Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year．One state，Michigan，now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school．Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise ofthe Internet in the 1990s．
A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools．There are no buildings．All classes are online．
Florida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in 1997．Today，the Florida Virtual School offers more man ninety courses．56,000 students were enrolled as of December．Almost sixty percent were female．The school's website says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes．
Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School．Students in other countries pay for classes．Janet Heiking teaches an English class．She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana．Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan．She says they are taking her Advanced Placement class to prepare for attending an American college．They can earn college credits by passing the AP test．
So how good are virtual schools? Studies have shown mixed results, as a new report from Indiana University notes．For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way．And they scored higher on a statewide
test．But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners．Studies also find that virtual schools may not save much in operating costs．
Education experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools．A1so, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both real and virtual classrooms．A virtual school is one that___________．
| A．is set up after the rise of the Internet |
| B．uses textbooks as a main teaching resource |
| C．uses computer-based resources and has no teachers |
| D．has online classes and no real classrooms |
The first statewide public virtual school in the USA was started in ________ ．
| A．Florida | B．Indiana | C．Michigan | D．Colorado |
Florida Virtual School is open to ________．
| A．students in Indiana |
| B．students only around the USA |
| C．students across the world |
| D．only foreign students |
Foreign students take Advanced Placement classes for the eventual purpose of __________ ．
| A．earning college credits |
| B．entering an American college |
| C．learning advanced science |
D．passin g the AP test |
From the passage we learn that________．
| A．the majority of virtual school students in Florida are male |
| B．all senior students m Michigan have an online learning experience |
| C．virtual schools are better than traditional schools |
| D．both real and virtual classrooms need more trained teachers |
October 21 was a very dark day in Texas. Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes, it caused the largest business damage in Texas’s history. The worst thing is Hanna’s destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines. According to Center Point Energy, Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers. Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark. Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents.
Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal. Schools, restaurants, retail stores and gas stations are open. Smiles are back. But harder-hit places, including Galveston, will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing, and coastal towns are a mess. Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas. Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage. Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13. Many school supplies were destroyed.
Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston, Texas. This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying. Believe it or not, Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing. When Paula was a girl, she was an orphan, but was taken in by her stepmom, Antonia Flores. Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years. Before the hurricane, Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter. There, she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed.What’s the most serious damage caused by Hurricane Hanna?
| A．Hundreds of people are still missing. |
| B．A large number of people are homeless. |
| C．Power facilities are severely destroyed. |
| D．Factories are closed and many people jobless. |
It can be inferred that the residents in Houston________.
| A．have fully recovered from the disaster |
| B．were the most unlucky people in the disaster |
| C．need a long time to bring their life back to normal |
| D．suffered less from Hanna than people in Galveston |
Kids in public schools in other areas of Houston will have to stay at home for_______
| A．at least one month |
| B．at least three weeks |
| C．two weeks at most |
| D．nearly half a month |
Paula Reed and her family consider the hurricane a blessing because_______
| A．they had nothing lost after Hurricane Hanna |
| B．they lived a happier life in San Antonio shelter |
| C．Paula was taken good care of in the shelter |
| D．Paula reunited with her stepmother after three decades |
KING LEAR
Part 3
NARRATOR: As soon as Goneril has got all she can from her father, she begins treating him disrespectfully. When Lear wants to speak to her, Goneril tells her servant, Oswald, to say she is sick. She encourages her staff to be disrespectful towards Lear and begins complaining about the hundred soldiers Lear has brought with him. However, King Lear soon has a friend by his side. The Duke of Kent, who Lear ordered to leave Britain, cannot abandon his king. He therefore comes to Lear disguised as a servant called Caius and asks for a job.
(Enter Lear, several of Lear's soldiers and Kent disguised as a servant.)
LEAR: OK, Caius. I'll give you a trial. And if you prove to be good at your job, I'll keep you on as my servant. (Oswald enters.) Hey, you there. Where's my daughter? (Oswald ignores the king and hurries out of the room.) Hey. What's going on? Call him back. Is he deaf? (A Soldier rushes out after Oswald.) It's as though the whole world has gone to sleep. (Soldier reenters.) Where's that servant? Why didn’t he come back when I called?
SOLDIER:Sir, he answered me very rudely and said he would not come back.
LEAR: I don’t believe it!
SOLDIER: Sir, I am sorry, to tell you this, but it seems to me that you are not being treated with the respect due to a king. Everyone here, including your daughter, is behaving very coldly towards you.
LEAR:Mmm. I suspected the same, but I kept telling myself it was my imagination. Please tell my daughter I wish to speak with her. (Soldier bows and leaves. Oswald enters.) Ah, come here my man and answer me. Who am I?
OSWALD: My lady's father.
LEAR: Your lady's father? Is that all I am to you, you dog, you slave! (Lear raises his arm as though to strike Oswald.)
OSWALD: I'll not be hit, my Lord.
