Going to school means learning new skills and facts in different subjects. Teachers teach and students learn, and many scientists are interested in finding ways to improve both teaching and learning processes.
Sian Beilock and Susan Leving, two psychologists at the University of Chicago, are trying to learn about learning. In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock 
and Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn: If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math. “If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball 
effect on their math achievement,” Levine told Science News. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.
Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn—and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone.
The new study involved 65 girls, 52 boys and 17 first-and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.
The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers: To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbe
rs on a sales receipt, for example, was probably anxious about math.
Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher’s anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math—and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers with math anxiety.
According to surveys done before this one, c
ollege students who want to become elementary school teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are women, Levine said. Sian Beilock and Susan Levine carried out the new research in order to ___________.
| A．know the effects of teaching on learning | B．study students’ ways of learning math |
| C．prove women teachers are unfit to teach math | D．find better teaching methods for teachers |
The underlined
part in paragraph 2 most probably means that girls may ___________.
| A．end up learning math anxiety from their teachers | B．study the ways their female teachers behave |
| C．have an influence on their math-anxious female teachers | |
| D．gain unexpected achievement in such subjects as math |
In the study, what were the teachers required to do?
| A．Prepare two math achievement tests for the students | B．Tell their feelings about math problems |
| C．Answer whether a math superstar had to be a boy | D．Compare the students’ scores after the math tests |
What is the finding of the new study?
| A．No male students were affected by their teachers’ anxiety |
| B．Almost all the girls got lower scores in the tests than the boys |
| C．About 30% of the girls thought boys are better at math than girls |
| D．Girls with math-anxious teachers all failed in the math tests |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．117 students and teachers took part in the new study |
| B．The researchers felt surprised at the findings of their study |
| C．Beilock and Levine are interested in teaching math |
| D．Men teachers are better at teaching math than women teachers |
第三部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每题所给的四个选现（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Weighed down（压得喘不过气来） by study? Pushed to the limit by the fast pace of life? Frightened by the possible war? Well, you’re not alone. Men and women in France are seeking relief using the world’s best medicine─laughter.
In the past year, more than 25 laughter clubs have been set up across the country. People of all ages release their stress with an hour of group laughs. “People telephoned me and said they have forgotten what it is to laugh. They want to find a place where they can escape all their problems for a while. So they come,” said 40-year-old Jocelyn Le Moan. She usually takes a class of around 60 people through a series of laughter techniques.
Her pupils range from teenagers to 70 years old, but most are middle-aged white collars seeking 60 minutes of relaxation at the end of a busy day.
Le Moan takes them through the “Lion Laugh” and the “Laugh Contest”, where participants “speak” to each other in different ways. And instead of talking, they break into fits of laughter. At the end there are 15 minutes of “meditation”（沉思）,when they lie on their backs and let the laughs burst out of their mouths.
“I love it. It’s an experience that has changed my life. Through it I rediscovered the child’s laugh inside me,” said Romain Jourffroy, 24.
Like Jourffroy, many laughter club members find themselves changed into children again, and why not? The average preschooler laughs up to 400 times a day. The average adult only a sad seven to fifteen.
The physical benefits of laughter are already well-recognized. Doctors say the act of laughing releases good chemicals into the blood-stream, while the quick breathing that accompanies it helps massage（按摩）the digestive organs and strengthens the heart.
“A full hour is like having your insides go jogging! One finishes out of breath, but feels revitalized (产生新活力). And on top of that, you’ve had a laugh,” said doctor Alexisd Estaing.
And many participants in Paris also emphasize the psychological benefits. They believe that laughter is a way of making oneself feel more confident.
“Maybe it is because we are surrounded by so many troubles that we feel the need to keep laughing,” said Anne Maurigiano, a 29-year-old filmmaker.
1. From the passage, we can conclude the following but __________.
A. Jocelyn Le Moan is a teacher of the club.
B. the members are mostly middle-aged white collars.
C. people always need some way to relax in life.
D. laugh freely and everything goes well.
2. The writer suggested that you should __________.
A. have a good laugh after a busy day
B. talk to each other about what troubles you
C. learn series of laughter techniques
D. take the world’s best medicine
3. Which of the following is NOT included among the benefits of laughing ?
A. It can make people rediscover their children’s laugh.
B. It can release good chemical into blood-stream.
C. It can make you feel self-confident.
D. It can cure the illness of people.
4. What does the phrase “on the top of that ” mean?
A. besides B. on the top of tiredness
C. above all D. on the top of your energy
Can you understand the beginning of this essay（短文）?
