Too cold for recess? School policies vary as much as temps
When is it too cold for schoolchildren to go outside for recess（课间休息）? The answer varies widely based on where a school is located and what the kids are used to.
Consider: One northern Minnesota school says it has to be 15 below zero before kids are kept inside. But in areas along the East Coast, temperatures below 35 to 40 degrees could keep kids inside. Canceling recess because of the cold is no small issue considering that much of the USA is trembling through what may be its coldest winter in a generation, according to AccuWeather.
There is no national temperature standard for when to keep kids inside during the winter months, the U.S. Department of Education says. Decisions are made at the local level, either by principals or school districts.
Consequently, policies are all over the map:
• In International Falls, Minn., the self-described "Icebox of the Nation," where the average high temperature in January is 13 degrees, Falls Elementary School Principal Jerry Hilfer says, "if it's 15 below (or warmer), they go out, no matter what." "At 20 below, it gets iffy," he adds.
• In Wicomico County, Md., principals typically keep children indoors when temperatures drop below freezing, or if it's raining or snowing, says Susan Jones, the school system's director of elementary education.
"That's the bottom line," says Curtis Twilley, principal of Pemberton Elementary School in Salisbury, Md. Twilley says students get little exercise when recess stays indoors. At Pemberton Elementary, the students will typically play board games or computer games in a classroom because the school's gym is occupied with other classes, he says.
• For schools in Marquette, Mich., which averages about 12 feet of snow per season, school officials acknowledge students are probably a little more prepared than those in some more mild climates.Which of the following is not true according to the passage_________.
| A．No national temperature standard is made for when to keep kids inside during the winter months. |
| B．Susan Jones insists students get little exercise when recess stays indoors. |
| C．In Wicomico County, children are kept indoors when temperatures dip below freezing. |
| D．Mich has about 12 feet of snow per season on average. |
Which place calls itself Box of Ice?
Wicomico County B. Marquette C.Salisbury D. Minn Considering_______, canceling recess In USA because of the cold is a big issue.
| A．different schools have different principles. |
| B．much of the USA has very cold winter. |
| C．physical activity can boost student performance. |
| D．decisions are made at the local level, |
The underlined word iffy means _______.
| A．uncertain | B．surprising | C． serious | D．worse |
What will be talked about next?
| A．More school policies |
| B．The reasons why school policies vary. |
| C．Measures to improve the situation. |
| D．Necessities to improve the situation |
Many people once thought that air pollution had a bad influence upon only the area immediately around large cities with factories and heavy automobile traffic. Today, we know that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution, the problem is nearly worldwide. On several occasions over the past decade, a heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the entire eastern half of the United States and led to health warnings even in rural areas away from any major concentration of factories and automobile traffic. In fact, the very climate of the entire earth may be affected by air pollution. Some scientists feel that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide( 二氧化碳) in the air resulting from the burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) is creating a“greenhouse effect” － holding in heat reflected from the earth and raising the world’s average temperature. If this view is correct and the world’s temperature is raised only a few degrees, much of the polar ice cap will melt and cities such as New York, Boston, Miami, and New Orleans will be under water.
Another opinion, less widely held, is that increasing tiny substances in the atmosphere are blocking sunlight and lowering the earth’s temperature－a result that would be equally disastrous.A drop of just a few degrees could create something close to new ice age and would make agriculture difficult or impossible in many of our top farming areas. At present we do not know for sure that either of these conditions will happen (though one recent government report prepared by experts in the field concluded that the greenhouse effect is very likely). Perhaps, if we are very lucky, the two tendencies will make up for each other and the world’s temperature will stay about the same as it is now.As pointed out at the beginning of the passage, people used to think that air pollution _____.
| A．caused widespread damage in the countryside |
| B．affected the entire eastern half of the United States |
| C．almost brought worldwide effect |
| D．existed merely in urban and industrial areas |
As far as the greenhouse effect is concerned, the author _____________.
