Dear daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. Your academic, artistic, and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years. You have become a talented and accomplished young woman.
College will be the most important years in your life. It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about. You often question "what good is this course". I encourage you to be inquisitive, but I also want to tell you: "Education is what you have left after all that is taught is forgotten." What I mean by that is the materials taught isn't as important as you gaining the ability to learn a new subject, and the ability to analyze a new problem. That is really what learning in college is about – this will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life, the skills of learning will be something you cherish forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped in what others think or say. Steve Jobs says when you are in college, your passion will create many dots, and later in your life you will connect them. In his great speech given at Stanford commencement, he gave the great example where he took calligraphy, and a decade later, it became the basis of the beautiful Macintosh fonts, which later ignited desktop publishing, and brought wonderful tools like Microsoft Word to our lives. His expedition into calligraphy was a dot, and the Macintosh became the connecting line. Enjoy picking your dots, and be assured one day you will find your calling, and connect a beautiful curve through the dots of yourself .
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life, because during college you are closer to them physically than to your family. Also, going through independence and adulthood is a natural bonding experience.
So please treasure your college years – make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, evolve yourself into a bi-cultural talent, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
When I faced the greatest challenge and opportunity in my life in 2005, you gave me a big hug and said "bonne chance", which means "good luck" and "good courage". Now I do the same for you. Bonne chance, my angel and princess. May Columbia become the happiest four years in your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (& Mom)What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The daughter is a well-rounded college student. |
| B．The father faced the greatest challenge in 2006. |
| C．The daughter is a freshman in college. |
| D．Steve Jobs gave the great example where he took calligraphy at Columbia commencement. |
The father may agree that _____.
| A．you will be well-educated if you forget all is taught |
| B．there are only master-inspired students in college |
| C．the daughter will be thinner if she goes on a diet |
| D．the skills of learning is very important for his daughter’s life |
The example of Steve Jobs in Paragraph 4 is to show _____.
| A．how Steve Jobs invented the basis of the Macintosh fonts |
| B．it is important for the daughter to follow her passion in college |
| C．Steve Jobs made great contributions to Microsoft Word |
| D．the father wishes his daughter to be as successful as Steve Jobs |
College friends are often the best to you because_____.
| A．your family are far away while college friends are around you within an easy reach |
| B．they are closer to you psychologically than to your family |
| C．they are better than your family |
| D．going through independence and adulthood is unusual bonding experience |
The fourth-graders at Chicago’s McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language. They’ve been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it’s now second nature to give a hearty “ni hao” when strangers enter the classroom.
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture(固定物) in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security—useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them—as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents—has driven a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.
Advocates see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world’s next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers… The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. “The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino(拉丁美洲人) and they are succeeding in this, tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages,” says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick. “We want to give our young people opportunities to advance… and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today’s economy,” says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.The underlined word “Advocates” in the text probably means”.
| A．Supporters | B．Objectors | C．Teachers | D．Learners |
How many languages are mentioned in this passage?
| A．Six. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
In the last paragraph, the underlined word “this ”probably refers to _____.
| A．the competition between Latino and Asian students |
| B．the global economy |
| C．the interesting way to engage with China |
| D．the Chinese learning |
What CANNOT be learned from this passage?
| A．Most students at McCormick can speak three languages. |
| B．Chinese is gaining its popularity in all schools in Chicago. |
| C．French has far more speakers than Chinese does in Chicago. |
| D．Globalization in a way makes it necessary to learn Chinese. |
Which of the following is mainly about in this passage?
| A．The Chinese learning in Chicago. |
| B．The ways to learn Chinese. |
| C．McCormick Primary School. |
| D．Globalization and Chinese learning. |
On a hot summer day, a soft drink can really take away your thirst. At home, at school, in the park or at the movies---you can find one almost anywhere.
Carbonated
You can see bubbles(泡沫) in these! Of all soft drinks sold, about 75 percent are carbonated(碳酸的). But be careful, carbonated soft drinks have lots of sugar and caffeine(咖啡因). Caffeine is not very good for you in the summer because it takes water out of your body. And the sugar can make you overweight if you drink too much.
Fruit juice
There are different kinds of juice. One kind is made only from fresh fruit. This kind of fruit juice may not taste sweet enough for some people, but it is nutritious(有营养的). Another kind of fruit juice tastes good but has lots of sugar in it. Many young people buy this kind because the advertisements are good. It is bad for your teeth and bones to drink lots of this.
Energy drinks
These kinds of drinks have caffeine and things that make people get excited in them. They are sometimes called “party drinks”. Doctors say that if you drink too much of this kind, you may have a heart attack.
Bottled water
We have lots of different kinds of bottled water, such as mineral water, purified water and distilled water(蒸馏水). They are clean and easy to drink. But it is best not to drink very cold water. It may make your stomach feel bad.
Sports drinks
Most of these have funny names like “Scream(尖叫)” and “G-Vital(激活)”. They have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. After you play sports, you may want to drink one of these.
But if you just spend your summer holiday sitting around watching TV, you won’t need them at all!Which two types of drinks may make you overweight?
| A．Carbonated and fruit juice. |
| B． Energy drinks and sports drinks. |
| C．Carbonated and energy drinks. |
| D．Fruit juice and bottled water. |
Which one may lead to your heart disease?
| A．Carbonated. | B．Fruit juice. |
| C．Energy drinks. | D．Sports drinks |
After sports, you have sports drinks because______.
| A．they can take away your thirst |
| B．they can put back minerals you’ve lost in sweat |
| C．they have funny names that sound very exciting |
| D．they have no sugar |
The writer wrote this passage to______.
| A．warn us to keep away from soft drinks |
| B．teach us some useful ways of keeping healthy |
| C．tell us how to choose a good one from all kinds of drinks |
| D．make the advertisements for soft drinks |
First Lady Michelle Obama is a big fan of volunteering. Volunteering means working for free to help someone else. Mrs. Obama says volunteering is very important. “It should be part of everyone’s life,” she says.
Many teens agree. They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference. These days, more teens volunteer than work for pay. Teens clean up parks, walk dogs at animal shelters, visit the elderly and more.
Some cities ---- including Seattle, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. ----require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate. The student volunteers learn new skills and help their communities.
Many parents are in favor of the idea ---- they say volunteering helps teens build job skills. But most teens don’t want to be forced to volunteer. They say they are busy. And they say volunteering is only fun if it’s a choice.
Read both sides of the debate and decide.
YES
Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
Many cities and towns need help. Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
Not all teens will volunteer if it isn’t required. Schools should require students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
NO
Most teens are already very busy with classes, homework, jobs and sports. Forcing them to do more isn’t fair.
It should be up to each person. Helping out doesn’t feel as good if you have to do it.
Finding a volunteer job isn’t always easy. Students shouldn’t be kept from graduating because of something they can’t control.The writer mentions Michelle Obama in order to___________.
| A．show she enjoys volunteering | B．explain what volunteering is |
| C．tell what she does for the US | D．introduce the topic of the text |
According to the text, in Chicago,.
| A．finding a volunteer job is quite easy |
| B．volunteering is a must for high school students |
| C．more people would rather work for pay |
| D．college students have to volunteer before graduation |
Which question does the text mainly discuss?
| A．Should students be required to volunteer? |
| B．Is volunteering good for students? |
| C．What is the best time to volunteer? |
| D．Which volunteer jobs should students do? |
If you, a man, are looking through this, congratulations: you are a survivor (幸存者). According to a survey, you are more than twice likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. If you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.
There are many reasons for this. Men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke—but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.
“Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should.” says Dr. Gullotta,“This is particularly so for the over 40s, when diseases tend to strike.”Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year. Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed(延迟) doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year. “When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer.”he says.“Earlier finding and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have made him live longer.”
According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they are strong enough. While some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know. Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies.” Dr. Gullotta says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be found out by check-ups. Regular check-ups for men would place strain on the public purse, Gullotta says. “But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to cure the diseases. Besides, the final/highest cost is far greater: it is called premature death(过早死亡).”
From the first paragraph, we can know that _________.
| A．women are more likely to die of skin cancer |
| B．men are more likely to get some deadly diseases |
| C．men can live five years longer than women |
| D．men who live long are very lucky |
What is a more important reason for man’s death?
| A．Men take more risks than women. |
| B．Diseases tend to strike men easily |
| C．Men don’t go to doctors for check-ups. |
| D．Men like drinking and smoking. |
Why does the author take a 50-old-man as an example?
| A．To realize the importance of disease prevention. |
| B．To show he could have avoided death. |
| C．To prove smoking leads to lung cancer. |
| D．To think highly of the doctor’s work. |
What can be drawn from the last paragraph?
| A．Treatment would cost a lot of money. |
| B．Cars are more valuable than health. |
| C．Men are brave to accept the reality. |
| D．Check-ups are necessary and worthwhile. |
Blogs have become an important part of life. Millions of people have blogs. Perhaps you would like to have one; you would like to improve your blog; perhaps you would like to make your blog as a means of earning money or attracting more people. Whatever your aim is, this course shows you how to become better bloggers. You will learn how to find the right tone for your blog, set it up and keep it, write something that are effective and worth reading, and attract people from all over the world to your blog. While it’s simple to start a blog, it takes energy and skill to do it really well, as is true of any kind of writing.
Among the topics covered: introduction to the blog, the benefits of blogging, focusing on your blog concept, how to set up and keep a page, tips for effective blog writing and drawing visitors to your blog.
Course offered
How to blog
In this four-week course, a blogging expert will guide you through the process of designing, setting up, writing, and improving a blog. Each student will talk with the expert on blog, then set up a “live” blog and introduce it to the rest of the class for suggestions. Students will also have chances to ask the expert questions.
Online classes
Tuition(学费): $ 125. Registration(注册): $ 25.
Each class is strictly limited to 25 students aged 18 and up.
| Start |
New Lecture |
Location |
Time |
| Jan.12 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
| Feb. 9 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
| Mar. 16 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
In the course, you will learn something Except _________.
| A．focusing on your blog concept | B．how to set up a blog |
| C．the benefits of blogging | D．how to follow others’ blog |
What do we know about the course?
| A．There are more than 25 students in each class. |
| B．The course is intended for teenagers under 18. |
| C．It will cost you $ 150 to learn the course. |
| D．New lectures are given each day. |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．an online course about how to blog |
| B．an online plan on writing |
| C．an online program about blog history |
| D．an online competition in writing blogs |
Which word can be used to describe the course for bloggers?
| A．Difficult. | B．Helpful. | C．Simple. | D．Boring. |