Americans are thinking about national education standards recently developed by teachers and other education experts. The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) led the effort.
The United States, unlike other nations, has never had the same school standards across the country. What is the reason? Education is not discussed in the Constitution. That document limits the responsibilities of the federal government. Other responsibilities, like education, fall to each state.
Local control of education probably was a good idea two hundred years ago. People stayed in the same place and schools knew what students needed to learn. But today, people move to different cities. And some people work at jobs that did not exist even twenty years ago.
Many American educators say that getting a good education should not depend on where you live. They say that some states have lowered their standards in order to increase student scores on tests required by the No Child Left behind Act.
Kara Schlosser is communications director for the CCSSO. She says the new standards clearly state what a student should be able to do to be successful in college and work.
Forty--eight states have already shown approval for the standards. Two states refuse to accept the idea. Critics say that working toward the same standards in every state will not guarantee excellence for all. Some educators in Massachusetts say adopting the national standards will hurt their students because the state standards are even higher. Others say the change will be too costly, requiring new textbooks and different kinds of training for teachers. Still others fear federal control.
Supporters say the standards are goals and do not tell states or teachers how to teach. They also say the federal government is not forcing acceptance. However, approving the standards will help states qualify (取得资格) for some federal grant money.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Local Control of Education Standards out of Date |
B.American National Education Standards under Consideration |
C.Education Standards in Each State--Good or Bad. |
D.Acceptance of the New Standards in the United States |
Why is local control of education no 1onger a good idea today?
A.Because local standards are limited. |
B.Because it is required by the federal government. |
C.Because people today moves among states more often than before. |
D.Because America has never had the same school standards throughout the country. |
Some people are against the nationa1 education standards because__________
A.the standards are higher than those of each state |
B.they are not yet prepared for the new standards |
C.the standards may prevent some students gaining excellence |
D.they don't want the federal government to train their teachers |
If a state agrees to accept the national standards, it will probably get ________.
A.more students | B.advice on how to improve teaching |
C.better textbooks | D.money from the federal government |
A traveller was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveller's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(灵魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveller then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(镜头) cap!" The children shouted when the traveller was taking pictures of them because ______.
A.they didn't want to stop playing |
B.the traveller forgot to take off the cap on her head |
C.they didn't want to have their pictures taken |
D.the traveller was not doing well with her camera |
The traveller made an apology to (向……道歉) the head because _______.
A.she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand(事先) |
B.the children would lose their souls |
C.she had stayed in the village too long |
D.she didn't take a picture of the head first |
The traveller explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.
A.the head was very interested in her camera |
B.the head wanted to learn to take pictures |
C.she was afraid of the head |
D.she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing |
When the head smiled, it's clear that _______ .
A.the children wanted to play with her |
B.the traveller didn't know what the children meant |
C.he wanted the traveller to tell him something else |
D.the traveller didn't let him speak |
Which of the following is NOT right?
A.The traveller knew something about people in some countries. |
B.The children wouldn't mind if the traveller took pictures of them. |
C.The head was afraid that the traveller's camera would hurt the children. |
D.The traveller didn't understand why the children shouted. |
Learning a Second Language
Some people learn a second language easily. Others have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.
The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes. In other words, do not worry about taking risks.
The second step is to practice your English. For example, write a diary every day. You will get used to writing it in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. Several weeks later, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.
The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it.
You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confident in yourself.To feel positive about learning English means _______.
A.if you are patient, you will learn |
B.you can understand everything all at once |
C.if you make mistakes, you can learn from your mistakes |
D.if you believe you can learn, you will learn |
When you learn English, you do not need to ______.
A.be patient | B.make mistakes |
C.express your ideas in English | D.understand everything all at once |
What is not helpful for you to enjoy learning English?
A.To communicate in English. |
B.To worry about taking risks. |
C.To think about what has been done after each class. |
D.To make a record of the achievements. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.It is very important to learn a second language. |
B.Some people learn a second language easily while other people do not. |
C.There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily. |
D.Don’t worry about taking risks when learning a second language. |
What does the underlined word “journal” in the 4th paragraphmean?
A.Diary | B.Composition | C.Poem | D.Newspaper |
Your body, which has close relations with the food you eat, is the most important thing you own, so it needs proper treatment and proper nourishment (营养).The old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away ”is not as silly as some people think. The body needs fruit and vegetables because they contain vitamin C. Many people take extra vitamins in pill form, believing that these will make them healthy.
