Weknowthatcigarettesmokingkill-优题课

The new studies show that fewer than half of the 9th graders in many of the nation’s largest cities, can ever graduate. The studies clearly show that the dropout rate isn’t dropping. And, in particular, the dropout rate isn’t dropping for poor and minority students.
Amazingly, though so many regret the rising dropout rate, our schools continue to lack formal plans--or any plans--to teach students motivation(动机). Most schools have no game plan to ensure that students understand that schooling will be completely necessary. Schools expect youth and children to act as though schooling is important, but they never teach them to believe that.
Years ago, families ensured that thechildrenrecognized the value of schooling. But in many modern families, the children may fail to recognize the importance of school life just because these families may actually tell their children that school is not important. Since many families are not motivating their children to be interested students, youth professionals, like teachers may need to provide this training. Otherwise, it is likely the dropout rate will continue not to drop, but only worsen.
Here are some strategies to convince even the most apathetic (无动于衷的) students that they must stay in school.
Ask students if they will ever need to work: The world has changed. 100 years ago, factory work was the booming job, and it required no education. Today, factories are increasingly automated. Most computer-related jobs require education and at least a high school diploma.
Ask students which century they will be prepared for: In 1900, the most common jobs were farm laborer and domestic servant—education not needed. Now, the most common jobs are office and sales staff—education and diploma usually needed. An amazing 6 out of 10 people today work in a store or office.
Ask students to devise a way that the employee could be replaced. For example, the coming trend in fast food is to use computers rather than people to run the restaurant. A prototype is apparently already being tested. The students should discover that most jobs that lack education and diploma requirements may be ripe for automation.
What does the underlined part mean in Paragraph1?

A．Few students can afford to go to school in large cities.

B．A large number of the 9^th graders can graduate now.

C．There are still quite a few 9^th graders leaving school early.

D．Most schools in large cities have fewer and fewer students.

Without the help of youth professionals,_____.

A．more and more families will gradually recognize the value of school.

B．it is likely that the dropout rate in schools won’t continue to drop.

C．some parents will be more convinced of their children’s future.

D．the schools will make proper plans to solve the problems with dropout.

The author takes factory work for example mainly to ______.

A．tell us that many jobs requires certain education in the past

B．show that there are more factory work and employment in modern society

C．show that employment in the computer field grows at a high rate

D．emphasize that modern jobs require education and schools ar

e necessary

It can be inferred that______.

A．both schools and families should answer for the high dropout rate

B．many new jobs don’t need children’s high school diploma

C．working in a store doesn’t require a high school diploma

D．most schools are ready to help students recognize the importance of study

If students play the “Replace Me” game, the result would be “______”.

A．They will know that they can ‘always’ do without a diploma

B．More of them will drop out early to go to work

C．They will discover that lack of education is a disadvantage in choosing jobs

D．They will become better at using computers to hunt for a job

Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”
What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?

A．Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced.

B．Information technology is developing at an amazing speed.

C．Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult.

D．There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry.

According to the author, the biggest benefit of the Internet is that___.

A．it saves companies huge amounts of money

B．it speeds up profit making

C．it brings people incredible convenience

D．it provides easy access to information

The author gives the example of FinalThoughts.com to make the point that____.

A．there are some genius ideas on the Internet

B．almost anything is available on the Internet

C．people can find good bargains on the Internet

D．people are free to do anything on the Internet

What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?

A．There is a link b

etween income and computer ownership.

B．Many American children don’t put computers to good use.

C．Studies show that boys are more computer literate than girls.

D．The U.S. will stay ahead in the information technology in years.

Which sentence has the phrase that has the same meaning as the one underlined in the fifth paragraph?

A．Some can tell you that he has changed their lives, while others think nothing of him.

B．Think nothing of it. It was my pleasure.

C．He thinks nothing of staying up all night in the Café bar.

D．He thinks nothing of the pain in his back for the moment.

What is the message the author intends to convey?

A．The Internet is going to get firm hold of our lives some day.

B．The Internet is going to influence our lives even more greatly.

C．We should have a positive attitude towards the changes the Internet brings.

D．Children should be well prepared for the challenges in the information age.

Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调)．
One of the study’s authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”．This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr.Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study，the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings：squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study，Patrick C．M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.

A．he has a difficult time learning music at the same time

B．he has an easier time learning music at the same time

C．it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand

D．it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch

Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?

A．Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music.

B．Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain.

C．Because music training might help people with language study.

D．Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music.

