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 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 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 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.”
60.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
61.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 students are mostly from nontraditional families
D.there is misunderstanding between teachers and students
62.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
63.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.
Many years ago,when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver,I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas.I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City,where I was planning to stop and visit a friend.While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台),I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took_off,but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car.I stopped and wondered what I should do.A car pulled up behind me.It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station.They said they would take me to my friend’s.We chatted on the way into the city,and when I got out of the car,the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thankyou note for helping me.Soon afterward,I received a Christmas present from them.Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later,I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning.In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day,and the battery(电池) was dead.Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership—a shop selling cars —was right next door.I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?”I asked and explained my trouble.They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it.They would accept no payment,so when I got home,I wrote them a note to say thanks.I received a letter back from one of the salesmen.No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you,and it meant a lot,he said.
“Thank you”-two powerful words.They’re easy to say and mean so much.The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City ________.
A.to visit a friend |
B.to see his parents |
C.to pay at the cash register |
D.to have more gas for his car |
The underlined words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.
A.turned off | B.moved off |
C.put up | D.set up |
The battery of the author’s car was dead because ________.
A.something went wrong with the lights |
B.the meeting lasted a whole day |
C.he forgot to turn off the lights |
D.he drove too long a distance |
By telling his own experiences,the author tries to show ________.
A.how to write a thankyou letter |
B.how to deal with car problems |
C.the kindheartedness of older people |
D.the importance of expressing thanks |
Louis Armstrong had two famous nick names.Some people called him Bagamo.They said his mouth looked like a large bag,Musicians often called him Pops,as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans,he grew up poor,but lived among great musicians.Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth.Armstrong often said,“Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home.In his late teens,Armstrong began to live the life of a musician.He played in parades,clubs,and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River.At that time,New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians.Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1922 he went to Chicago.There,the tale of Louis Armstrong begins.From then until the end of his life,Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went.Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say,“Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the bestknown and most admired people in the world.His death,on July 6,1971,was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he ________.
A.looked like a musician |
B.was a musician of much influence |
C.showed an interest in music |
D.traveled to play modern music |
The third paragraph is developed ________.
A.by space | B.by examples |
C.by time | D.by comparison |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
A.His tale begins in New Orleans. |
B.He was born before jazz was invented. |
C.His music was popular with his listeners. |
D.He learned popular music at a boy’s home. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
A.The Invention of the Jazz Music |
B.The Father of the Jazz Style |
C.The Making of a Musician |
D.The Spread of Popular Music |
There ’re eight countries waiting to join the European Union.Croatia and Turkey started talks on 3 October 2005.Turkey could complete them in 15 years,Croatia by 2011.The other Balkan Countries have been told they can join the EU one day,if they meet the standards.
Albania isn’t expected to join the EU until 2015 at the earliest.It applied (申请) to become an EU member on 28 April 2009.The European Commission (委员会) has agreed to allow Albanians to travel freely within the EU.In December 2009 the EU said the rule of law and the fight against organized crime were still the “big problems” for Albania.
The EU and Albania reached the SAA (稳定和联合协议),seen as the first step towards becoming a member,in June 2006.The talks took threeandahalf years,three times longer than those between the EU and Croatia.This is because the EU thought Albania was moving too slowly in its fight against organized crime.The EU also has doubts about Albania’s energy department,which suffers from bad supplies.
BosniaHerzegovina isn’t expected to join the EU until 2015 at the earliest.More than ten years after the 1992~1995 war,it signed an SAA with the EU in June 2008.The EU was satisfied with progress in four important areas,including public broadcasting (广播).But in December 2009 the EU asked strongly for some other changes, and worried about the country’s future.
Iceland is the latest country to want to become an EU member.It applied in July 2009 and the talks began in July 2010.But progress will depend on whether Iceland can deal with a longrunning problem with the UK and the Netherlands.But some Icelanders think they would be better off outside the EU,fearing the EU’s effect on their traditional fishing.Which of the following countries is expected to join the EU the earliest?
