On the outside Betsy Lueth’s school looks like any other in Minneapolis. Yet inside, it is
Yinghua Academy, a public school where elementary(小学)students study subjects ranging from
math to American history in Chinese.
Yinghua, the first such immersion(沉浸式)program in the Midwest is on the leading edge (前沿) of a movement that in recent years has seen Chinese language programs spread rapidly throughout the U.S.
The idea behind Yinghua is to introduce kids to the language and culture as early as possible —ideally, before age 12. Kindergarteners and first graders are taught in Chinese and a single period of English is introduced in second grade. By sixth grade, kids are learning half in English and half in Chinese, with the expectation of fluency in both. In Yinghua’s classrooms, the walls are covered not with ABCs but with pictures and Chinese characters.
There are many challenges at Yinghua. Most teachers come from Taiwan or mainland China, and cultural misunderstandings are very common. Lueth’s teachers are learning to be tolerant of local customs — as well as a lot more parental input (家长看法) than they are used to. “In China, teachers are respected. They are not questioned,” says Luyi Lien, Yinghua’s Taiwan-born director. “In America, parents are more expressive of their opinions.”
Research has shown that in the long run, immersion programs can provide benefits, including more flexible, creative thinking. Though students from the programs fall behind for a few years in English, by fifth grade they perform as well as or better than their monolingual(单语言)peers on standardized reading and math tests. For multicultural families, the psychological (心理上的) help can also be important. Lueth, a former teacher, co-founded the school as a way to expose her adopted Chinese daughter Lucy to her native culture. Lucy used to be annoyed when cousins asked why her skin color was different from theirs; before she started at Yinghua, she resisted exploring anything related to China. Now, Lueth says, Lucy proudly answers her cousins, “Yeah, I was born in China.”
63.Yinghua is different from other schools in Minneapolis in the way that_________.
A.it offers subjects to students mostly in Chinese
B.its language program is popular in the U.S.A
C.kids there begin to learn Chinese at the age of 12
D.its students learn subjects half in English and half in Chinese
64.One of the challenges at Yinghua is that_________.
A.most parents do not respect its teachers
B.teachers need to get used to the local culture
C.its stud
ents are mostly from nontraditional families
D.there is misunderstanding between teachers and students
65.We can learn from the last paragraph that immersion program _________.
A.enables students pass tests more easily
B.benefits students in learning psychology
C.helps some students accept the local customs
D.contributes to the better development of students
66.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Teachers in Yinghua have difficulty in understanding the local culture.
B.Parents are discouraged to speak out their opinions of the school in Yinghua.
C.The students in Yinghua are expected to speak English and Chinese fluently.
D.Yinghua is the first school in the USA to introduce Chinese culture to students.
One Sunday, I took my daughter to the seaside. On arriving at the beach, I saw JoJo, a wealthy man in hotel business. We sat down to chat in an open air cafe while I watched my daughter enjoy herself on the swings (秋千) in front of us.
Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by a stranger, who politely asked permission to speak to me privately. People often want to tell me something about my TV show.
We stood a bit away from my table. He said, “I’m James, the father of a 7-year-old girl who’s very sick. The doctors said that if she was treated in the UK, she would probably survive. But I’m poor, so can you help me, please?”
I stared into the man’s eyes full of tears and asked how I could help. After I went back, JoJo asked me, “What's wrong?” I told him about it and he was very sorry for that family.
All day I thought about James's family. I even thought about making a special TV show to raise money for the sick child.
On Monday morning, JoJo walked into my office. Actually, JoJo was very busy, and I never imagined he would have the time to come and see me.
“Please, call the man and tell him I’ll pay all the expenses for the girl’s treatment,” JoJo said with a cheque in his hand. “I've been married for 35 years; I wasn’t lucky enough to have a child. Sometimes I feel lonely. I want to help this child.” I picked up the phone to call James.
Now James’s daughter is well and JoJo sometimes goes to visit her. I’m so happy that there are so good people on this earth.According to the passage, the writer _____ .
| A.often go to the beach with his daughter |
| B.is often troubled by his audience |
| C.was unwilling to help James |
| D.met JoJo at the beach by accident |
James turned to the writer for help probably because he _____.
| A.guessed the writer was rich enough to help him |
| B.wanted the writer to ask JoJo for help |
| C.thought the writer could help him through TV |
| D.knew the writer was warm-hearted |
Why did JoJo make up his mind to help James? _____.
| A.To show his love for a child. |
| B.To remove his loneliness by doing something. |
| C.To show his warm heart and kindness. |
| D.To build a relationship with Jame's family. |
John Milton was born in 1606. His father expected him to enter the church of England, but Milton wanted to be a poet. At twenty-nine Milton set off for a travel on the continent. He traveled in France, Switzerland and Italy, winning the friendship of many artists and scientists, including Galileo, the famous Italian scientist who suffered for his discovery in prison. In 1639, he was planning to go on this journey when the news reached him of the break between the king and Parliament(国会). Milton returned to England immediately, and put himself into the struggle against the king, for which he had long been prepared. During the Civil war, Milton worked as the spokesman of the revolution. By the beginning of 1652, Milton had become completely blind, yet he didn’t stop fighting. After the Restoration(复辟), his books were burnt, and he himself avoided being killed because of his blindness.
