Parents are a child’s first teachers．But some parents never learned from good examples．In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents．
The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week．The class is called Mommy and Me．Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother．She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season．
She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby．The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding．Delores Clemens says, “that's not true．You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason．If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying．Pick your baby up．Cuddle your baby．Hug him! And she started to do that．They just want a little cuddling and a little love．And it works!”
Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered．Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year．
In class, with her baby son is Natasha．She lived on the streets．She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House．As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life．
The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen．That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones．By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two．What is the text mainly about?
| A．Parents who are a child’s first teachers． |
| B．A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered． |
| C．A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life． |
| D．A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers． |
Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____．
| A．help homeless young mothers become good parents |
| B．provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter |
| C．help mothers in New York be good parents |
| D．teach some parents how to love their children |
What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?
| A．She has a mother of five and a grandmother． |
| B．She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged． |
| C．She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers． |
| D．She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House． |
According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?
| A．Canada | B．the United States of America |
| C．Mexico | D．Britain |
For many people in the US，sports are not just for fun. They’re almost a “religion”．Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite teams and athletes play in person .Other fans watch the games at home，sticking to their TV sets，never missing a game. Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” during her husband’s favorite season. Americans’ devotion to sports has created a new class：professional athletes. Sports stars often receive milliondollar salaries. Some even make big money by appearing in advertisements for soft drinks，shoes and almost everything.
Sports are an important part of American culture. Throughout their school life，Americans learn to play many sports. Many students try out
for the school teams. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community. Many people also enjoy noncompetitive activities，like hiking，cycling，horseback riding，camping or hunting.
Many sports were imported from other countries. Europeans brought tennis，golf，bowling and boxing to America .Football and baseball came from other Old World games. Only basketball has a truly American origin. Americans export sports fever as well. Satellites broadcast games to sports fans around the globe. NBA is a good example. The names of American superstars like basketball great Michael Jordan have become household words all over the world.．Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” in the US probably because________.
| A．they are serious in religion |
| B．they are devoted to sports |
| C．their husbands stick to sports |
| D．their husbands are missing |
．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The US sports stars can earn a large sum of money via the media. |
| B．American students go in for various sports and athletic events. |
| C．Lots of American people take part in noncompetitive activities. |
| D．American people like to exchange different sports from each other. |
．The writer mainly intends to tell us________.
| A．how important sports are in America |
| B．where sports can help to make money |
| C．why sports are so popular in America |
| D．what affect Americans’ everyday life |
Many years ago my
student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide.
"Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were cra zy and walked away looking confused . I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输) in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too.
Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.. Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?
| A．Because he thought her answer was unbelievable. |
| B．Because the writer was insincere. |
| C．Because the student was naughty. |
| D．Because the answer was difficult to understand. |
. What do you think of the writer?
| A．Stupid. | B．Honest. | C．Insincere. | D．Polite. |
. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The writer’s mother has the greatest influence on her. |
| B．The writer’s answer made the student confused. |
| C．In the writer’s opinion, some people in the world are unfit to teach. |
| D．The writer annoyed the student who asked the question. |
. We can infer from the text that _________.
| A．the writer was also a good teacher in school |
| B．the writer often plays with her students beside a pond |
| C．the writer devotes herself to teaching and her students. |
| D．the writer often accompanies the students on their way home |
. What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．A student’s silly question. | B．A good teacher who likes students. |
| C．A confused student. | D．The reason why I teach. |
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As children face their final month of revision before the exam season starts, many parents are looking for the words to motivate their offspring．But could they be mistakenly praising the value of ability over effort, asks Matthew Syed．
Take a glance at these expressions of encouragement:
"You learned that so quickly, you're so smart!"
"Look at that drawing．Are you -the next Picasso or what?"
