Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test，it is not the fault of drama and music classes—they are failing because the “academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons，and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete，well-rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art—there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge—certainly not a good preparation for the real world.Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because ________.
| A．the school committee pays no attention to them |
| B．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| C．the students are not interested in both of them |
| D．the state standardized test is more important |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students' performance in the mastery test. |
| B．Quite a few students are discouraged from learning music and art in today's school system. |
| C．Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons. |
| D．The school committee completely influences students' attitude towards the arts. |
We can learn that music and art can ________.
| A．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| B．make students round-shaped people in future |
| C．provide students with analytical thinking |
| D．prevent students graduation from high school |
The best title of the passage can be ________.
| A．“Who killed music and drama？” |
| B．“Can curriculum go without music？” |
| C．“Why is music so important？” |
| D．“How to prepare for the real world？” |
Today, traditional opinions about men still exist. A man has to be strong, brave, sports loving and manly. Anything less would not be considered manly. Sports such as football, basketball and boxing all tend (往往是) to be men’s sports. However, the dance of ballet is considered feminine because it requires nice movements. This tradition is shown in the movie, Billy Elliot.
Billy Elliot is a movie that protests against this traditional view of men. Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy that has a natural talent for ballet dancing, but his father will not allow it. Billy’s father wants him to take up boxing and become stronger, but Billy goes against his father’s wishes and takes up ballet dancing. This difference of opinion makes Billy sad. What’s more, his friends also laugh at him.
After saving enough money, his father sends Billy to a weekly boxing course; however, Billy doesn’t enjoy boxing because he always loses in matches and is often hurt. His ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson thinks that men or women should not be judged by the activities they like to do, so she tells Billy’s father that although he wants his son to make a good living, he should let his son do what he loves to do because he has a talent for it. When his father finally realizes the truth, Billy is surprised. In the end, with the help of his father, brother and all the people around him, Billy goes to the Royal Ballet Academy in London and becomes a very successful ballet dancer.The underlined word “feminine” in the first paragraph most probably means ______
| A．of men | B．of children | C．of women | D．of students |
Why is Billy laughed at by other children?
| A．He always loses in boxing matches. | B．He isn’t strong. |
| C．He looks like a girl. | D．He loves ballet. |
What do we know about Billy?
| A．His teacher encourages him to take up ballet dancing. |
| B．He does well in ballet dancing and boxing. |
| C．He does what his father wants him to do. |
| D．He has never taken up any men’s sports. |
From Billy’s story, we can see that _______.
| A．children should accept their parents’ opinions |
| B．we should try to fight against traditional opinions |
| C．men and women play different sports |
| D．parents should let their children do what they are interested in |
One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe (欠) you?”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” With these words, Howard Kelly left that house.
Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city. Dr. Howard Kelly, now famous, was called in. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Dressed in his doctor’s clothes, Dr. Kelly went into her room and recognized her at once. From that day on, he gave special attention to her, and decided to do his best to save her life.
At last the woman was saved. Dr. Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to the woman’s room. She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words:
“Paid in full with a glass of milk, Dr. Howard Kelly.”
Tear of joy flooded her eyes.The boy sent newspapers door to door in order to ________.
| A．thank the woman for her kindness |
| B．continue his schooling |
| C．become a famous doctor |
| D．support his poor family |
Which is true about the boy and the woman?
| A．He was too shy to ask her for some water. |
| B．She thought he was not hungry but thirsty. |
| C．She wanted him to pay for the glass of milk. |
| D．She never thought he would save her life later. |
After Dr. Kelly knew who the woman was, he ________.
| A．refused to take good care of her himself |
| B．decided to try his best to save her |
| C．told her she once gave him a glass of milk |
| D．asked for her bill and paid it off at once |
The best title for this passage is ________.
| A．The Final Bill | B．A Warm-hearted Woman |
| C．A Glass of Milk | D．A Famous Doctor |
I was the youngest of five boys and also had four sisters who had to pull together and take care of each other. Dad wasn't around, so I never knew him well. He killed himself when I was three years old, leaving mom with the job of raising nine kids. She was a very hard worker, and in order to make ends meet, she hardly ever rested. With my mom as my example, I learned that hard work is the best way to get what you want.
Even as a little boy, I knew I was going to be successful. Regardless of what I chose, I wanted to make my brothers, sisters and mom proud of me—not only by being successful in what I chose to do, but also as a person who could be looked up to for the right reasons.
