My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands. “For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time”, and hung up .
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll .In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl . I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”By saying “Karl became withdrawn”, the author means that the boy changed entirely and ________ .
A.preferred to stay alone at home | B.lost interest in his studies |
C.refused to talk to others | D.began to dislike his mother |
There was silence on the other end of the line because ________ .
A.the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
B.the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
C.the speaker didn’t want the mother to recognize his voice |
D.the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
The sentence “…he even made the honor roll” means that “ ________ ”.
A.he was even on the list to be praised at the parent-teacher meeting |
B.he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades |
C.he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around |
D.he was even on the list of the best students at school |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Children in single-parent families often have mental problems. |
B.Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life. |
C.Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers. |
D.School education doesn’t work without full support from parents. |
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,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her free time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip (退稿条) from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and ruined hopes can surface.
A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?”
“No”, she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
1. What do we learn form the first paragraph?
A. Now too many entertainments take up too much time.
B. Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities.
C. Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her free time.
D. Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing.
2. What did the author say about her own writing experience?
A. She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
B. Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
C. She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
D. Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
3. Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?
A. She had won a prize in the previous contest.
B. She wanted to share her stories with readers.
C. She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.
D. She believed she possessed real talent for writing.
4. What’s the author’s advice for parents?
A. Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
B. Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.
C. Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.
D. A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.
When you arrive at the Shanghai Expo site, the first thing you will see is a huge red building in the ancient Chinese dougong(斗拱) architectural(建筑的) style. Built according to the concept of “Oriental Crown”, the China Pavilion(展厅) is the largest national pavilion at the Expo.
Themed “Search of the East”, the pavilion is divided into three sections. Footprint of the East on the top floor shows the change of Chinese cities; at Journey of Wisdom on the second, China’s four great inventions—the compass, paper, printing and gunpowder are displayed; and Blossoming(盛开的) City on the ground floor shows the scenery of future cities.
Take a lift, and you’ll be taken to the 8,500-square-meter top floor. There, in a film by Lu Chuan, you’ll see how Chinese cities have changed, especially over the past 30 years. The 10-minute movie is shown in a 600-seat theater.
The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival, is considered a national treasure. It describes life in Bianjing, which is today’s Kaifeng in Henan province. More than 1,000 years ago, it was the largest city in the world. Multimedia technology makes more than 1,500 characters of the painting walk and move along a 100-meter-long wall.
Four families are chosen from Zhejiang province to show their daily lives. Films of the families and furniture from the households are exhibited. At the pavilion, you’ll get insight into the daily lives of these families at different periods. The designers believe these will mirror the great changes Zhejiang has seen since China’s reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s.
56. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
A. Visitors can see the China Pavilion built in a modern style.
B. The theme of the China Pavilion is “Oriental Crown”.
C. The China Pavilion is designed by famous film director Lu Chuan.
D. Visitors can get to the top floor of the China Pavilion by lift.
57. If a visitor wants to enjoy the scenery of future cities, he will go to ______.
A. the top floor B. the second floor C. the ground floor D. a 600-seat theater
58. The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival in the China Pavilion is attractive and special because ______.
A. it shows what life was like in Beijing, the capital of China.
B. it shows the development of Chinese cities.
C. it describes what happened in history.
D. Visitors can see more than 1,500 characters of the painting walking along a 100-meter-long wall with the help of multimedia technology.
59. What does the underlined word “mirror” mean?
A. 反映 B. 赞扬 C. 镜子 D. 怀念
60. What’s the main idea of the article?
A. The theme of the China Pavilion.
B. A brief introduction to the China Pavilion.
C. The films of the China Pavilion.
D. The structure of the China Pavilion.
第三部分阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
第一节阅读下面两篇语言材料,然后按要求做题。(共10小题;每小题2分,满分20分)
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington D.C. I saw many of our nation’s treasures, and I also saw a lot of unfortunate people like beggars and homeless folks in the streets.
Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended(伸出). In a natural reaction, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it in her hand. I didn’t even look at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar.
But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
Immediately, I realized what I had done. I acted with prejudice(偏见)—I judged another person simply for what I thought she was.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in America at the age of 15. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, cashier, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice. I remember a time, at age 17— I was a busboy, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well at school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington D.C. cured me of my blindness. She reminded me to always keep my eyes and heart open.
1. When the author came to America at first ______.
A. he usually did some work with a little payment.
B. he used to beg for some money on the street.
C. he lived a comfortable life as a network engineer.
D. he was respected by others all the time.
2. According to the passage, what did the author regret?
A. That he gave all his change to the blind woman.
B. The way he treated the blind woman.
C. That he came to Washington D.C. for a visit.
D. That he didn’t tell the woman the way to the post office.
3. The father mentioned in the passage wanted ______.
A. to encourage his son to make a living by himself
B. his son to become a busboy in the future
C. his son to work harder at school
D. to remind his son to depend on himself at school
4. We can infer all of the following statements from the passage EXCEPT ______.
A. He disliked being bothered by beggars.
B. He was delighted to give away his money to beggars.
C. He once suffered a lot.
D. The blind woman didn’t beg for money at that time.
5. What does the author want to tell us through this story?
A. Don’t dream up ways to get what you want. B. Money is the root of all evils.
C. An easy life makes a person forgetful. D. Be good to others all the time.
L
第四部分:任务型阅读(共10小题;每小题l分,满分l0分)
请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单
词。
注意:每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
D.R.Gaul Middle School in Union, Maine, a blue-berry farming town where the summer fair finds kids competing in pig scrambles and pie-eating contests.
