As a professor I have grown accustomed to the opinion regarding American education. We are repeatedly told that American schools are failing, that colleges are not teaching, and that the students of today are not as good as the students of the past.
There are, of course, problems with the education system. Because of economic inequality some schools are significantly better than others and the ideas of equality of education and equality of opportunity are cruel jokes. However, the mere fact that there are some serious problems does not mean that all the dire claims are true.
One stock (陈腐的) claim is that America has fallen behind the world in education in terms of performance on various tests. While the fact that America is behind other countries is a point of concern, there are at least three points worth considering here. The first is the above-mentioned economic inequality which will tend to result in poorer performance when taking the average for America. The second is that many countries have put considerable effort into improving their education systems and hence it is worth considering that America’s decline is also due to the improvement of others. The third is the matter of the measures— do they, in fact, present an accurate picture of the situation? I am not claiming that the data is bad. I am merely raising a reasonable concern about how accurate our picture of education is at this time.
Another stock claim is that American students are doing badly on standardized tests. While there is clearly value in assessment, it is reasonable to consider whether or not such tests are a proper and adequate measure of education. It is also worth considering whether the puzzle with these tests is itself causing damage to education. That is, as teachers teach for the test and students learn for the test, it might be the case that what is being taught is not what should be taught and what is being learned is not what should be learned.According to the professor, many people’s attitude towards American colleges is .
| A．negative | B．positive | C．approving | D．indifferent |
What does the underlined word “dire” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．Exact or precise. | B．Extremely serious or terrible. |
| C．Fair or objective. | D．Long and boring. |
Judging by the text ,the claims are centered on .
| A．what should be taught in the American classroom |
| B．fair judgment of American education |
| C．American students’ performance on tests |
| D．an accurate picture of American colleges |
The passage is written mainly to .
| A．defend American education |
| B．show dissatisfaction with American education |
| C．explain why American students do badly on tests |
| D．offer advice on American education reform |
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids but we made them worse. For my naughty boys, I’d know better. I’d really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.
Mycherished boys, I hope you learnhumility (谦逊)by surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants tocrawl (爬)under the covers (被子) with you because he’s scared, I hope you’ll let him. And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him.
I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add andsubtract (减) in your head.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on thestoveandstickyour tongue on a frozen flagpole (旗杆). I hope you get sick when someone blows smoke in your face. I don’t care if you try beer once, but I hope you won’t like it.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle.
I hope your father punishes you when you throw abaseballthrough a neighbor’s window, and that your mother hugs you and kisses you when you give her aplasterof paredmold (一个石膏模型)of your hand.
These things I wish for you—tough times anddisappointment, hard work and happiness.Who wrote the letter?
| A．A grandmother. | B．A grandfather. | C．A father. | D．A mother. |
What does the author hope for the boys?
| A．they learn a lesson from a fight with others. |
| B．they know how to calculate with computers. |
| C．they get on well with family members.. |
| D．they burn their hand on the stove and stick their tongue on a frozen flagpole. |
It can be inferred from the text that the boys _________________.
| A．often fight with others | B．are to develop good qualities |
| C．always keep their grandpa company | D．score high in the exam |
Why does the author write the letter?
| A．To show the boys it’s not easy growing up. |
| B．To teach the boys dos and don’ts on the way growing up. |
| C．To help the boys to avoid making mistakes on the way growing up. |
| D．To encourage the boys to fully experience life on the way growing up. |
C
Monday: Here I am, in the middle of nowhere. This camping trip idea is not getting off to a very good start. It’s raining and the tent leaks (漏). The hiking seemed to take forever, and I still can’t understand how it could all have been up hill! How did I ever let my brother persuade me into doing this? When we get home—if we ever get home—he’s going to have to do something great to get back on my good side. Maybe he should sponsor (赞助) a shopping spree（狂购）at the mall!
Tuesday: Things are looking up. The sun came out today, so we were able to leave the tents and dry out. We’re camped at the edge of a small lake that I couldn’t see before because of the rain and fog. The mountains are all around us, and the forest is absolutely beautiful. We spent most of the day dragging out everything out of our backpacks or tents and putting it where the sun could dry it out. Later in the afternoon we tried to catch the fish for dinner, but the fish were smarter than we were. At night we built a fire and sang songs happily.
Wednesday: We hiked to the far side of the lake and climbed to the top of a small peak. From there we could see how high the other mountains were and how far the forest spread around us. On the way up we passed through a snowfield!
Thursday: I caught my first fish! We followed the stream that fed the lake. After about two miles, we came to a section (区域) that Carol said looked “fishy”. She had a pack rod (竿) , which can be carried in a backpack. I asked to cast (投掷) it, and I caught a fish on my first try. Carol caught a few more. But they were just too pretty to eat for lunch, so we put them back in the stream.
