Boy’s schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity(阳刚) , the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to agree with a stereotype, a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to agree with the “boy code”of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The report, presented at a conference of the International Boys’Schools Coalition in London attended by the heads of private and state schools, goes against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls. Tony little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their females peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boy’s learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia. Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused”approaches such as themes and characters that interest them. Because boys generally have more acute(sharp)vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on”lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine(女性的)and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to agree with a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships, “In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means.” The study reported.In the eyes of the author, a single-sex school would__________.
A.force boys to hide their emotions to be “real man” |
B.help to develop masculine aggressiveness in boys |
C.encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
D.naturally stress in boys the traditional image of a man |
The phrase “received wisdom” (paragraph 3) is most likely to mean____________.
A.better education | B.common belief |
C.good behavior | D.strong responsibility |
What does Tony Little think of the British education system?
A.It fails more boys than girls thoroughly |
B.It makes boys more emotional than girls |
C.It fails to give boys the attention they need |
D.It focuses more on mixed school education |
Which is one of the advantages of single-sex schools according to Abigail James?
A.Teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys |
B.Boys can focus on their lessons without being disturbed |
C.Boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
D.Teaching can be designed to promote boy’s team spirit |
According to Abigail James’s report, which of the following is characteristic of boys?
A.They enjoy being in charge and master |
B.They love to be greatly encouraged |
C.They are violent and sexist |
D.They have sharper vision |
We’re not suggesting that you should reach a permanent state called “happiness” and remain there. But there are many ways to keep away from anxiety, anger, frustration and sadness. Here are some ideas to get you started. Choose the ones that work for you.
Practice mindfulness. Focus on the present. Instead of worrying about what you should do tomorrow while you’re having dinner with your family, focus on the here and now—the food, your families, the conversation.
Sing along. Studies fine music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness. In one study, older adults who listened to their choice of music during eye surgery had significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure than those who had silent surgery.
Go to sleep. We have become a nation of sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. at night with a good book and turning the light out an hour later can do more for your mood than any number of bubble baths or massages.
Make a list. There’s nothing like writing down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.
Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship(礼拜场所) provide islands of peace and calm in today’s world. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret getaway.
Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into perspective(客观判断力) and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness. One study found that volunteer work enhanced all four aspects of well-being: happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem and sense of control over life.
41. According to the passage, which of the following ways can keep you away from bad moods?
A. Staying with your family. B. Having a lot of money.
C. Having enough sleep. D. Travelling.
42. As stared in the text, ______can reduce the risk of operation.
A. taking a nap when having surgery B. finding a quiet place to perform surgery
C. keeping quiet when having surgery D. listening to music when having surgery
43. Making a list of your tasks and checking them off can ________ yourself.
A. encourage B. satisfy C. improve D. change
44. You’d better not go to _______if you want to keep quiet and calm.
A. libraries B. churches C. supermarkets D. gardens
45. According to the passage, why can helping others increase your happiness?
A. Because it’s a good way to relax.
B. Because happy people are more likely to help others.
C. Because it enable you to see your own problems clearly.
D. Because it can enhance your health.
IV. 阅读理解:(共20题,每小题2分,共40分)
My father had returned from his business visit to London when I came in, rather late, to supper. I could tell at once that he and my mother had been discussing something. In that half-playful, half-serious way I knew so well, he said, "How would you like to go to Eton?"
"You bet," I cried quickly catching the joke. Everyone knew it was the most expensive, the most famous of schools. You had to be entered at birth, if not before. Besides, even at 12 or 13, I understood my father. He disliked any form of showing off. He always knew his proper station in life, which was in the middle of the middle class, our house was medium-sized; he had avoided joining Royal Liverpool Golf Club and went to a smaller one instead; though once he had got a second-hand Rolls-Royce at a remarkably low price, he felt embarrassed driving it, and quickly changed it for an Austin 1100.
