In American schools there is something called Home-coming Day. Many high schools and colleges with a football team have a homecoming game. This can be the most important event of the year except graduation(毕业) or commencement(授奖典礼) day. Students plan homecoming day for many weeks in advance(预先).
Several days before Homecoming, students start to decorate(装饰) the school. There are signs to wish luck to the team, and many other signs to welcome all the graduates. Many people still come to Homecoming twenty or thirty years after their graduation.
The members of school clubs build booths(摊位) and sell lemonade,apples and sandwiches. Some clubs help to welcome visitors.
During the day people like to look for teacher
s that they remember from long ago. Often they see old friends and they talk together about those happy years in school.
Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When the game is half over, the bandcomes onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the Home-corning Queen or King appears. All the students vote a most popular student Homecoming Queen or King. It is a great honor to be chosen.
Homecoming is a happy day, but it is not perfect unless the football team wins the game. Even if the team loses, the students still enjoy Homecoming. Some stay at the school to dance, and others go to a party. For everyone it is a day worth remembering.The most important event of the year in high schools and colleges is ________.
| A．homecoming | B．the football game | C．graduation | D．winning the game |
When do students begin to arrange everything for Homecoming?
| A．The day before Homecoming. | B．Many wee ks before the day. |
| C．when the guests arrive. | D．In the days before Homecoming. |
Which of the following is NOT done on Homecoming?
| A．To see old friends. | B．To call on teachers they remember. |
| C．To watch the football game. | D．To go home to see their family. |
The underline words “vote” in the fifth paragraph means ________.
A．attend a  meeting |
B．elect or choose |
| C．hold a celebration(庆祝) | D．have a football match |
Who can probably become Homecoming Queen or King?
| A．The students who is liked most by the others. |
| B．The guest who is most popular with the students. |
| C．The students who is most liked by the guests. |
| D．The player who plays best in the football game. |
This year’s Newsweek list of the top 100 high schools shows that today those with fewer students are rising.
Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek Top School List based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22.
Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern high schools outside the cities with thousands of students. Big schools meant economic efficiency, a greater choice of courses, and better football teams. But only years later did we understand that it involved the difficulty of strengthening personal connections between teachers and students. SAT scores began dropping; on average, 30% of students did not complete high school in four years, a figure that rose to 50% in poor city neighborhoods. High schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.
Size isn’t everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable trend toward smaller schools. This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools — most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment of only 150 students per grade. About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred.
Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California, is one of those ranking No.423 — among the top 2% in the country. In 2003, Hillsdale remade itself into three “houses”. 300 students arriving ninth graders are randomly assigned to one of the houses, where they will keep the same four core subject teachers for two years before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents. Along with the new structure came the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95.”It was rough for some. But by senior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics,” says Jeff Gilbert. “Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them.”
But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.
Ranking schools is always controversial. Over the years this system has been criticized for its simplicity — list of top U.S. high schools was made merely according to the proportion of students taking college-level exams. This year a group of 38 superintendents (地区教育主管) from five states wrote to ask that their schools should be excluded from the calculation. “It is impossible to know which high schools are ‘the best’ in the nation,” their letter read. “Determining whether different schools do or don’t offer a high quality of education requires a look at many different measures, including students’ overall academic accomplishments, their later performance in college, and taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities.”What can we learn about the schools sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation?
| A．They are often located in poor neighborhoods. |
| B．They are popular with high-achieving students. |
| C．They are mostly small in size. |
| D．Another 150 schools invested by the Foundation are planned to be set up. |
According to Jeff Gilbert, the classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could ______.
| A．tell their teachers what they did on weekends |
| B．experience a great deal of pleasure in learning |
| C．maintain closer relationships with their teachers |
| D．deal with the demanding biology and physics courses |
Newsweek ranks high schools according to ______.
| A．their students’ academic achievement |
| B．the number of their students admitted to college |
| C．the size and number of their graduating classes |
| D．their college-level test participation |
What attitude does the author have towards the present trend in high school education?
| A．Subjective. | B．Objective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Disapproving. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Providing Good Education for Baby Boomers |
| B．Top School List Winning National Support |
| C．Small Schools Rising in popularity |
| D．Students Meeting Higher Academic Standards |
55% of deaths caused by road accidents occur in the first few minutes after a crash. Up to 85% of these deaths could be prevented if first aid were given. The first person on the scene of a road accident will almost certainly be another road user. So as a driver your knowledge of first aid could make a real difference to someone in the event of a road accident.