KENT:(Kent kicks Oswald's feet out from under him.) And you won't be laid flat on your back either, I suppose. Now get up and get out of here. (Oswald leaves.)
LEAR: My thanks, Caius. I can see you will be a most valuable servant.
(Enter Goneril.) What's up, daughter? You always seem to be frowning lately.
GONERIL: Is it any wonder that I frown when your soldiers are continually drinking and fighting? I thought when I told you about their behavior you would make them behave, but now I hear you have insulted Oswald. I do believe you are encouraging your soldiers in their bad behavior.
LEAR: Is this my daughter scolding me?
GONERIL: I have had enough of your soldiers. They are expensive to keep and you don't need them. Besides, their drunken behavior and bad manners are disgusting. You will send half of them away. And unless you want me to get rid of the rest of them too, I suggest you teach them how to behave properly.
LEAR: That's a lie. My soldiers are good men who know how to behave properly. I won't stay here to be insulted. I still have one more daughter. She'll scratch out your eyes when she hears how you've treated me. Men! Get my horses ready and collect my baggage. I'll leave immediately. I won't stay where I'm not welcome. (Lear and companions leave.)
NARRATOR: Lear sends Kent on ahead to the castle of his other daughter, Regan, to tell her that he will soon be arriving. Goneril sends her servant Oswald to Regan to tell her side of the story.Who does the underlined “him” probably refer to?
| A．Kent. | B．Oswald. | C．Lear. | D．Soldier. |
Why did the Duke of Kent disguise himself as a servant?
| A．To find a chance to meet Goneril. |
| B．To share some of the king’s wealth. |
| C．To find a job in the court. |
| D．To serve and help his king— Lear. |
From the passage, what is the relationship between Goneril and Regan?
| A．Sisters. | B．Couple. |
| C．Sister and Brother. | D．Brothers. |
Which of the following best describe the character of King Lear in this passage?
| A．A wise king and father. |
| B．A cold-hearted father. |
| C．A cruel and selfish king. |
| D．A stupid and a bit stubborn man. |
Many countries have passed safety laws that require seat belts in vehicles. A modern three-point seat belt, also called a safety belt, is a harness to prevent the driver or a passenger from flying forward and hitting hard against the interior of a vehicle during a collision. A modern seat belt will help to position you properly to gain maximum benefit from your car’s airbags that will inflate（使充气）during a collision. Using a seat belt also prevents you from being ejected (弹出) from a car into the path of oncoming traffic. Research shows that when you wear a modern seat belt, you reduce the risk of death or serious injury by 70% or more during an auto accident.
Seat belts have existed in different forms since the early days of automobiles, and they have changed from a single lap belt to the three-point seat belt we use today. In 1911 the first airplane seat belt was installed. Then, in the 1920’s they were used in racecars. By the 1930s, a group of American physicians created lap belts for their own vehicles and urged vehicle manufacturers to provide seat belts on all vehicles.
Dr. C. Hunter Shelden made a major contribution to our safety with his article in the November 5, 1955 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). He strongly encouraged the manufacture and use of door locks, airbags, and retractable(伸缩式的) seat belts, like the ones we use today. The modern three-point seat belt, including a lap belt and a shoulder belt, was introduced as standard equipment on Volvo cars in 1959.
In 1970, the state of Victoria in Australia made the wearing of a seat belt compulsory for every car driver and front-seat passenger. Today many countries have also mandated(授权) the use of five-point safety harnesses for carefully designed child safety seats that can protect a child during a serious car accident.
An airbag is a Supplemental Restraint System, or SRS, and consists of a rapidly inflatable restraint cushion that works together with a seat belt to protect you during a collision. Modern cars often contain several airbags in various locations. Since airbags can only inflate once and will quickly deflate after the initial impact, they will not provide any protection for you during a secondary collision.
The inflation of airbag can protect or hurt you. The risk zone for a driver’s airbag is the first 8 centimeters from its pre-inflation location. While driving, you should remain about 25 centimeters from the airbag in the center of the wheel. As a driver, wear your seat belt and make sure children correctly use their seat belts. Failure to wear a seat belt properly means the airbags in your car might injure or even kill you during an accident.
An essential part of your safe driving skills is the habit of making sure that you and each of your passengers are always properly positioned and wearing a seat belt. There are many wonderful benefits of being able to drive a car, but there are also severe consequences during an accident for anyone who chooses not to wear a seat belt.This article mostly deals with .
| A．how to drive safely on the road |
| B．different forms of seat belts |
| C．the history of seat belt development |
| D．the importance of seat belt use |
We can learn from this article that _____.
| A．to reduce your risk of death or serious injury by 70%, you must wear a five-point seat belt while you are driving |
| B．American physicians created lap belts for their own vehicles because they had seen many injuries caused by car accidents |
| C．if two or more collisions occur during a serious car accident, your airbags can help reduce the risk of death by 70% |
| D．the U.S. was the first country to require by law that car drivers and front-seat passengers wear their seat belts |
The author treats the subject of this article with .
| A．good humor | B．admiration |
| C．seriousness | D．disapproval |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Seat belts were first used in airplanes and then applied to vehicles. |
| B．Airbags, door locks, and seat belts were all designed at the same time. |
| C．The lap belt is more modern than the 3-point safety belt. |
| D．Buying the latest seat belts is an essential driving skill. |
With the average temperature for January standing at -50℃, it is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the world. Known as the 'Pole of Cold', the coldest ever temperature recorded in Oymyakon was -71.2℃.
