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 |
It’s never too late to right your wrongs, big or small.
Working as hard as I had been over the years, I had become disconnected from(失去联系的)the people who mattered most to me. I decided to spend a year reconnecting with my friends and relatives and making amends(补偿). I devoted myself to caring for what I called “my unfinished business”, which has helped me become a more attentive husband, father, son and friend —and a happier, more energetic person.
Now that I’ve had a good opportunity to revisit my past mistakes—and experience the rewards of fixing them—I’d like to share some of the lessons I have learned:
Have you lost touch with people who were important to you? Are there things you’ve done or not done that are in front of you? Are there people in your life you don’t know how much they meant to you? List your unfinished business and take action to deal with it.
Instead of trying to put an end to the cold war dividing your family, begin with a small thing you can control. Apologize to your brother for not attending his Super Bowl party. Respond to an e-mail you should have answered a week ago. Write a note or make a call.
No matter what the wrong is, the most important thing in making it right is your sincerity. If you reach out with a genuine (真诚的)heart, your friends will be glad to hear from you again.
This is the key to learning and growing. Keep a journal, or summarize what you’ve learned in e-mails to friends. The difficulty we face in dealing with our unfinished business can seem impossibly big, but the first step to clearing them can be simple: Again, write a note or make a phone call .Once you discover your fears and get over them, you’ll become a more complete and pleased person.
Topic: 1 ______too late to right your wrongs
Introduction |
Have you been disconnected from the people who mattered most to you just because of your hard 2__________? Here are some of the 3__________ I have learned. |
|
4__________ |
Think back to your life |
Make a list of the things you need to do in order to 5__________with friends and relatives. The time has come for 6__________if you want to deal with the unfinished business. |
Start small |
Begin with small things so that you can keep them in 7__________. |
|
Be sincere |
Sincerity is the 8__________ to improving the relationship. To get in 9__________ with your friends again, you should reach out with your true heart. |
|
Reflect on your experience |
To clear the problems, the first step is simply 10__________ a note or making a phone call. |
Critical thinking means thinking logically and developing an ability to ask questions or ask for evidence for a particular subject. Developing critical thinking skills in a child through the right critical thinking exercises is very important.
Critical thinking develops the ability of subjective analysis of a particular fact. Critical thinking is to evaluate the reason behind a particular fact. All possible viewpoints must be thought about before analyzing a fact, and this develops problem-solving skills in a child.
Here are some exercises you can use to encourage your child to think critically.
Quiz your child. Ask your child about daily activities that he does in the school. Quiz him about certain things that do not have a single correct answer. This will increase his ability to think about the things he’s just learned in class. Keep on telling your child simple information about nature, like the seasons when flowers bloom. You can either ask him questions or just explain to him in a casual way.
Recognize and classify. For critical thinking, your child must learn to recognize important information that is closely connected with the subject. Classification of things on a certain firm and logical basis of information is included in the critical thinking ability. Colorful toys or images can be included in teaching critical thinking. Ask your child to identify the names of the flowers, fruits and animals from a colorful chart.
Critical thinking exercises are not intended to make your child intelligent, but it is about making him successful in his decision-making ability and helping him make a successful career. Although thinking habits are cultivated(培养) in early childhood through exercises, they are indeed helpful for a lifetime.
Title: Critical Thinking Exercises for Children
Ostriches(鸵鸟) have been said to be so stupid that they react to danger by burying their heads in sand. This belief caused the popular phrases to be born: play the ostrich. It’s often used to describe people ________ refuse to face painful facts. They prefer to ignore the truth. It is like children sticking their fingers in the ears
________ crying, “I can’t hear you!”
But do ostriches really bury their heads in sand when they are in danger? The answer is no for sure! _______ ostriches are flightless(不会飞的) birds, they can run as fast as 40 miles per hour. So, if they find
_______ in danger, they will run very fast.
It’s a false statement we’ve thought of as ________ truth for long. So, how did the phrase “play the ostrich” come from? Well,
______ fact, ostriches swallow sand and pebbles(鹅卵石) to help grind(磨碎) food in their stomachs. This means they have to bend
_______ and put their heads into sand to collect pebbles. That’s
_______ a false statement was born
任务型阅读 (共10小题; 每小题1分, 满分10分)
One of the most well-known directors of our time is Stephen Spielberg. He was born in Cincinnati on 18 December 1946. His father was an electric engineer and his mother was a performing pianist. His sister, Anne Spielberg, became a screenwriter who wrote the stories for many famous films.
