In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize all possible basic knowledge. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves.There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asia societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.The writer’s purpose of writing this passage is .
| A.to share his idea with others in a new way |
| B.to introduce two different systems of education through contrast |
| C.to criticize the society that values memorization |
| D.to prepare students for society |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A.The system of education in the West is more creative than that in the East |
| B.Japanese students learn much more about science than American students. |
| C.Canadian students are more individual than Korean students. |
| D.Students in North America are not so friendly as those in Asia. |
From the facts, we can infer that .
| A.Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students |
| B.Chinese students are more hard-working in their studies than Mexican students |
| C.the Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system. |
| D.the Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A.Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational System. |
| B.The Value of Individualism. |
| C.Educational System-an Obvious Difference between the East and the West. |
| D.Memorization-an Important Learning Method. |
A new factory that turns used wine bottles into green sand could revolutionize the recycling industry and help to filter(过滤) the nation's drinking water.
For the last 100 years special high grade white sand quarried(开采) at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire has been used to filter tap water to remove bacteria and impurities—but this may no longer be necessary.
The green sand has already been successfully tested by water companies and is being used in 50 swimming pools in Scotland to keep the water clean.
Backed by one million pounds from the European Union and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(Defar), a company based in Scotland is building a factory to turn beverage bottles back into the sand from which they were made.
The idea is not only to avoid using up increasingly scarce sand in Scotland and avoid any further quarrying but also to solve a crisis in the recycles only 750 000 tones of it.
Howard Dryden, the scientist and managing director of the company has spent six years working on what he calls Active Filtration Meadia, or AFM, the recycled glass. He says he needs bottles that have already contained drinkable liquids to be sure that drinking water would not be polluted.
"The fact is that tests show that AFM does the job better than glass, it is easier to clean and reuse and has all sorts of properties that make it ideal for other applications, "he claimed. He also thinks the market will be able to take 250 000 tones of green sand a year. The plan is to build five or six factories in cites in UK where the bottles come from to cut down on transport.
The factory will be completed this month and is expected to go into full production on January 14 next year. Once it is providing a "regular" product, the government's drinking water inspectorate will be asked to perform tests and approve it for general use by water companies.It may no longer be necessary to use high-grade white sand to keep water clean because____.
| A.the green sand has been used to keep the water clean |
| B.there is no need to keep water clean |
| C.a new factory has been set up |
| D.white sand is being use up |
According to the passage, the new idea can do the following except ______.
| A.cutting down the cost on transport |
| B.avoiding using up increasingly scarce sand |
| C.avoiding further quarrying of white sand |
| D.solving the crisis in the recycling industry |
Tests show that ______ in keeping the water clean.
A. AFM is more efficient than white sand
B. white sand is more efficient than green sand
C. AFM is more efficient than glass
D, glass is more efficient than AFMThe underlined word "Backed" in the fourth paragraph can best be replaced by "______".
| A.Allowed | B.Opposed |
| C.Supported | D.Forbidden |
Dear Alcohol(酒精),
You've been around forever. I can remember all the pain you've caused for me.
Do you remember the night you almost took my father's life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He's addicted (沉溺)to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn't the only one hurt by you that night.
Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were intrigued by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. "I'm so embarrassed," they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit (呕吐). "I'm sorry," they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. "This won't happen again," they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you.
Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn't realize her brother was in the midst(当中) of it all. She never saw him again. And it's all your fault.
I wish you'd walk out of my life forever. I don't want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you've caused. Sure, you've made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you've caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring (引诱) in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please.
Sincerely,
AnonymousWhat is author's purpose in writing to alcohol?
| A.To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers |
| B.To describe the harm alcohol did to his family. |
| C.To show how much alcohol can hurt people. |
| D.To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people's life. |
What did alcohol do to the author's father?
| A.It made him crash into two other cars and took his life. |
| B.It made him drink too much and he had to get his stomach pumped. |
| C.It made him kill two other people when driving. |
| D.It made him get into a car accident and badly injure himself. |
The underlined phrase "were intrigued by" is closest in meaning to ______.
| A.were interested in |
| B.were familiar with |
| C.were disappointed with |
| D.were satisfied with |
What is the tone of the article?
| A.Doubtful. | B.Critical(批评的). |
| C.Unconcerned. | D.Humorous. |
Many people turn to doctors or self-help books, but they ignore a powerful thing that could help them fight illness: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in health. A 10-year Australian study found that old People with a large circle of friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk (危险) for obesity (肥胖) among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could improve brain health as we age.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t well realized,” said Rebecca, a professor at the University of North Carolina. “Friendship has a bigger effect on our psychological (心理的) health than family relationships. ”
While many friendship studies are about the close relationships of women, some research shows that it can do good to men too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having friendships reduces the risk of heart attack. Only smoking was as important a risk factor (因素) as having little social support.
