Many of the world’s countries have reached or are approaching zero population growth (ZPG) ．Nearly all such lands are economically well developed．They include much of Europe(including Russia)，the United States，Canada，Japan．and Australia．As the rate of natural increase(RNI)declines，two things happen．First，the population begins to decline if the loss is not balanced by immigration．Second，a country’s population ages because there are fewer births．
Is achieving ZPG good or bad? What happens when a country’s population begins to drop? Many people，after all，believe that population decline is a good thing．But is it good for everyone? Does everyone agree?
An aging population can create many problems．Senior citizens require more health care and medical attention．Rather than paying into retirement programs，they begin to draw from their pensions．In the US，the Social Security program，according to many experts，will be used up by 2018．It will pay out more money than it takes in．Additionally, a great number of jobs go begging in search of people willing or entry。level positions that pay low wages．With an able to do them．Many of these jobs are aging population，who will fill them? At the other extreme，some positions require a large number of training and highly specialized skills．Who will fill these positions as retirees leave the workforce?
The answer to the problem of declining and aging population is simple：increased migration．Today many people，particularly those from less developed countries，are migrating in search of employment．Many are willing to take jobs that cannot(or will not) be filled by the domestic population．Others are well educated and highly skilled．Both groups contribute to a country’s economy progress in many ways．Further, they add to the richness of a country’s culture．Of greatest importance，perhaps，is the fact that they have become absolutely necessary to the economy of many lands．As you can see，for many countries and for most immigrants，migration is a win—win situation．In the writer’s view，which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Not everyone agrees that achieving ZPG is absolutely good． |
| B．Achieving ZPG is every country’s aim in spite of its side effects． |
| C．Achieving ZPG is bad for senior citizens． |
| D．Achieving ZPG is good for employment． |
According to the passage，the best way to solve the problem of declining and aging population is ．
| A．to improve the health care system | B．to increase RNI |
| C．to increase employment | D．to increase migration |
The underlined words “the domestic population’’ can be replaced by ．
| A．people within the country | B．people from developing countries |
| C．people without a college education | D．people living abroad |
The main idea of the last paragraph is
| A．the advantages of increased migration |
| B．the problem of declining and aging population |
| C．how to increase migration |
| D．some ways to enrich a country’s culture |
How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and the old wishing they were young again! Each age has its pleasure and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each agc gives him without wasting any time in uselcss regrets.
Children is a time when there are few duties to make life hard. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after, and loved whatever he may do. It’s impossible for him to be given so much again in his life without having to do anything in return. Besides, life is always giving new things to the child. A child finds pleasure in playing in the rain, or in the snow. His first visit to the seaside makes him wild. But a child has his pains; he is not so free to do as he wishes. He is continually being told not to do this, not to do that, or being punished for what he has done wrong. His life is therefore not perfectly happy.
When the young man starts to make his own living, he becomes free from the rules of school and parents; but at the time he is forced to accept duties. He can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the law of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison, lf, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble, and has good health, he can have the great happiness of seeing himself make steady pro-gress in his job and of building up his own position in society.
Old age has always been thought of as the worst age to be, but it is not necessary for the old to be unhappy. With old age should come wisdom and tile ability to help others with advice wisely given. They can have the joy of seeing their Children making progress in life; they can watch their grandchildren growing up around them and, perhaps, best of all, they can, if their life has been a useful one, feel the happiness of having come through the battle of life safely and of having reached a time when they can lie back and rest, leaving others to continue the fight.The main reason children wish they were grown up, and the old wish they were young again is that ______.
| A．both aren’t satisfied with the weak points at their ages |
| B．both enjoy the strong points at the other age by looking back or looking forward |
| C．the human beings should be like this |
| D．they don’t think both ages are acceptable |
“Enjoy what
each age gives him without wasting time in useless regrets” means ______.
| A．Enjoy what is given to him by people at his age, feeling regrets |
| B．Enjoy himself at his own age, feeling regrets for a waste of time |
| C．Make full use of the time he is given at his age instead of regretting having no achievements |
| D．Enjoy his own age and took down on the people at other ages |
“Children is a time when there are few duties to make life hard” means “______”.
