Tests administered(实施)to most elementary and high-school students in the United States exert an unfavorable influence on science and math teaching, according to a new $1 million study performed for the National Science Foundation. And because schools with high minority enrollments(入学)generally place a greater reliance(相信)on scores from these tests, the study finds, there tends to be “a gap in instructional emphases between high and low minority classrooms that differs from our national concern for the quality of education.”
George F. Madaus and his colleagues at Boston College analyzed not only the six most widely used national standardized tests, but also the tests designed to accompany (go with) the four most commonly used science and math texts in fourth-grade, eighth-grade, and high-school classrooms. Though curriculum(teaching program)experts argue that schools should place greater emphasis on problem solving and reasoning, the new study shows that the tests focus on lower-level skills—primarily mechanical memorization of routine formulas(公式).
Researchers surveyed more than 2,200 math and science instructors,interviewing in depth some 300 teachers and administrators. Especially in schools with high minority enrollments, teachers reported feeling pressured to help students perform well on these tests. Some states judge schools and some schools determine teacher assignments(工作安排)based on students' test scores.
“With so much worry,” Madaus says, “teachers feel forced to focus their instruction on drilling what the tests will measure—at the expense of the more valuable,higher-level skills.”
1. The author of this article states that ___ _ .
A. the tests don't affect teaching in most elementary and high schools
B. the science and math teaching is influenced by the present tests
C. no study is performed on tests for the National Science Foundation
D. the United States exerts a strong influence on science and math teaching
2. It can be inferred that in high minority classrooms ____ _ .
A. the students can not get high score from the tests B. scores from the tests are not important
C. instructional emphases are unfavorable D. teaching doesn't focus on the quality of education
3. According to the second paragraph,the study has discovered that ____ _ .
A. emphasis of teaching is on problem solving and reasoning
B. curriculum is good for national standardized tests
C. the tests mainly center around the memorization of some formulas
D. routine formulas are not useful for students to memorize
4. According to Madaus' opinion,teachers are forced to ____ _ .
A. evaluate(评估)students' skills every year B. suffer so much worry on the texts
C. teach what will be tested D. focus their instruction on useful drillings
.
Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps.The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children.
Medway’s annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday: the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot(烟灰) behind and have some fun.The sweeps’ holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year.Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester.
Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham.The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade.When the Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade.The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s.
The modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colorful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival.The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian.He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today — an excellent performance of traditional Britain.
Gordon researched the Sweeps’ tradition and organized a small parade, involving local Morris teams.In time, Medway Council took over organization of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved.Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon(簧风琴) for several Morris teams.Doug Hudson is the festival’s music director, a role he has held for many years.Through Gordon’s vision and hard work, Doug’s musical ability and the council’s help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.
66.According to the writer, chimney sweeps ____________.
A.were highly respected B.were well rewarded
C.led a hard life in the past D.worked in good conditions
67.Medway’s Sweeps Festival ____________.
A.has been organized by the Jack-in-the-Green
B.dated back to the May celebration in the early 1900s
C.is held to honor those chimney sweeps every other year
D.has become a time for chimney sweeps to enjoy themselves
68.The underlined word “revive” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ___________.
A.realize B.review C.recreate D.recognize
69.It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
A.the festival has never been supported by the local government
B.The festival is a good way to see British folk customs in action
C.youngsters has been forbidden to be chimney sweeps since 1981
D.the modern festival lasts five days celebrating the coming of spring
70.What is the passage mainly concerned about?
A.Sweeps Festival history B.Medway’s traditional holidays
C.Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 D.a procession in Rochester
.
Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to 16 received a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up’.An application is calling on the next government to bring it back.
At school the children are taught to add up and subtract(减法) but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account — let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England.Children from five to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say.And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month — the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed.Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.
As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits of young children do not last long.Over 75% of seven- to 11-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends.By this age, 26% see a credit card or overdraft(透支) as a way of extending their spending power.Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school.”
The UK has been in the worst financial recession(衰退)for generations.It does seem odd that — unless parents step in — young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university.In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents.
61.The passage is mainly about _____________.
A.how to manage school lessons
B.how to deal with the financial crisis
C.teaching young people about money
D.teaching students how to study effectively
62.It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that __________.
A.the author complains about the school education
B.pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract
C.students have been taught to manage their finances
D.laws on financial education have been effectively carried out
63.The website and the consumer campaigner joined to _________.
A.instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money
B.promote the connection of schools and families
C.ask the government to dismiss the parliament
D.appeal for the curriculum of financial education
64.According to Pfeg, ___________.
A.it is easy to keep good habits long
B.teenagers spend their money as planned
C.parents are willing to pay the debt for their kids
D.it will be in trouble if the teenagers are left alone
65.A poll is mentioned to ___________.
A.stress the necessity of the curriculum reform
B.show the seriousness of the financial recession
C.make the readers aware of burden of the parents
D.illustrate some people are strongly against the proposal
.
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出最佳选项。
Knowing how much her own children loved presents at Christmas, Ann Sutton always tried to seek help for one or two poor families.With a social worker mother, the Sutton children had inherited her commitment to service, and knew never to take their good fortune at Christmas for granted. This year, Kinzie, her seven-year-old daughter was thrilled that Santa Claus would make a special visit to a 22-year-old mother named Ashley who worked in a factory raising her 12-month-old son by herself.
The phone rang on Sunday.A representative from a local organization was calling to say that the aid Ann had requested for Ashley had fallen through.No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing.
