American cities are similar to other cities around the world: American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War Two, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increase. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts (转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are alive. | B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar. | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Two?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities .
| A．are faced with housing problems | B．are forced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings | D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that .
| A．American cities are changing for the worse |
| B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
LIKE many teachers, Cristi Derow and Jennifer Bradley have spent most of their careers giving classroom lectures to students who sat passively in their seats.
The Lewisvillle, Texas, school teachers were aware that the hours they spent on preparing lessons were too often wasted on many students. So Forestwood High School, Texas, used the “flipped (翻转的) classroom” method of instruction. “We’ve completely done away with our lecture,” Derow said. And homework assignments “are all done in class,” Bradley said.
With the flipped concept, a student’s usual homework assignment is to watch pre-recorded lectures on their computers or smart phones.They walk into class ready to discuss the topic, collaborate(合作) with other students and work on assignments based on what they learned from the video. Free from lecturing, the teachers can use class time to look deeper into the subject and focus on difficult concept. As students change from a passive to an active role, they learn critical thinking skills, learn to collaborate and become independent learners.
Instead of doing homework assignments alone at home, students are now “working together, talking about it,” Bradley said. “If they don’t agree on an answer, they debate it and have to justify their answers. It’s a higher level of learning.”
Her students give the flipped classroom high marks.
Sarah Lee, 14, watches the 30-minute videos on a home computer. She likes the ability to rewind the tapes if she doesn't understand a concept. She also likes being able to watch the lessons on her own schedule.
One of her classmates, Dawson Depperschmidt has the same idea and thinks the time she spends in the classroom is more productive. “It gives us more time to learn at school,” Dawson said. “You get more in-depth in class.What can we conclude from the first two paragraphs?
| A．Teachers in Lewisville enjoyed giving classroom lectures. |
| B．It takes time for students to concentrate and understand in class. |
| C．Many students took an inactive part in lecture-style classes. |
| D．Teachers in Lewisville found that there was no need to prepare lessons. |
What difference does the “flipped classroom”method make to students?
| A．They have more arguments with classmates. |
| B．They have to be independent and cooperative. |
| C．They need to do more homework at home. |
| D．They have to prepare lectures by themselves. |
What does the underlined word “productive” mean?
| A．reducing difficulties | B．trying new methods |
| C．achieving a lot | D．causing troubles |
What are the benefits of the “flipped classroom” method?
a. Teachers have time to solve deeper problems
b. Students are engaged in a higher level of learning.
c. Students study according to their own schedule.
d. Teachers don’t have to design homework for students
| A．a, b, c, | B．a, c, d | C．b, c, d | D．a, b, d |
This charming table lamp is a wonderful way to add customized color and accented lighting to a room. Turn on this light and give your home the soft glow while adding a natural style to your home. The lamp comes with an on/off switch for easy lighting control.
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You Save: $ 520.99What is the purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To make advertisements for the three items. |
| B．To attract more and more tourists. |
| C．To make more money from the goods. |
| D．To make preparations for an auction. |
What’s the advantage of the coffee table?
| A．It is worth collection. |
| B．It makes the room more convenient. |
| C．Its top is purely made of silver metal. |
| D．Its shape can be easily adjusted. |
We can infer from the passage that the Home Office Desk is ___.
| A．totally made of dark walnut wood |
| B．meanwhile sold with a personal computer |
| C．designed to protect individual privacy |
| D．only allowed to be used at home |
Which of the above goods has the least discount?
| A．A charming table lamp. | B．The Home Office Desk |
| C．The lovely coffee table. | D．None of them |
In the 1950s, a family that owned a farm near Beulah, Michigan kept a bull chained to an elm (榆树). The bull paced around the tree, dragging the heavy iron chain, which led to a groove (槽) in the bark . The groove deepened over the years. Though for whatever reason, it did not kill the tree.
After some years, the family took their bull away. They cut the chain, leaving the loop around the tree and one link hanging down.
Then one year, agricultural disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch Elm Disease. All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm became infected and died. Everyone thought that the old elm would be the next.
The farm owners considered doing the safe thing: pulling it out and cutting it up into firewood before it died. But they simply could not bring themselves to do it. It was as if the old tree had become a family friend. So they decided to let nature take its course.
Amazingly, the tree did not die. Nobody could understand why it was the only elm still standing in the county!
Plant experts from Michigan State University came out to observe the tree. They observed the scar left by the iron chain, now almost completely covered by bark. The experts decided that it was the chain that saved the elm’s life. They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune to the virus.
It’s said that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Or, as Earnest Hemingway put it, "Life breaks us all, but afterwards, many of us are strongest at the broken places."What did the family do with the elm when the agricultural disaster hit Michigan one year?
| A．They invited plant experts to observe it. |
| B．They pulled it out and chopped it up into firewood. |
| C．They prevented it from being infected by the disease. |
| D．They did nothing and just let it be. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．A groove formed because of natural forces. |
| B．The family decided to keep the tree because they had become attached to it. |
| C．All of the elms in Beulah, Michigan died of the disease. |
| D．The plant experts advised the family to chop it down. |
What actually saved the elm?
| A．The bull. | B．The groove. | C．The iron chain. | D．The experts. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Let nature take its course |
| B．Strengthened by our wounds |
| C．Constant dripping wears away a stone |
| D．Bend, but don’t break |
All over the world people enjoy sports, Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.
Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when “their” player or team wins.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for(参加) them. Football, for example, has spread(展开)around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! And think of people in cold countries. Think how many love to skate or ski (滑雪) in Japan, Norway or Canada.
Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person’s character. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(胜不骄，败不馁).Why do people all over the world enjoy sports?
| A．Because they are healthy. |
| B．Because they are happy. |
| C．Because they want to live longer. |
| D．All the above. |
Why do some people get excited when they watch a game? Because___________.
| A．their favourite team wins | B．they win the game |
| C．they get the good news | D．they can’t help themselves |
Why do people from different countries often become friends after a game together? Because____________.
| A．they train their character in the game |
| B．they understand each other |
| C．they are friendly to each other |
| D．they help each other |
When someone says, “Well，I guess I’ll have to face the music”， it doesn’t mean that he is planning to go to hear a singer or attend a concert. It is something far less unhappy than you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and that or why you did not do this or that.
At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry words “I want to talk to you”. And only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was！
In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If...that means parents cold faces and contempt (轻视) of the teachers and classmates.
“To face the music” is well known to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter how terrible the whole thing might be, because you know you have no choice. “To face the music” means “to__________”.
| A．do something that we don’t like to |
| B．go to the theatre |
| C．go to the music show |
| D．do something that we want to |
In the third paragraph， “If…”really means “If__________”．
| A．we don’t do a good job | B．we get an “A” in the exam |
| C．the exam is easy | D．the exam is difficult |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．“To face the music” is well known in the United States． |
| B．“To face the music” has a history of more than 100 years． |
| C．The young Americans know what “to face the music” means． |
| D．Only the old in the United States know the meaning of “to face the music”． |