfect shape. |
The father advises his daughter not to __________.
| A．ask her parents for help | B．be proud of what she has achieved |
| C．believe in herself when things go badly | |
| D．stop trying her hardest at everything she does |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Never do anything funny. | B．Never trust anybody. |
| C．Never put yourself in danger. | D．Never care about your safety. |