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 |
When I was a kid, I was close to my dad, but as I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other.
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father’s requirement.
Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart
It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I’m 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips.The author and his father became further apart because______________.
A.they had different views on things |
B.they lived very far from each other |
C.they only communicated by phone |
D.they seldom went to see each other |
What made the author come back to Tennessee?
A.Because his father invited him to go fishing. |
B.Because he decided to live in a different city. |
C.Because his father is ill and needs caring. |
D.Because he regretted being rude to his father. |
For the author, fishing with his old father ___________ .
A.helps cure his father’s disease |
B.is a good way to get close to nature |
C.makes him realize the importance of exercise |
D.offers a chance for them to communicate |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.The writer’s car is always breaking down. |
B.Father intended me to be a fisherman. |
C.I was unwilling to come back. |
D.Father used to think it was useless to attend college. |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.Forgiving Is Difficult | B.Fishing Brings Us Together |
C.Memories of Old Days | D.My Beloved Father |
Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有压力的) conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — money aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______.
A.make people live more easily |
B.smooth away daily problems |
C.deal with life changes |
D.cure types of illnesses |
The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______.
A.lies in the social medical care systems which support them |
B.has much to do with the amount of support they get from others |
C.depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles |
D.is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?
A.takes place of | B.makes up of |
C.lessens the effect of | D.gets rid of |
Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______.
A.instrumental support | B.informational support |
C.social companionship | D.the strengthening of self-respect |
What is the subject discussed in the text?
A.Interpersonal relationships. |
B.Kinds of social support. |
C.Ways to deal with stress. |
D.Effects of stressful conditions. |
From the earliest times,man has been interested in art.People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures.
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris,France.The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.
The Louvre has not always been a museum.The first building was a fort(炮台).In 1190,it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower.It had a moat to keep out his enemies.
Over the years,the number of buildings around the castle grew.By 1350,the castle was no longer needed as a fort.The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace,new treasures were brought in.During days of war,many treasures were stolen,and the buildings were damaged.
When Francis I became king of France in 1515,he brought in artists from many countries.One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy.Da Vinci's “Mona Lisa” is the best known painting in the museum today.
In 1793,the Louvre became a public museum,just as it is now.It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.On the whole,this passage is mainly about___.
A.an art museum called the Louvre |
B.an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
C.a king of France named Francis I |
D.the best known painting in Louvre |
Which of the following is not true?
A.The Louvre used to be a fort a very long time ago. |
B.French kings and queens once lived in it. |
C.The Louvre was taken by enemies in 1190. |
D.Many treasures were brought into the Louvre over the years. |
Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums?
A.It helps people remember who the King of France is. |
B.It keeps people out of the palaces. |
C.It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art. |
D.It helps people to know who is the greatest artist. |
From the passage we know that _____.
A.it is not possible for treasures to be stolen |
B.old forts always make the best museums |
C.great art should be shared with all the people |
D.king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort |
In the third paragraph the word “moat” probably means_____.
A.a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies |
B.a long and deep ditch dug round a castle and was usually filled with water |
C.a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought |
D.a long and high wall around the castle |
Alsten Chase has written a book about Yellowstone National Park. He is worried about the damage the fires can do to the park. He is also concerned(关心) about the park rules.
These rules say that nature should decide what happens to the park. Alsten also writes that the elk herd(马鹿群) has grown too big. The elks walk on the riverbanks. They eat the new grass and roots of baby trees. The beavers (河狸) need the trees to build dams.
The dams raise the water levels. Higher water levels put more water into the soil. Moist soil helps plants grow faster. The plants offer homes and food to other animals.
Chase thinks that the park rules would work only in a park with natural settings. He believes that Yellowstone has had an artificial setting for a long time. The native people left. The wolves were taken away and other animals were removed.The areas of land were fenced off and other animals added.He thinks the park rules that let herds grow too big and the fires burn are hurting the nature of the park.
The park manager thinks the rules are good and that the park will be fine. Chase thinks the way the people run the park should be changed.In Chase’s opinion, too many elks in the park will ___.
A.cause great fires | B.break the balance of nature |
C.destroy the dams | D.do no damage at all |
Chase thinks that the park is ____.
A.no longer in a natural state | B.still in a natural stat |
C.well protected | D.well managed |
After the book by Alsten Chase is published, the park will probably ___.
A.be quickly changed | B.be completely replaced |
C.no longer work | D.continue to work |
Anyone who wants to buy a gun in California will have to wait for 2 weeks. Four people waited for 15 days to buy guns. Then they robbed a store and shot 3 people .
Congress(国会) is now trying to pass a law that will make everyone wait to buy a gun. Many people do not want this law. Others are glad it might happen. California is one of the longest waiting times for someone to buy a gun. A gun dealer said that this waiting time does not seems to do much good.He has not seen crime(犯罪) go away because of it.
One good thing that has happened with the waiting time to buy a gun is a smaller number of suicide (自杀) . a lot of suicides are with a gun. In California, there are less suicides by gun than in other places. One reason to make people wait to buy a gun is to make sure the guns are not sold to criminals(罪犯). Last year, this check stopped 2,400 guns from being sold to criminals. This check does not stop anyone else from buying a gun.
Many criminals buy guns on the street and not in a store… some people think that a law like this will not do any good.But other people think that if only one person is stopped from getting a gun, then this law is worth it.A long waiting time to buy in California has led to ___.
A.a good gun control | B.less suicides by gun |
C.less shop robbery | D.a sharp fall of gun sales |
If congress passed the law, ____.
A.no one could kill himself |
B.there would be no gun deals |
C.one would see more crimes go away |
D.criminals couldn’t easily get guns in a store |
From the passage we can infer that ___.
A.California is the only state to have a waiting time to buy guns |
B.Congress will surely fail to pass the law to have a waiting time to buy guns |
C.Different states can have some different laws in the United States |
D.No laws can cover all the states in the United States of America |