| A．Children shouldn’t be made to live a hard life |
| B．All the children won’t have to work for their own living |
| C．Children shouldn’t answer for the hard life they are leading |
| D．A child bas few duties to try hard to make a living for himself or for his seniors |
According to the passage, what is a child’s greatest dissatisfaction?
| A．He thinks he has not got the equal freedom as his seniors. |
| B．He thinks he knows less about things than the older do. |
| C．He thinks it easy for him to do something wrong. |
| D．He thinks the society doesn’t believe in him. |
Starry Night
Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.
I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).
Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.
Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.
And so th
e sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.
What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.
| A．The singing angels | B．the giant trees |
| C．the sleepy village | D．the sparkling stars |
Van Gogh does NOT describe a feeling of ______ through the Starry Night.
| A．happiness | B．vitality | C．power | D．despair |
The underlined word “prison” in the 3rd paragraph probably means ______.
| A．trouble in one’s life | B．mental illness |
| C．control from the authority | D．a place where criminals are kept |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To explain how Van Gogh painted the Starry Night. |
| B．To tell us how to appreciate the Starry Night. |
| C．To prove Van Gogh was in a hallucinating state of mind while painting the picture. |
| D．To show us the beauty of the sky on a starry night. |
Adult Basic Education (ABE) and GED Preparation
Task:
The Adult Ba sic Education Department serves a huge population of learners. Our task is to teach basic skills and help learners to get more knowledge to function effectively as a family member, citizen, worker, and lifelong learner in a changing world.
Description:
ABE is a non-credit program of self-improvement designed to improve basic skills for students who are of different educational l
evel. Development of reading, writing, and math skills are paid special attention to, as well as life skills, employability, and technology. Students without a high school diploma(文凭)also have 
the opportunity to prepare for the GED exams in the five subject areas writing, social studies, science, literature, and math.
Prerequisites (条件):
ABE classes are open to anyone 18 or over who desires to improv
e basic reading, writing, and math skills at the pre-college level. Students who are 16 or 17 must first obtain an official release( 证书) from high school before attending class.
To be accepted, students must attend an Educational Planning Session. During the Educational Planning Session students will be given an overview of the ABE programs as well as PCC policies, fees, etc. Students will also have their reading, writing, and math abilities assessed (评估) during the Educational Planning Session The results of their assessment will help the teachers develop individual programs of study for students to guide them toward their personal goals. Students needing special help must get in touch with the Office for Students with Disabilities (503-977-4341) at least two weeks before the session is held.
Courses: The ABE Department serves an aim to___________.
| A．provide learners with basic knowledge and skills to fit in with society |
| B．help learners successfully get a job in a changing world |
| C．offer diplomas to those who fail to finish secondary education |
| D．provide students with opportunities to prepare for the GED exams |
A 17-year-old is not accepted to ABE classes only because he_________.
| A．is below 18 |
| B．can't offer a high school diploma |
| C．has left school without official permission |
| D．is assessed as poor in learning performances |
What
is the Educational Planning Session intended for?
| A．Providing special help to disabled students. |
B．Helping students be better at the fo ur basic skills. |
| C．Finding out whether they can be accepted to ABE classes. |
| D．An assessment of students' basic skill levels. |
Different courses are offered to different students according to _____.
| A．their own choices |
| B．the assessments during the Educational Planning Session |
| C．their performances in school |
D．how much they pay for the course s |
It was 3:12 a. m. when nine-year-old Glenn Kreamer awoke to the smell of burning. Except for the crackling（爆裂声）of flames somewhere below there was not a sound in the two-storey house at Baldwin, Long Island. With his father away on night duty at a local factory, Glenn was worried about the safety of his mother, his sister Karen, 14 and his 12-year-old brother Todd. He ran downstairs through the smoke filled house to push and pull at Karen and Todd until they sat up. Then he helped each one through the house to the safety of the garden. There, his sister and brother, taking short and quick breaths and coughing, collapsed on the lawn.