Assess conditions
·Remain calm. Judge the scene and seriousness of the collision.
·Determine what has happened, how many people and vehicles are involved and the exact location.
·Determine how many casualties(伤亡人数) there are, what is the severity of the injuries, whether anyone is trapped, and whether there is a danger of fire.
Make safe
·Make sure you stay safe and keep off the road. If you need to stop or warn approaching cars, signal to them from the pavement. Wear reflective clothing, use warning triangles, flashing lights and warning lights. Don’t smoke.
·If you are in a car and you come across an accident, first park safely and turn off the engine before you get out to help. Use a triangle warning danger if necessary.
·Consider the safety of others. Don’t move the vehicles, look out for dangers — leaking fuel, chemicals, broken glass or dropping loads — guide uninjured passengers to a place of safety.
Call for help
Dial 999 (or 112) for the emergency services. If there is no phone nearby, send two people in opposite directions to seek help.
Do this as soon as you can or get someone else to do it while you deal with an injured person. You will need to tell the emergency services:
·where you are
·what has happened (describe the accident)
·how many people are injured
·whether they are breathing or bleeding.
The operator will talk you through what to do while you wait for an ambulance to arrive.
Apply emergency first aid
·Remain calm. Reassure the victims.
·Do not allow smoking or offer food or drink to casualties as this could hamper urgent medical treatment. The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．how to reduce road accident deaths |
| B．how to perform first aid in a road accident |
| C．how to treat the injured people on the scene |
| D．how to protect us from being injured in an accident |
When a driver is applying first aid, which of the following is proper?
| A．Stand in the middle of the road to stop or warn approaching cars. |
| B．Leave the engine working when he gets out of his car to help. |
| C．Call 999 for an ambulance to come and leave the scene immediately. |
| D．Make sure the scene is safe enough and stay away from dangerous gas leaking. |
What does the underlined word “hamper” mean in the last paragraph?
| A．Affect. | B．Improve. | C．Demand. | D．Judge. |
The passage is most likely to appear in a newspaper’s ______ section.
| A．business and finance | B．sports and entertainment |
| C．travel and traffic | D．customs and cultures |
This Christmas, maybe different from previous years, a strong desire drives me to make my own Christmas gifts. Honestly speaking, I’ve promised myself this more than once. As a crafter (工匠), I’ve frequently thought I am supposed to turn it into action. However, this year I really plan to stick to it. It’s partly because I run short of money. More importantly, I’ve recently returned from an inspiring trip around Britain, collecting some information about crafting for BBC’s Newsnight.
Actually I planned the trip couples of months ago. The idea of traveling the country — making things as I went, meeting artists and craftspeople — sounded perfect to spend the summer. I’d pack a tent and a sewing machine and I’d set off. But by the time I determined my plans and hit the road, leaves made a sighing sound under foot. It seemed crazy to camp with winter on the way; Luckily, Newsnight viewers offered me accommodations in return for help with a craft task.
My tasks ranged from sewing worn-out clothes to making trousers. Textile students in Harpenden offered to pay for my petrol in return for a talk about hats. In Derby, Amy needed help to change an old pair of curtains.
I was really struck by people’s increasing enthusiasm for making things. When I asked some people if they could sew, only a few raised their hands. But when I asked who wanted to learn, nearly everyone responded positively, hoping to learn something practical.
Craft is definitely popular at the moment. But besides fashion, we’re learning to appreciate effort and quality again. Perhaps once people rediscover the pleasure to be gained from making something unique, it may stick.
Sue is director of quilts at the V&A, where next spring she’ll be putting on the museum’s first major quilting exhibition. Sue believes the return to crafting is related to how we rethink ourselves. “People, especially women, are beginning to think about the way they live their lives. It’s 40 years since the first women’s liberation(解放) conference was held in Oxford. Since then we’ve been in the workplace, and we’ve had the opportunity of choice. Now we’re carefully choosing to go back into the home.”
