At20yearofageF.W.Woolworthfoun-优题课

Last year, on report card day, my son and a bunch of his 13-year-old friends piled into the back seat of my car, ready for the last-day-of-school party at McDonald’s. “Jack got a laptop for getting straight A’s, and Laurie got a cellphone,” one boy said. “Oh, yeah, and Sarah got an iPod Nano, and she’s only in third grade,” said another. “And how about Brian? He got $ 10 for each A.”
I suddenly became concerned. These payoffs might get parents through grammar school, but what about high school and beyond? What would be left after the electric guitar, the cellphone, and the portable DVD player?
I saw the road ahead: As the homework load increased, my income would decrease. I saw my comfortable lifestyle vanish before my eyes-no more of those $ 5 bags of already-peeled organic carrots. No more organic anything!
I started to feel surprised and nervous. Would every goal attained by my two children fetch a reward? A high grade point average? A good class ranking? Would sports achievements be included in this reward system: soccer goals, touchdowns, runs-batted-in? What about orchestra? Would first chair pay more than second? I’d be penniless by eighth-grade graduation.
“We never paid anything for good grades,” said my neighbor across the street, whose son was recently accepted at MIT. “He just did it on his own. Maybe once in a while we went out for pizza, but that’s about it.”
Don’t you just hate that? We’re all running around looking for the MP3 player with the most updates, and she’s spending a few dollars on pizza. She gets motivation; we get negotiation.
1．The sentence “As the homework load increased, my income would decrease.” in the third paragraph probably means _____________.
A．taking care of the children would influence my work
B．I would spend more money on my children’s homework
C．reducing children’s homework load would cost me a lot
D．more rewards would be needed as the children grew up
2．We can tell from the passage that the author’s son was in ___________.
A．primary school B．junior middle school C．high school D．university
3．It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
A．if you pay the children for good grades, they would take it for granted
B．if you buy children pizza for good grades, they would work harder
C．children would not ask for rewards when they enter high school
D．children would not ask for rewards when they enter university
4．The example of the author’s neighbor shows that ____________.
A．pizza is the best way to motivate children
B．reward is not the only way to motivate children
C．the author’s neighbor was very poor
D．the author’s neighbor’s son didn’t like reward
5．What is the author’s attitude toward paying children reward for good grades?
A．Favorable B．Ambiguous C．Disagreeable D．Unknowable

The question of what children learn, and how they should learn, is continually being debated and redebated. Nobody dares any longer to defend the old system, the learning of lessons parrot-fashion, the grammar-with-a-whip system, which was good enough for our grandparents. The theories of modern psychology have stepped in to argue that we must understand the need of children. Children are not just small adults; they are children who must be respected as much.
Well, you may say, this is as it should be a good idea. But think further. What happens? "Education" becomes the responsibility not of teachers, but of psychologists. What happens then? Teachers worry too much about the psychological implications of their lessons, and forget about the subjects themselves. If a child dislikes a lesson, the teacher feels that it is his fault, not the child’s. So teachers worry whether history is "relevant" to modern young children. And do they dare to recount stories about violence? Or will this make the children themselves violent? Can they tell their classes about children of different races, or will this encourage racial hatred? Why teach children to write grammatical sentences? Verbal expression is better. Sums? Arithmetic? No: Real-life mathematical situations are more understandable.
You see, you can go too far. Influenced by educational theorists, who have nothing better to do than to write books about their ideas, teachers leave their teacher-training colleges filled with grand, psychological ideas about children and their needs. They make elaborate, sophisticated (精致的，复杂的) preparations and try out their "modern methods" on the long-suffering children. Since one "modern method" rapidly replaces another, the poor kids will have had a good bellyful by the time they leave school. Frequently the modern methods are so sophisticated that they fail to be understood by the teachers, let alone the children; even more often, the relaxed discipline so essential for the " informal" feelings the class must have, prevents all but a handful of children from learning anything.
1. People do not dare defend the old system mainly because under the old system________.
A. too much grammar was taught to children B. children were spoiled
C. children were treated as grown-ups D. children were made to learn passively
2. What view do the modern psychologists hold?
A. Children must be understood and respected.
B. Children are small adults and know what they need.
C. Children are better off without learning lessons.
D. Education of children is the responsibility of psychologists.
3. What happens when teachers pay too much attention to the psychology of their lessons?
A. They find that the children dislike the lessons.
B. They tend to blame students for their failure.
C. They do not pay enough attention to the actual lessons.
D. They no longer want to teach children history.
4. Grammatical sentences are regarded as unimportant because ________.
A. it is better to use verbs only
B. words are said out of natural feelings only
C. talking freely and naturally without sentences is a better form of expression
D. it is felt that formal grammar rules might cause unnatural expressions
5. According to the passage, the modern methods are understood by ________.
A. neither teachers nor pupils
B. only a handful of teachers and pupils
C. the more sophisticated teachers
D. everyone who enjoys the relaxed discipline of the informal classes

