Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap. Some call it the summer learning setback. Simply speaking, it means the longer kids are out of school, the more they forget. The only thing they might gain is weight.
Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar. Students get winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation. Some schools follow a year-round calendar. They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time, with a few weeks off in between. The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than three thousand such schools at last count. They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states.
But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year-round school is generally the same as in a traditional school. Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said, "Year-round schools don't really solve the problem of the summer learning setback. They simply spread it out across the year."
Across the country, research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students. Experts say this can be prevented. They note that many schools and local governments offer programs that can help.
But calling them "summer school" could be a problem. The director of the summer learning center at Johns Hopkins, Ron Fairchild, said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term summer school”. In American culture, the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood. The parents welcomed other terms like "summer camp," "enrichment," "extra time" and "hands-on learning."According to the first paragraph the summer learning gap .
| A．helps children to gain weight |
| B．leads children to work harder |
| C．improves children’s memories |
| D．affects children’s regular studies |
Compared to traditional schools, students in the year-round ones .
| A．perform better and have more learning gains |
| B．have much less time for relaxation every year |
| C．have generally the same number of class days |
| D．hold more classes with more free weeks off |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Students from poor families often fall behind after the vacation. |
| B．Year-round schools can solve the problem of the learning gap. |
| C．There are schools in each state following a year-round calendar. |
| D．Nothing can help the students who fall behind after the vocation. |
Why did almost all parents dislike the term “summer school”?
| A．They cherish the children’s rights of freedom very much. |
| B．They are worried about the quality of the “summer school”. |
| C．They want their children to be forced to make up the gap. |
| D．They can’t afford to the further study during vacation. |
What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．Opening Summer Camps |
| B．Forbidding Summer Schools |
| C．Spreading Year-Round Education |
| D．Minding the Summer Learning Cap |
While it is impossible to live completely free of stress，it is possible to prevent stress as well as
reduce its effect when it can’t be avoided．The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for ways to deal with stress．
◆Try physical activity
When you are nervous，angry or upset，try releasing the pressure through exercise or physical
activity．Running，walking，playing tennis，and working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try．
◆Take care of yourself
You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest．If you easily get angry and can’t sleep well enough，or if you’re not eating properly，it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations．If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping，you should consult a doctor．
◆Make time for yourself
Schedule time for both work and entertainment．Don't forget，play can be just as important to your overall well-being as work．You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun．Go window-shopping or work on a hobby．Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy．
◆Make a list of things to do
Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that “there’s so much to do，and not enough time”．Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result，you may not achieve anything．Instead，make a list of everything you have to do，then do one thing at a time，checking off each task as it is completed．Set out to do the most important task first．
49．Which of the following statements shows that you have fallen into stressful situations?
A．You can't sleep well all the time．
B．You have a break after work．
C．You always feel happy and relaxed．
D．You only do one thing at a time．
50．According to the passage，how do you make a list of things to do?
A．Try to take care of everything at once．
B．Do one thing at a time．
C．Only do the most important thing．
D．Have a break from your work．
51．Why does the writer write this passage?
A．To give opinion．
B．To give suggestions．
C．To make a request．
D．To ask for advice．
52．What is the best title for the passage?
A．How to Deal with Stress?
B．How to Make Time for Yourself?
C．How to Take Care of Yourself?
D．How to Make a List of Things to Do?
How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations indicate that there are several keys to success that successful people share．
First of all，successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead．They realize that their future lies in their own hands．They under
stand that
they cannot control things in life，such as nature，the past and other people．But in the meantime，
they are well aware that
they can control their own thoughts and actions．They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do．Perhaps what most
separate successful people from others is that they live life “on purpose”——they are doing what they believe they are put here to do．In their opinion，having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to become fully functioning people．They hold that when they live their life on purpose，their main concern is to do the job right．They love what they do—and it shows．People want to do business with them because of their commitment(投身；献身)．To live their life on purpose，successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it．Besides，they never easily give up．Once they have set up goals in their life，they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals．Rather than seeing it negative or depressing they use the knowledge to spur themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately．
45．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．How People Live Their Life on, Purpose
B．How People Can Be Successful -
C．How People Can Do Their Own Things
D．How People Do Business
46．By living life “on purpose”，successful people can __________.
A．do a lot of work
B．concentrate on their 
jobs
C．do business with many people
D．do a
ll of the above mentioned
47．The underlined word “it’’ in the second paragraph refers to __________.