“My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”
The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages（短信）. Text messages (also called SMS) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called “texting.”
A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it's common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent（代表） a word, like “r” for “are,” “u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “lol” for “laughing out loud.” Another characteristic（特征） of texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”
Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)
Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always develop, and this is just another way in which English is changing. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.
1. What is the writer's opinion of text messaging?
A. The writer does not give his opinions.
B. It is not bad for children.
C. It will make children bad writers.
D. It is fun and easy to do.
2. Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage?
A. Using letters to represent words.
B. Using phrases to represent essays.
C. Using letters to represent phrases.
D. Using numbers to represent words.
3. Which of the following was most probably the title of the student's essay?
A. My Smmr Hols B. CU in LA C. My GF D. My Gr8 Tchr
4. Why do some people think that texting is bad?
A. It costs too much. B. It's too difficult to type.
C. Teenagers won't learn to write correctly. D. It's not comfortable.
5. Why aren't some people worried about the effect of texting?
A. Not many people use texting.
B. Spelling in English is too difficult.
C. Teenagers quickly become bored with texting.
D. Texting will disappear because of new technology.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he required. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she said rudely. The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the bill and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed nearly beside the empty dish, were two five-cent coins and five one-cent coins---her tip.
1. In the days , an ice cream is ______________.
A. dearer than usual B. as dear as usual
C. much cheaper than usual D. as cheap as usual
2.How much money did the boy probably have in his pocket?
A. thirty-five cents. B. More than fifty cents.
C. only fifty cents. D. Less than fifty cents.
3.Why did the little boy have only a dish of plain ice cream?
A．The plain ice cream cost him much less.
B．He enjoyed the cheaper ice cream better.
C．The coins were not enough for an ice cream sundae.
D. He wanted to save some coins to tip the waitress.
4.We can infer that the waitress might have felt _____ when she got the tip.
A. very surprised. B. a bit of shame
C. quite pleased D. a little worried
No one wants to look stupid or do the wrong thing at a new job. It is important to make the right impression from the very first day. You will face new people. You will be in a new place.
It may be difficult to know what to do. Here are five tips to help you make it through the first days at a new job:
1. First impressions can last forever. Make sure you make a good one. Before your first day, find out if your new job has a dress code (rules about what you can wear to work). If so, be sure to follow it. No matter what, always be neat and clean.
2. Get to work on time. Give yourself an extra(额外的)15 minutes to make sure you arrive on time.
3. Pay attention to introductions. One of the first things that your supervisor may do is to introduce you to co-workers(同事). These co-workers will be important to you. They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss is not around.
4. Ask plenty of questions. Make sure that your supervisor has told you what is expected of you. If he or she has not told you your duties, ask for a list. Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.
5. Never be the first one to leave. Observe(观察) what your co-workers do around quitting time (下班时间). It does not look good for you to be eager to leave.
1. Before you arrive at work on the first day, you should __________.
A. dress in a right way
B. introduce yourself
C. know your duties
D. know your co-workers well
2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. You should be the first one to arrive at work.
B. You should ask your co-workers about your duties.
C. You should not be eager to go back home after work.
D. You are required to arrive 15 minutes earlier.
3. According to the passage, your supervisor is most likely your _____________.
A. visitor B. teacher C. workmate D. leader
4. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Getting a New Job.
B. Tips on How to Work.
C. The First-day Work.
D. The Importance of Co-workers.
Because he wrote his name so that it could be read easily, John Hancock has a place in the dictionary.
John Hancock was a wealthy man who helped the patriots in the American Revolution. He was president of the Continental Congress. He was also governor of Massachusetts and one of the first men of sign the Declaration of Independence. Yet he is remembered best for his large signature.
The story is told that when Hancock sat down to sign the Declaration of Independence, he said that he would write his signature large enough for John Bull to read without his glasses. Hancock’s signature on the Declaration is four the three-quarter inches long—an inch longer than his usual signature.
Today John Hancock can be used to mean any person’s signature.
1. The passage is mainly about______________.
A. the American Revolution
B. John Hancock’s handwriting
C. how an American expression began
D. signing the Declaration of Independence
2. Hancock is remembered best because he________.
A. was governor of Massachusetts
B. helped the patriots in the Revolution
C. signed his name in large letters
D. was president of the Continental Congress
3. According to the dictionary, a John Hancock is a________.
A. governor B. man who sign petitions
C. strong patriotD. person’s signature