A.Turkey. | B.Albania. |
C.Croatia. | D.BosniaHerzegovina. |
What may prevent BosniaHerzegovina from becoming an EU member?
A.Its large population. |
B.Its energy department. |
C.Its organized crime. |
D.Its worrying future. |
Why don’t some Icelanders want their country to become an EU member?
A.They are worried about their fishing. |
B.They are worried about relations with the UK. |
C.They are afraid they will lose a lot of job opportunities. |
D.They are afraid their country won’t be independent. |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.EU enlargement: The next eight |
B.The last eight countries that joined EU |
C.The relationships among EU countries |
D.Economic development of EU countries |
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a popular saying in the United States. Other countries have similar sayings. It is true that all of us need recreation. We cannot work all the time if we are going to keep good health and enjoy life.
Everyone has his own way of relaxing. Perhaps the most popular way is to take part in sports. there are team sports, such as baseball, basketball, and football. There are individual sports, also, such as golf and swimming. In addition hiking, fishing, skiing, and mountain climbing have a great attraction for people who like to be outdoors.
Not everyone who enjoys sports events likes to take part in them. Many people prefer to be onlookers, either watching them on television, or listening to them on the radio. When there is an important baseball game or boxing match it is almost impossible to get tickets; everyone wants to attend.
Chess, card-playing, and dancing are forms of indoor recreation enjoyed by many people. It doesn’t matter whether we play a fast game of ping-pong, concentrate over the bridge table, or go walking through the woods on a brisk autumn afternoon. It is important for every one to relax from time to time and enjoy some form of recreation.The underlined word “recreation”(paragraph 1)here means_______.
A.walking and climbing |
B.form of play or amusement |
C.creating something |
D.joy and happiness |
according to the passage, perhaps the followings are our ordinary ways of relaxation for common people except______.
A.listening to music | B.playing card |
C.going out for fishing | D.boxing match |
Which of the following statements is TRUE to the passage?
A.The popular British saying mentioned in the passage has familiar doing in other countries. |
B.All of us need recreation in our lives if we cannot work all the time. |
C.Sometimes those who enjoy sports events like to take part in them, too. |
D.It is almost impossible for everyone who wants to watch an important baseball to get a ticket. |
Like fine food, good writing is something we approach with pleasure and enjoy from the first taste to the last. And good writers, like good cooks, do not suddenly appear full-blown. Quite the opposite, just as the cook has to undergo a particular training, mastering the skills of his trade, the writer must sit at his desk and devote long hours to achieving a style in his writing, whatever its purpose is—schoolwork, matters of business, or purely social communication.
You may be sure that the more painstaking the effort, the more effective the writing, and the more rewarding.
There are still some faraway places in the world where you might find a public scribe to do your business or social writing for you, for money. There are a few managers who are lucky enough to have the service of that rare kind of secretary who can take care of all sorts of letter writing with no more than a quick note to work from. But for most of us, if there is any writing to be done, we have to do it ourselves.
We have to write school papers, business papers or home papers. We are constantly called on to put words to papers. It would be difficult to count the number of such words, messages, letters, and reports put into mails or delivered by hand, but the daily figures must be extremely large. What is more, everyone who writes expects, or at least hopes whatever he writes will be read, from first word to last, not just thrown into some “letters-to-be-read” files or into a wastepaper basket. This is the reason we bend our efforts toward learning and practicing the skills of interesting, effective writing. In this passage, good writing is compared to fine food because _______.
A.both are enjoyable |
B.both are hard to learn |
C.both are necessary to life |
D.both take a long time to prepare |
according to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A.Writing skills are less important than experience. |
B.A good writer should have his own way of writing. |
C.A good writer should learn to write all kinds of articles. |
D.The more efforts one makes, the more money one can earn. |
The author thinks that the most important reason for us to practice writing skills is _______.
A.to earn our living |
B.to attract others to read |
C.to do daily reports easily |
D.to become good secretaries |
The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to _______.
A.comment and blame |
B.introduce and describe |
C.explain and persuade |
D.interest and inform |