A．the main concern of successful people
B．the job that successful people do
C．the commitment with which successful people do their job
D．the business that successful people do with other people
48．The underlined word “spur” in the last sentence most probably means“
A．encourage B．excite C．relieve D．force
第二部分：阅读理解（第一节20小题，第二节5小题；每小题2分，满分50分）
第一节：阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
It is Saturday afternoon．You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend
the night together. Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate．How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension(紧张情绪)between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations．As you are getting older，you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends．
However，at the same time，your family is trying to figure out how to deal with these changes． While you once spent most of your free time with your family，you are now often absent from home．Parents may get their feelings hurt．Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period．You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you．
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease(缓解)the tension．
* Make your plans in advance．Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time．
* When something with your friends interferes(干扰；冲突)with a family event，try to figure
out if there is any way you can do both．
* Suggest something you would really like to do with your family．Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them．
Some of the time you won’t be happy with the outcome(结果)．You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends．However，if you show consideration(体谅)for the feelings of both your family and your friends，you can solve the problem in a tender way．
41．The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.
A．show a disagreement of views
B．serve as a description of teenager trouble
C．serve as an introduction to the discussion
D．show the popularity of teenager problem
42．The tension between teenagers and their families is caused by the fact that____________.
A．teenagers don’t like to take family demands
B．parents want to keep their family under control
C．parents feel unhappy that their children make so many friends
D．both parents and teenagers don’t pay attention to each other’s feeling much
43．Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the passage?
A．Don’t feel angry if your parents ask you to do something．
B．Try to think of ways to balance family event with friend event．
C．Tell your parents before you decide to spend time with your friends．
D．Advise your parents to do something that you are interested in with you．
44．What’s the purpose of the passage?
A．To inform us of parent and teenager tension．
B．To tell us about a common teenager problem．
C．To persuade parents to show consideration for teenagers．
D．To advise teenagers how to deal with their tension with their family．
Abby Subark is a mother of two from Boston. “For my kids, I’m nervous. I don’t know if they’ll be able to achieve their American dream.” She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich.
It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, poor scores, in the bottom on tests when they are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That’s what the working persons’ children are faced with.
The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status. That’s about 200 years. The typical feature of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility (变动).
If you look at the mechanisms (机制) for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care.
White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, where you end up depends on where you start.
If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you.
But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for 
the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.
71. The main idea of the passage is _______.
A. How the middle class comes about in the U.S.
B. It’s hard to realize the American dream for the poor.
C. Wealth and social status depend on family background.
D. Upward mobility in America is never easy.
Which of the statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. People used to have job opportunities and welfare for upward mobility.
B. A great many poor people can hardly realize their American dream.
C. You can make all your dreams come true in America if born rich.
D. Rich kids are more likely to go to college than poor kids.
73. The underlined sentence “where you end up depends on where you start” most probably means _______.
A. Your starting point cannot determine your destination.
B. Only a high goal can ensure success.
C. One’s birth has nothing to do with his fate.
D. One’s family lays solid foundation for his future achievements.
Why is Abby Subark nervous?
A. Her kids don’t want to compare with other rich kids in achievements.
B. Her kids don’t want to achieve success at all.
C. Her kids can achieve success through hard work and education.
D. Her kids can’t reach their goal without a rich family.
What can we infer after reading the passage?
A. Poverty causes people much pain.
B. People below the poverty line can never be in the middle class.
C. Lower starting point makes it hard for people to realize their dream.
D. Poor people’s starting point is too low.
It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas, and as the newest doctor in our office, I had to work. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by a fellow I was dating—a dozen long-stemmed red roses.
As I was cleaning my office, I was told a lady urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young, tired-looking woman with a baby in her arms. Nervously, she explained that her husband—a prisoner in a nearby prison—was my next patient. She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. Her request was for me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible before I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I agreed. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
A short time later, her husband arrived—with chains on his feet and hands, and two armed guards as bodyguards. The woman’s tired face lit up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a seat beside her. I kept glancing out to watch them laugh, cry and share their child. After almost an hour, I called the prisoner back to my office. The patient seemed like a gentle and modest man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be held under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end of the appointment, I wished him a Merry Christmas—a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt saddened by the fact that he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful idea.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed roses. I’m not sure who experienced the most joy—the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.
67.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
A. The writer was a newcomer to her office.
B. A fellow sent her a dozen red roses as Christmas present.
C. She was in low spirits because she had to work before Christmas.
D. She was at work with a light heart.
68. The young woman came to the writer’s office for the purpose of .
A. having her baby examined
B. giving her husband a chance to make his escape
C. having her husband examined
D. getting a chance for her family to get together
69.The underlined part in Paragraph 3 most probably means .
A. to be sent to hospital B. to be separated from his family
C. to be comfortable D. to become a prisoner
70. What does the writer learn from the story?
A. The wife experienced the most joy in receiving.
B. An act of kindness can mean a lot.
C. The prisoner was treated with mercy.
D. Whoever breaks the law should be punished.