Friday: I can’t believe we are going home already. It will be nice to get a hot shower, sleep in a real bed, and eat junk food, but the trip has been wonderful. We’re already talking about another camping adventure next year where we canoe (乘独木舟) down a river. It’s hard to believe, but I think this city girl has a little country blood in her veins.The writer went on this camping trip because ____________．
| A．she enjoyed camping. | B．she wanted to go fishing. |
| C．she was influenced by her brother. | D．she was tired of staying home. |
The whole morning of Tuesday, the writer ____________．
| A．hiked along the lake. | B．dried out her belongings. |
| C．climbed the mountain. | D．caught the fish for dinner. |
It can be inferred that Carol had a pack rod with her because ____________．
| A．she could not afford to buy a regular fishing pole. |
| B．she needed it to get their food. |
| C．she thought the writer of the journal might need it. |
| D．she expected to go fishing while they were hiking. |
It is likely that the writer will ____________．
| A．go on another camping trip. |
| B．invite Carol to go fishing together. |
| C．make her brother buy her something. |
| D．persuade her brother to go camping. |
B
Pingyao, located (坐落于) in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage (遗产) site. It is 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.
People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a county government seat (县衙) has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial (商业的) groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang (Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks (支票) rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch (分支) banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its lacquer ware (漆器) became well known as well.
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi’s history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.
In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as “World Culture Heritage Site”(世界文化遗产). What does the underlined word “them” (in Paragraph 2) refer to?
| A．Historic buildings and sites. | B．The three temples. |
| C．The county government seats. | D．The 2,700-year history. |
Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Its location. | B．Its tourism. | C．Its business. | D．Its history. |
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Pingyao was a leading center in _____.
| A．growing rice and corn . | B．raising cattle. |
| C．commercial trade. | D．making gold coins. |
If you want to know about the history of banking in China, which of the following places should you visit?
| A．Sunrise Prosperity. | B．Zhengguo Temple. |
| C．A lacquer ware store. | D．A commercial house. |
A
Everywhere I go, people are speaking on their cell telephones regardless of their surroundings (环境) . This happens when people are walking around a lake or through town, or even driving. I have even seen a person attempting to speak on her cell phone while ordering ice cream at Dairy Queen, thus speaking to two people at once.
As the over-spending of technology increases, people begin to take less joy in the simple pleasures of life—joys that don’t cost money—from observing clouds, playing with children to thinking or reading. And it is not just telephones that take the responsibility; too much value is placed on items (物品) from computers to cars. Many things are purchased (购买) merely(仅仅) to show off. Do you really need a cell phone that plays games, shows movies and takes pictures? No, cell phones should be purchased to use in urgent situations.You do not need to use your telephone when you are at someone else’s house or in a restaurant.
Technology and possessions (财产) do not bring joy. While some technology is necessary, it can get ridiculous(可笑的). Each possession just makes us want more, while simple pleasures can be enjoyed now and then.
Instead of spending our time buying a third television or looking into the newest cell phone models, we should be acting more productively to improve the world by volunteering, for example. Or, we should reconsider playing computer games or taking pictures on our cell phones and read a book or imagine what shapes the clouds are in the sky instead.The author mentions cell phones at the beginning just to show _________.
| A．they can be used on any occasion. |
| B．people manage to speak to two at a time. |
| C．they can put drivers in great danger. |
| D．people are fond of personal items. |
People have less joy of simple life nowadays mainly because they _________.
| A．focus on technology and their belongings. |
| B．use cell phones in less urgent situations. |
| C．buy private cars just to show off. |
| D．place too much value on computers. |
We can infer that ________.
| A．people have no time to play with their children. |
| B．we can take pleasure in using cell phones at any time. |
| C．people always desire more possessions. |
| D．we depend on volunteers to develop the world. |
D
Wilma was born on June 23, 1940 in St Bethlehem, Tennesse. By the time she was 6, Wilma Rudolph was given metal braces (支架) to aid her in walking. She started receiving treatment with help from her family. A few years later, she walked without any assistance into the church.
When she was in junior high, she joined the basketball team. She finally made an appeal to compete in games again and when her wish was finally permitted, she amazed everyone by leading the team to an undefeated season and the state championships. Though they lost the championship title in the end, Wilma Rudolph earned the attention of the women’s track coach，Ed Template at Tennessee State University and was invited to join the "Tigerbelles"．Her efforts paid off as she turned out to be so good that the Tigerbelles invited her to join them in the national Olympic team trails. Not only did she make it into the team, but she won a bronze medal in the 4×100 m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Four years later, Rudolph set a world 200 m record (22.9 seconds) at the 1960 US Championships. At the Rome Olympics in 1960, she competed in the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 m relay, and equaled the world record of 11.3 seconds in the semifinals (半决赛) of the 100 m. She won the final by three metres in 11.0 seconds, but it was not accepted as a world record.
Wilma Rudolph’s extraordinary achievements in Rome made her a darling of the European press who gave her the nickname "The Black Gazelle (羚羊)" and "The Black Pearl". She also became the first woman in American history to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics and was crowned "the Fastest Woman in the World", Wilma Rudolph’s spirit inspired people such as Jackie Joyner Kersee and Florence Griffith Joyner who became the next woman to win 3 gold medals.What problem did Wilma face according to Paragraph 1?
| A．Not being able to speak. | B．Not being able to walk. |
| C．Losing her sight. | D．Losing her hearing. |
We learn that Wilma broke the world record in________.
| A．the 4×100m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics |
| B．the semifinals of the 100m at the Rome Olympics |
| C．the 200m at the 1960 US Championships |
| D．the final of the 100m at the Rome Olympics |
How many people that at least won 3 Olympics gold medals in American history are
mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |