Is early childhood education really necessary? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child’s physical, sensory, communicational and social development.Early childhood education has become a concern of the government, who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for Kindergarten.
There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education.Studies have shown that orphaned children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school, and even in life.Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school, less likely to end up in Special Education classes, and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail.
There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early.Time Magazine online explains that “the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work.” I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school.Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school, the better off he or she is, so they push to start children earlier.
Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years, studies also show that this head start is really a “false start”, as the gains are lost in middle and high school years.It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life’s success than early education.Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children.Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap.The purpose of the government valuing the early childhood education is ________.
| A.to develop the children’s communication |
| B.to give orphaned children good care and education |
| C.to get the children prepared for the kindergarten |
| D.to train the children formally and regularly |
According to the studies, which of the following is True?
| A.Children with good early education may have a rich life. |
| B.The orphaned children are usually unhappy in their life. |
| C.Children without early education can do well at school. |
| D.Head Start programs are helpful to the poor children. |
“the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work.” suggests that _________.
| A.the early childhood education is helpless to the child’s grade |
| B.it is good for the young children to receive early education |
| C.the early education can help the children follow the grade |
| D.the younger the children are, the cleverer they will be |
The author’s attitude toward the early childhood education is _________.
| A.puzzling | B.objective | C.indifferent | D.approving |
The main idea of the last passage is that __________.
| A.the early childhood education is very necessary |
| B.Head Start programs have helped the children a lot |
| C.environment is the most important to life’s success |
| D.better ways should be found to help the poor children |
Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertiser, hoping to sell their products.
The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people’s lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item(商品) that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.
It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?
| A.The exercise of rights is a luxury. |
| B.The practice of choice is difficult. |
| C.The right of choice is given but at a price. |
| D.Choice and right exist at the same time. |
Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?
| A.Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product. |
| B.People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion. |
| C.Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items. |
| D.Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the rage of choice. |
By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that _______.
| A.advanced products meet the needs of people |
| B.products of the latest design flood the market |
| C.competitions are fierce in high-tech industry |
| D.everyday goods need to be replaced often |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A.The variety of choices in modern society. |
| B.The opinions on people’s right in different countries |
| C.The Problems about the availability of everyday goods. |
| D.The helplessness in purchasing decisions |
How often do you use your car? Can you use your car less often? Do you know the following facts in the UK?


• About 50% of all car journeys are just for fun.
• Over 80% people go to work by car.
• 25% car journeys are under two miles.
• 70% car journeys are under five miles.
WALKING & CYCLING
Instead of using the car for short journeys, why not walk or ride a bicycle? Walking is a most popular form of exercise—it’s healthy and it can save you money. If you work nearby, try walking or cycling instead of driving. Walking your children to school gives them valuable road experience.
BUSES
Bus companies are using new buses: some run on new fuels which produce less pollution; some have easier access for disabled and old people. There are special traffic lanes (行车道) to make bus journeys easier and more reliable. So do something to help solve the pollution problem—let the bus take you to work and your children to school.
TRAINS
All car journeys, long or short, can be hard work. For some trips it is wiser to take the train. Leave your car at home and walk, cycle or take a bus to and from the station. Train travel is fast, safe and comfortable. Train tickets are not always expensive; some are quite cheap at discount.The writer believes that ________ can give children valuable road experience.
| A.walking to school | B.travelling by train |
| C.taking new fuel buses | D.having car journeys for fun |
What does the writer think of travelling by train?
| A.Tiring. | B.Comfortable. |
| C.Exciting. | D.Awful. |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A.To advise people to use cars less often. |
| B.To encourage people to travel by train. |
| C.To teach people how to use the buses. |
| D.To tell people to obey traffic rules. |
To become a doctor in the United States, students usually attend four years of medical school after they complete college. Then these young doctors work in hospitals for several years to complete a training program called a residency(住院医生实习期).