This is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.
Ironically, Oymyakon actually means 'non-freezing water' due to a nearby hot spring. Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences.
Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer meat and horse meat. A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.
Doctors say the reason the locals don't suffer from malnutrition is that their animals' milk contains a lot of micronutrients.
Unsurprisingly, locals are hardened to the weather and unlike in other countries— where a flurry of snow brings things grinding to a halt, Oymyakon's solitary school only shuts if temperatures fall below -52℃.
There are few modern conveniences in the village— with many buildings still having outdoor toilets - and most people still burn coal and wood for heat. When coal deliveries are irregular the power station starts burning wood. If the power ceases, the town shuts down in about five hours, and the pipes freeze and crack.
Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.
Even if there was coverage for mobile phone reception the phones themselves would not work in such cold conditions.
Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies, which can take anything up to three days. The earth must first have melted sufficiently in order to dig it, so a bonfire is lit for a couple of hours. Hot coals are then pushed to the side and a hole couple of inches deep is dug. The process is repeated for several days until the hole is deep enough to bury the coffin.
Travel companies offer tourists the opportunity to visit the village and sample life in the freezing conditions.Which of the following statements about this village is true?
| A．Local children don’t go to school because of the extreme cold. |
| B．People there live a hard and simple life with few modern conveniences. |
| C．People there have a healthy and balanced diets by eating vegetables and meat. |
| D．The name of this village— Oymyakon suggests that it’s extremely cold here. |
The sentence “If you thought it was cold where you are at the moment then a visit to the Russian village of Oymyakon might just change your mind.” can be put .
| A．before the first paragraph |
| B．after the first paragraph |
| C．after the sixth paragraph |
| D．before the last paragraph |
What does the underlined phrase “grinding to a halt” probably mean in this passage?
| A．stopping | B．growing | C．continuing | D．failing |
What is the purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To attract more people to visit this village. |
| B．To inform readers of this special village. |
| C．To help solve problems facing the village。 |
| D．To draw readers’ attention to poor people. |
The insanely popular song ‘Gangnam Style’ from South Korean recording artist PSY has just become the most watched video on YouTube ever, garnering more than 808 million views on the popular media site.
The distinction was previously held by another pop heavyweight, Justin Bieber, whose song ‘Baby’ had a little more than 804 million views at press time. PSY made the announcement on his Twitter page earlier today.
Since its release, the song has defeated such other popular videos as Jennifer Lopez’s ‘On the Floor,’ Eminem's ‘Love the Way You Lie’ and LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem.’ And in September, 'Gangnam Style' also became the most liked video on YouTube, now with nearly 5.4 million thumbs up.
At the time of the announcement, the Guinness Book of World Records released a statement saying: “In years past it was unthinkable that something would be viewed a hundred million times, and now Gangnam Style has achieved more than twice this figure in just three months on YouTube. PSY, your certificate is waiting here at our office, come pick it up any time!”
Despite its massive popularity, the video shows no signs of slowing down, and it even has a shot at becoming the first video to get more than one billion views.
If it maintains its current rate of around six million new views per day, ‘Gangnam Style’ would be in line to break that record by the end of the year.
The YouTube honors are just the latest in a long list that shows just how popular the song has become. Since it was released in July, the song has seen a meteoric rise through the music industry.
It has found its way to the tops of music charts in more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Canada, while providing material for thousands of parody（恶搞）videos.
It became a staple (主要部份) in the 2012 presidential elections with the now famous ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video and was even used by the North Korean government in propaganda films promoting their supreme leader.
Meanwhile, such influential figures as President Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt have all made mention of the hit song.This passage mainly talks about a world famous________.
| A．music | B．music video |
| C．video website | D．Korean pop singer |
Which of the following about “Gangnam Style” is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．“Gangnam Style” has defeated Justin Bieber’s “Baby” on You Tube’s views. |
| B．“Gangnam Style” has been the favorite to at least 5.4 million people. |
| C．“Gangnam Style” has been the first to get more than 1 billion views. |
| D．“Gangnam Style” has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．PSY will become one of the greatest musicians due to the popularity of “Gangnam Style”. |
| B．Obama won the presidential election partly because of the ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video. |
| C．Despite its massive popularity, the fever of “Gangnam Style” has decreased. |
| D．The influence of “Gangnam Style” has spread far and wide. |