Rowena and Billy Wrangler are model high school students. They study hard and do extremely well on achievement tests. And next year,Rowena will be attending Harvard University.Billy,her younger brother,hopes to go to Cornell.What makes Rowena and Billy different from most students is that they don't go to school.In fact,they've never been to school.Since kindergarten,they've studied at home.Like many of more than one million people who receive home schooling in the United States, they feel as if they've gotten a good education.
The home-schooling trend began in the U.S.in the 1980s with parents keeping their children out of public schools so they could provide religious education at home. Today,as the home-schooling trend continues to grow,parents are more likely to consider home schooling as an option because they believe schools don't do a very good job of teaching and are occasionally dangerous places.But can parents really do a better job?
The answer in many cases is yes.In many studies,students taught at home ranked average or above average when compared to students who went to public schools.More importantly,these students were often more self-directed and have a greater depth of knowledge.They were well prepared for academic challenges.
One such student,Robert Conrad, now a sophomore at university, claims he really learned how to study and schedule his time during his eight years of home schooling.Still, not every student is as successful as Robert.“For every home-schooling success story,there are an equal number of failures.”states Henry Lipscomb,an educational researcher.“There are just so many disadvantages that students taught at home have to overcome.”For example,they have fewer chances to get in touch with others of their own age.Consequently,they sometimes lack the usual social skills.“No matter what,though,”states Lipscomb,“home-schooling is a growing trend.I think we'll be seeing more and more of this.”Compared with other students, Rowena and Billy are most different in the fact that .
A.they preferred to teach themselves |
B.they do extremely well on achievement tests |
C.they don't go to school as other teenagers |
D.they feel they have gotten a good education |
.At first in the 1980s parents gave home-schooling to children for .
A.better education | B.religious education | C.safety | D.good behavior |
.According to the article, what is NOT the advantage of being educated at home?
A.Home is a safer place for children. |
B.Students taught at home are more self-directed. |
C.Students taught at home have a greater depth of knowledge. |
D.Students taught at home can go to good universities. |
.The writer thinks .
A.parents can do a better job than schools |
B.home-schooling will be more and more useful |
C.home-schooling is good in some aspects |
D.students taught at home make greater achievements |
.The best title of this text might be .
A.Home-schooling:A Growing Trend |
B.Home-schooling:A Better Choice |
C.Home-schooling:A Way to Success |
D.Home-schooling:A New Method of Education |
Once in a television interview, I was chatting with the host about stay – at – home athers. I made the point that one reason why we’re seeing more stay – at – homw dads may be hat it’s no longer definite that a man makes more money than his wife. Many families now ake earning power into account when deciding which parent will stay home.
At that point, one of the male crew members pointed out, almost to himself but loud nough for my benefit, “It should be the better parent who stays home.” A lot of guys say hings like that. Usually it’s a code for “My wife, or any woman is the better parent.”
I was a stay – at – home father for 8 years, so his words made me excited. It implied that our family’s choice could only have been correct if I was a “better” parent than my wife.
I suppose an argument could have been made that when I began staying home my wife was the “better” parent if she spent more time with Jack. She would be able to read him wetter and calm him more quickly. But as the more employable one, my wife went out to work and I looked after our son.
because of the increased time I spent with Jack. I soon knew him well, understood that he needed and could look after him more or less as well as my wife could. Actually, he experience helped me unlock one of the world’s great secrets; Women are good at booking after children because they do it. It is not because of any innate (先天的) female talent. It is because they put in the time and attention required to become good at the job.
Woman obviously get a biological head starting from giving birth and nursing, but ever the long term experience is more important. When I got the experience myself. I was people are able to look after them as well besides their moms.The first paragraph implies .
A.more and more men like staying at home |
B.the author works at a TV station as a host |
C.more women are earning money than before |
D.dad is the better parent in a family |
The author stayed at home to look after their son for 8 years because .
A.he thought he was the better parent
B.he was afraid of working outside now
C.their son liked him better than his Mom
D.he was less likely to find a job than his wifeWomen are good at taking care of children because .
A.they devote their time and attention to children |
B.they would rather stay at home than work outside |
C.they are born with the ability to look after children |
D.they’ve learn to take care of children from their parents |
What does the author concluded?
A.A man can tak![]() |
B.A man with experience can take good care of children. |
C.A child prefers to stay with his or her mother. |
D.A child prefers to stay with his or her father. |
Calvin Coolidge (1872 – 1933) was the thirtieth president of the United States. He looked down on a person as being unworthy of respect who was too fond of talking about the details of others people’s actions and private lives because he had no time for small talks. The following two incidents clearly show how Collidge treasured silence.
