The united States has about 475,000 school buses — all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than 25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel (柴油) fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged 55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June.
Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools are not much lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled. Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law.
Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance.
But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.What does this passage mainly tell us?
| A．High fuel prices’ influences on school buses. |
| B．New measures to transport school students. |
| C．The safest form of student transportation. |
| D．The origin of Walk to School Day. |
In order to cut down transportation cost, many schools take the following measures EXCEPT_____.
| A．changing some bus routes |
| B．stopping some bus routes |
| C．asking parents to drive children to and from school |
| D．using other types of fuels |
The National Center for Safe Routes to School encourages more children to walk or bike to school in order to ____.
| A．save more fuels and diesel for the country |
| B．keep the children safe on their way to school |
| C．make the children live a simple life |
| D．keep the children healthy and the environment clean |
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Day school Program Secondary students across Toronto District School Board(TDSB) are invited to take one or two e-Learning courses on their day school timetable. Students will remain on the roll at their day school. The on-line classroom provides an innovative relevant and interactive Learning environment. The courses and on-line classroom are provided by the Ministry of Education These on-line courses Benefits of e-Learning Include: Is e-Learning for You? Students who are successful in on-line course are usually; Students need to spend at least as much time with their on-line course work as they would in a face-to-face classroom course. |
56. E-Learning courses are different from other TDSB courses in that .
A. they are given by best TDSB teachers.
B. they are not on the day school timetable.
C. they are not included on students' reports.
D. they are an addition to TDSB courses.
57. What do students need to do before completing e-learning courses?
| A． |
To learn information technology on-line. |
| B． |
To do their assignments independently. |
| C． |
To update their mobile devices regularly. |
| D． |
To talk face to face with their teachers. |
Why College Is Not Home
The college years are supposed to be a time for important growth in autonomy(自主性) and the development of adult identity. However, now they are becoming an extended period of adolescence, during which many of today's students and are not shouldered with adult responsibilities.
For previous generations, college was decisive break from parental control; guidance and support needed help from people of the same age and from within. In the past two decades, however, continued connection with and dependence on family, thanks to cellphones, email and social media, have increased significantly. Some parents go so far as to help with coursework. Instead of promoting the idea of college as a passagefrom the shelter of the family to autonomy and adult responsibility, universities have given in to the idea that they should provide the same environment as that of the home.
To prepare for increased autonomy and responsibility, college needs to be a time of exploration and experimentation. This process involves "trying on " new ways of thinking about oneself both intellectually(在思维方面) and personally. While we should provide "safe spaces" within colleges, we must also make it safe to express opinions and challenge majority views. Intellectual growth and flexibility are fostered on debate and questioning.
Learning to deal with the social world is equally important. Because a college community(群体) differs from the family, many students will struggle to find a sense of belonging. If students rely on administrators to regulate their social behavior and thinking pattern, they are not facing the challenge of finding an identity within a larger and complex community.
Moreover, the tendency for universities to monitor and shape student behavior runs up against another characteristic of young adults: the response to being controlled by their elders. If acceptable social behavior is too strictly defined(规定) and controlled, the insensitive or aggressive behavior that administrators are seeking to minimize may actually be encouraged.
It is not surprising that young people are likely to burst out, particularly when there are reasons to do so. Our generation once joined hands and stood firm at times of national emergency. What is lacking today is the conflict between adolescent's desire for autonomy and their understanding of an unsafe world. Therefore, there is the desire for their dorms to be replacement homes and not places to experience intellectual growth.
Every college discussion about community values, social climate and behavior should include recognition of the developmental importance of student autonomy and self-regulation, of the necessary tension between safety and self-discovery.
67.What's the author's attitude toward continued parental guidance to college students?
| A． |
Sympathetic |
B． |
Disapproving |
| C． |
Supportive |
D． |
Neutral |
68.The underlined word "passage" in Paragraph 2 means______.
| A． |
change |
B． |
choice |
| C． |
text |
D． |
extension |
69.According to the author，what role should college play?
| A． |
to develop a shared identity among students |
| B． |
to define and regulate students' social behavior |
| C． |
To provide a safe world without tension for students |
| D． |
To foster students' intellectual and personal development |
70.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
| A． |
|
| B． |
|
| C． |
|
| D． |
|
California Condor's Shocking Recovery
California condors are North America's largest birds, with wing-length of up to 3 meters. In the 1980s, electrical lines and lead poisoning(铅中毒) nearly drove them to dying out. Now, electric shock training and medical treatment are helping to rescue these big birds.
In the late 1980s, the last few condors were taken from the wild, and there are now more than 150 flying over California and nearby Arizona, Utah and Baja in Mexico.
Electrical lines have been killing them off. "As they go in to rest for the night, they just don't see the power lines," says Bruce Rideout of San Diego Zoo. Their wings can bridge the gap between lines, resulting in electrocution(电死) if they touch two lines at once.
