In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock and Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn: If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math.
“If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement,” Levine told Science News. In other words, girls may end up learning math anxiety from their teachers. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.
The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed that a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers: To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example, was probably anxious about math.
Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher’s anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math — and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety.
According to surveys done before this one, college students who want to become elementary school teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are women, Levine said.Which of the followings is NOT the study mentioned in the passage?
A.Girls may be bad at math because of their female teachers’ anxiety. |
B.Most students tend to believe that a math superstar has to be a boy. |
C.What kind of teachers is more likely to have math anxiety. |
D.On average boys are also affected by a teacher’s anxiety. |
What can you infer from the second paragraph?
A.Girls can do as well as boys if they are confident. |
B.Girls are born much weaker than many boys. |
C.Boys are stronger and better in math than girls. |
D.Girls who are bad at math can do other things better. |
According to the last paragraph, Levine’s imply attitude to the math teaching in elementary schools is _______.
A.hopeful | B.disappointed | C.worried | D.content |
Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high school liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
A.The first day after Christmas. | B.25 days before Christmas. |
C.After Thanksgiving. | D.November 29 |
When do people usually do shopping?
A.Before Thanksgiving. | B.On Christmas. |
C.Anytime. | D.Before Christmas. |
How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
A.In California, parents and children get together to play games. |
B.In England, people celebrated by performing plays. |
C.They bought nothing and made the others decide not to. |
D.In Mexico, high school students dressed up. |
Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn’t changed her mind. After she graduated from high school, she went on to college. Four years later, she received her bachelor’s degree (BA) in English and her teaching certificate. Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers, Mrs. Blake takes more classes; she hopes to get a master’s degree (MA). With an MA, she will receive a higher salary and if possible, she hopes to get a doctor’s degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake’s high school, like that in many high schools in the United States, is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period, which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M, Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make our examinations, check assignments at all, Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.How long is it since Mrs. Blake graduated from high school?
A.four years | B.eight years | C.twenty years | D.twelve years |
According to the article, which is the right order of the degrees a person can receive after going to university?
A.a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
B.a doctor’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree |
C.a master’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
D.a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree – a master’s degree |
How many degrees has Mrs. Blake achieved so far?
A.four | B.two | C.three | D.one |
Which of the following sentences is not true?
A.Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality. |
B.Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United States. |
C.Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degrees. |
D.The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of many other high schools in the states. |
It's a fact that we all dream. Some dreams seem to last for hours, others only for seconds. Some of us have strange dreams, some have interesting dreams, and some of us have unpleasant dreams. Tests in the 1980s showed that these dreams occur within 90-minute cycles, each cycle made up of six stages. In the last stage people experience rapid eye movement, known as REM, and it is in this stage that dreaming takes place. Eighty percent of people who were woken during this sixth stage could easily remember their dreams. On the other hand, when during the first five stages (NREM), only seven percent could describe a dream.
However, of these same people woken during the first five stages, 74% were able to remember thinking activity, although they would not call it a dream. NerysDee, who has written about dreams in a book called "Your Dreams and What They Mean" says: "Perhaps during NREM sleep we are sorting out our outer mundane problems, but in REM sleep we are dealing with inside matters." She also makes the following statement about 90-minute cycle: It may also prove the reason why insomniacs who wake in the middle of the night find it impossible to get to sleep again for at least an hour and a half. In other words, until they have missed out one complete 90-minute sleep period.Which of the following statements about dreams is TRUE?
A.Everyone dreams but very few can recall what they dream. |
B.Some people have long dreams and others have very short ones. |
C.People can only remember unpleasant dreams. |
D.More than eighty percent of people can remember their dreams. |
According to the tests in the 1980s, dreaming takes place______.
A.between each 90-minute cycle |
B.at any time during 90-minute cycles |
C.during the first five stages of 90-minute cycles |
D.in the last stage of 90-minute cycles |
People woken during REM sleep can______.
A.hardly remember their dreams |
B.easily remember their dreams |
C.only remember their dreams |
D.partly remember their thinking activity |
"Insomniacs" are persons who______.
A.can always remember their dreams |
B.have trouble getting into sleep at night |
C.experience rapid eye movement |
D.usually wake after each 90-minute sleep period |
A shopping center is a place where many different shops and stores are collected under one roof. You can buy everything there and there are also banks, restaurants and, sometimes, a post office.
There are other places in the United States which are called five-and –ten-cent stores because they used to sell things for 5 to 10 cents. Today they sell almost anything and some of the things cost several dollars. Supermarkets are found in all the cities. They sell food and many other goods. You walk around the supermarket, choose the things you want, put them into a special basket prepared by the store and pay for them all together at the door. Supermarkets often stay open later than other stores.
Stores are usually open every day of the week except on Sunday. Some close on Saturdays in July and August.The shops and stores in a shopping center are .
A.in the same building | B.on the top of a big roof |
C.close to your house | D.near banks and restaurants |
A five-and-ten-cent store usually sells .
A.expensive things | B.small and cheap things |
C.things worth many dollars | D.everything you need in the house |
________have baskets ready for people to carry the things they are going to buy.
A.Shopping centers | B.Fine stores in America |
C.Five-and-ten-cent stores | D.Supermarkets |
Which of the following can be the topic of the article?
A.What a shopping Center is? | B.Why people like supermarkets? |
C.Three types of places for shopping. | D.Old and new stores. |
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, "Well, it's so-and-so's fault,"or "I know I'm late, but it's not my fault; the car broke down. " It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner's key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague(同事) fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about-creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on "whose fault it is." Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.According to the passage, winners_______________.
A.deal with problems rather than blame others |
B.meet with fewer difficulties in their eyes |
C.have responsible and able colleagues |
D.blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word “remedy” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to.
A.avoid | B.accept |
C.improve | D.consider |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should __.
A.find a better way to deal with the problem |
B.blame him for his lack of responsibility |
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem |
D.ask a more able colleague for help |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.A Winner's Achievement. | B.A Winner's Problem. |
C.A Winner's Opportunity. | D.A Winner's Secret. |