When he was vice president, Coolidge had plenty of opportunities to participate (参加) in Washington’s social life, especially the many dinner parties. As be ignored the art of conversation, he couldn’t exactly make himself dear to his hostesses. One lady felt she could solve this problem. She placed him next to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of the former President Roosevelt. Mrs. Longworth, a very brilliant conversationalist (谈话者), began to talk in her usual charming manner, but all attempts to a wake the interest on the part of the vice president were unproductive. Finally, being shamed into anger, she said, “I’m sure that going to as many dinners as you do, you must get terribly bored.”
Without lifting his eyes from his plate, Coolidge said not very clearly, “Well, a man has to eat somewhere.”
Later, when he was president and once again at a dinner party, Collidge was seated next to an outstanding society woman, one of those busybodies, who seemed to take delight in trying to change the lives of everyone they met. “Oh, Mr. President,” she spoke with too much enthusiasm, “you are always so quiet. I made a bet (打赌) today that I could get more than two words out of you.”
President Collidge considered those people as being unworthy of respect .
A.who liked to talk about the affairs of others |
B.who never talked about anything serious |
C.who often spoke insincerely |
D.who talked much but did little |
The hostesses thought Collidge was unfriendly because in her eyes.
A.he treated women coldly and rudely |
B.he paid no attention to conversational skills |
C.he was too serious to please any women |
D.he was pretty easy and quick to get angry |
Mrs. Longworth got shamed and angry because .
A.the vice president took part in too many dinner parties |
B.the vice president didn’t lift his eyes from his plate |
C.the vice president didn’t speak exactly and clearly |
D.the vice president didn’t react to all her efforts |
The underlined sentence “Well, a man has to eat somewhere” probably means .
A.Mr. Coolidge didn’t want to talk with Mrs. Longworth a![]() |
B.Mr. Coolidge had really got tired of so many social dinners |
C.Mr. Coolidge was unhappy with the dinner he was eating that day |
D.M![]() |
Washington D. C. is a great city to live in and visit – partly because D. C.’s public transportation can get you almost anywhere in the city, D. C.’s subway, the Metro, is great for getting you to the main tourist sites, but the bus is also a great resource and is cheaper. Learn how to conquer the D.C. bus system in a few quick steps will help you to have fun in this city.
* Things You’ll Need, cash or a D. C. Smart Trip card, a transfer (转乘卡) and a map of Washington, D. C.
* To choose a bus line to take from home or your hotel, look at the buses that arrive at the closest Metro stations.
Many bus routes start at a Metro subway terminal and make their way across the greater D.C. area.
*Learn to identify bus stops. They are usually located at the intersections(交叉) of streets. Look for a tall sign with a tall sign with the words of “Metro Bus” that is dark blue at the top, white in the middle and red at the bottom. Once you’ve found one of these signs, check the red section at the bottom of the sign. In it, you should see several number or letter combinations written in white. Those are the bus lines that service that stop.
*Be careful of the direction buses are heading for. All buses have an electronic screen on the front, side and back of the bus that let you know which way they are headed and what line the bus is. The signs will list the last stop on the bus route. Know where your bus terminates on each end so you can get on the bus heading in the direction you want to go.
*To board the bus, you'll obviously need some sort of payment. The bus will only accept cash or a SmarTrip card. SmarTrip cards are purchasable at several Metro stations or at Metro headquarters(总部) and cost $5. You can also buy the card online at www.wmata.com.
*If you do order it online, purchase it in advance as it will take time for it to ship. Riding the bus costs $1.35 if you pay in cash and $1.25 if you pay with your SmarTrip card.
*If you pay in cash, ask for a transfer slip. This will allow you to board the bus within a two-hour time period without having to pay again. These machines are located by the escalators that take you to the waiting platforms. To enjoy a wonderful tour in Washington D. C., you won’t need .
A.a D. C, Smart Trip card B.a transfer
C.a map of Washington D. C D.a tall signAccording to the passage, you can identify bus stops by .
A.looking at the buses that arrive at the closest Metro station from your hotel |
B.checking the red section at the bottom of the sign with a “metro bus” logo |
C.checking electronic screens on the front, side and back of the bus |
D.checking the machines located by the escalators taking you to the platforms |
The underlined word “terminates” probably means .
A.stops | B.decides | C.starts | D.passes |
Where can you get a Smart Trip card?
A.At a platform. | B.At a post office. |
C.At www. wmata. com | D.At a bus station. |
Training courses for the general public
We have developed a new range of first aid courses designed to meet the needs of home or leisure activities.It wjll help you in the everyday life.
Emergency life support
Our emergency life support course takes just three hours to complete and will give you the essential skills to save a life.It includes heart attacks, stroke, stomach-ache and serious bleeding.
Basic first aid
This course is about everyday first aid: minor burns and scalds (烫伤) , small cuts and scrapes in daily life, which are invaluable when accidents happen around the home —and when you're out and about.It doesn't include CPR.