This could only be his delightful way of telling me that the whole boarding school idea was to be dropped. Alas! I should also have remembered that he had a liking for being different from everyone else, if it did not conflict(冲突) with his fear of drawing attention to himself.
It seemed that he had happened to be talking to Graham Brown of the London office, a very nice fellow, and Graham had a friend who had just entered his boy at the school, and while he was in that part of the world he thought he might just as well phone them. I remember my eyes stinging(刺痛) and my hands shaking with the puzzlement of my feelings. There was excitement, at the heart of great sadness.
"Oh, he doesn't want to go away," said my mother, "You shouldn't go on like this.” “It's up to him," said my father. "He can make up his own mind."
36. The house the writer's family lived in was ________.
A. the best they could afford B. right for their social position
C. for showing off D. rather small
37. His father sold his Roils-Royce because ________.
A. it made him feel uneasyB. it was too old to work well
C. it was too expensive to possess D. it was too cheap
38. The writer's father enjoyed being in the middle class because ________.
A. it drew attention to himB. it didn't bring him in arguments
C. it was understood as a jokeD. he disliked showing off
39. What was the writer's reaction to the idea of going to Eton?
A. He was very unhappy. B. He didn't believe it.
C. He was delighted. D. He had mixed feelings.
40. We can know from the passage that ________.
A. Children who can go to Eton are very famous
B. Children can go to Eton if they will
C. It is very difficult for a child to get a chance to go to Eton
D. Children don't have the right to decide whether they will go to Eton
In today's world, we rely on computers as never before. They are used for everything from ordering a pizza to running hospitals and military defense systems. Banking and credit card information is stored and accessed by computers. So what happens when a computer gets infected with a virus? One effect is that people's access to their e-mail accounts is cut off. A more serious possible consequence is that billions of dollars could be lost.
A virus is a computer program that copies itself onto other programs and infects them. Similar to an easily spread disease, a computer virus goes from computer to computer, either adding to or changing the tasks a program is designed to do.
The first computer viruses were created in the mid '80s and had varying effects. Some caused files to be deleted, or made the letters on the screen appear to fall off. Others displayed a specific message once the computer was turned on.
Viruses today are much more widespread and dangerous than ever before. Perhaps the most damaging to date has been the "I Love You" virus. "I Love You" appeared in May 2000 and has possibly been the most destructive virus in terms of monetary loss.
The virus is released when an attachment to a fake e-mail message is opened. By changing the names of files on computers, "I Love You" makes them difficult to access. It also searches for important personal information, including passwords, which it sends to a web site for others to see.
It is estimated that more than 45 million people in 20 countries have had their computers infected by the "I Love You" virus. Some say the cost of repair and lost business has been more than US$10 billion.
If you own a computer, it is important to keep it in good health by installing an anti-virus program. If updated frequently, it will protect your e-mail access--not to mention your wallet.
51.What does "virus" mean in the article?
A. An easily spread disease.
B. A contagious (传染的) computer program.
C. An extremely small organism (生物) which causes disease.
D. A parasite (寄生虫) in computer.
52. How does "I Love You" virus spread?
A. It is spread when an e-mail account is opened.
B. It is spread through on-line chatting.
C. It is spread through e-mail.
D. It spreads from web site to web site.
53. Which of the following is one of the damages brought by "I Love You" virus?
A. It deletes files. B. It automatically turns on computers.
C. It automatically turns off computers. D. It makes it difficult to access files.
54. Which of the following is the best way to guard against virus?
A. To load an up-to-date anti-virus program into our computer
B. Not to use an e-mail account.
C. To upgrade our computer. D. Not to use the Internet.
55. What is the purpose of the article?
A. To warn us against virus.
B. To remind us the importance of being healthy.
C. To stress the importance of computer.
D. To alert us to economic loss.
Several different stories are told about the origin of Saint Valentine’s Day. One legend(story) dates as far back as the days of Roman Empire. According to the story. Claudius, the Emperor of Rome, wanted to increase the size of the army. He knew that it would be easier to get young men who were not married to join the army; therefore, he made a rule that no young men could marry until he had served in the army for a number of years.
