Scores on a national test released(发布)on November 1 show that students in the U.S.A. have improved in math over the last two years, but mostly stayed the same in reading. This year, 422,000 fourth graders and 343,000 eighth graders took the exams between January and March. Students were asked to read grade-appropriate(年级适合的) materials and answer questions for the reading test. For the math test, students answered questions about geometry, algebra, number properties, measurement and other topics.
The U.S Department of Education released the scores in a report called The Nation’s Report Card (NAEP). This year, students earned the highest scores ever recorded on the math exam, which has been given since 1990.Fourth graders scored an average of 241.That is a one-point increase from 2009and a 28-point increase from 1990. Eighth graders made similar progress. Then average score this year was 284,up one point from 2009 and 21 points from 1990.
In reading, fourth graders scored an average of 221 points, the same average score since 2007.That score is four points above those from 1992, when the first reading test was given. Eighth graders scored an average of 265 points, up one point from 2009 and five points from 1992.
Education experts say reading is a harder subject to improve in the classroom than math. While math is largely learned in classrooms, reading results depend on how much kids read outside of school and how much they read in other subjects, such as history and science.
On the NAEP, math scores were the highest among students who have limited use of calculators(计算器) during math lessons, compared with students who have unlimited use or no use. Reading scores were the highest among students who said they read for fun on their own time almost every day.According to the test, students in the U.S.A _______________________.
| A．do better in math than in reading |
| B．work harder at reading than at math |
| C．prefer to learn math in their spare time |
| D．are more interested in reading than before |
In 1990, the fourth graders’ average score on the math exam was about____________
| A．238 | B．240 | C．213 | D．220 |
We can learn from the third paragraph that ______________.
| A．eighth graders all took part in the test in 2007 |
| B．reading scores have not improved much since 2007 |
| C．eighth graders got higher scores than fifth graders |
| D．fourth graders’ scores are becoming lower and lower |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The first reading test was given in 1990. |
| B．Eighth graders’ average math score was 285 in 2009 |
| C．Eighth graders got the same average as fourth graders in the reading this year |
| D．Reading is hard to improve in the classroom because that requires students to read a lot outside of school. |
Violent winds swept the ocean, and waves thundered to shore, shaking the lookout tower at Pea Island Rescue Station. Surfman Theodore Meekins was on watch that evening of 11 October 1896. A hurricane had struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the tide was so strong that beach patrols(巡逻)had been canceled. Still, Meekins paid close attention to the horizon. This was the type of weather that could blow ships hundreds of miles off course.
Offshore, the ship E.S. Newman was caught in the storm. The captain, whose wife and child were on the ship, feared the Newman would soon break up. He made the decision to beach his ship, then fired a signal, praying that someone onshore would see it.
Meekins, whose eyes were trained to cut through rain and surf mists, thought he saw the signal, but so much spray (水雾) covered the lookout windows that he could hardly make sure. Still, he took no chances. After summoning (召集) the station keeper, Captain Richard Etheridge, Meekins set off a coston signal, a signal made by using lamps of different colors. Together, the two men searched the darkness for a reply. A few moments later, they saw a flash of light to the south and knew a shop was in distress (遇险). Even before the return signal burned out, Etheridge had summoned his men and begun rescue operations.
For the lifesavers, the rescue of the Newman was nothing unusual. Over the years, so many ships had foundered off the Outer Banks that sailors called the region the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Noting the dangerous surf and wind conditions, Captain Etheridge quickly decided the surf boats would be impossible to control. Instead, he decided to use another way to help the survivors.
The crew set off on the long journey down the beach to the scene of the wreck (海滩). Captain Etheridge hoped to fire a line from a gun to the ship’s mast (船桅). After the ship’s crew dragged the line onboard, the surfmen would fire a second line and carry survivors safely to shore.
The surfmen crossed three miles of sand to reach the ship Newman. The water was freezing, and the men often sank up to their knees in sand. Captain Etheridge noted in his diary that “the voice of gladdened hearts greeted the arrival of the station crew,” but that “it seemed impossible for them to do anything under such circumstances. The work was often stopped by the sweeping current.”
Even when the rescue equipment proved useless, Etheridge refused to give up. Choosing two of his strongest surfmen, he tied rope lines around their waists and sent them into the water. The two men, holding a line from shore, walked with huge effort as far as they could before diving through the waves. Nearly worn out while swimming against the tide, they finally made it to the shore.