Surprising as it might seem, basketball wasn't in my plans. One day, my mom cut a rim(边缘) off an old water barrel(水桶) and then held it up for me to throw an old rubber ball through. By junior high, I started playing basketball on a team. I loved to compete. For me, it paid off. I always put the effort in, every day.
I am grateful for the life I've enjoyed as a basketball star. Basketball is not life. It can be exciting. But the most important thing about basketball is that it gives me a way to do good things for others as I move through this journey called life.It can be inferred that the author's________.
| A．brothers were more famous than him |
| B．mother had a great influence on his career |
| C．father loved his children and wife very much |
| D．family was rich and happy when he was a child |
Why did the author's father kill himself?
| A．Because the family was poor. |
| B．Because he often quarreled with his wife. |
| C．Because he was seriously ill. |
| D．The passage didn't tell us the reason. |
From the second paragraph, we can infer that________.
| A．the author was respected as a brave boy |
| B．the author's family didn't like his career |
| C．the author got on well with his mother, brothers and sisters |
| D．the author helped his brothers and sisters succeed |
What does the author get from basketball?
| A．How to do good things for others. |
| B．Life is as hard as playing basketball. |
| C．Cooperation with others is important. |
| D．Two heads are wiser than one. |
Some 80 percent of graduate students in East China’s Zhejiang Province said in a survey they will give up trying to find jobs in Beijing，Shanghai and Guangzhou，first-tier cities in China that have been considered dream places for many，because of the untouchable home prices and high living costs．
The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 job seekers who were attending Sunday’s job fair in Jiangsu for graduate students．The survey showed graduates are becoming more realistic in their job search despite the job market becoming better．
The fair attracted more than 10，000 graduate students with 7，382 positions．
“The pressure of buying a house in Beijing is unbelievable，”said Wang Jian from Nanjiing Normal University，who acknowledged he had thought about finding a job in Beijing，Shanghai or Guangzhou，but in the face of huge pressures，he has no choice but to be “realistic”．
People can have a very comfortable life in Nanjing with a monthly salary of between 3，000 yuan($450)and 4，000 yuan，but in Shanghai，5，000 yuan a month can only help you survive and buying a house will remain a dream．
A student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology said he just turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month because“living costs in Shanghai are too high．”
An unnamed male student from Nanjing University said he will try first-tier cities only if he can get a high salary．“I would go to Beijing only if I can earn 200，000 yuan a year，”he said．
“Beijing，Shanghai and Guangzhou once had the advantages that other cities don’t have，but the high housing prices and living costs make young people barely able to breathe，”said Ren Leiming from the job service center of Jiangsu’s colleges and universities．
“First-tier cities have plenty of talents that make it hard for people to be outstanding，and if you go work in smaller cities you can become a dominant player at your position much more easily，”said Ren．The majority of graduate students will give up trying to find jobs in the first-tier cities because .
| A．it is not easy to find jobs there． |
| B．home prices and living costs there are very high． |
| C．they can’t make full use of their knowledge and skills there． |
| D．monthly salaries there are low compared with those in other cities． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the job market now?
| A．There are more job opportunities offered now． |
| B．The job markets are becoming more and more competitive． |
| C．Many graduate students aren’t satisfied with the working conditions． |
| D．Companies and enterprises have stricter rules to take in graduate students． |
We can learn from the news report that ．
| A．in Shanghai，5，000 yuan a month can only help you buy a luxury house |
| B．the fair attracted more than 10，000 graduate students and laid-off workers with 7，382 positions |
| C．The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 personnel managers who were attending Sunday’s joh fair in Jiangsu for graduate students |
| D．a student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7，000 yuan a month |
The words Ren said in the last paragraph mean .
| A．people can’t achieve more in first-tier cities |
| B．people can easily be outstanding in smaller cities |
| C．he would rather go to first-tier cities than smaller cities |
| D．talents are more welcome in first-tier cities than smaller ones |
Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．
In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．
Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(强调)the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．
Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．The passage mainly tells us ．
| A．how to make friends with Americans |
| B．how to make proper conversations with Americans |
| C．what Americans like to talk about in their dailv life |
| D．what to avoid in talking with Americans |
When you talk to an American for the first time，you can ask him the following questions EXCEPT “ ”.
| A．How does America treat other countries |
| B．Where did you buy your wonderful car |
| C．What do you do |
| D．How is the dessert the nearby restaurant offers |
When you find that an American has made a mistake, you’d better ．
| A．point it out directly and politely |
| B．pretend not to see it |
| C．tell his friends about this |
| D．cover it up for him |