Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cochran, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something unforgettable. On the first day of school, with permission of the school headmaster, she took all of the desks out of the classroom.
The kids came into the first period. They walked in, and there were no desks. They looked around and said, "Ms Cochran, where are our desks?" And she said, “You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them.”
They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades.”
"No," she said.
"Maybe it's our behavior."
And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."
Second period, the same thing. Third period... By early afternoon television news reporters had gathered in Ms. Cochran’s class to find out about this crazy teacher.
The last period of the day, Martha Cochran gathered her class. They were at this time sitting on the ground floor around the sides of the room. "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the ordinary desks in this classroom." she said, "Now I'm going to tell you."
Martha Cochran went to the door of the classroom and opened it, and as she did, twenty-seven adults, who were fathers or mothers of the kids, walked into that classroom, each one having a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows. And when they finished placing those desks, those kids for the first time in their lives understood how they earned those desks.
Martha said, "You don't have to earn those desks. They did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it!"Why did Cochran take all the desks out of the classroom?
| A．Because she wanted to punish the kids. |
| B．Because she wanted to let kids know how they earned the desks. |
| C．Because kids didn't need any desks at her classes. |
| D．Because the desks were all broken. |
Who get kids to have a chance to get education?
| A．Teachers. | B．The headmaster. |
| C．Kids themselves. | D．Kids’ parents. |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text?
| A．Kids finally understood what their teacher meant by themselves. |
| B．The headmaster supported Ms. Cochran’s idea. |
| C．Kids studied without desks on the first day. |
| D．Kids' parents earned the desks for them. |
Throughout the history of the arts, the nature of creativity has remained constant to artists. No matter what objects they select, artists are to bring forth new forces and forms that cause change-to find poetry where no one has ever seen or experienced it before.
Landscape(风景) is another unchanging element of art. It can be found from ancient times through the 17th-century Dutch painters to the 19th-century romanticists and impressionists. In the 1970s, Alfred Leslie, one of the new American realists, continued this practice. Leslie sought out the same place where Thomas Cole, a romanticist, had produced paintings of the same scene a century and a half before. Unlike Cole who insists on a feeling of loneliness and the idea of finding peace in nature, Leslie paints what he actually sees. In his paintings, there is no particular change in emotion, and he includes ordinary things like the highway in the background. He also takes advantage of the latest developments of color photography(摄影术) to help both the eye and the memory when he improves his painting back in his workroom.
Besides, all art begs the age-old question: What is real? Each generation of artists has shown their understanding of reality in one form or another. The impressionists saw reality in brief emotional effects, the realists in everyday subjects and in forest scenes, and the Cro-Magnon cave people in their naturalistic drawings of the animals in the ancient forests. To sum up, understanding reality is a necessary struggle for artists of all periods.
Over thousands of years the function of the arts has remained relatively constant. Past or present, Eastern or Western, the arts are a basic part of our immediate experience. Many and different are the faces of art, and together they express the basic need and hope of human beings. The underlined word “poetry” most probably means __________.
| A．an object for artistic creation | B．a collection of poems |
| C．an unusual quality | D．a natural scene |
Leslie's paintings are extraordinary because .
| A．they are close in style to works in ancient times |
| B．they look like works by 19th-century painters |
| C．they draw attention to common things in life |
| D．they depend heavily on color photography |
What is the author's opinion of artistic reality?
| A．It will not be found in future works of art. |
| B．It does not have a long-lasting standard. |
| C．It is expressed in a fixed artistic form. |
| D．It is lacking in modern works of art. |
What does the author suggest about the arts in the last paragraph?
| A．They express people's curiosity about the past. |
| B．They make people interested in everyday experience. |
| C．They are considered important for variety in form. |
| D．They are regarded as a mirror of the human situation. |
Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
| A．History of the arts. |
| B．Basic questions of the arts. |
| C．New developments in the arts. |
| D．Use of modern technology in the arts. |
When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticedthe baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed hisconcern to the nurse that some children might tease his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dadthat his son was healthy- the ears presented only a minor problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father persisted. He wondered if the child might sufferpsychological effects of ridicule（嘲笑）, or if they should consider plastic surgery（整形手术）. The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should justwait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now heworried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had beendelivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready tomeet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some supportin case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a receiving blanket with his head covered forthe short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor(走廊）. The baby wasplaced in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she couldlook at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped(喘气说）,“Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man towhom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a lightin the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.
