We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity(机会)and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils.The standards may be changed - no examination is perfect - but to have no external( 外部的 )tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards.There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers.This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency(实力),the ideal and the purpose of each teacher.
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them - a form of favoritism will replace equality.At the moment, the bright child from an ill - respected school can show certificates(证书)to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school.This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame(名誉),unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school.
The opponents(对手)of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils.According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class.They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection.The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
These people are not just against school organisation, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive(破坏性的)purposes.There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organised when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole.According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________.
| A.changing the standards could mean the end of equality |
| B.standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality |
| C.there would be no standards without external examinations |
| D.we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect |
In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?
| A.There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence. |
| B.Children from poor families would not be able to change schools. |
| C.Going to a favoured school should be the only way to get a good job. |
| D.Schools for bright children would lose their fame. |
The situation at the moment is that ________.
| A.many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability |
| B.a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate. |
| C.children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates. |
| D.a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job. |
One Room Air-conditioner—$50
Date: 2010-10-20, 11:09 PM EDT
Reply to: sale-nkzcp-1836592471@ craigslist. org
I have a one room air-conditioner. I had a central air conditioning system put in and I don’t need it any more. I only used it for a month and it works great.
Brand New Nike shoes—$25
Date: 2010-10-20, 11:04 PM EDT
Reply to: sale-vyuvv-1836588920@craigslist. org
I have a new pair of kids Nike Tennis shoes. They have never been worn. They are just sitting out in my garage for someone in need of new tennis shoes. They are in excellent condition. I bought them for my daughter a few years ago and they didn’t fit her. They must be picked up in Medina.
24’ Boat—$1,000
Date: 2010-10-20, 11:36 PM EDT
Reply to: sale-fndfx-1836614645@ craigslist. org
I have a 1961 24’ wooden boat with a 350 hp Chevy engine. Boat hull(船身) and floors have been redone. The motor works. The boat is not in the water, but has been standing on blocks for a year and the inside will need to be put back together as it was taken apart to redo the floors. Everything taken off is still there. Please call 440-942-2763 if you are interested.
8-piece Kid’s Bedroom Set—$600
Date: 2010-10-20, 11:29 PM EDT
Reply to: sale-473ny-1836608704@ craigslist. org
This is an 8-piece bedroom set. It includes five different dressers, one mirror and two beds with bed boards. My girls are older and have their own rooms and wanted a change. Cash and carry only. I cannot deliver, but I can assist in the set-up of
the beds..
What do the four goods have in common?
| A.They all cost a little. | B.They are all for the poor. |
| C.They are all completely new. | D.They are all second-hand goods. |
.
The owner of the air-conditioner wants to sell his air-conditioner because.
| A.it doesn’t work very well | B.he need some money badly |
| C.he has a new air-conditioner now | |
| D.his house doesn’t need an air-conditioner now |
.
What do we know about the 24’ boat?
A.Boat floors need to be redone. |
B.It has been used for only a year.![]() |
C.The motor should be replaced. | D.It is in need of a lot of rebuilding |
.
If required, the seller of the 8-piece kid’s bedroom set will.
| A.help set up the beds | B.reduce the price a little |
C.deliver th e beds to the buyer |
D.let the buyer pay by credit card |
There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there. First of all, we should talk about the Tango(探戈舞) Festival in Argentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentineans admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.
The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo(马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina. This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina. Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people, admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.
The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Llao Llao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is
held at the Llao Llao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel to Argentina in October. There are also many carnivals in October. There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching..
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A.Travel to Argentina | B.Entertainments in Argentina |
| C.Festivals in Argentina | D.A brief introduction to Argentina |
.
From the passage, we know that the Tango Festival.
| A.is organized by the government | B.is held in summer |
| C.welcomes everyone to take part in | D.holds parties for different dances |
.
Which of the following is a sport festival?
| A.The Semana Musical Llao Llao. | B.Open Polo Tournament. |
| C.The Tango Festival. | D.Argentina Carnivals. |
.
If Tom wants to enjoy a classical music event in Argentina, he should visit.
| A.Buenos Aires in spring | B.Palermo in April |
| C.Bariloche in October | D.Palermo in winter |
I was driving home one evening about 5, stuck in traffic, and the car started to die— I hardly managed to get into a gas station, glad only that I would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck(拖车). Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the “ Quickie Mart” building, then suddenly she slipped(滑倒) on some ice and fell down, so I got out to see if she was okay.
