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. |
People are different. Some are extrovert. These people are outgoing, confident, and know the “gift of the gab”. They also feel very comfortable when in groups of people.
Unfortunately we have the other extreme. This is the introvert. The introvert feels sick in crowds, and does not like them. These people feel awkward in the crowds, when placed in this type of situation. Many introverts are shy and lack confidence. They need to get used to people, and want to run away when questioned by people.
The introvert feels very lonely in a crowd, but this could happen to the outgoing as well.
I think that I fall into the middle of the two kinds. Sometimes if I am comfortable about the type of people in the crowds, I feel welcome. If for some reason the crowd consists of different types of people, then I do not feel very comfortable in the crowd.
So what do I do when I suddenly feel lost and alone in the crowd? I try to calm my mind by taking deep breath and telling myself that even this will pass. I then try, and get away from the crowd by making excuses or even trying to get to my car and go home. This, of course, is a poor excuse and doesn’t often work well. These are excuses that are employed. The ones that I am not so proud of are acting like I have an emergency to go to. This is a very good lie, but I feel really bad afterwards.
I have tried this one, and have succeeded. I try and find someone who feels just like I do. I then try and make a new friend. Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. This is quite a noble way of staying in the crowd.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．What is the character of the introvert? |
| B．Why do people feel lonely in a crowd? |
| C．How can we make ourselves calm down in a crowd? |
| D．What do you do when you suddenly feel lonely in a crowd? |
The word “extrovert” is most likely to mean ______.
| A．serious | B．excited | C．outgoing | D．nervous |
From the fourth paragraph we can infer that _____.
| A．the writer is good at getting along with others |
| B．the writer does not like to deal with people from other regions |
| C．the writer sometimes does not feel very comfortable in the crowd |
| D．the writer has double personality when faced with different types of people |
When the writer feels lonely, he prefers to calm down by _____.
| A．making a call | B．making excuses |
| C．holding his breath | D．deep breathing |
From my first day, I was attending press conferences and other media events all over town. I got to attend events at places I had never thought I’d get to: the White House, the Senate and House of Representative buildings at the Capitol (国会大厦), the Department of Health and Human Services, just to name a few. And I was sent to cover these events as if I were a reporter, not just an intern (实习生) .
In fact, I never really felt like an intern. I was given the opportunity to do the work that everyone else at the paper was doing. I covered stories on my own and wrote the articles myself. I was included in discussions for story ideas. I helped to edit the articles that went into the paper. I was able to take part in every aspect of the newspaper that I wanted to experience.
The best part of working at the Nation’s Health was the staff. They were supportive in letting me go out and do things on my own, while I always knew that they would be more than happy to answer any questions or help me with any problems I might have. Best of all, they treated me as their equal, not just an intern whom they could get to do all the work they didn’t want to do.
After interning at the Nation’s Health for nearly seven months and having more than 30 articles published, I had to move on. My experience there gave me insight into how the media work, which helps me when I’m trying to choose stories. In addition, it showed me that work really can be fun.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How good reporting begins with journalism interns. |
| B．The author’s opportunity to work at the Nation’s Health. |
| C．The author’s experience working as an intern |
| D．The author’s first day as a professional reporter. |
What impressed the author most when working at the Nation’s Health?
| A．The employees treated her as one of them equally. |
| B．The opportunity to work alone. |
| C．Covering stories and writing articles |
| D．Coming up with story ideas for the newspaper. |
We can infer that the author had thought an intern would be made to ____.
| A．go to as many places as possible |
| B．do the boring things that others didn’t want to do |
| C．treat people equally, no matter who they were. |
| D．get help from a professional reporter |
What did the author think of her experience of working at the Notion’s Health?
| A．Meaningful | B．Disappointing | C．Tiring | D． Surprising |
Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
----- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road？ To get to the other side. Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road. Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads， the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact， only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason？ Road kill. "Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts, " said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society. But do animals actually use the ecopassages？The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage. Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses. The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass！The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.
| A．wild animals have become more dangerous |
| B．the driving conditions have improved greatly |
| C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
| D．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”， he means_________.
| A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
| B．animals begin to learn to use ecopassages |
| C．animals are crossing the road in groups |
| D．animals are increasing in number |
The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.
| A．wild animals may attack cars |
| B．wild animals may jam the road |
| C．they may see wild animals in the park |
| D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages |
In 1859，during the Gold Rush，a twenty- year-old immigrant（移民）from Bavaria named Levi Strauss stepped off the boat in San Francisco. He had with him a special cloth called Serge de Nimes that was later called denim in America. Levi Strauss hoped to sell the denim as material to make tents and covers for wagons to the men who were going to the goldfields to look for gold.
“You should have brought trousers to sell. In the goldfields we need strong trousers that don‘t wear out，”one young miner advised Strauss. So Levi Strauss took some of his denim to the nearest tailor and had him make the miner a pair of trousers. The miner was so pleased that he told other miners about the wonderful newcomer，Levi，and soon Levi Strauss had to open a shop，producing enough trousers for the miners. The miners wanted trousers that were comfortable to ride in and were low cut so that they could bend over easily to pick up the gold from under their feet. Besides they wanted the trousers to have big useful pockets. One miner complained that the gold in his pockets kept tearing them. So Levi put metal corners in the pockets to make them stronger. Very soon，miners and cowboys from all over came to get fitted up with Levi‘s trousers. Today more than a hundred years later， Levi’s trousers walk the world a Levi‘s blue jeans（牛仔裤）。The denim cloth was originally（起初）meant for____.
| A．making tent covers and wagons |
| B．making tents for wagons |
| C．making trousers for the miners |
| D．making wagon covers and tents |
What kind of material do you think is denim？
| A．A strong type of cloth that is not torn by strong wears. |
| B．A special type of cloth that cannot be washed away by rain. |
| C．A smooth type of cloth that is for underwear. |
| D．A wonderful type of cloth that is as good as metal. |
A miner advised Strauss to sell trousers because ____.
| A．the miners didn‘t have enough trousers |
| B．the miner‘s trousers had not been strong enough |
| C．the miner‘s trousers did not wear out easily |
| D．the tailor on the goldfield could not make trousers |
Why did the miners need strong pockets in the trousers？
| A．Their pockets kept tearing the gold. |
| B．Their pockets were not made of metal. |
| C．The gold they found was too sharp and heavy to tear their pockets. |
| D．The gold they collected easily tore their pockets. |
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| A．rent a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
| B．find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
| C．share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
| D．find a maid to look after herself |
According to the advertisements, you may _______.
| A．buy an old picture for $150 |
| B．call 25720836 to see a beautiful park |
| C．buy two armchairs for $400 |
| D．hire a maid（女仆）by paying $6,800 |
If you want to buy some old furniture, you should ______.
| A．get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
| B．call 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
| C．do it before you move to another place |
| D．call either 2524-5867 on Monday or 2521-6011 on Saturday |
Once you get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _______.
| A．you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
| B．you will get $6,598 each month no matter how experienced you are |
| C．your have to work at least 4 hours a day |
| D．you should write a letter of application to Mrs. G Chan |