But a good diet is made up of nourishing food and this gives all the vitamins you need. The body doesn’t need or use extra vitamins, so why waste money on them?
In the modern western world, many people are too busy to bother about eating properly. They throw anything into their stomachs, eating hurriedly and carelessly. The list of illnesses caused or made worse by bad eating habits is frightening,“Your body has close relations with the food you eat.” It really means that ______.
A.all kinds of food you eat can be made into your body |
B.your body is made up of the food you eat |
C.what you eat has great effect on your health |
D.the more you eat, the fitter you will feel |
The old saying referred to in the passage tells us that ______.
A.eating apples regularly does lots of good to our health |
B.the apple is the best among all kinds of fruits |
C.apples can take the place of doctors |
D.an apple is a sure cure for illness |
In the second paragraph, the writer tries to let us know ______.
A.our bodies need food or we can’t live |
B.often eating apples is a good habit |
C.taking extra vitamin pills is completely useless |
D.a good diet is of great importance for our health |
In the modern western countries ______.
A.people don’t want to pay more attention to their eating |
B.lots of people’s illnesses are caused or made worse by bad eating habits |
C.people throw everything into their stomachs without chewing |
D.people are only too busy to cook meals for themselves |
From the passage we can draw a conclusion that if we want to keep healthy, we should ______.
A.only eat an apple a day |
B.eat properly |
C.take as many vitamin pills as possible |
D.throw something into our stomachs slowly and carefully |
IS IT TIME TO GET - MP3
Your computer has been playing music for years, one CD at a time.Now hundreds of songs can be stored in your PC if they’re in the MP3 format.
What is it?
MP3 compresses (压缩) music into small computer—friendly files.You access MP3 music several ways: Tunes can be downloaded from websites that have converted (转变) vast music libraries into MP3.Or you can prerecorded CDs into your PC and convert songs in minutes into MP3.Once MP3 music is on your PC’s hard drive, you can play it through your computer’s speakers, “burn” it onto blank CDs or swap (交换) MP3 files with friends using e—mail.
How much?
Software needed to play and convert MP3 music is often free.It is preinstalled (预先安装)on most new computers or can be downloaded from many websites, including MP3, com.Some MP3 sites are free.Just type at around $50 and can hold hundreds of songs.A blank CD on which you can record music costs about a dollar.
Advantages
MP3 turns your home PC into a jukebox (自动唱机).Tiny MP3 players are the size of a deck of cards, making it easy to take hundreds of songs with you.
Disadvantages
You may find that music at many sites is limited.And some only allow you to listen rather than download offerings.Others let you download music that then can’t be copied to MP3 players.And a growing number of new CDs make it impossible to copy songs to a computer.How can you get Mp3 music?
A.By turning your home PC into jukebox. |
B.By taking you own music or songs with you. |
C.By copying songs to a PC through the speakers. |
D.By downloading from websites which have converted music libraries. |
How much will you pay for a MP3 player?
A.Free of charge | B.Free downloading |
C.At least fifty dollars | D.About a dollar |
What is the closest meaning of the underlined word “burn”?
A.Copy | B.Play | C.Store | D.Change |
If you go to Brisbane, Australia, you can easily get a small book called Discover Brisbane free.Here is something about banks on page 49:
ANZ Banking Group
Cnr.Greek & Queen Sts ………………………………………………238 3228
Bank of New Zealand
410 Queen Street …………………………………………………… 221 0411
Bank of Queensland
229 Elizabeth Street ………………………………………………… 229 3122
Commonwealth Banking Group
240 Queen Street …………………………………………………… 237 3111
National Australia Bank Ltd
225 Adelaide Street ………………………………………………… 221 6422
Westpac Banking Corp
260 Queen Street …………………………………………………… 227 2666
Banking hours are Mon.-Thu.9:30 am to 4 pm.Fri.9:30 am to 5 pm.All banks close Sat.Sun.& Public Holidays.You can find ANZ Banking Group on ________________.
A.Queen Street |
B.Elizabeth Street |
C.the corner of Greek Street and Queen Street |
D.the corner of Queen Street and Elizabeth Street |
On Saturdays, you can go to _____________ to put your money in or take your money out.
A.ANZ Banking Group |
B.Bank of Queensland |
C.National Australia Bank Ltd |
D.none of the banks |
In Australia, the banks have their longest service hours on _____________.
A.public holidays | B.Fridays | C.Saturdays | D.Sundays |