| A．the baby might not grow up healthily. |
| B．the baby might be laughed at by others. |
| C．the baby might disappoint its mother. |
| D．the baby might have mental problems. |
According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.
| A．could not function well. |
| B．looked the same as others. |
| C．only caused a small problem. |
| D．needed to have plastic surgery. |
What is true about the baby’s mother?
| A．She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears. |
| B．She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears. |
| C．She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately. |
| D．She found something similar between the baby and its father. |
What does the underlined word they refer to?
A. The ears. B The parents. C. The doctor and nurse. D. The problemsWhat’s the function of the last paragraph?
| A．To advise readers to listen carefully. |
| B．To draw a conclusion from the story. |
| C．To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty. |
| D．To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship. |
Most students try to learn English grammar using grammar textbooks. They study grammar rules and take grammar tests. They use an analytical（分析的） approach, attempting to memorize, and then apply, a great number of rules.
However, research has proved this method inefficient and ineffective. The truth is, the human brain simply cannot consciously remember process and use hundreds of or thousands of grammar rules. Real speech is too fast.
Native speakers do not learn grammar in this way, but rather intuitively (凭直觉地) and unconsciously. They learn in a complete way, not by attempting to memorize individual grammar rules. As a result, native speakers use correct grammar fluently and easily.
Fortunately, it is possible for English learners to learn grammar this way. Language teacher Blaine Ray has developed a unique "intuitive" approach to teach English grammar. Her system uses "point of view" stories to teach the patterns of English grammar, allowing students unconsciously to acquire correct grammar without ever studying grammar rules.
In this system, the teacher first tells a simple story from one point of view. It may be told about the past, then repeated, but beginning with "since he was a child"; then repeated again, but this time about the future.
Listening to these stories allows students intuitively and effortlessly to learn English grammar and makes them be able to use it correctly when they speak.
Point of View Stories is a creative new way to study English grammar, and offers hope to millions of frustrated English learners.Which of the following ways is approved by the author?
| A．Remembering grammar rules. |
| B．Taking grammar tests. |
| C．Analyzing grammatical structure. |
| D．Applying language to situations. |
What does the underlined part "this way" in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．Talking to native speakers when learning. |
| B．Learning English grammar in a complete way. |
| C．Using correct English grammar. |
| D．Learning English grammar from a teacher. |
From this passage we learn that ______.
| A．native speakers learn English grammar by listening to stories |
| B．Blaine Ray’s method gets students to grasp correct grammar unconsciously |
| C．Blaine Ray teaches grammar rules by asking students to tell stories |
| D．it’s hard for students to speak correct English in the new system |
This passage wants to ______.
| A．criticize the traditional way of learning grammar |
| B．introduce a new way to study English grammar |
| C．ask students to learn English grammar by listening to stories |
| D．tell us how the native speakers learn English grammar |
Why shouldn’t the English learners use an analytical approach?
| A．because the analytical approach can let them learn English grammar effortlessly |
| B．because the analytical approach makes them be able to use English correctly when they speak. |
| C．because the analytical approach can’t let them memorize and then apply a great number of rules. |
| D．because Real speech is too fast. |
Most children, even the youngest of children, are delighted to be around cats and dogs. But these pets carry plenty of germs and allergens（过敏原）, prompting researchers to ask: Are cats and dogs really safe for children？
A study finds that, contrary to many parents’ fears, owning cats or dogs does not increase a child’s risk of developing allergies, and in fact, may actually protect them. The study’s lead author, Dr. Dennic Ownby of the Medical College of Georgia, says that even he was “very surprised” by the results. Ownby and colleagues followed more than 470 children from birth to age 6 or 7, comparing those exposed to cats and dogs during their first year of life to those who were not.
