Last year I had a wonderful experience. I went on a student exchange to Japan. It was an exciting time of my life and I learned many things about the school system in Japan. I was in Grade 11, which is second year of high school in Japan, but I was younger than most of my classmates. That’s because Japanese children enter first year of elementary school (小学) in April following their sixth birthday. I started school when I was still five years old.
In Japan, Children attend elementary school for six years, where they study Japanese, arithmetic, science, social studies, music, crafts, physical education, and home economics (simple cooking and sewing skills). During their three years in middle school, English is added to this list. Most schools have access to computers and the Internet.
The classes in my school seemed rather big to me, around 30 students in a typical high school class. We ate lunch in the classroom, instead of a cafeteria and enjoyed a healthy, nutritious meal prepared by the school or by a local “school lunch centre” instead of eating the same, dry sandwiches every day. I really like the Japanese interpretation of school lunches. I also enjoyed the field trips and activities. At Japanese schools, there are many school events during the year, such as field day when students compete in tug-of-war, field trips, and arts and cultural festivals.The writer went to Japan _____ last year.
| A．to visit his family memebers | B．to finish his high school there |
| C．to study as an exchange student | D．to do research on school system in Japan |
Children in Japan may start their elementary school at the age of ____.
| A．5 | B．6 | C．7 | D．11 |
Japanese students start to learn English _____.
| A． before they start their school year | B．when they are in elementary school |
| C．when they are in middle school | D．when they are in high school |
In the writer’s country, there are normally _____ students in a high school class.
| A．less than 30 | B．exactly 30 | C．more than 30 | D．Not certain |
In the writer’s country, students probably _____.
| A．have lunch in the classroom | B．have different lunch every day |
| C．have lunch at home | D．have sandwiches for lunch |
When you are traveling in Thailand，which means of transport is the best choice?
You can rent a variety of motorbikes or bikes in Thailand.It seems to be very popular in most of the beaches and islands along the places in the north.The most popular bikes are the little 125 cc Honda Dream which you can get for about 150 baht(铢)a day or as little as 3，000 baht per month，making it the cheapest way to tour Thailand for the people from other countries.
Sometimes you will have to go somewhere by taxi.When you are in cities in Thailand，especially in Bangkok，always remember to get a taxi that is going on the roads.Some drivers outside hotels refuse to use the milometer(计程表)．They will ask a price which is several times the price when they use the meter!
The quality of the roads in Thailand is generally pretty good，so renting cars is another way to get around.The big car rental companies may offer you slightly older cars at a very reasonable(合理的)price.It is a little surprising considering that the cost of buying a car in Thailand is more than that in the West.Petrol is also reasonably priced in Thailand，more expensive than American prices，but much cheaper than what is paid in Europe.In the past，Bangkok could be a difficult place to drive in—signs were generally in Thai only，making it a hard job to find exactly where you were by looking around.But now，the situation is improved.In a lot of places，even the farthest corners of the country，street signs are in both Thai and English.What is the writer's advice about taking a taxi in Thailand?
| A．To take a taxi driving on the road. |
| B．To take a taxi parked outside hotels. |
| C．To make sure there is a meter in it. |
| D．To bargain with the driver over the price. |
It was difficult to drive in Bangkok in the past because ________．
| A．there were too many traffic jams on the roads |
| B．there were no signs showing directions |
| C．the signs were written only in their own language |
| D．the quality of the roads was not good |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Renting a car to get around Thailand is very expensive. |
| B．Tourists can only rent a motorbike in the beaches and islands. |
| C．The price of petrol in Thailand is lower than that in Europe. |
| D．Cars in Thailand are cheaper than those in the West. |
In which part of a magazine can this passage be found?
| A．Entertainment. | B．Tourism. |
| C．Market. | D．Advertisement. |
My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember her giving me one book ― a book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing.
I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn’t let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar ― even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress.
Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother.
The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. The book weighed on me.
Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift. Don’t ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer. The desire for such connection is what gives book-giving with special meaning ― and increases the owner’s possibility to be a letdown.
Guilt is basically the same as for all gifts, though. If the giver doesn’t have the pleasure of seeing or hearing about the gift being enjoyed, and asks whether it is, then the owner ― unless she can truthfully say “yes” ― either has to admit to not liking the present, or else lie on the spot. Neither is pleasant. So, don’t ask.When the author was a kid, his grandmother ________.
| A．took him to travel around the world a lot |
| B．loved to take him to museums and stores |
| C．shared her childhood stories with him |
| D．gave him many gifts |
What does the author think about the book his grandmother gave him?
| A．Boring. | B．Interesting. |
| C．Puzzling. | D．Disappointing. |
The underlined sentence “The book weighed on me” in Paragraph 4 probably means
________.
| A．the book is too heavy for the author to carry |
| B．the author feels stressful facing the book |
| C．the book is full of powerful viewpoints |
| D．the author keeps reading the book |
The author learns from the Hans Brinker’s experience that never ________.
| A．give others books as gifts |
| B．lie to people who give you gifts |
| C．get close to others through gifts |
| D．talk about the books given as gifts |
To Friend or Not to Friend
We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to educate themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request: “When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be independent.”
Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list.From Paragraph 2, we learn that ________.
| A．parents feel secure about their privacy online |
| B．social networks successfully fill the generation gap |
| C．parents have realized the importance of social networks |
| D．social networks offer a platform for parents to communicate |
Teenagers may refuse a parent’s friend request because ________.
| A．they hide something from their parents |
| B．they are unwilling to be watched by parents |
| C．their parents tend to fall behind in technology |
| D．their parents make negative comments on them |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．privacy online |
| B．social networks |
| C．the generation gap |
| D．parents’ friend requests |
The passage is written mainly for ________.
| A．parents | B．teenagers |
| C．teachers | D．researchers |
Last week I did something that scared me. I stood in front of nearly 200 financial planners and I talked to them about why financial blogs are a good thing.
I’m a confident writer. I’ve been doing this long enough that I know my strength and my limitations. I’m less confident as a speaker. I don’t have time to pause to collect my thoughts. I’m not able to edit. I’m afraid of being trapped in a corner without being able to talk my way out. Basically, I’m scared to speak.
It would be easy to simply refuse the chances that come my way. When somebody asks me to speak in front of a group, I could say “no”. When radio and television stations call for an interview, I could say “no”. But for the past two years, I’ve been following my own policy to say “yes” to new chances.
To say “yes” is to live in fear. My goal is to continually improve myself to become better than I am today. One way to do that is to do the things that scare me, to take them on as challenges, and to learn from them ― even if I fail.
In mid-November, a local station asked me to appear on live television. “I realize it’s short notice,” the producer wrote, “but we’d love to have you on the show if you’re available tonight.” I was frightened. I thought about recent taped television interviews that I had hated. I was afraid of what might happen.
But I also thought about the things that had gone right. I thought of how my speaking skills had improved over the past year. And then I thought of the book I was reading, a book that I had bought for $1.29 at the local store. The Magic of Thinking Big was a huge bestseller during the 1960s. Written by Dr. David Schwartz, a professor at Georgia State University, the book contains dozens of practical tips on how to take risks to achieve big goals. Schwartz argues that nobody will believe in you until you believe in yourself.
So when the television producer asked if I wanted to appear on his show, I thought big. “Sure,” I said. “I’ll do it.” I acted confidently, but on the inside I was frightened. What I needed was techniques to build up my confidence and to overcome my fear.Why is the author afraid of speaking in public?
| A．He is aware of his potential. |
| B．He has few chances to talk. |
| C．He is not able to edit what he says. |
| D．He likes writing better. |
The underlined words “my own policy” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ________.
| A．self-improving through challenges |
| B．hesitating before chances |
| C．turning down the invitations |
| D．saying yes to fear |
The author mentioned the book The Magic of Thinking Big mainly because ______.
| A．it was inspiring |
| B．it was a bestseller |
| C．its author was famous |
| D．its price was attractive |
What is the author’s purpose to write the passage?
| A．To analyze his strength and weaknesses. |
| B．To give practical tips on speaking in public. |
| C．To persuade people to follow his example. |
| D．To share his experiences of overcoming fear. |
| Glendale City Parks Ranger Club Welcome to the Glendale City Parks Ranger Club. We are happy you have decided to volunteer to help keep Glendale City’s five parks clean and attractive. With assistance from local youth, Glendale City can continue to keep its parks beautiful all year long.
|
The Glendale City Parks can be the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．a picnic area for families to eat |
| B．a place for people to walk dogs |
| C．a place for teenagers to have classes |
| D．a playground for children to have fun |
In Sunnyside Park, the volunteer rangers’ duty is to ________.
| A．plant flowers |
| B．water the grass |
| C．paint the benches |
| D．check the equipment |
The park benches need painting in ________.
| A．Oak Hill Park and Valley Park |
| B．Valley Park and Blue Ridge Park |
| C．Sunnyside Park and Oak Hill Park |
| D．Mill Street Park and Sunnyside Park |
The purpose of the passage is to ________.
| A．attract tourists |
| B．explain park rules |
| C．find volunteer rangers |
| D．introduce park activities |