The first to be rescued were the captain’s wife and child. With the two passengers tied to their backs, the surfmen fought their way back to shore. Taking turns, Etheridge and his crew made ten trips to the Newman, saving every person onboard. It was 1:00 a.m. when the crew and survivors finally made it back to the station.
That night, as the exhausted survivors lay sleeping and his lifesaving crew rested, Captain Etheridge picked up his pen, and in the light of an oil lantern, wrote with satisfaction that all the people onboard had been saved and were “sheltered in this station”—words he would remember for many years to come.The beach patrols were canceled because ________.
| A．Meekins paid enough attention to the horizon |
| B．there was too much spray on the windows |
| C．the winds and tide were too strong |
| D．there was no ship near the station |
The underlined word “foundered” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “___________”.
| A．stopped | B．sank | C．sailed | D．arrived |
What was the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To warn sailors of the dangers of hurricanes. |
| B．To create a story describing a rescue at sea. |
| C．To inform people about Richard Etheridge. |
| D．To record the details about the Newman. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The newman was very dangerous before Richard Etheridge and his team members saw the signal. |
| B．A terrible hurricane took place off the coast of North Carolina and threatened the lives of many sailors. |
| C．At no other time in American history have so many shipwrecked passengers survived such a violent storm. |
| D．All the passengers of a shipwreck were rescued because of heroic the efforts of a special leader and his crew. |
Grace Kane hangs onto an Olympic dream of clinging to a granite (花岗岩) wall by her fingertips 70 feet from the ground. The fearless girl is only 10, but already has scaled great heights in the sport of rock climbing.
Last week, Kane won a bronze in the 11andyounger sport class at the USA Climbing Youth National Championships in Atlanta. She was the only competitor of the 31 there with no climbing coach or topflight facilities in which to train. Climbing will become an exhibition at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil. The hope of enthusiasts is that the sport will gain full status in 2020.“I’m already training for that,” said Kane. “Climbing is my passion, my love, and I want to make something of it.”
Her dad took her to climb rocks on her fourth birthday for the first time and today he can’t keep up with her, “It’s the freedom to let loose,” she said. “When I’m up there, I’m so focused and don’t hear anything. I always feel comforted knowing people are supporting me.”
The bronze in Atlanta qualified Kane for the USA team and November’s International Championships in Ecuador. That’s a trip she might have to miss because it’s too expensive.
Kane held a backyard music concert---she played the guitar and the piano and wrote inspirational songs---and raised $600 for her $1,500 trip to Atlanta. She’s also been sponsored by a shoe company, but must rely heavily on donations from family and friends for travel expenses.
Her mom Heather Kane said the family has chosen “to do whatever we need to help her achieve her goals”. One of Grace’s biggest challenges is finding balance in her life. There’s school, her music and church to fit around climbing.
“Climbing is going to mean sacrificing things other kids might pursue,” Grace said. “But it doesn’t bother me. It’s like playing the piano; you can’t take a break or you’ll lose your touch.”What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Rock climbing gains popularity |
| B．Grace Kane likes challenges |
| C．A young climber follows her dream |
| D．An amazing victory for a young rock climber |
We can learn from the second paragraph that rock climbing ________.
| A．is not an exhibition at the Olympics now |
| B．is an official event at the Olympics now |
| C．is not open to children |
| D．will gain full status in 2020 |
Which of the following is TRUE about Grace Kane?
| A．She is only interested in rock climbing. |
| B．She is a girl with many talents. |
| C．Rock climbing has affected her study. |
| D．She has won gold medals in several matches. |
One of Grace’s biggest challenges is to ________.
| A．find a capable coach for her |
| B．get qualified for the USA team |
| C．raise enough money for International competitions |
| D．keep balance between rock climbing and other activities |
I paid a visit to Cambridge last January. Though the trip took me 5 hours and it rained the whole day with strong winds there, the town deserved a visit.
The bus started at 6:10 a. m. It stopped at 4 airports before we finally arrived，which wasted more time than we expected. Tired with long sitting，one passenger stood up to relax his numbed legs. The driver asked him to sit down but in vain. So he pulled up and said seriously, “Either you get off or sit down.” To him, safety is the first policy.