These medical residents provide hospitals with needed services in return for not much pay. They work under the supervision(管理) of medical professors and more experienced doctors. Medical residents treat patients . they carry out tests. They perform operations. They complete records. In hospitals with few nurses, residents also do work formerly done by nurses. Some medical residents work one-hundred or more hours in a single week. They often work for more than thirty-six hours at a time before they can rest.
Critics (批评家) of this system say medical residents work too long and do not get enough res. They say these young doctors may be too tired to perform their medical duties effectively. Now, the government will limit the number of hours of work that residents can work. Most doctors in training will be limited to eighty-four hours of work each week. They will have work periods of no more than twenty-four hours at one time. They will have ten hours of rest between work periods.
Medical residents will have one day each week when they do not have to work. Any work they accept outside their hospitals will be limited.Experienced doctors and medical professors will closely supervise the residents to make sure they are not too tired to work.
Many medical residents welcomed the work limits. Others, however, said the new policy may interfere with patient care and their own medical education.If a first –year college student in America wants to be a doctor, he has to wait for ___.
| A.4 years | B.8 years | C.at least 10 years | D.more than 20 years |
Medical residents are not responsible for ____.
| A.supervising students | B.treating patients |
| C.carrying patients | D.doing operations |
The underlined sentence in the 2nd paragraph means that they have to ____.
| A.work 36 hours every week | B.rest for 36 hours before they can go to work |
| C.work continuously for 36 hours | D.take a rest every 36 hours |
Why does the government limit the number of hours that residents work?
| A.medical residents get too much money. |
| B.Medical residents should go back to school to study |
| C.There are not enough work for nurses |
| D.medical residents may make mistakes if they work too long. |
The underlined word “Others” in the last paragraph refers to ___.
| A.some critics | B.some medical professors |
| C.some experienced doctors | D.some medical students |
Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast fortune , largely to the cause of global health , during the course of his lifetime . With an estimated(估计)worth of more than $ 40 billion , according to Forbes , the project will be no small feat (功绩)for Gates . Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues , Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”
So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest ? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world . Improving the health of the populations , he says , has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful . “National borders allow inequalities ,” said Gates : “We all need to take a more global view , rather than just saying my country is doing well . We have to step up these health issues , knowing how few resources are going into them .”
Gates said that both his parents set an example for him as a child . His father , William H. Gates , was the head of the local Planned Parenthood , and his mother , Mary , volunteered for the United Way . As he gathered his fortune , Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well , but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.
However , Gates , 47 , began to question his ability to wait that long . “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said . “I started to think , How many lives could I save before then ?”Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is .
| A.to set up more foundations for them |
| B.to aid them with natural resources |
| C.to put more effort into the health issues in them |
| D.to help them take a more global view |
It can be learned from the text that Bill Gates thinks .
| A.Americans should care about people in other countries |
| B.Americans should treat fellow citizens well |
| C.Americans should devote themselves to certain projects |
| D.Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune |
Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of .
| A.his weakening health condition | B.his parents’ suggestions |
| C.his great success in business | D.his concerns for suffering people |
Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills (读写能力)With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence (自信心) , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache,” said Lisa Myron, manager of the children’s department.
Last November the two groups started “Dog Day Afternoon” in the children’s department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a “pawgraphed” book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager. What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A.Children’s reading difficulties. | B.Advantages of raising dogs. |
| C.Service in a public library. | D.A special reading program. |
Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think _______.
| A.dogs are young children’s best friends |
| B.children can play with dogs while reading |
| C.dogs can provide encouragement for shy children |
| D.children and dogs understand each other |
By saying “The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”, the writer means the library_______.
| A.uses dogs to attract children | B.accepts the idea put forward by ITA |
| C.has opened a children's department | D.has decided to train some dogs |
A “pawgraphed” book is most probably _______.
| A.a book used in Saturday classes | B.a book written by the children |
| C.a prize for the children | D.a gift from parent |