Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents (答问卷者) listed “to give children a good start academically” as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese preschools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group. The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
Like in America, there is diversity (多样性) in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated（一流的） schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing (智能化) in some Japanese kindergartens.We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe .
| A．Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents |
| B．Japan’s economic success is a result of its scientific achievements |
| C．Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction |
| D．Japan’s higher education is superior to theirs |
In Japan’s preschool education, the focus is on .
| A．preparing children academically | B．developing children’s artistic interests |
| C．developing children’s potential | D．shaping children’s character |
Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
| A．They can do better in their future studies. |
| B．They can make more group experience grow there. |
| C．They can be self-centered when they grow up. |
| D．They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education. |
Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to .
| A．broaden children’s knowledge | B．train children’s creativity |
| C．lighten children’s study load | D．enrich children’s experience |
阅读填空
阅读下列短文，根据所读内容在文章后的表格中填入恰当得单词。注意：表格中每个空格中只填入一个单词。
A conflict at work is common. If you can avoid conflict, it means you will win what you want regardless of what the other person wants. Since the potential issue has not been removed, it will simply reappear later. Let’s see what you can do.
★Be aware of the fact that some conflicts are unavoidable at work. On numerous occasions, conflict and disagreement are likely to happen. But when a conflict happens it's not the end of the world. On the contrary, it can be the beginning of an interesting learning process. Conflicts mean that people care enough to disagree strongly. The trick is not to allow the conflict to go on forever.
★ Deal with conflicts sooner rather than later. Solve a conflict when it starts, as it only gets worse with time going by. Conflicts at work arise not from something that was said, but from something that wasn't said! Everyone's waiting for the other to admit he's wrong and gets more unpleasant after the conflict has lasted a while. It's essential to interrupt the "waiting game" before it gets to that point.
★Ask nicely. If somebody has done something that made you angry, or if you don't understand their viewpoint or actions, simply asking nicely about it can make a world of difference. Never assume that people do what they do to annoy or hurt you. Sometimes there's a good reason why that person does what he or she does, and a potential conflict disappear right there. Do remember to make an inquiry, not an accusation of any sort.
★ Appreciate. Praise the other part in the conflict. Tell them why it's worth it to you to solve the conflict. This can be difficult as few people find it easy to praise and appreciate a person they disagree strongly with, but it's a great way to move forward.
| Topic |
How to |
| Reason |
Conflicts won't |
handling conflicts |
● Don't be afraid of conflicts which are usually ● Interrupt the "waiting game", try to admit your ● Don’t imagine people do something to make you on purpose. Remember not to about what they do, which may make a difference. ● Try to appreciate the other part in the conflict although it is |
| If you learn to do with conflicts, you'll work in joy. |
Most Americans have a city they like best. Over the years, American songwriters have described these feelings in music. More songs have been written about America's biggest city, New York, than about any other city. Many others dream about leaving their small towns to go there. They want to become rich and famous. Frank Sinatra sings about this dream in the most popular song written about New York.
Almost three-million people live in the middle western city of Chicago, Illinois. It is now America's third largest city. It used to be the second largest city. So, of course, it needed its own song. Judy Garland sings the song, "Chicago, Chicago. "
One of America's most exciting cities is Las Vegas, Nevada. In nineteen-sixty-four, Elvis Presley starred in a movie called "Viva Las Vegas." Here is the song from that movie. It is sung by the group Z-Z Top.
As we all know, one of the most beautiful cities in America is San Francisco, California. The most popular song about the city is called "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Tony Bennett recorded it in nineteen-sixty-two. It sold more than three-million records.
Many people love Los Angeles, California. It is now America's second largest city. Los Angeles is popular because the weather is warm and the sun shines almost all the time. Randy Newman sings about his feelings for the city in the song, "I Love L.A." Not everyone, however, loves Los Angeles. Some people do not like all the big roads around the city. They like living in a smaller place. A place like San Jose, California. Dionne Warwick sings about going back to this city. The song is, "Do You Know The Way To San Jose."