The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”．

A．created	B．spelled
C．seemed	D．pronounced

What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers

B．Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study

C．Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning

D．Schools Need to Develop Music Programs

A few years ago I asked my children’s governess, Julia Vassilyevna, to come into my study.
“ Sit down, Julia Vassilyevna,” I said.“Let’s settle our accounts. Although you most likely need some money, you stand on ceremony and won’t ask for it yourself. Now then, we agree on thirty rubles a month…”
“ Forty.”
“ No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay the governess thirty. Now then, you’ve been here two months, so…”
“ Two months and five days.”
“ Exactly two months. I made a specific note of it. That means you have sixty rubles coming to you. Subtract nine Sundays… you know you didn’t work with Kolya on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays…”
Julia Vassilyevna flushed a deep red and picked at the flounce of her dress, but--- not a word.
“ Three holidays, therefore take off twelve rubles. Four days Kolya was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Vanya. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven---nineteen. Subtract…that leaves…hmm…forty-one rubles. Correct?”
Julia Vassilyena’s left eye reddened and filled with moisture. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but---not a word.
“ Around New Year’s you broke a teacup and saucer: take off two rubles. The cup cost more, it was an heirloom, but---let it go. When didn’t I take a loss? Then, due to your neglect, Kolya climbed a tree and tore his jacket: take off ten. Also due to your heedlessness the maid stole Vanya’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more rubles off. The tenth of January I gave you ten rubles…”
“ You didn’t ” whispered Julia Vassilyevna.
“ But I made a note of it.”
“ Well…all right.”
“ Take twenty-seven from forty-one ---that leaves fourteen.”
Both eyes filled with tears. Perspiration appeared on the thin, pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“ Only once was I given any money,” she said in a trembling voice, “ and that was by your wife. Three rubles, nothing more.”
“ Really? You see now, and I didn’t make a note of it! Take three from fourteen… leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three , three, three, one and one. Here it is!”
I handed her eleven rubles. She took them and with trembling fingers stuffed them into her pocket.
“ Merci,” she whispered.
I jumped up and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger.
“ For what, this ---‘merci’?” I asked.
“ For the money.”
“ But you know I’ve cheated you, God’s sake---robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this ‘merci’?”
“ In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“ They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you … I’m going to give you the entire eighty rubles! Here they are in an envelope all ready for you… Is it really possible to be so spineless? Why don’t you protest? Why be silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws--- to be such a nincompoop?”
She smiled crookedly and I read in her expression: “ It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and , to her great surprise, gave her the eighty rubles. She murmured her litter “merci” several times and went out. I looked after her and thought: “How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”
When the employer called Julia Vassilyevna in to talk with him, what he really wanted to do was _______

A．to settle their accounts

B．to criticize her for neglecting her duties as a governess.

C．to play a joke on her so as to amuse himself.

D．to teach her not to be so spineless.

The employer made all those criticisms about Julia Vassiliyevna’s work because __________

A．she had neglected her duties.

B．he wanted to pay her as little money as possible.

C．he wanted to make her realize that she was being cheated and protest against it.

D．he wanted to make her feel miserable.

Julia Vassilyevna accepted everything her employer said because ________

A．she had in fact neglected her duties.

B．she was a very dumb girl.

C．she thought it was of no use to protest to her employer.

D．she loved the children she taught.

The employer became very angry when Julia Vassilyevna said “ Merci” because ________

A．she didn’t say “Merci” loudly.

B．she didn’t protest to him.

C．he thought that by simply saying “ Merci” she wasn’t polite enough.

D．he didn’t like the way in which she stuffed the money into per pocket and expressed her thanks.

The text is about _______

A．how a governess was cheated by her employer.

B．how an employer tried to teach the governess a cruel lesson.

C．how a governess was fired by her employer for being a nincompoop.

D．how an employer punished the governess for not having done a good job.

Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity (长寿) boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows (寡妇)and widowers were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a woman’s. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.
　　Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke. There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.
　　So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological (生理的) mechanisms. For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.
　　A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The ultimate social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says: “People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected.”
William Farr’s study and other studies show that _________.

A．social life provides an effective cure for illness

B．being sociable helps improve one’s quality of life

C．women benefit more than men from marriage

D．marriage contributes a great deal to longevity

Linda Waite’s studies support the idea that _________.

A．older men should quit smoking to stay healthy

B．marriage can help make up for ill health

C．the married are happier than the unmarried

D．unmarried people are likely to suffer in later life

It can be inferred from the context that the “flip side” (Line 4, Para. 2) refers to _________.

A．the disadvantages of being married

B．the emotional problems arising from marriage

C．the responsibility of taking care of one’s family

D．the consequence of a broken marriage

What does the author say about social networks?

A．They have effects similar to those of a marriage.

B．They help develop people’s community spirit.

C．They provide timely support for those in need.

D．They help relieve people of their life’s burdens.

What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．It’s important that we develop a social network when young.

B．To stay healthy, one should have a proper social network.

C．Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span.

D．We should share our social networks with each other.