John Milton was not only a brave revolutionary but also a great poet. His famous poem Paradise Lost(失乐园) was an immediate success. But, for its publication (being published), Milton received only 18 pounds. He died in 1671.The underlined word “continent” in the first paragraph means ________.
| A.Asia | B.Europe | C.America | D.Africa |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A.In 1635 Milton made friends with many artists and poets. |
| B.Milton was put in prison for his discovery. |
| C.Paradise Lost was popular and was a hit at that time. |
| D.Milton was determined to be a poet because he didn’t like churches. |
Milton would have been killed if ________________.
| A.he had been the spokesman of the revolution |
| B.his books hadn’t been burnt |
| C.he hadn’t written the poem Paradise Lost |
| D.he hadn’t been completely blind |
Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School
Written and illustrated(配图) by Adam Auerbach.
32 pp. Christy Ottaviano/Holt. $15.50.
Edda’s home is in Asgard, “a land full of magic and adventure.” But Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, doesn’t have quite enough to do, until her father flies her “all the way to Earth for the first day of school.”
The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to (in one, she can ride reindeer; in the other she gazes guinea pig(天竺鼠) through glass at the classroom). In his first picture book, Auerbach mixes the two worlds perfectly. Children are likely to appreciate the joke.
Planet Kindergarten
By Sue Ganz-Schmitt. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore.
32 pp. Chronicle. $14.99.
After careful preparations and a successful blastoff, a boy finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. “We’re aliens from many galaxies(星系) on Planet Kindergarten,” he reflects as he sees his very varied classmates for the first time.
Prigmore, who designs for the movie industry, uses black backgrounds and bright colors to give this space adventure visual excitement and humor.
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade
By Justin Roberts. Illustrated by Christian Robinson.
42 pp. Putnam. $18.99.
It makes sense that the author of the long, rhyming lines in “The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade” is a children’s music performer. The story is about the power of one small person to fight prejudice.
Sally, whom no one ever seems to notice, is “paying super extra special attention” to the “terrible stuff” happening around her. When she decides to take action, she’s not alone for long.
And Two Boys Booed
By Judith Viorst.
32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $16.59.
Ever felt quietly confident one minute, and a shaking mess the next? In Viorst’s story about determination, a little boy wakes up thinking about singing his song in the class talent show.Which of the following is true about the book Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School?
| A.Edda found it easy to apply herself to the life on earth. |
| B.The book was Adam Auerbach’s first picture book. |
| C.The book was illustrated by Shane Prigmore. |
| D.The story of the book was about a little boy’s determination. |
If you are interested in space adventure, you would probably choose______.
| A.Edda, a Little Valkyrie’s First Day of School |
| B.Planet Kindergarten |
| C.The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade |
| D.And Two Boys Booed |
The book The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade was published by__________.
| A.Christy Ottaviano/Holt. |
| B.Chronicle. |
| C.Putnam |
| D.Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. |
All of the four books mentioned_______________.
| A.are for children |
| B.have the same number of pages |
| C.have colorful pictures in them |
| D.need reading under parents’ guidance |
Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures from their parents to do well in school. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have a wonderful life. Though this may be good ideas for those very bright students, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students killed themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some do bad things with trouble-makers and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important and leave school before they have finished their study.
It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers’ work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evening and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams. They do not try to educate students in any real sense of the real world. It thus comes as a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior or high school population attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bag. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They regard the rules as being harmful to the development of each student. They believe that no sense of moral values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.A lot of Japanese students are unhappy at school because_______.
| A.they work very hard |
| B.they find they can't do well at school |
| C.they feel unimportant |
| D.they are under too much pressure |
Because of their failure at school, some students take drugs to .
| A.kill themselves | B.seek comfort |
| C.disappoint their parents | D.make trouble |
In juku-cram schools students_________.
| A.are taken good care of by the teachers |
| B.feel no pressure |
| C.are trained to pass exams |
| D.can learn a lot of useful things |
In ordinary Japanese schools,______________ .
| A.there are strict rules |
| B.students feel safe |
| C.students can do anything |
| D.learning is not important |
A flock of hungry pigeons were flying across the sky in search of food. Having traveled a long distance, they felt tired and settled down on a tree. Just below the tree, they saw grains strewn (撒满) all over the ground. The pigeons were happy to have found enough food to eat. All the pigeons came down from the tree and started eating the grains. As they were doing so, a huge net fell on them and trapped them all.
The pigeons were taken aback(大吃一惊). They noticed a hunter sitting at a distance from the tree, a bow and arrow in hand. The pigeons realized it was the hunter who had trapped them in the net. The hunter got up and began to move towards the pigeons.
The leader of the pigeons spoke, “Friends, we are in great trouble. The hunter will catch us if we do not act swiftly in a few seconds. There is only one option available at this moment. Let all of us use our force together and fly up along with the net. If all of us use our force and fly together, we can fly carrying the net along with us. Let us start now.”
All the pigeons agreed with him and flew high carrying the net along with them. After traveling enough distance away from the hunter, the pigeons settled on a tree and carefully came out of the net one by one and thus escaped the evil design of the hunter.Who strewed the grains over the ground?
| A.A villager. | B.The hunter. |
| C.The pigeon owner. | D.The writer. |
What does the underlined word “option” mean?
| A.reason | B.choice | C.action | D.opinion |
How did the pigeons react when they got trapped?
| A.They didn't know what to do. |
| B.They tried to fly in all directions. |
| C.They remained calm. |
| D.They decided to fight against the hunter. |
This story wants to tell us that ________.
| A.two heads are better than one |
| B.confidence will save everyone |
| C.teamwork can work wonders |
| D.actions speak louder than words |