They appear as the kind of confidence-boosting statements that should be given to children or, indeed, anyone else．Such phrases are used in homes and classrooms every day, particularly with exams approaching．
Intelligence-based praise leads the receiver towards the fixed thought —it suggests to them that intelligence is of primary importance rather than the effort through which intelligence can be transformed．
Let's take a quick second look into the science of expertise, and ask a question．Where does excellence come from? For a long time, it was thought the answer to this depended, to a large degree, on genetic inheritance．Or, to put it another way, it is all about talent．
It turns out that this is mistaken．Dozens of studies have found that top performers—whether in maths, mi sic or whatever—learn no faster than those who reach lower levels of achievement—hour after hour, they improve at almost the same rates．
The difference is simply that high achievers practice for more hours．Further research has shown that when students seem to possess a particular gift, it is often because they have been given extra tuition at home by their parents．
This is not to deny that some kids start out better than others—it is merely to suggest that the starting point we have in life is not particularly relevant．
Why? Because, over time, with the right, kind of practice, we change so dramatically．It is not just the body that changes, but the brain．The question of talent versus effort would not matter terribly much if it as merely theoretical．But it is so much more than that．It influences the way we think, feel, and the way we engage with our world．What is the best title of this passage?
| A．The Words That Could Encourage Your Child |
| B．Intelligence Says All |
| C．High and Low Achievers |
| D．Start Early, Learn More |
Which statement is intelligence-based praise?
| A．"You're so brilliant - you passed that exam without really studying!" |
| B．"With more efforts, you can achieve more!" |
| C．" You combine study with entertainment so well!" |
| D．"You study so hard even when you are so good at it!" |
The writer thinks the answer to the question of talent versus effort is _____．
| A．simple | B．complicated | C．obvious | D．mysterious |
Why do some people have higher achievements?
| A．Because they are born with great talent. |
| B．Because they start better than others. |
| C．Because they spend more of their spare time practicing what they have learnt. |
| D．Because they improve themselves at almost the same rates. |
Butter is bad for you—so is margarine（人造黄油）．Coffee raises blood pressure, but may protect against cancer．Alcohol is okay, but only if it's wine．The confusing studies on what is safe to eat and drink are enough to make it impossible for anyone to understand what "good food" is．
Take the margarine-butter debate for example．Studies that linked fat—found mostly in animal products such as meat and butter—with cancer and heart disease sent millions rushing to buy margarine．But then another study found that people who ate a lot of margarine also had high levels of heart disease．For those who have a firm faith in science, this seems to be the end of the world．
But many doctors point out that their advice has never been conflicting．For years, and in various countries, they have recommended eating less fat．
People in western countries such as Britain and the United States get about 40 percent of their calories from fat．Doctors say this should be around 30 or even 25 percent,
"We must try to reduce total fat," said Dr．Robert Richardson of the University of Edinburgh, who has been studying the effects of fat on human health for years．
"We need to go to more such food as bread, in particular brown bread, and more fruit and vegetables．"
Fresh produce may not be so safe, either．Last month the British Government advised consumers to peel their pears before eating, while many Americans briefly avoided apples because of fears over an insect killing chemical．
But Dr．Arnold, a British scientist, said any risk of such poisoning would be outweighed by the costs of not eating plant foods．
"On balance, if you were to put both risks against each other, the advice has to be eating as much fruit and vegetable daily as possible," she said．
In general, doctors conclude, variety truly is the best policy．"The general advice is pretty much the same advice that doctors have been talking about for a long time—a varied diet, a mixture of foods and not too much of any one," Arnold said．In which section of the magazine are you most likely to find this passage?
| A．Arts and Culture | B．Entertainment |
| C．Nature | D．Health |
The British Government advised consumers to peel their pears before eating because ________．
| A．it found that there were insects on the pears |
| B．it wanted consumers to avoid insect, killing chemicals |
| C．the skin of pears was found to be bad for people's health |
| D．it was a bad habit not to peel them |
The underlined word "outweigh" （Para. 8） means " __________．"
| A．to be heavier than usual or allowed | B．to be more dangerous than |
| C．to be greater in value or importance than | D．to be considered less important than |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Many doctors say that their advice has never been conflicting． |
| B．Science provides answers to all our questions． |
| C．We should peel our pears before eating． |
| D．We should eat plant foods despite the risk of poisoning． |