Exactly why friendship has such a big effect isn’t entirely clear. While friends can send a sick person to the hospital or pick up medicine, the advantages go well beyond physical help. Friendship clearly has a big psychological effect. “People with stronger friendships feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen, a doctor. “The message of these studies is that friends make your life better. ” The three studies in paragraph2 show that .
| A.old people need friends the most. |
| B.friends can help us lose weight. |
| C.social ties (关系) are connected to health |
| D.more friends make us healthier. |
What do underlined sentences in paragraph3 mean?
| A.Friendship is more important to women than to men. |
| B.What people need most is a friend’s care. |
| C.Friendship is more important than family relationship |
| D.The value of friendship hasn’t been fully understood. |
The author mentioned smoking in the text to discuss .
| A.the cause of heart attack. |
| B.the risk of having no friends. |
| C.smoking is bad for men. |
| D.friends’ influence on habits. |
There are many international organizations which work to save and protect endangered species(物种)and natural environment. If you would like more information about any of the organizations listed below, you can write to the addresses given.
Friends of the Earth(FOE) campaigns on a range of problems including rainforests,the countryside,water and air pollution and energy.![]() Friends of the Earth International Secretariat P. O. Box 19199 1000 G. D. Amsterdam The Netherlands |
Greenpeace uses peaceful but direct action to defend the environment. It campaigns to protect rainforests and sea animals,stop global![]() warming and end pollution of air,land and seas. It also opposes nuclear(核)power. Greenpeace International Keizergracht 176 1016 DW Amsterdam The Netherlands |
| BirdLife International is an organization which works to save endangered birds all over the world. BirdLife International Wellbrook Court Girton Road ![]() Cambridge CB3 ONA England |
![]() WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature is the world's largest private international organization for the protection of nature and endangered species. Information Officer WWF International Avenue du Mont-Blanc 1196 Gland Switzerland |
If you want to learn more about the organizations,you can.
| A.call them | B.write them a letter |
| C.visit them | D.send them an e-mail |
BirdLife International is an organization trying to.
| A.reduce pollution |
| B.defend rainforests |
| C.protect ocean animals |
| D.save endangered birds |
If you oppose(反对) nuclear power,you can join.
| A.Friends of the Earth |
| B.World Wide Fund For Nature |
| C.Greenpeace |
| D.BirdLife International |
What can we learn about WWF?
| A.It helps to protect nature and save endangered animals. |
| B.It is the world’s largest international organization. |
| C.It works for private companies and rich people. |
| D.It is a private organization in the United States. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A.Environmental Protection Organizations |
| B.Global Environmental Problems |
| C.Endangered Animals |
| D.Friends of the Earth |
When the seventeenth-century settlers brought the English language to America, they immediately and necessarily began to adapt (使适应) it to their new environment. These changes were early and criticized by some people on both sides of the Atlantic. However, after the Revolution, Americans began to be proud of their own form of English. Noah Webster was the major early supporter of American meanings and spellings over British ones and published the earliest American dictionary, An American Dictionary of the English Language. During the years since Webster, language differences have continued to develop, proving (证明) the truth of George Bernard Shaw’s often-repeated words that the two nations are “divided by a common language”.
Like the American language, the earliest American literature (文学) copied English models. However, after the Revolution and the War of 1812, writers began to create a clear American literature. However, in 1820, Sydney Smith asked the famous question “Who reads an American book?”
Answering to this and similar taunts (讽刺) with creative anger, American writers soon produced works that plenty of British people read. Works by Washing-ton Irving, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain had been acclaimed greatly in Britain by the end of the nineteenth century.
Even as American writers got respect in Britain, British writers continued to have great influence in America. Charles Dickens went to America twice, in 1842 and 1867-68. Other major British writers who traveled and lived in the United States include D.H. Lawrence and Aldous Huxley. British best works continue to be widely read. The works of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen became popular films.
At the turn of the twenty-first century, many books and writers continue to cross the Atlantic in both directions — made possible by the proud heritage (继承) of the shared language.The author of this passage seems to think ______.
| A.British English is better than American English |
| B.American English is better than British English |
| C.the same language has divided the two nations |
| D.the same language has connected the two nations |
From the question asked by Sydney Smith, we can infer ______.
| A.the British looked down upon American books at first |
| B.the British found American books difficult to understand |
| C.the British thought highly of books written by Americans |
| D.the British had to translate American books into English ones |
The underlined word “acclaimed” in Paragraph 3 probably means “______”.
| A.sold | B.discussed |
| C.welcomed | D.refused |
What made it possible for books and writers to cross the Atlantic in both directions?
| A.The War of 1812. |
| B.The American Revolution. |
| C.The language differences. |
| D.The common language. |