A priest(man working in church) named Valentine broke the rule and secretly married a great number of young people. Finally, Claudius found out about Valentine and put the priest in prison, where he remained until his death on February 14.
After his death, Valentine was made a saint(perfect man in public opinion) and the day of his death was named Saint Valentine’s Day----which is a time for people to send one another their greeting of many kinds.
February 14, Valentine’s Day, is sweetheart’s day, on which people in love with each other express their tender emotions(soft feelings).
People sometimes put their
love message in a heart shaped box of chocolate or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons(silk). Words of letters may be written on the flower covered card, or something else. Whatever the form may be, the message is almost the same “Will you be my Valentine?”
46. According to the rule_______.
A. no young men could get married unless they were old enough.
B. Young men could get married if they had served the army for a number of years.
no one could get married without the emperor’s permission
young men could get married only in the army.
47.The passage mainly tells us about_______.
A. How Valentine died B. The emperor of Rome
C. How Valentine’s Day is celebrated D. The origin of Valentine’s Day
48. February 14 is chosen as Valentine’s Day because_______.
A. people want to remember Valentine
lovers express their tender emotions on this day
people send one another greeting of many kinds on this day
people want to fix a date for lovers to express their emotion
49. Valentine was put in prison for ________.
A. he helped the couples who were not supposed to get married B. he got married C. he fell in love with more than one woman.
D. he broke the emperor’s rule on purpose
50. When a boy asks a neighbor girl to be his Valentine, he is probably asking her to _________.
A. spend the festival with him B. be his date
C. forgive him D. not to break his heart
三.阅读 (共两节,满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并填写在答题卡上。
Linda often asked Luke to dinner. Linda loved Luke, but Luke loved Linda’s cooking, not Linda herself. Linda accepted that for the time being. But she felt that, with enough meals and enough time, she would get her man.
Luke rarely stayed more than ten minutes past the last bite of dessert. Linda would ask luke if he wanted to watch TV, or play cards or chess, or take a walk around the neighborhood, but Luke always declined. He always said, “ I’ve got to go.” They both knew that Luke didn’t have to go anywhere. All he ever did was to go back to his apartment and read books or go online.
Tonight was probably going to be more of the same. But Linda was a patient woman. She loved to cook, and she loved to watch people eat her cooking. Tonight she prepared shrimp, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, and asparagus(芦笋). Luke ate everything. Then she brought out her homemade cheesecake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Luke asked, “ Are you trying to fatten me up for something? Every time I come over here, I have to eat celery(芹菜) and lettuce for a week to get back down to my normal weight. Or maybe I should start going to the gym more often. Nah, I’m too lazy for that.”
“Oh, stop exaggerating(夸张).” Linda replied. “ You enoy every mouthful. And besides, I don’t think you lazy at all.”
“ You’re right. I apologise. I love your cooking, and if you didn’t invite me over here, I’d be hurt and hungry.”
Linda watched contentedly(满足地) as Luke devoured the cheesecake and ice cream. Someday, she thought, I will be his dessert.
41. Which of the following were included in the meal Linda made for Luke.
A. Shrimp, tomatoes and ice cream.
B. Mashed potatoes, ice cream and cheesecake.
C. Bean, fried potaties and asparagus.
D. Shrimp, green peas and cheesecake.
42. What can be inferred from this passage?
A. Linda will eventually capture Luke’s heart.
B. Luke is often a very busy man.
C. Linda prefers fat men.
D. Both Luke and Linda are single.
43. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true about Luke?
A. He owns a computer.
B. He enjoys reading.
C. He prefers ice cream to cheesecake.
D. He has had dinner with Linda before.
44. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. My Foolish Heart.
B. The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach.
C. The Fatter the Better.
D. The Food of Life.
45. Why did Luke always decline Linda’s invitations to do other things besides eating?
A. He was often busy at work.
B. He only liked Linda’s cooking.
C. He preferred being alone most of the time.
D. He was very shy.