注：courtesy礼貌，audience观众Howmany-优题课

Asia tops the OECD solving skills test
QUESTION: Can you quickly learn to set a thermostat（温度调节器）?
Don’t look down upon such a task. It shows your ability to solve problems in creative ways, said the OECD（经合组织）. The OECD recently gave a problem-solving test to 85,000 students. They were all 15 years old, and from 44 countries.
The test give each student four to eight everyday problems to solve. For example, they had to set a thermostat, and find the quickest way to a place. Students from Singapore and South Korea did the best job, said the OECD. They were quick learners, curious（好奇的）and able to solve problems that they were not familiar with. Students from Japan and China were also among the top-performing groups. They did a better job than those from countries like the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and France.
Problem-solving skills are important, said the OECD. “Today’s 15-year-olds with poor problem-solving will become tomorrow’s adults struggling（努力）to find or keep a good job,” said Andreas, acting director of Education and Skills at the OECD. ”The world economy（经济）no longer pays you for what you know. Google knows everything .The world economy pays you for what you can do with what you know,” he said.
The students from _______ performed best in the test.

A．the US and Canada	B．the UK and the US
C．South Korea and Singapore	D．Australia and Canada

Why does the OECD test the students?

A．They want to make more money.

B．They want the students to help them solve the problems.

C．They want to help the students to solve the problems in creative ways.

D．They think the US students are the best at the test.

What does the underlined word “top-performing” mean in the test?

A．do familiar things in the test

B．perform the best in the test

C．do something carefully

D．develop their ability

Why are problem-solving skills important?

A．Because the world economy will pay you for what you know.

B．Because Google knows everything.

C．Because poor problem-solving skills will become tomorrow’s ability.

D．Because problem-solving skills will help you keep a good job in the future.

Brother’s song of life
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could do to help her 3-year-old son Michael prepare for it. She and her husband found out that the new baby was going to be a girl. Day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in his mom’s tummy（肚子）.
Finally, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in a very serious condition. The doctor told the parents there was very little hope. They kept the baby girl in the intensive care unit（ICU, 重症监护室）. Karen was so sad. She decided to plan for her funeral（葬礼）. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he would say. Eventually, Karen decided to take Michael to his sister. This may be the last time he sees her alive.
Michael looked at his baby sister. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a three-year-old, Michael sang: “You are my sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.”
Immediately the baby girl seemed to respond（回应）. Her pulse rate（脉搏率）began to calm down. “Keep on singing, Michael,” encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. “You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.” As Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s breath became smooth.
After a few days, the little girl was well enough to go home. The doctors called it a miracle（奇迹）.
What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Michael didn’t want to accept his new sister.

B．Karen helped Michael prepare for the change.

C．Michael likes his little sister from the beginning.

D．Karen wished that the baby had been a girl.

What do we know about the little sister after she was born?

A．She was not very well, but not very serious.

B．A doctor came to see her in her house.

C．She was very thin and couldn’t speak.

D．She was in great danger.

Which is true according to the passage?

A．Michael doesn’t love his young sister because she will share his mother’s love.

B．The doctor told the parents that the baby could be better soon.

C．Seeing the young sister in danger, Michael didn’t care and still sang happily.

D．The great power of love brought the girl back to life.

Why did Karen decided to take Michael to see his new-born sister?

A．Because Michael may never have chance to see his younger sister alive.

B．The doctor asked her to let him in.

C．Because Michael was also seriously ill.

D．Because Karen knew Michael would save his younger sister by his singing.

The babysitter will work _________ hours from Monday to Friday together.

A． 6

B．10

C．15

D．20

The babysitter will usually work _________.

A．in the morning	B．in the afternoon
C．in the evening	D．at night

What is NOT the babysitter's job?

A．Reading books to the child.

B．Playing games with the child.

C．Cleaning the child’s house.

D．Taking care of the child.

任务型阅读(共10小题, 每题1分, 共计10分)
阅读下面的短文, 根据内容完成表格中所缺信息, 每空一词。
Is it difficult for you to get up in the morning? Are you often late for work or school? Yes? Then a scientist called Mike has a special bed for you. His Bed will get you up in the morning! Here is how it works!
The bed is connected to an alarm clock. First, the alarm clock rings. You have a few minutes to wake up. Next, a tape recorder in the bed plays soft music and then your girl friend’s beautiful voice comes, “Wake up, darling, please.” A few minutes later, loud music comes from the tape recorder. At the same time, you may hear the voice of your boss. Your boss shouts angrily, “ Wake up at once, or you’ll be late!” If you don’t get up after that, you’ll be sorry! A plastic “foot” is in the bed. It kicks you in the head. Then the bed waits for a few more minutes. What! You’re still in bed! Slowly the top of the bed rises higher and the foot of the bed goes lower. Finally, you fall off the bed and onto the floor. You are out of the bed and awake!
Mike made his bed because he wanted to take part in a competition. Mike won one of the top prizes for his bed.

Title	A _____Bed
___was it made by	A scientist called Mike
Why was it made	It’s _____for people to get up in the morning and Mike made it to take part in a competition.
_____does it work	Step 1	The alarm clock wakes you up.
Step 2	A tape recorder plays ___music and you will ______your girlfriend’s voice.
Step 3	Loud music together with your ____voice will wake you up.
Step 4	A plastic “foot” _______you in the head______ you can wake up.
Step 5	The bed makes you____off it and onto the floor and you have to wake up.

阅读下列材料，回答问题。（共5题，每题2分，共计10分）
Every Saturday, Grandpa and I walk to the nursing home to visit some of the old and sick people there because they can’t take care of themselves.
First we visit Mrs. Sokol. I call her “The Cook.” She likes to talk about the time when she was a well-known cook in Russia. People would come from miles, just to taste her chicken soup.
Next we visit Mr. Lipman. I call him “The Singer” because he loves to sing for us. Whenever he does, his voice fills the air, clear and full of energy.
I also enjoy Mrs. Kagan’s stories about her own experiences during the old days. I call her “The Memory Lady.”
One day Grandpa got very sick and the doctor said they didn’t think he would get better.
It was time to visit the nursing home again. I had to go alone. Everyone was surprised when I told them that my grandpa was ill and in hospital.
A few days later, Grandpa was not able to sit up, eat or even speak. I went to the corner of the room so Grandpa wouldn’t see me cry. Suddenly, I heard someone singing. I looked up. It was the Singer. Behind her were the Cook. and the Memory Lady. The Cook brought her famous homemade chicken soup. The Memory Lady held Grandpa’s hand and told us how Grandpa once came to visit her in a snowstorm, just to bring her some roses for her birthday.
Before I realized it, visiting hours were up. That evening, Grandpa called the nurse in and said he was hungry. Soon he began to sit up. Finally he was able to get out of bed. It is really a miracle (surprising event), isn’t it?
Why did the writer and his grandpa go to the nursing home every Saturday?
Whose stories are about her own experiences during the old days.
Why did the writer cry?
What did Grandpa once come to bring the Memory Lady in a snowstorm for her birthday?
Was Grandpa able to get out of bed finally?

A．For 10 days	B．For 12 days
C．For 15 days	D．For 18 days

A．Half an hour	B．One hour
C．One hour and a half	D．Two hours

A．Latecomers	B．Adults without children
C．School students	D．Kids below three years old

A．The name of the show	B．The name of the director
C．The telephone number	D．The name of the theatre.