Ann saw the cheer vanish from her children’s faces at the news.Without a word, Kinzie ran into her bedroom.She returned, her face set with determination.Opening up her piggy bank, she put all the coins onto the table: $3.30.Everything she had.
“Mom,” she told Ann, “I know it’s not much.But maybe this will buy a present for the baby.”
At a breakfast meeting the next day, Ann told her coworkers about her daughter’s story.To her surprise, staff members began to open their purses and empty their pockets to help Kinzie.By day’s end, the story of Kinzie’s gift had spread beyond Ann’s office.She received a call from an unknown donor.If a seven-year-old could give everything she had, he said, he should at least match her gift 100 to 1.He contributed $300.
On Christmas Eve, Ann drove through the pouring rain to the small trailer where the Ashleys lived.Then she began to unload the gifts from the car, handing them to Ashley one by one.
Ashley was very moved.Reflecting on a little girl’s generosity, Ashley says she’ll one day be able to do something similar for someone else in need.“Kinzie could have used that money for herself, but she gave it away,” Ashley says.“She’s the type of kid I’d like my son to grow up to be.”
56.According to the text, Ann Sutton ______________.
A.is making lots of money B.is ready to help others
C.is only caring about herself D.is a hard-working mother
57.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A.Ashley lived a hard life with her little son.
B.The Sutton children took Anne as an example to follow.
C.The coworkers of Ann helped Kinzie to realize her wish.
D.Ann Sutton tried to ask for help for her own children.
58.What can we learn about Kinzie?
A.She was afraid that Santa Claus would visit the Ashleys.
B.She should get some presents from her mother at Christmas.
C.She devoted all her coins to buying a present for the baby.
D.She was cheerful when hearing the aid had fallen through.
59.Which of the following can be inferred from the text?
A.It rained heavily on Christmas Eve.
B.Ann handed gifts to Ashley one by one.
C.Ashley hoped she would help someone else in need.
D.A good deed can influence many people’s behavior.
60.What would be the best title for the text?
A.A Young Girl’s Gift B.A Mother’s Love
C.A Story of Young Girl D.An Unknown Donor
.
The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries(画廊) and into public places, some of the country’s most gifted artists have been called in to change older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of modern art in corridors(走道), waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives(new plans) owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester Hospital in Northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A common hospital waiting room might have as many as 5,000 visitors each week. What a better place to hold regular exhibitions of art and paintings, in the outpatients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain’s first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduations.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms, the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyard.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expense when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong painkillers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at.
67. What does the author mean by using the phrase “to soften the hard edge of modern buildings” in the second paragraph?
A. To hold exhibitions of art and paintings in hospitals.
B. To tear down the old hospital and build a new one.
C. To decorate hospitals with art collection.
D. To paint the walls of hospitals in soft colors.
68 What is true about Peter Senior?
A. A famous doctor in Manchester Hospital and a gifted artist.
B. Britain’s first hospital artist and a patient in Manchester Royal Hospital.
C. One of the six young art school graduations.
D. A gifted artist and a pioneer introducing art into hospitals.
69. According to Peter Senior, we can infer that________.
A. modern hospitals have a lot of patients
B. art is not appreciated by a large number of people in modern society
C. patients should be encouraged to learn painting
D. artists can not find their positions in modern society
70. What does the last paragraph suggest?
A. The improvement of hospital environment may help the patients recover from illness.
B. The improvement of hospital environment may cost the patients more than before.
C. The patients needed no painkillers when they had a view of a painting.
D. The patients had no pain at all after the improvement of hospital environment.
.
Reading can provide lots of fun for children and teens during summer vacation. Children who read during the summer are better prepared for school when they return to classes in the fall. Public libraries throughout Wisconsin will host summer events to encourage children and young adults to include reading in their summer fun.
●All Star Readers
The Milwaukee Public Library will host its 2007 Summer Reading Club for kids from 3 to 18. Signing up starts on June 1 at all Milwaukee public libraries and bookmobile sites.
Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to become “All Star Readers” at the Milwaukee library when they sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Children can score a point by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages. When they reach the reading goal, they will win a bag full of prizes.
●Sparkey Spots the Ball
Children up to 5 years old can join the read-to-me club, “Sparkey Spots the Ball”. They will receive their own reading folders(文件夹)to record the books read to them by parents, brothers and sisters or relatives. Once they have listened to 20 books, they will win a baseball and a coupon(优惠券)for McDonald’s ice cream.
●X-treme Read
Teens between the age of 13 and 18 can join in their own reading program called “X-treme Read”. Teens can read to win movie passes, CDs and more.
The library also plans extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. Check with your local library or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the exact dates, times, and places of the demonstrations (集会).
63. Students who take part in the reading club can _________.
A. take part in extreme bike races
B. get a good mark in the final exam
C. get better prepared for the new term
D. finish their homework ahead of time
64. In order to become “All Star Readers” and win a lot of prizes, you _________.
A. should be 18 years old
B. should be at least five years old
C. must read at least 1,000 pages or 10 books
D. just need to sign up at the Milwaukee library
65. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A. Children up to 5 might win a baseball or an ice cream.
B. Teens who have listened to books might win movie tickets.
C. The public libraries only allow children to read in the reading club.
D. Students who want to read can sign up at any public library at Milwaukee.
66. If you are a 17-year-old student who wants to win some prizes, you can take part in _________.
A. 2007 Summer Reading Club B. X-treme Read
C. Sparkey Spots the Ball D. All Star Readers