| A．shares the same view with the scientists |
| B．is uncertain of its consequence |
| C．rejects it as being ungrounded |
| D．thinks that it will increasingly destroy the world |
It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
| A．raising the world’s temperature a little would not do much harm to life on earth |
| B．lowering the world’s temperature a little would lead to agricultural disasters |
| C．almost no temperature changes have occurred over the past decade |
| D．the world’s temperature will remain constant in the years to come |
This passage is primarily concerned with _____________.
| A．the greenhouse effect in the world |
| B．the measures to adjust the climate |
| C．the potential effect of air pollution |
| D．the measures to protect the environment |
" Vi-Lasata!I can't believe it--a Vi-Lasata!” —You see some attractive young ladies looking at a sweater in a department store and you listen to their conversation:
“ Vi-Lasata is almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Terry bought in Rome."
When they leave, you go over to see this unbelievable sweater. It's nice and the price is right.You've never heard of Vi-Lasata, but those girls looked really stylish. They must know. So, you buy it. You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Vi-Lasata clothes.
Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover （暗中影响的）marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it.
Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising. This is particularly true of the “thumb generation” -- consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It is a golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads.
So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go. Some people might call this practice cheating, but marketing director Jonathan Ressler calls it creativity. "Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is falling."
However, one might ask what exactly is "real" about of young women pretending to be enthusiastic about a sweater? Advertising agent would say it's no less real than an ad. The difference is that you know an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. You don't know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance.Vi-Lasata is __________.
| A．a very popular department store |
| B．the brand name of a sweater |
| C．a clothing company in Rome |
| D．an advertising agency |
The attractive young women were talking so that they could ________.
| A．get the sweater at a lower price |
| B．be heard by people around |
| C．be admired by other shoppers |
| D．decide on buying the sweater |
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Traditional advertising is becoming less effective as it's too direct. |
| B．The “ thumb generation” tends to be more easily influenced by ads. |
| C．The two girls are in fact clerks in the Vi-Lasata Company. |
| D．Undercover marketing is surely against the law in that country. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Performance in Shops | B．Vi-Lasata Sweaters |
| C．Ways of Advertising | D．Undercover Marketing |
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What’s the purpose of the letter delivered by the CEO?
| A．To encourage customers to join in a special program for free. |
| B．To ask for the feedback of the customers. |
| C．To express festive greetings to the consumers. |
| D．To encourage customers to consume more on line. |
How much can you save compared with the ordinary customers if you have two orders each with a two-day shipping and a over-night shipping?
| A．$ 21.97 | B．$ 25.96 |
| C．$ 16.48 | D．$ 9.48 |
What does “all-you-can-eat” mean in the first paragraph?
| A．direct | B．unlimited |
| C．convenient | D．cheap |
What does the last part infer?
| A．They lose much in the special program. |
| B．The customers spend more in the future. |
| C．This program can offer a double-win in a long term. |
| D．Amazon.com is a very popular on-line bookstore. |
From Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, you can travel along the East Line not only the other line going past Dujiangyan and Wenchuan. Take a regular bus from Chengdu Chengbei Bus Station from 9:00 to 16:30. It only takes about three hours to Jiangyou. The ticket is CNY50.00 net per person. Up along Fujiang River, you will pass the second largest city in Sichuan, Mianyang and enjoy the picturesque scenery.
There is bus available to the destination from 6:30 to 13:30 in Mianyang Pingzheng Bus Station,The one way ticket is about CNY95.00 net per person. In this case, you can not get stop at Jiangyou and Pingwu. This is one option for you.
In Jiangyou, visit the Former Residence of Li Bai, the famous poet in Tang Dynasty. If time permits, you can also take a look at the Doutuan Mountain, which is famous for its unique sceneries and also holdsnational gliding (滑翔) campaigns every year. Take bus at Jiangyou Bus Station to Pingwu and stay there for one night. Our recommendation is to stay at the Pingwu Hotel, which is the first hotel that can serve foreigners in the small city. The contact phone number is 0816 - 8822022. Pingwu has the best royal Buddhist temples in Ming Dynasty, Bao'en Temple and the historic relics in the period of Three Kingdoms (220-280).