Whether you agree with that or not, there’s something about Christmas that brings out the artistic flavor(气息) in everyone. Whether it’s baking bread or pies or decorating the halls or rooms, we’re all prepared to have a try at any time. So if you fancy having a different and joyful party or holiday and making a few presents, try these really simple ideas, each inspired by my recent journey there. They make small and interesting gifts, and take no longer than 30 minutes each. Enjoy Christmas songs and settle down with a cup of hot cocoa, and the cold is gone. You’ll save yourself a small quantity of money and spread a little bit of love, too!Why did the author promise to make herself a Christmas gift this year?
| A．She wanted to enjoy a different Christmas. |
| B．She wanted to make more money. |
| C．She was inspired by her trip for a BBC TV program. |
| D．She hoped to present herself with a surprise. |
The author had her plans carried out and set out for Britain in ______.
| A．spring | B．summer | C．fall | D．winter |
What happened during the author’s trip to Britain?
| A．She met many artists and craftspeople on her way to Britain. |
| B．She spent a whole summer in Britain making crafts. |
| C．She was asked to sew clothes, and curtains and made much money. |
| D．Many people showed great interest in making things themselves. |
According to the passage, people learn to ______ through crafting.
| A．be grateful to what they have gained |
| B．keep up with fashion |
| C．stick to something interesting |
| D．know more information about craft |
What is the author’s opinion on homemade Christmas presents?
| A．Making Christmas presents can only convey a bit of your love. |
| B．People can find their artistic talent in making Christmas presents. |
| C．A cup of hot cocoa can inspire you to make a creative present. |
| D．It would take a long time to prepare a homemade Christmas present. |
“Indeed,” George Washington wrote in his diary in 1785, “some kind of fly, or bug, had begun to eat the leaves before I left home.” But the father of America was not the father of bug. When Washington wrote that, Englishmen hade been referring to insects as bugs for more than a century, and Americans had already created lightning-bug(萤火虫). But the English were soon to stop using the bugs in their language, leaving it to the Americans to call a bug a bug in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The American bug could also be a person, referring to someone who was crazy about a particular activity. Although fan became the usual term, sports fans used to be called racing bugs, baseball bugs, and the like.
Or the bug could be a small machine or object, for example, a bug-shaped car. The bug could also be a burglar alarm, from which comes the expression to bug, that is, “to install (安装) an alarm”. Now it means a small piece of equipment that people use for listening secretly to others’ conversation. Since the 1840s, to bug has long meant “to cheat”, and since the 1940s it has been annoying.
We also know the bug as a flaw in a computer program or other design. That meaning dates back to the time of Thomas Edison. In 1878 he explained bugs as “little problems and difficulties” that required months of study and labor to overcome in developing a successful product. In 1889 it was recorded that Edison “had been up the two previous nights discovering ‘a bug’ in his invented record player.” We learn from Paragraph 1 that __________________.
| A．Americans had difficulty in learning to use the word bug |
| B．George Washington was the first person to call an insect a bug |
| C．the word bug was still popularly used in English in the nineteenth century |
| D．both Englishman and Americans used the word bug in the eighteenth century |
What does the word “flaw” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Explanation. | B．Finding. | C．Origin. | D．Fault. |
The passage is mainly concerned with__________________.
| A．the misunderstanding of the word bug |
| B．the development of the word bug |
| C．the public views of the word bug |
| D．the special characteristics of the word bug |
Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tire. It sounds absurd. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
| A．Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood. |
| B．Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work. |
| C．The brain could work for many hours without fatigue. |
| D．A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins. |
According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
| A．Challenging mental work. | B．Unpleasant emotions. |
| C．Endless tasks. | D．Physical labor. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?
| A．He agrees with them. | B．He doubts them. |
| C．He argues against them. | D．He hesitates to accept them. |
We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ___________.
| A．have some good food. | B．enjoy their work |
| C．exercise regularly | D．discover fatigue toxins |