Stephen had always wanted to be a director ever since he was a young boy. When he was just 13 years old, he made a 40-minute film. It won a local competition. Three years later, he produced a film called Firelight, which made one hundred dollars’ profit at the cinema in his hometown. Many of the ideas from this film were later used for one of his most famous films called Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
When he was 18 years old, he wanted to go to film school so that he could improve his skills and become an even better director. Unluckily, he was unsuccessful in getting a place at this school so he went to a university in California to study English. Even though he had failed to get into the school he wanted to go to, he didn’t let this stop him following his dream to become a great director.
Stephen Spielberg has directed many films since his first major film in 1976. He now owns many different businesses, most of which are involved in the film industry.
Year |
What happened |
1946 |
Stephen Spielberg 12in Cincinnati. |
1959 |
Stephen Spielberg made a 3film and it 4a local competition. |
1962 |
Stephen Spielberg produced a film called 5, from which many 6 were later used for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. |
_ 7 |
Though he 8to get into the film school he wanted to go to, Stephen Spielberg didn’t give up his dream to become a great director. |
1976 |
Stephen Spielberg 9_ his 10major film. |
For years, the automobile industry has been testing vehicles that use hydrogen as fuel. Now, people across the United States have had a chance to see and even drive cars that get power from hydrogen fuel cells (燃料电池).
But the hydrogen fuel cell is not a new idea. The fuel cell was first invented by Sir William Grove of Britain in 1839. Since then, many different designs, have been invented. There is one place where fuel cells are a proven technology: in space. The American space agency used fuel cells in its Apollo spaceships in the twentieth century.
The most useful fuel cell for transportation purposes is the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane, or P.E.M. fuel cell. It is simple and can operate at temperatures of sixty to eighty degrees Celsius. That is much lower than other fuel cell designs. A P.E.M. fuel cell has two sides divided by a thin membrane (膜). Hydrogen gas is forced through one side where it comes in contact with a reactive material containing the metal platinum(铂). The membrane separates the electrons(电子) from the protons(质子) in the hydrogen atoms. The protons pass through it to the other side of the fuel cell. But the electrons are captured to do work; like powering a motor. Oxygen from the air is forced into the other side of the fuel cell. There, the gas meets the protons that have passed through the membrane. They combine to form water and heat. A single fuel cell does not produce a lot of electricity. But when many fuel cells are combined, they can produce enough electricity to power a vehicle. The product of the chemical reaction that powers fuel cells is water. This makes fuel cells a very clean technology.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars have been slow to develop because of many technical problems that have to be solved. For example, it is unclear how long the membranes in P.E.M. fuel cells will last. Also, fuel cells need water for their chemical reactions. They must be designed to start easily at low temperatures and in dry climates. And smaller, less costly fuel cells must be designed before they can truly take the place of gasoline engines. Now more models of fuel cell vehicles are being tested than ever before. The threat of climate change and the high cost of oil have increased interest in these vehicles that do not cause pollution.
Title |
More Models of Hydrogen Cars Being Tested |
The progress of hydrogen fuel cell |
·(1) ________ by Sir William Grove in 1839. ·Designed (2) ________ ever since. ·Used in Apollo spaceships in the twentieth century. |
Operating principle of P.E.M. |
·It has two sides divided by a thin membrane. ·Hydrogen gas from one side (3) ________ the active metal platinum. ·The electrons are (4) ________ from the protons in the hydrogen atoms. ·The protons pass through the fuel cell to the other side. ·Oxygen from the air is (5) ________ into the other side of the fuel cell. ·The gas meets the protons,and then water and heat are(6) ________ |
Reasons for slow (7) ________of hydrogen fuel cell cars |
·There are many technical problems (8) ________ ·The durability of the membranes in P.E.M. fuel cells is not clear. ·They have to start easily at (9)________ temperatures and in dry climates. ·They must be smaller and less costly before (10) ________ gasoline engines. |