Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical(批判性的) thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes（过程）. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen--beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are interested in life and want to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning（推理）are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure（尺度）of intelligence（智慧）, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein. Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately made Hoffman feel comfortable by saying, “Please go slowly. I don’t understand things quickly.” Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically, _______.
| A．it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast |
| B．we might be controlled by other people’s ideas |
| C．we will follow the ideas of others naturally |
| D．we might be fooled by other people’s ideas |
If you are a critical thinker, you will ________.
| A．take one view against another view |
| B．trust the reports in the newspapers |
| C．think deeply about different ideas |
| D．criticize other people for their mistakes |
In the last paragraph, “something new” suggests that ________.
| A．speed can improve intelligence |
| B．intelligence is not decided by speed |
| C．the smarter you are, the faster you do things |
| D．the faster you do things, the smarter you become |
People eat different things in different countries.
In some countries, people eat rice every day. Sometimes they eat it twice or three times a day for breakfast, lunch and supper. Some people do not eat some kinds of meat. Muslims, for example, do not eat pork.
Japanese eat lots of fish. They are near the sea. So it is easy for them to get fish
In the West, such as England and the USA, the most important food is potatoes. People there can cook potatoes in many different ways.
Some people eat only fruit and vegetables. They do not eat meat or fish or anything else from animals. They eat food only from plants(植物). They say the food from plants is better for us than meat. These people are called vegetarians.In some countries, people eat _______every day.
| A．fish | B．vegetables | C．fruit | D．rice |
Why do Japanese eat lots of fish?
| A．Because they like fish better than the other food. |
| B．Because it is easy for them to get fish |
| C．Because fish can give them lots of calories. |
| D．Because there is no other food. |
What is the most important food in some Western countries?
| A．Fish | B．Potatoes |
| C．Vegetables. | D．Fruit and vegetables. |
The underlined word "vegetarians" means "_______" in Chinese.
| A．只吃素食的人 | B．只吃荤食的人 |
| C．研究素食的人 | D．种植蔬菜的人 |
阅读理解
In the United States, every year, Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday of November. Because Canada is to the north of the United States and is colder, the harvest comes earlier in a year. In Canada, people have Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October.
The harvest brings a lot of food to people. On Thanksgiving Day, people in Canada and America like to have a big meal with their friends and family just like Chinese people do at the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many Canadians and Americans put flowers, vegetables and fruits around their houses to say "Thank you" for the harvest. At a Thanksgiving Day dinner, many Canadians and Americans eat turkey, potatoes and pumpkin pies. These food are like the food of many years ago. They say "Thank you" for the harvest that comes every year.In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday of_______.
| A．January | B．May | C．November | D．December |
Canada has Thanksgiving Day earlier in a year because
| A．they like flowers | B．the harvest comes earlier |
| C．they have a big meal | D．they want to be different |
What do people usually say on Thanksgiving Day for the harvest?
| A．Good morning. | B．I'm hungry. |
| C．Hello. | D．Thank you. |
This holiday my sister and I went to Shanghai. My sister had just graduated and she wanted to find a job in Shanghai.
My uncle lived in Shanghai, so we lived with him after we got there. On the first day we went to a lot of interesting places, including Waitan and Huangpu Park. We spent the next few days helping my sister find a job. We read many advertisements in newspapers to find one. My sister couldn't get the first job because they said she was too young.
Then we lost our way and couldn't find the second company. We had a map but the city is so big, so we had to ask someone for help and finally found the second company. The boss had a talk with my sister and asked her to wait at home for their decision. A month later we went home. My sister couldn’t find a job in Shanghai because she was not knowledgeable enough or she didn’t have enough experience. In this holiday we learned that if we want to succeed in life, we have to work hard and get a lot of knowledge.Why did my sister go to Shanghai?
| A．She wanted to visit a lot of interesting places. |
| B．She wanted to visit her uncle. |
| C．She wanted to find a job. |
| D．She wanted to have a good time there. |
How did we spend the next few days?
| A．Helping my sister find a job. |
| B．Visiting Waitan and Huangpu park. |
| C．Waiting at home for a job. |
| D．Reading many newspapers. |
Why couldn’t my sister get the first job in Shanghai?
| A．Because she was too young. |
| B．Because she couldn’t find the second company. |
| C．Because the city is so big that we lost our way. |
| D．Because she was not knowledgeable enough or she didn’t have enough experience. |
The underlined word “knowledgeable” means “______” in Chinese.
| A．明白道理的 | B．知识渊博的 |
| C．有文化的 | D．知识欠缺的 |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．My sister couldn’t find a job in Shanghai because she was not knowledgeable enough or she didn’t have enough experience. |
| B．If we want to succeed in life, we have to work hard and get a lot of knowledge. |
| C．Shanghai is so big, so we couldn’t find a job easily. |
| D．Shanghai is so big, so we lost our way easily. |
阅读理解
Dear Mr. Wang,
Someone comes to the office to see you in the morning, but you and your wife are out. He comes here at 10am. Because he is very busy, he goes away half an hour later. He tells me that he is your classmate at college(大学). Now he teaches Chinese in a high school(高中) in this city and he lives near the No. 6 Middle School. He is a very tall man with short hair. He wears a pair of glasses. He tells me his telephone number is 33426685. He is often at home at 7:00 pm. So you can call him in the evening.The author(作者) writes this note(便条) to ______.
| A．Mr. Wang | B．Mr. Wang’s wife |
| C．Mr. Wang’s classmate | D．me |
Mr. Wang’s classmate is __________.
| A．a teacher | B．a worker |
| C．a farmer | D．an actor |
When is Mr. Wang’s classmate often at home?
| A．In the morning | B．In the afternoon. |
| C．At 7:00pm. | D．We don’t know. |
How long does Mr. Wang’s classmate stay in the office?
| A．Ten hours. | B．An hour. |
| C．Two hours. | D．Half an hour. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Mr. Wang and his wife are classmates. |
| B．Mr. Wang’s classmate is short. |
| C．Mr. Wang goes out with Mrs. Wang in the morning. |
| D．Mr. Wang’s classmate meets Mr. Wang in the morning. |
Peter always doesn’t know the way. His friends often laugh at him. They say he needs a map to find the bathroom in his own house. In his eyes, every street looks the same, and he doesn’t know which way to go. Sometimes he has to take a taxi home because he can’t remember the way to his house.
Peter watches a lot of films and reads a lot of books about animals. Each bird knows which way is south. Bats (蝙蝠) can fly at night and find their way with their ears. He feels embarrassed (困窘的) because all these animals have a good sense of direction. He tries to find his way with the help of stars in the sky. There is a star called the North Star, and he knows how to find it.
Of course, Peter’s friends are still laughing at him, because he can only see the North Star outside when it is sunny at night. He can’t tell the directions in the daytime or when he is inside or when it is cloudy.Sometimes Peter has to take a taxi home because __________.
| A．he is tired after shopping |
| B．he doesn’t know the way home |
| C．he likes taking the taxi |
| D．his friends want him to do that |
Bats find the way with their __________.
| A．ears | B．mouths | C．noses | D．eyes |
What does the phrase “sense of direction” mean in Chinese?
| A．幽默感 | B．责任感 | C．幸福感 | D．方向感 |
Peter’s friends still laugh at him because he __________.
① can’t still find his way in the daytime
② can’t still find his way when he is inside
③ can’t still find his way when it is cloudy
④ can see the North Star outside
| A．①③ | B．①② | C．①②③ | D．①②③④ |