With all the wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, it’s not only helpful, but it’s essential to have a good sense of humor, just to help us get through each day of our lives. I could never make it through even one single day without simply fooling around with the people around me, just to pick up our mood. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling down in the dumps, as the saying goes, makes me feel all good, and warm inside.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with a neighbor, friend, family, or even just someone you meet while standing in a lineup at your corner store? My grandma always told me that a stranger is only a friend that you haven’t met yet. My grandma always found umor in everything she did, even if it was the dirtiest job anyone could imagine. I know I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. This relieves stress in any situation, and it is common courtesy to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor from hearing a great joke, but they would sit there with only the slightest smile on their face. I don’t know how these people can do it. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at us as if we were from outer space.
Without humor in this world, a quality that can be learned, we would find ourselves with a lot of mental problems. There is too much sadness in this world, and we all need to find a way to bring a little light into our lives, so the best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and laugh a whole lot.
1. Why does the author think humor is useful if life?
A. It can help remove the cruelty in the world.Re
B. It can help raise people’s spirits.
C. It builds up people’s confidence.
D. It can make us know more people.
2. The author answers the question in the second paragraph with____.
A. facts and descriptions
B. arguments and proofs
C. examples and conclusion
D. stories and persuasion
3. What does the underlined part “busting a gut” probably mean?
A. Explaining repeatedly.
B. Requesting eagerly.
C. Laughing hard.
D. Keeping silent.
4. The author may not agree that____.
A. it is good to have a sense of humor
B. humor is needed in our everyday life
C. humor can shorten the distance between people
D. humor is a natural quality that is hard to acquire
5. What attitude does the author have to the present world?
A. Doubtful. B. Dissatisfied. C. Indifferent. D. Calm.

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live--in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--the chances are that you' 11 be disturbed by jet planes, transistor radios, oil - powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they’re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(专心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
1. According to this passage, the noise pollution __
A. has become the worst in the countryside B. has become better in big cities
C. has spread from cities to villages D. has been controlled in modern cities
2. What does background music refer to?
A. Music played while people are working.
B. Music played in the backyard.
C. Noise that continues while you’re listening to other noises.
D. Music used to help people to concentrate.
3. Some people have their hearing harmed __
A. while listening to pop music B. in complete silence
C. when speaking loudly D. while watching TV
4. Which of the following isn't included among the things causing noise?
A. trucks B. motorcycles C. electric engines D. jet planes
5. Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating on something is
A. all kinds of noise B. great changes in the level of noise
C. background noise D. popular music

Hoffman, 40, a former senior vice president of a financial company, had what she describes as “one of those extreme jobs.” “I loved working,” she says. But her career path reached a crossroad when her second child was born, and she left her job in February 2007. Hoffman is one of many people who have left the work force to take a break, but she has a position as consultant. she has described this type of career detour（绕路）—— which is more common for women than for men —— as “off-ramping.” Typically it occurs when the balancing act of parenting and work becomes too tough.
A study by the center found that more than 90 percent of women who off-ramp want to on-ramp back into the work force eventually. But making the transition back to work is rarely easy, and it is even harder in this economic climate of layoffs and hiring freezes.
Considering some of the obstacles faced by on-rampers, a three-day program called “Greater Returns: Restarting Your Career” was held at Columbia University. The goal of the three days was to have them walk away with a big shot of confidence.”
According to one school of thought women looking to make a comeback might even have an advantage in the current economy, especially if they are looking for part-time or consultant positions that do not offer benefits. And a majority of on-rampers are women with extensive working experiences that could give them a slight advantage over less-experienced competition.
“You absolutely cannot be defensive about why you off-ramped,” Ms Hoffman says, “defensive” would have put her into a hard situation if the Greater Returns program had not taught her how to describe the years she spent at home. “I now feel confident talking to an employer and saying, ‘Yes, I have been out of the work force, but here is where I can make significant contributions.’”
1. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Off-ramp: it is common
B. Off-ramp: it is easy
C. Off-ramp to on-ramp: it can be a hard journey
D. Off-ramp to on-ramp: it depends on confidence
2. According to the passage, Greater Returns .
A. is intended to relieve the pressure of the jobless women
B. has all the jobless women restart their career
C. is to last all the year around for the jobless women
D. will build up the confidence of those in search of jobs
3. The main reason for the women’s off-ramping is that .
A. they have to suffer the sexual discrimination
B. they reach a crossroad of career
C. they have to parent their children
D. they have great work pressure
4. Which job is easier to get for a woman off-ramper?
A. Regular workers. B. Casual workers.
C. Company managers. D. Band clerks.
5. From what Ms. Hoffman says in the last paragraph, we can conclude .
A. she didn't get advice from the Greater Returns program
B. she was defensive about her off-ramping
C. she didn’t get the job because she lied about her experience
D. she is on-ramp partly due to her straightforward manner