So scientists have come up with a shocking idea. Tall poles, placed in large training areas, teach the birds to stay clear of electrical lines by giving them a painful but undeadly electric shock. Before the training was introduced, 66% of set-freed condors died of electrocution. This has now dropped to 18%.
Lead poisonous has proved more difficult to deal with. When condors eat dead bodies of other animals containing lead, they absorb large quantities of lead. This affects their nervous systems and ability to produce baby birds, and can lead to kidney(肾) failures and death. So condors with high levels of lead are sent to Los Angeles Zoo, where they are treated with calcium EDTA, a chemical that removes lead from the blood over several days. This work is starting to pay off. The annual death rate for adult condors has dropped from 38% in 2000 to 5.4% in 2011.
Rideout's team thinks that the California condors' average survival time in the wild is now just under eight years. "Although these measures are not effective forever, they are vital for now," he says. "They are truly good birds that are worth every effort we put into recovering them. "
63.California condors attract researchers' interest because they ______.
| A． |
are active at night |
| B． |
had to be bred in the wild |
| C． |
are found on in California |
| D． |
almost died out in the 1980s |
64.Researchers have found electrical lines are______.
| A． |
blocking condors' journey home |
| B． |
big killers of Califorbnia condoras |
| C． |
rest places for condors at night |
| D． |
used to keep condors away |
65.According to Paraghaph 5，lead poisoning______.
| A． |
makes condors too nervous to fly |
| B． |
has little effect on condors' kidneys |
| C． |
can hardly be gotten rid of form condors' blood |
| D． |
makes it different for condors to produce baby birds |
66.The passage shows that______ .
| A． |
the average survival time of condors is satisfactory |
| B． |
Rideout's research interest lies in electric engineering |
| C． |
the efforts to protect condors have brought good results |
| D． |
researchers have found the final answers to the problem |
Surviving Hurricane Sandy(飓风桑迪 )
Natalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. "It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special," she says.
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridge closed.
When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.
In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.
"My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me," Natalie says. "but I can always choose how I deal with it."
Natalie's choice was to help.
She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.
Today, the scars(创痕)of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. "I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway," Natalie declares. "My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before."
59.When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane，she found______.
| A． |
some friends had lost their lives |
| B． |
her neighborhood was destroyed |
| C． |
her school had moved to Brooklyn |
| D． |
the elderly were free from suffering |
60.According to paragraph4，who inspired Natalie most?
| A． |
The people helping Rockaway rebuild |
| B． |
The people trapped in high_rise building |
| C． |
The volunteers donating money to survivors |
| D． |
Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people |
61.How did Natalie help the survivors?
| A． |
She gave her toys to the kids |
| B． |
She took care of younger children |
| C． |
She called on the White House to help |
| D． |
She built an information sharing platform |
62.What does the story intend to tell us?
| A． |
Little people can make a big difference |
| B． |
A friend in need is a friend indeed |
| C． |
East or West,home is best |
| D． |
Technology is power |
Dear Alfred,
I want to tell you how important your help is to my life.
Growing up, I had people telling me I was too slow, though, with an IQ of 150 at 17, I'm anything but stupid. The fact was that I was found to have ADIID(注意力缺陷多动障碍). Anxious all the time, I was unable to keep focused for more than an hour at a time.
However, when something did interest me, I could become absorbed. In high school, I became curious about the computer, and built my first website. Moreover, I completed the senior course of Computer Basics, plus five relevant pre-college courses.
While I was exploring my curiosity, my disease got worse. I wanted to go to college after high school, but couldn't . So, I was killing my time at home until June 2012 when I discovered the online computer courses of your training center.
Since then, I have taken courses like Data Science and Advanced Mathematics. Currently, I'm learning your Probability course. I have hundreds of printer paper, covered in self-written notes from your video. This has given me a purpose.
Last year, I spent all my time looking for a job where, without dealing with the public , I could work alone, but still have a team to talk to. Luckily, I discovered the job-Data Analyst-this month and have been going full steam ahead. I want to prove that I can teach myself a respectful profession, without going to college, and be just as good as, if not better than, my competitors.
Thank you. You've given me hope that I can follow my heart. For the first time, I feel good about myself because I'm doing something, not because someone told me I was doing good. I feel whole.
This is why you're saving my life.
Yours,
Tanis
56.why did't Tanis go to college after high school?
| A． |
She had learned enough about computer science |
| B． |
She had more difficulty keeping foucesed |
| C． |
She preferred taking online courses |
| D． |
She was too slow to learn |
57.AS for the working environment，Tains prefers____.
| A． |
A .working by herself |
| B． |
dealing with the public |
| C． |
competing against others |
| D． |
staying with ADHD students |
58.Tanis wrote this letter in order to_____.
| A． |
explain why she was interested in the computer |
| B． |
share the ideas she had for her profession |
| C． |
C .show how grateful she was to the center |
| D． |
describe the courses she had taken so far |
are taught by TDSB secondary school teachers