Gaul, with about 170 seventh-and eighth-graders, has its own history of lower level academic achievement. One likely reason: education beyond the basic requirements hasn't always been a top priority for families who've worked the same land for generations. Here, few adults have college degrees, and outsiders(teachers included) are often kept at a respectful distance.
Since 2002, Gaul's students have been divided into four classes, each of them was taught almost every subject by two teachers. The goal: to find common threads across disciplines to help students create a big picture that gives fresh meaning and context to their classwork and sparks motivation for leaning.
Working within state guidelines, each team makes its individual schedules and lesson plans, incorporating non-textbook literature, hands-on lab work and fields trips. If students are covering the Civil War in social studies, they're reading The Read Badge of Courage or some other period literature in English class. In science, they study the viruses and bacteria that caused many deaths in the war.
Team teaching isn't unusual. About 77 percent middle schools now employ some form of it, says John Lounsbury, consulting editor for the National Middle School Association. But most schools use four-or five-person teams, which Gaul tried before considering two-person teams more effective. Gual supports the team concept by "looping" classes (跟班)so that the same two teachers stick with the same teens through seventh and eighth grades. Combining teams and looping creates an extremely strong bond between teacher and student. It also, says teacher Beth Ahlholm, "allows us to build an excellent relationship with parents."
Ahlholm and teammate Madelon Kelly are fully aware how many glazed looks they see in the classroom, but they know 72 percent of their eighth-graders met Maine's reading standard last year--double the statewide average. Only 31 percent met the Maths standard, still better than the state average(21 percent). Their students also beat the state average in writing and science. And in 2006, Gual was one of 47 schools in the state to see testing gains of at least 20 percent in four of the previous five years, coinciding roughly with team teaching’ arrival.
A Classroom with Context |
|
Problems of the school |
Being a farming town, it (71)______ little in education before. |
(72)_____ education is considered less important. |
|
The community is relatively (73)_____ rather than open to the outsiders. |
|
Ways of solving the problems |
The division of the classes is made and students are well (74)_____. |
Individual schedules and lesson plans are (75)_____ by each team. |
|
A strong (76)_____ between teacher and student is established through combining teams and looping. |
|
Signs of (77)_____ |
72 percent of the eighth-graders (78)_____ Maine's reading standard |
(79)_____percent higher than the state average in Maths |
|
The school beating the state average in writing and science |
|
Four of the previous five years (80)_____ at least 20 percent test gains |
K
People tend to be more impressed by evidence that seems to confirm some relationship. Thus many are convinced their dreams are known ahead of time because a few have come true; they neglect or fail to notice the many that have not.
Consider also the belief that "the phone always rings when I'm in the shower. "If it does ring while you do it , the event will stand out and be remembered. If it doesn't ring, that thing probably won't even be remembered.
People want to see order, pattern and meaning in the world. Consider, for example, the common belief that things like personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths "happen in threes." Such beliefs stem from the tendency of people to allow the third event to define the time period. If three plane crashes occur in a month, then the period of time that counts as their "happening together” is one month; if three crashes occur in a year, the period of time is stretched. Flexible end points reinforce such beliefs.
We also tend to believe what we want to believe. A majority of people think they are more intelligent, more fair-minded and more skilled behind the wheel of an automobile than the average person. Part of the reason we view ourselves so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage. As economist Thomas Schelling explains, “Everybody ranks himself high in qualities he values: careful drivers give weight to care, skilled drivers give weight to skill, and those who are polite give weight to courtesy," This way everyone ranks high on his own scale.
Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is to be cautious in drawing conclusions. The "evidence" of everyday life is sometimes misleading.
1. In the first paragraph the author states that______.
A. dreams cannot be said to be prophetic even though a few have come true.
B. dreams are prophetic did come true.
C. dreams may come true if clearly remembered.
D. dreams and reality are closely related.
2. By" things like...""happen in threes"(Para.3,Line 2),the author indicates that people believe_____.
A. personal misfortunes tend to happen every now and then.
B. personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and deaths usually happen together.
C. misfortunes tend to occur according to certain patterns.
D. misfortunes will never occur more than three times to a person in his lifetime.
3. The word "courtesy" (Para.4,Line 6)probably means_____.
A. good manners B. appropriate speech
C. friendly relations. D. satisfactory service.
4.What can be inferred from the passage_____.
A. Happenings that go unnoticed deserve more attention.
B. In a series of misfortunes the third one is usually the most serious.
C. People tend to make use of evidence that supports their own beliefs.
D. Believers of misfortunes happening in threes are cautious in interpreting events.
5.It can be concluded from the passage that_____.
A. there is some truth even in the wildest dreams.
B. one should take notice of other people's merits.
C. there is no order or pattern in world events.
D. we should not base our conclusions on accidental evidence.