Cambridge consists of over thirty colleges. The oldest part of the university was built in the 13th century while the newest was founded in the mid 1960s.The number of the students is so great that many students live in lodgings（出租房）and move into college for their final year.
Cambridge is called a university town because there is no clear separation between the university buildings and the rest of the city. The university is not just one part of the town；it is all over the town. The heart of Cambridge has shops，pubs，and supermarkets，but most of it is university-colleges，departments，libraries，clubs and other places for university staff and students. Students fill the shops，cafes，banks and churches，making these as well part of the university.
With over 10,000 undergraduates and postgraduates, the town is a busy place indeed. Students here are not allowed to keep cars. If you happen to be walking in the street during a break，better stop a moment to avoid the boiling sea of bicycles hurrying in all directions，carrying students from one college or lecture room to another.The writer believed that the trip took more time because of________
| A．bad weather | B．unexpected stops of the bus |
| C．one passenger | D．an accident on the way |
Why is Cambridge called a university town？
| A．It has 10，000 undergraduates and postgraduates. |
| B．There are over thirty colleges in the town. |
| C．All the students and staff live in the town. |
| D．The university and town are fully combined. |
It can be inferred that most Cambridge students take _______as their first means of transport.
| A．boats | B．cars | C．bicycles | D．buses |
D
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet (彗星) is heading towards the Earth . Most of it will miss our planet , but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth .
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere (大气层) with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed , but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound . The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed . Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole . The wall of water , a kilometer high , rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour . Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people re drowned .
Before the waves reach South America , the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina . Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains . The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean . The cities of Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes . Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long . Because of the explosions , the sun is hidden by clouds of dust , temperatures around the world fall to almost zero .Crops are ruined . The sun won’t be seen again for many years . Wars break out as countries fight for food . A year later , no more than 10 million people remain alive .
Could it really happen ? In fact , it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth . The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years . Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared . Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space . The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out . Will we meet the same end ?What is mainly described in the passage ?
| A．A historic discovery . | B．An event of imagination |
| C．A research on space . | D．A scientific adventure . |
When the first piece hits the South Atlantic , it causes .
| A．an earthquake | B．damages to cities |
| C．an Earth explosion | D．huge waves |
Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long ?
| A．Because the land is covered with water |
| B．Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth . |
| C．Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero . |
| D．Because wars break out among countries . |
C
8：30 PM
Outlook
Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up date with all that’s new in the world of entertainment. Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic, from stage to screen. There will be reports of the stars of the moment, the stars of the future and the stars of the past. The director with his new film，he designer with the latest fashion and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook . The program is introduced by Fran Levine.
9:00 PM
Discovery
When a 10-year-old boy gets a first class degree in mathematics or an 8-year-old plays chess like a future grand master， they are considered as geniuses . Where does the quality of genius come from? Is it all in the genes (基因) or can any child be turned into a genius ? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future，what should they do? In this 30-minute film, Barry Johnson , the professor at School of Medicine , New York University will help you discover the answer .
10:00 P
Science/Health
Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs? The answer is “yes”, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins and three other medical centers . After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure , they found that after 6 months , those devoted to weight loss—exercise and eating a low—salt , low-fat food—lost about 13 pounds and became fitter . Plus , 35% of them dropped into the “normal” category(范畴). This week, Dr . Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what’s achieved with Hypertension drugs .The main purpose of writing these three texts is .
| A．to invite people to see films |
| B．to invite people to topic discussions |
| C．to attract more students to attend lectures |
| D．to attract more people to watch TV programs |
From Outlook , you can get a great deal of information about .
| A．story tellers | B．famous stars | C．film companies | D．music fans |
Who will be most probably interested in Discovery ?
| A．Parents who want to send their children to a school of medicine . |
| B．Children who are good at mathematics . |
| C．Parents who want their child to become another Albert Einstein . |
| D．Children who are interested in playing chess . |
In Science / Health; “Johns Hopkins” is .
| A．a famous university | B．a medical center |
| C．a well-known doctor | D．a drug company |
According to the third text , which of the following has almost the same effect as Hypertension drug ?
| A．Exercise plus a healthy diet . | B．Loss of thirteen pounds in weight . |
| C．Six months of exercise without drugs . | D．Low-salt and low-fat food . |