One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnection between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment（蚕食）?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.
Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive（认知的）skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents — and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters（培养）leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame. They are over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite of passage（通过仪式）.
Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that strengthen love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will _________.
| A．be less healthy both physically and mentally | B．keep a high sense of wonder |
| C．be over-protected by their parents | D．change wild places and creatures for the better |
According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is _________.
| A．the fault on the part of their parents | B．the result of their own carelessness in play |
| C．the natural experience in their growing up | D．the effect of their repetitive stress from computers |
In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to _________.
| A．blame children for getting lost in computer games |
| B．show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature |
| C．encourage children to protect parks from encroachment |
| D．inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around |
The teacher was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry. The miller at Cresscombe lent him the small cart and horse to carry his goods to Christminster, the city of his destination, such a vehicle proving of quite enough size for the teacher's belongings. For his only article, in addition to the packing-case of books, was a piano that he had bought when he thought of learning instrumental music. But the eagerness having faded he had never acquired any skill in playing, and the purchased article had been a permanent trouble to him.
The headmaster had gone away for the day, being a man who disliked the sight of changes. He did not mean to return till the evening, when the new teacher would have arrived, and everything would be smooth again.
The blacksmith, the farm bailiff and the teacher were standing in confused attitudes in the sitting room before the instrument. The teacher had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he should not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster, since he was only going into a temporary place just at first.
A little boy of eleven, who had been assisting in the packing, joined the group of men, and said, ‘Aunt has got a fuel-house, and it could be put there, perhaps, till you’ve found a place to settle in, sir.’
‘Good idea,’ said the blacksmith.
The smith and the bailiff started to see about the possibility of the suggested shelter, and the boy and the teacher were left standing alone.
‘Sorry I am going, Jude?’ asked the latter kindly.
Tears rose into the boy’s eyes. He admitted that he was sorry.
‘So am I,’ said Mr. Phillotson.
‘Why do you go, sir?’ asked the boy.
‘Well—don't speak of this everywhere. You know what a university is, and a university degree? It is the necessary hallmark (标志) of a man who wants to do anything in teaching. My scheme, or dream, is to be a university graduate. By going to live at Christminster, I shall be at headquarters, so to speak, and if my scheme is practicable at all, I consider that being on the spot will afford me a better chance.’
The smith and his companion returned. Old Miss Fawley's fuel-house was practicable; and she seemed willing to give the instrument standing-room there. So it was left in the school till the evening, when more hands would be available for removing it; and the teacher gave a final glance round.
At nine o'clock Mr. Phillotson mounted beside his box of books, and waved his friends good-bye.It seemed that the teacher _____.
| A．was not getting on well with the headmaster |
| B．had lived a rather simple life in the village |
| C．was likely to continue to practice playing the piano |
| D．would get help in the city on arriving there |
The motivation of the teacher’s moving lay in his _____.
| A．ambition | B．devotion | C．admiration | D．inspiration |
The boy named Jude may be described as _____.
| A．polite, generous and cheerful | B．active, modest and friendly |
| C．kind, bright and helpful | D．calm, confident and humorous |
In the passage the writer describes both the teacher’s _____.
| A．love for music and his dislike for musical instruments |
| B．hard work in the village and his strong interest in city life |
| C．friendship with some villagers and also conflicts with others |
| D．eagerness to go to the city and his affection for the village |
Why does a large education nation like China have so few world renowned scientists as the US? Educationists from China and the US try to find out the answer to questions like this at a forum on the basic education strategy.
The forum, held recently, was jointly organized by the Education Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education in China and the Postgraduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US. It aims to find out similarities and differences that exist between two countries in their educational system.
While some educationists in China keep a doubtful eye to the country’s educational system in recent years. Their American counterparts give a positive answer to the basic education in China, saying that it is still one of the best in the world.
An American educationist told reporters that the basic education in the US was criticized in recent years due to its political tendency. On the contrary, Chinese government’s stress on basic education and qualified teachers has set a good example.
At primary and middle school, pupils in China did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils. However, few grow to be world “masters”. Why? Educationists attributed this to China’s stress on examination rather than students’ interest.
Deputy Director of the postgraduate school of Pennsylvania University said American teachers encouraged students to focus on their strong points. In China, students are driven to study to pass the entrance examination test and they do not pay much attention to their own interest.
At the forum, director of the Education Development Research Center Mr. Zhang said in the future, the research center would make its middle and long-term basic education strategy by taking some references from other countries including the US.