This course is ideal for members of the public who want to learn first aid without having to do resuscitation or CPR.
Family first aid
This course is for families to leam first aid together.The course covers the same content as Basic first aid and Emergency life support.The course takes six hours.
In addition to the Basic first aid course content you will also learn:
●Treatment of asthma, head injuries, chest pains and shock.
●Treatment of severe bleeding and severe burns.
●Recognition and treatment for meningitis, poisons, seizures and stroke.
●Bone, muscle and joint injuries.
Activity first aid
This course takes 16 hours and includes all the content of Emergency life support.Basic first aid and Family first aid course.It also covers conditions caused by the extremes of temperature, low blood sugar and casualty management.
Total first aid
It is our most comprehensive first aid course taking 28 hours to complete.This course is for members of the public who want an in-depth knowledge of first aid techniques.This includes all of the content of the Activity first aid course and training in using some medical instruments.
Emergency aid for traffic
This course is specifically designed for accidents and covers emergency life support skills and head injuries.This course is ideal for members of the general public who are motorcyclists and wish to know how to handle an incident.
Sports first aid
This course will give you all the necessary first aid skills to deal with a whole range of sporting injuries.
45.These first aid training courses are mainly designed for.
A.housewives B.members of the public
C.doctors and nurses D.school students
46.The underlined word "scrapes" in the third paragraph probably means " ".
A.injuries caused by a serious accident B.sudden attack of illness in the brain
C.injuries caused by something rough D.injuries caused by wild animals
47.How long does it take to complete Basic first aid course?
A.Three hours. B.Four hours. C.Five hours. D.Six hours.
48.Which of the following contains most first aid skills?
A.Basic first aid. B.Family first aid.
C.Activity first aid. D.Total first aid
The strong fear of high school math is lost here among the blue light of computer screens and the sounds of typing keyboard.
A fanfare (喇叭声) plays from a speaker as a student passes a chapter test.Nearby another student is watching a video lecture.Another works out a math problem in her notebook before clicking on a multiple-choice answer on her screen.
Their teacher at Agoura High School, US, Russell Stephans, sits at the back of the room, watching as scores pop up in real time on his computer grade sheet.One student has passed a level, the data shows; another is retaking a quiz.
"Whoever thought this up^makes life so much easier," Stephans says.
This textbook-free classroom is by no means the norm(常态), but it may be someday.Slowly, but in increasing numbers, schools across the US are replacing the heavy and expensive textbook with its lighter and cheaper cousin: the digital textbook.
A digital textbook can be downloaded, projected and printed, and can range from simple text to a course filled with multimedia and links to Internet content.Some versions (版本) must be purchased; others are "open source" —free and available online to anyone.
Some praise the technology as a way to save schools' money, replace outdated books and better engage students.Others say most schools don't have the resources to join in, or they question the quality of open-source content.
Paper books still hold the highest percentage of the US textbook market, with digital textbooks making up less than 5 percent, according to analyst Kathy Mickey of Simba Information, a market research group.
But that is changing, as grade schools follow the lead of US liniversities and schools in other countries, including South Korea and Turkey.
California made the largest embrace (拥抱) of digital textbooks this summer when it approved 10 free high school math and science titles developed by college professors.The state left the choice to use them up to individual schools.
"The textbooks are outdated, as far as I'm concerned, and there's no reason why our schools should have our students pull around these old-fashioned and heavy and expensive books," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said this summer.
But some disagree with the idea that digital textbooks will improve education quality.
"Keep in mind that with open-source materials, you have to ask: 'Where are they coming from?'" said Jay Diskey, executive director of the Association of American Publishers' school division."Is it a trusted source? Is it based on real research?"
Diskey said traditional textbooks offer a comprehensive course, while some open-source texts provide only bits and pieces."There can be quite a difference of content and accuracy," he said."In many cases, you get what you pay for."
57.The writer's purpose in writing the passage is to .
A.explain how to use digital textbooks
B.predict the future of paper textbooks
C.describe the current use of digital textbooks and present arguments about it
D.explain the difference between paper textbooks and digital ones
58.What is Schwarzenegger's opinion of traditional textbooks?
A.He is against getting rid of them.
B.He wants to have them replaced with digital ones.
C.Soon they will no longer be used.
D.He believes that they are to blame for the poor quality of education in California
59.Diskey holds the view that .
A.the government shouldn't strengthen the use of open-source digital texts
B.digital textbooks make up for the shortcomings of traditional textbooks.
C.paper textbooks and digital ones both have advantages
D.traditional textbooks have more reliable content
60.According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
A.Math is easier with the use of computers.
B.It is believed that digital books will replace traditional ones.
C.Textbook-free classes are the main form of teaching in the US schools.
D.Not all people are in favor of replacing paper textbooks with digital ones.