【2015·浙江】A
From the very beginning of school we make books and reading a constant source of possible failure and public humiliation. When children are little we make them read aloud, before the teacher and other children, so that we can be sure they “know” all the words they are reading. This means that when they don’t know a word, they are going to make a mistake, right in front of everyone. After having taught fifth-grade classes for four years, I decided to try at all costs to rid them of their fear and dislike of books, and to get them to read oftener and more adventurously.
One day soon after school had started, I said to them, “Now I’m going to say something about reading that you have probably never heard a teacher say before. I would like you to read a lot of books this year, but I want you to read them only for pleasure. I am not going to ask you questions to find out whether you understand the books or not. If you understand enough of a book to enjoy it and want to go on reading it, that’s enough for me. Also I’m not going to ask you what words mean. “
The children sat stunned and silent. Was this a teacher talking? One girl, who had just come to us from a school where she had had a very hard time, looked at me steadily for a long time after I had finished. Then, still looking at me, she said slowly and seriously, Mr Holt, do you really mean that?” I said just as seriously, “I mean every word of it.
During the spring she really astonished me. One day, she was reading at her desk, From a glimpse of the illustrations I thought I knew what the book was. I said to myself, “It can’t be,” and went to take a closer look. Sure enough, she was reading Moby Dick , in edition with woodcuts. I said, “Don’t you find parts of it rather heavy going?” She answered, Oh, sure, but I just skip over those parts and go on to the next good part. “
This is exactly what reading should be and in school so seldom is,an exciting, joyous adventure. Find something, dive into it, take the good parts, skip the bad parts, get what you can out of it, go on to something else. How different is our mean-spirited, picky insistence that every child get every last little scrap of “understanding” that can be dug out of a book.
According to the passage, children’s fear and dislike of books may result from________.
| A．reading little and thinking little |
| B．reading often and adventurously |
| C．being made to read too much |
| D．being made to read aloud before others |
The teacher told his students to read______ .
| A．for enjoyment |
| B．for knowledge |
| C．for a larger vocabulary |
| D．for higher scores in exams |
Upon hearing the teacher’s talk, the children probably felt that________.
| A．it sounded stupid |
| B．it was not surprising at all |
| C．it sounded too good to be true |
| D．it was no different from other teachers' talk |
Which of the following statements about the girl is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．She skipped over those easy parts while reading. |
| B．She had a hard time finishing the required reading tasks. |
| C．She learned to appreciate some parts of the difficult books. |
| D．She turned out to be a top student after coming to this school. |
From the teacher's point of view,_________ .
| A．children cannot tell good parts from bad parts while reading |
| B．children should be left to decide what to read and how to read |
| C．reading is never a pleasant and inspiring experience in school |
| D．reading involves understanding every little piece of information |
Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways .Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report.
Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process.
The following methods may work best for you.
●Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.
●Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and
supporting facts.
● Write your notes in your own words.
●
● Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.
As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them
all the time.
| A．Use words, not complete sentences. |
| B．There are three practical note-taking methods. |
| C．You must write your notes on separate paper. |
| D．Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later. |
E. you will also want to develop your own method for taking notes.
F. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes.
G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it.
American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country cities reflect the values of the culture. Cities contain the very best aspects of a society: opportunities for education employment and entertainment. They also contain the very worst parts of a society: violent crime racial conflict and poverty. American cities are changing just as American society is changing.
After World War II city residents became wealthier more prosperous. They had more children. They needed more space. They move out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American “dream” was to have a house in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in 1950s are now adults. They unlike their parents want to live in the cities. Many young professionals doctors lawyers and executives are moving back into the city. Many are single; others are married but often without children. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; they are afraid of the fuel shortage; or they just enjoy the excitement and opportunities which the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright , new future .Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure：many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world ?
| A．They are alive . | B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Ⅱ?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4 th paragragh, a great many poor people in American cities ____ .
| A．are faced with housing problems |
| B．are faced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings |
| D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that_____?
| A．American cities are changing for the wars |
| B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
For many parents , raising a teenager is like fighting a long war ,but years go by without any clear winner . Like a border conflict between neighboring countries ,the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace ,but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict . In part ,this is because neither is willing to admit .any responsibility for starting it . From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course .the teens see it in exactly the same way , except oppositely . Both feel trapped
In this article. I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things . Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom ,the preferred style of clothing , the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school ,or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends .Second ,blaming.The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong . Third , needing to be right ,It doesn’t matter what the topic is –politics. The taws of physics ,or the proper way to break an egg –the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong .for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something — and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately , as long as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other ,they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?
| A．Both can continue for generations . |
| B．Both are about where to draw the line |
| C．Neither has any clear winner |
| D．Neither can be put to an end |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict. |
| B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict |
| C．The teens acouse their parents of misleading them |
| D．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents |
Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________.
| A．give orders to the other |
| B．know more than the other |
| C．gain respect from the other |
| D．get the other to behave properly |
What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Causes for the parent –teen conflicts |
| B．Examples of the parent –teen war. |
| C．Solutions for the parent –teen problems |
| D．Future of the parent-teen relationship |
It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night.The morning after the storm,though,was beautiful:blue skies,warm air and a calm,inviting sea touching the shore gently.
My father realised it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him.I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same.I’m so glad I did.
On the road to the harbour we could see the terrible destruction on the coast,but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape.After all， it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea.As we got on board,we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.
On approaching them,we saw it was a mother whale with her baby.We couldn’t believe it ——there aren’t any whales along the coast here.The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badlly polluted that nothing could survive.
The little baby whale——actually as big as our boal——was obviously stuck and could not move.The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly,making big whirlpools(漩涡) and waves.”She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side,”my father said.At this point,my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and ,heading the boat towards the baby whale,pushed it gently.With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappared under water.Then it swam up right beside its mum.They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction.We hurried up to the whales
and tried to lead them towards the bay channel.Showly,they let us lead them,some-times rising from the water right beside us to breathe——and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes.Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea,the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance.
In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half.That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day,Nearly four decades later ,I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea. The author says “I’m so glad I did .”(in Para.2)because __________.
| A．be witnessed the whole process of fishing |
| B．he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea |
| C．he experienced the rescue of the whales |
| D．he spent the weekend with his family |
The harbour survived the storm owing to____________.
| A．the shape of the harbour |
| B．the arms of the bay |
| C．the still water in the channel |
| D．the long coast line |
The mother whale failed to help her baby because__________.
| A．she had stayed in the polluted water for too long |
| B．the whirlpools she had made were not big enough |
| C．she had no other whales around to turn to for help |
| D．the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction |
what is the theme of the story?
| A．Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness |
| B．Fishing provides excitement for children |
| C．It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals |
| D．It’s vital to protect the environment |
I chose to study in Madrid because I had a desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling to my Spanish friend’s house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera, because one week really isn’t enough time to see everything here including a number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual Spanish family, I wasn’t really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like Madrid I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule for future. There is so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as well. What’s the purpose of the text?
| A．To attract people to tour around Madrid. |
| B．To show how to enjoy Spanish culture. |
| C．To give advice on how to study Spanish. |
| D．To describe the author’s life in Madrid. |
Why did the author suggest taking rechargeable batteries?
| A．It’s difficult to deal with the used batteries. |
| B．It’s not convenient to recharge batteries. |
| C．There are few stores that sell ordinary batteries. |
| D．You will find lots of places worth taking pictures of. |
Which of the following in Madrid didn’t please the author?
| A．Parks and buildings. | B．Restaurants and bars. |
| C．Nightlife. | D．Breakfast. |