He also revealed that for a long time in the future, China would make a breakthrough in setting the policy for quality education.This passage is mainly about _________.
| A．quality education development in the future |
| B．why China’s education cultivates few world masters |
| C．China’s good basic education |
| D．genius education at the primary stage |
The underlined word “renowned” in the first paragraph probably means ________
| A．famous | B．active | C．qualified | D．experienced |
The following statements are true EXCEPT that _________
| A．basic education in the US is associated with the government’s political interest. |
| B．the forum aims to find out the reason why there few world masters in China. |
| C．all the educationists in China cast doubts in the country’s educational system. |
| D．Chinese government’s stress on basic education is spoken highly of. |
China’s educational system will _______ in the future.
| A．help students to study even harder to pass the examination |
| B．apply more attention to quality education referring to systems of other countries |
| C．allow students to pay more attention to their own interest without their test results |
| D．copy the educational system in the US |
Master of Science in Information Systems (MS INSY)
University of Texas Arlington College of Business Administration
Introduction1. Learn how to develop and manage computer-based informationStart date01/05/2008
systemsEnd dateRequest info
2. Learn how information systems support general business activitiesPlace United States
3. Prepare for careers in business, industry, government, or non-profit of America,
organizations Arlington, TX
4. Electives (选修课程) available:Application deadline
●expert systems01/01/2008
●decision support systemsStart date01/09/2008
●system conceptsEnd date Request info
●computer science Place United States
●information systemsof America,
●management scienceArlington, TX●business logisticsApplication deadline●enterprise resource planning (ERP)01/04/2008
RequirementsStart date01/01/2009
For those students holding a BBA or equivalent, this program requires End date Request info
a minimum of 30 hours (holders of non-business degrees will likely Place United States
require additional coursework): of America,
12 hours of coursework in:Arlington, TX●management information systemsApplication Deadline●database management systems01/09/2008
●system analysis and designTYPECampus
●distributed information systems and data communicationsLevel Master
6 hours of Thesis research on a major project (or substitute 9 hours of Duration Request info
advanced electives) Part time No
6 hours of research/statistics courses Full timeYes
6 hours of electives Price Request infoIf you want your program to start from September 2008, you’ll have to apply before _______.
| A．May 1st | B．September 1st | C．January 1st | D．April 1st |
Students of non-business degrees are required to spend _______ hours on the program.
| A．at most 48 | B．at least 42 | C．more than 30 | D．not less than 60 |
What do we learn from the above web page?
| A．You won’t be admitted to the university if you are working in a company. |
| B．This program will prepare you for your further study in business. |
| C．Expert systems, computer science and business activities are available as electives. |
| D．Detailed information about the end dates can be obtained by phone. |
I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby's point of view.
Mothers, doctors and nurse alike have no idea of where a baby's blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.
It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I've never heard anything so ridiculous. Baby feeding shouldn't follow a timetable set by the mum. What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.
Well, at last we have copper-bottomed research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding . The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5, 7 , 11 and 14, than babies fed according to the clock. By the age of 8, their IQ（智商）scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable. This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample（样本）of 10,419 children born in the early 1990s,taking account of parental education, family income, a child's sex and age, the mother's health and feeling style. These results don't surprise me. Feeling according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.
I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeling practices.What does the author think about Dr King?
| A．He is strict |
| B．He is unkind |
| C．He has the wrong idea. |
| D．He sets a timetable for mothers |
The word copper-bottomed in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________
| A．basic | B．reliable | C．surprising | D．interesting |
What does the research tell us about feeling a baby on demand?
| A．The baby will sleep well. |
| B．The baby will have its brain harmed. |
| C．The baby will have a low blood sugar level. |
| D．The baby will grow to be wiser by the age of 8. |
The author supports feeling the baby_______.
| A．in the night |
| B．every four hours |
| C．whenever it wants food |
| D．according to its blood sugar level |
书面表达
假定最近你们班进行了一次题为“保护文化遗产是否很重要”的讨论。请根据以下要点用英语向大家介绍一下讨论结果，并谈谈你自己的看法。
| 观点 |
87%认为重要 |
13%认为不重要 |
| 理由 |
1．文化遗产是古代伟大文明的象征； 2．文化遗产大多和伟人联系在一起， 保护文化遗产也是尊重伟人 3．保护文化遗产可以增强我们的民族自豪感 |
1．对社会发展无太大的促进作用； 2．浪费金钱和时间 |
注意：1. 词数120左右。
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：促进 promote文化遗产 cultural relics
古代伟大文明的象征a symbol of great ancient civilization
Recently our class had a heated discussion about