When I got there, it looked like she had been overcome by weep than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked exhausted with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up and gave it to her. It was a coin.
At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban packed full of stuff and three kids in the back, and the gas pump(汽油泵) reading $4.95.
I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying “I don’t want my kids to see me crying,” so we stood at the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California for Christmas and that things were very hard for her right now.
I took out my credit card and swiped(刷磁卡) it through the card reader on the pump so that she could fill up her car completely, and I bought 2 big bags of food for her kids in the
car who attacked it like wolves. While it was fueling, she asked, “So, are you an angel or something?” I said, “At this time of year, angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses common people.”
It was unbelievable to be part of someone else’s miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. Sometimes, angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter(摆动) of their wings.. Caught in traffic, the author still felt happy because .
| A.she could fill up her car to get home in time |
| B.the woman who needed help was waiting there |
| C.she could find a warm place to wait |
| D.she could do something for others in the gas station |
. The young woman cried because.
| A.her situation was very terrible | B.her kids wouldn’t listen to her |
| C.she was too tired | D.she fell down and got injured |
. It can be inferred from the passage that.
| A.the author was driving carelessly on the way home |
| B.the young woman was interested in long driving |
| C.the young woman didn’t want to see her kids crying |
| D.the kids were extremely hungry at that time |
. According to the passage, we can say that the author .
| A.was a kind person | B.liked to deal with others’ business |
| C.had no thought for others | D.was a real angel |
I am sure that everybody in his/her life has used computers. Nowadays you can feel their presence everywhere at home,at school,at work and they certainly make life easier.On the other hand,there are people who can’t work with them.
Anyway,I believe their presence is a good thing. Life with them seems easier, less difficult and more comfortable You can use them to choose your meal,to withdraw your money, and also save your time,because these operations are all controlled by computers. Therefore you can hardly imagine the modern world without them;the whole planet seems to be one big computer society.
Nevertheless,problems can often appear in this area, too.To have a computer means you have to be quite well-off and have the necessary skills to use it.However,think about questions like “Are computers so available for everyone, or rich and poor people,for people from villages and people from cities. Aren’t they too expensive?Is everyone able to learn how to use them and not everyone has the chance to access and work with them,how could everything in the future be dependent on them?”Therefore,I think our society will be split into two parts.One part will work with them and enjoy the benefits that computers can bring and the other part will be pushed out and will actually be far behind the other group.
Another question that bothers me is,on the one hand,computers are important and good things in our life,but they aren’t everything.They are good as a help at school,quite often as entertainment,especially for young people,as an necessary tool to help in research etc,but I think we shouldn’t be so dependent on them,because computers are only machines and machines can’t feel anything be human and sympathetic,and every action performed by computer can be interfered with another person,which could cause these machines to crash or work badly.
In conclusion,I would like to say I am not against computers.I use computers,too,but people should be wary all the time.By saying “wary”(In the last paragraph),the writer is trying to say “People should_______.
| A.be strongly for the use of computers because of its convenience |
| B.be careful with computers that will also cause problems |
| C.master more necessary computer skills |
| D.not do something that causes computers to work badly |
Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

In the third paragraph,the author presents his idea by________
| A.asking questions for people to think about |
| B.giving examples to support his argument |
| C.raising questions and answering them |
| D.expressing his opinion directly |
The writer’s main purpose in writing the passage is__________
| A.to encourage us to use computers in our society |
| B.to advise us to say no to computers from now on |
| C.to remind us to care about the problems that computers bring. |
| D.to inform us that the computer has become a necessary part of our life |
Hidden in our subconsciousness (意识) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out of the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw (拚图玩具) puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles(通道) ,condemning the minutes for loitering-waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
‘‘When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry, “When I'm 38.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through co llege.” “When I have paid off!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! " Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish (appreciate) the moment" is a good motto, actually it isn't the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough. .
Why does the author describe the mental picture?
| A.To lead us into a perfect world. | B.To let people enjoy the scenery. |
| C.To introduce an actual trip of his. | D.To compare it to our life's journey. |
.
How do people feel when they’re on their trip?
| A.Puzzled. | B.Happy. | C.Relaxed. | D.Impatient. |
.
What does the author mean by "Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today" in Paragraph 4?
| A.Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today. |
| B.We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear. |
| C.Regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life. |
| D.We’re frequently challenged by the two : regret and fear. |
.
Why does the author write the passage?
| A.To teach us a good lesson. | B.To tell us the right attitude to life. |
| C.To advise us to forget our worries. | D.To stop us wandering along the aisles. |