By using skin-prick(刺) tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.
Even more remarkable, children who had two or more dogs or cats had an even greater reduction, up to 77 percent, in risk of allergies. Researchers suggest this protective effect may be the result of early exposure to lots of bacteria that are carried by dogs and cats. Exposing young children to these bacteria helps" exercise" their immune systems early in life so that they're better able to resist allergic diseases later.
There's something very important in that first year of life when the immune system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response, said Dr. William Davis.
And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there's no need to get rid of them. Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?
| A．Because the results are contrary to their expectation． |
| B．Because so many children are playing with cats and dogs． |
| C．Because parents are so much worried about their children． |
| D．Because children with animals may develop allergies easily． |
Compared with children who have pets，those who haven’t ______.
| A．will lose the chance to develop immune system |
| B．may suffer allergic diseases more often |
| C．will reduce the harm from bacteria |
| D．can keep doctors away |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______．
| A．pets are ill-treated by their owners |
| B．less families would like to own cats and dogs |
| C．keeping pets is a good way to keep children healthy |
| D．the results of the study can make families with pets feel at ease |
The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph refers to________.
| A．the early life | B．an allergic disease |
| C．immune system | D．something important |
What may be the best title of the passage?
| A．How to protect your kids from allergies |
| B．Your pets may be helping your kids |
| C．Bacteria do good to your kids |
| D．Advantages of owning pets |
The koala is one of Australia’s most treasured creatures, which is a lovely little creature. But now, it is in big trouble.
Affected by habitat (栖居地) loss and climate change, like many other uniquely Australian animals, koalas are being squeezed into smaller regions. But at present, it is a deadly disease, a somewhat silent killer that causes a further decline in the koala population, that is worrying many scientists about the fate of the koala.
The killer is Chlamydia, which has caused symptoms in up to 50 percent of the wild koalas, with probably even more infected (感染) but not showing symptoms. It has been particularly severe in Queensland, where nearly all koalas are infected. The disease causes many symptoms including eye infections, which can lead to blindness, making it difficult for them to find their primary food.
Treating Chlamydia in wild koalas is a challenge. There is no treatment available for it. Only a small percentage of the animals can be treated successfully and returned to the wild. Besides, there is no national plan in Australia to save the koala；it is up to each region to make management plans for its koala population.
The good news is that researchers are working to test a vaccine (疫苗) that would help prevent further spread. If all goes well, plans can be carried out to distribute the vaccil1e more widely. But it’s impossible to vaccinate all wild koalas.
Another possibility would be to make vaccine distribution a routi11e part of treatment for the thousands of koalas brought into care centers every year after they are injured by cars or dogs.
While it is a combination of problems that are affecting the wild koala population, many experts believe this vaccine would be an important step in helping koalas survive longer. It may buy enough time to give researchers a chance to solve some of the other problems facing Australia’s koalas.Which isn’t considered the main cause of koala’s population decline?
| A．Habitat loss. | B．Injuries from cars and dogs. |
| C．Climate change. | D．A deadly disease. |
The third paragraph mainly tells us.
| A．the serious result Chlamydia has caused to the koala |
| B．Chlamydia affected the koala only in particular regions |
| C．the most serious symptom of Chlamydia is eye infections |
| D．Chla1nydia can seriously affect koala’s primary food |
The underlined word “it” in the fourth paragraph probably refers to.
| A．the koala | B．Chlamydia | C．national plan | D．eye infection |
We can learn from the text that the vaccine.
| A．would cure the killer Chlamydia quite effectively |
| B．would only be distributed in koala care centers |
| C．has already been put into practical use in Australia |
| D．cannot be distributed to all the infected koalas |
It can be inferred from the text that.
| A．a national plan for saving koalas will be made soon in Australia |
| B．koala population is declining only in a few regions |
| C．researchers need enough time to so1ve the koala problems |
| D．experts have lost the best chance to save the infected koalas |