The next day, take bus to Huanglong, which is 120 kilometers away from Pingwu. It only takes about 2 hours to arrive at one of the world's most naturally fantastic locations - the Huanglong Scenic and Historic Areas. The bus ticket is CNY30.00 net per person.
You can easily find the bus from Chuanzhusi to Jiuzhaigou. The journey time is 1.5 hours. Here we would like to recommend another hotel in Jiuzhaigou for you, Mofang Hotel. The contact number is 0837-7764926.
Two days in Jiuzhaigou Valley can give you enough time to explore there. Sometimes, you need to purchase the extra charge for entering the valley twice.What is the tour route of the East Line from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou according to the passage?
| A．Chengdu - Mianyang - Jiangyou - Huanglong - Pingwu - Chuanzhusi - Jiuzhaigou |
| B．Chengdu - Mianyang - Fujiang - Jiangyou - Pingwu - Huanglong - Jiuzhaigou |
| C．Chengdu - Mianyang - Jiangyou - Pingwu - Huanglong - Chuanzhusi - Jiuzhaigou |
| D．Chengdu - Mianyang - Jiangyou - Pingwu - Chuanzhusi-Huanglong - Jiuzhaigou |
Where is this passage likely to appear?
| A．An advertisement of local hotels. |
| B．A travel guide for foreign travelers. |
| C．A geography book of Sichuan Province |
| D．A newspaper for English learners. |
If you take the bus from Pingzheng Bus Station to Jiuzhaigou, you can________.
| A．directly get to the destination |
| B．get on the bus before 2 o’clock pm |
| C．also visit Bao’en Temple halfway |
| D．enjoy the scenery along Fujiang River |
From this passage, which of the following statement is TRUE?
| A．Pingwu Hotel is the only choice for foreign guests in Pingwu. |
| B．We’d better pay the entrance fee twice in Jiuzhaigou. |
| C．We can travel from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou along different routes. |
| D．Doutuan Mountain is famous for the Former Residence of Li Bai. |
Where we live, on the eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips.
The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and the ducks. In autumn, they come home for the winter. Once or twice each year, snow and frozen rain move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, there is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.
One morning, a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Suddenly she leaned forward and cried out, “There is a goose out there.”
We saw the figure of a large Canada goose, very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen into the ice.
Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They floated from the top of the sky downward and at last landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet now, with one hand against her mouth, unbelieving. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared that life it still had might be pecked(啄) out by those great swan bills.
Instead, those bills began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. It went on for a long time. At last, the goose’s head was lifted. Its body was pulled. Then the goose was free and stood on the ice. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if it had cried, “I cannot fly.” Four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks chipped off the ice held in the feathers. Slowly, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go, and moved slowly into the sky.
This is a true story. I just think of it in the bad moment, and from it comes only one hopeful question: If so for birds, why not for man?
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Why Not for Man? | B．Graceful Swans |
| C．Swans’ Brave Act | D．I Just Couldn’t Believe It! |
What happened to the Canada goose?
| A．It was deserted by other geese. |
| B．It was stuck in the ice. |
| C．It was wounded and couldn’t fly. |
| D．It was lost in the water. |
At first the author’s friend was worried that________.
| A．the swans would not help the Canada goose |
| B．she didn’t care about this matter any more |
| C．the swans wouldn’t identify with the Canada goose |
| D．the swans would peck the Canada goose to death |
What did the swans do when they saw the Canada goose couldn’t fly?
| A．They chipped off the ice held in its feathers. |
| B．They waited patiently for the ice held in its feathers to melt. |
| C．They came down and lifted it up to the sky together. |
| D．They stayed with it and protected it. |