The nine-year-old raced back into the house and upstairs to his mother’s room. He found it impossible to waked her up. Mrs. Kreamer, a victim of the smoke, was unconscious, and there was nobody to help Glenn carry her to the garden. But the boy remained calm and , as a fireman said later, “acted with all the self-control of a trained adult.”
On the bedroom telephone, luckily still working, Glenn called his father and, leaving Mr. Kreamer to telephone the fire brigade and ambulance service, got on with the task of saving his mother.
First he filled a bucket with water from the bathroom and threw water over his mother and her bed. Then, with a wet cloth around his head he went back to the garden.
He
could hear the fire engine coming up, but how would the firemen find his mother in the smoke-filled house where flames had almost swallowed up the ground floor?
Grasping firmly a ball of string（线绳） from the garage, Glenn raced back into the house and dashed upstairs to his mother’s room. Tying one end of the string to her hand， he ran back, laying out the string as he went, through the hall and back out into the garden.
Minutes later he was telling fire chief John Coughlan: “The string will lead you to mother.” Mrs. Kreamer was carried to safety as the flames were breaking through her bedroom floor.Why did Glenn run downstairs first?
| A．He wanted to find out what was happening. |
| B．He was worried about his mother’s safety. |
| C．He wanted to save his sister and brother. |
| D．He went to see if his father had come back from work. |
How did Glenn help the firemen to save his mother?
| A．By throwing water all over her and her bed. |
| B．By carrying her to safety with his brother. |
C．By push ing and pulling at her. |
| D．By tying a string to her hand. |
What did Glenn do to protect himself?
| A．He put a wet cloth around his head. |
| B．He threw water all over himself. |
| C．He hid himself in the bathroom. |
| D．He rushed out to the lawn. |
Glenn saved his family because___________.
| A．his father had taught him to do so on the phone |
| B．he had learned something about first aid |
| C．he had dealt with the emergency calmly and wisely |
| D．he had followed his mother’s instruction |
Some American parents might think their children need better education to compete with those in China and other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change?
A new book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting. In Chinese culture, the tiger represents strength and power. In the book, Ms. Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. She said that she had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do, such as attending a sleepover, having a play date, watching TV or playing computer games and getting any grade less than an A.
Many people have criticized Amy Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive(辱骂的). She even a
dmits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style. But she says that it was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters.
Ms. Chua makes fun of her own extreme style of parenting. She says she eased
some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted, “I hate my life! I hate you!”
Ms. Chua says she decided to retreat when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughters. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children’s abilities. “One of the biggest differences I see between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents assume strength rather than fragility(脆弱),” she said.
“The beginning of this intense discussion has to do with what it means to be a successful parent and what it means to be a successful child,” said Stacy Debroff, who has written four books about parenting.
Ms. Debroff says Amy Chua’s parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants(移民) seeking a better future for their children.
But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacey Debroff advises parents to develop their own styles of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised.Amy Chua has been criticized mainly because ____.
| A．she looks up to boys and down on girls |
| B．she has already abused her right as a parent |
| C．she hasn’t raised her children like her own parents |
| D．she has fought with her children several times |
Which can best describe Ms. Chua according to the passage?
| A．Uneducated. | B．Cruel. | C．Strict. | D．Strong. |
According to Ms. Debroff, _____.
| A．Amy Chua’s parenting style should be banned(禁止) in China |
| B．Amy Chua’s should stop to adopt American parenting styles |
| C．Amy Chua’s parenting style should be adjusted if possible |
| D．There isn’t any advantages in Amy Chua’s style |
What does the underlined word “retreat” in Paragraph 5
mean?
| A．Give in. | B．Pass away. | C．Cry out. | D．Go ahead. |
What should be the best title of this passage?
| A．Some books on studying styles. |
| B．The disadvantage of Chinese parenting styles |
| C．Differences between western and eastern parenting styles |
| D．The comparison between American and Chinese parenting styles |