Songs about American Cities
| States |
Features |
Songs |
Songwriters/ Band |
|
| New York |
America's biggest city |
A song about New York |
||
| Illinois |
Chicago, |
"Chicago, Chicago" |
Judy Garland |
|
| America's second largest city |
Randy Newman |
|||
San Francisco |
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco." |
|||
small |
"Do You Know The Way To San Jose |
Dionne Warwick |
||
Nevada |
Las Vegas |
exciting |
A song from "Viva Las Vegas." |
阅读填空
Alice always wanted to be a singer. Music was the important thing in her life but, to tell you the
(true), she took lesson for years, practised every day,
in spite of all this, her voice didn't improve. Honestly, it didn’t get better, it just got
(loud).
Her teacher finally gave and stopped the lessons, but Alice refused to quit, and one day she decided to give a concert and invited her former teacher to attend.
The teacher was very worried about to say after the performance. She knew it
be terrible and it was. She didn't want to tell a lie, but she didn’t want to hurt Alice’s feelings
. Finally, she got an idea and went backstage to greet her former pupil.
“Well”, said Alice, “what did you think of performance?”
“My dear,” said the teacher, “you’ll be better than you were tonight.”
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
As infants, we can recognize our mothers within hours of birth. In fact, we can recognize the1of our mother's face well before we can recognize her body shape. It's2how the brain can carry out such a function at such a young age, especially since we don't learn to walk and talk until we are over a year old. By the time we are adults, we have the ability to distinguish around 100,000 faces. How can we remember so many faces when many of us find it difficult to3such a simple thing as a phone number? The exact process is not yet fully understood, but research around the world has begun to define the specific areas of the brain and processes4for facial recognition.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe that they have succeeded in5a specific area of the brain called the fusiform face area (FFA), which is used only for facial recognition. This means that recognition of familiar objects such as our clothes or cars, is from6in the brain. Researchers also have found that the brain needs to see the whole face for recognition to take place. It had been7thought that we only needed to see certain facial features. Meanwhile, research at University College London has found that facial recognition is not a single process, but8involves three steps. The first step appears to be an analysis of the physical features of a person's face, which is similar to how we scan the bar codes of our groceries. In the next step, the brain decides whether the face we are looking at is already known or unknown to us. And finally, the brain furnishes the information we have collected about the person whose face we are looking at. This complex9is done in a split second so that we can behave quickly when reacting to certain situations.
Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.
“Let’s Talk”：The Free Advice Project
A few weeks ago, I took a walk around Washington Square Park. I met all the usual people：street performers, the Pigeon Guy, a group of guitarists singing in harmony. But off to the side, sitting on a bench was a woman doing something vastly different—giving free advice.
A week or two later, I set up an interview with her and we discussed her project at length.
Lisa Podell, 32, started the Free Advice Project this past May. It began as an experiment；she sat in Washington Square Park for a day with a sign that read “Free Advice” as a simple way to reach out to people. Podell was astonished at the strong response.
Podell admits that she was doubtful at first, but now she describes the project as mutually (相互地) beneficial. People learn from her—but she also learns from them.She says that the majority of those who come to her are dealing with some pretty heavy issues, and they expect her not only to listen, but also provide real answers.
Having worked as a full time teacher and now as an adolescent advisor, Podell believes that talking things out is an important in the decision-making process.
Sometimes, people walk around all day, keeping their problems in their own head and thinking about them in the same way.Podell simply strives to provide people with perspective.
I asked if there is a future plan for the Free Advice Project.Podell said she would like to promote it to each public space in New York, which would be carried out by various volunteers across the city.
It was truly inspiring to meet someone with such a big heart, especially in New York—where it is sometimes very hard to find anybody to listen.(303 words)In what way was Podell different from other people in the park? (No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________What do people in need expect Podell to do? (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________According to Podell, what should people do when making decisions?
(No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________ How would Podell promote her project in New York? (No more than 15 words) (3 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________