My students often tell me they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork. My reply is often brief –You have as much time as the president. I usually carry on a bit about there being 24 hours per day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to justify myself to one of my professors by saying that I was working. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant. What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to reflect on the “hard worker” dodge(伎俩), and I have come to some conclusions – all relevant to the issue of how much time we have.
If you look at the matter analytically, you can identify two parts of the problem. There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the issue of “work” during that time, which can vary in intensity. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not diligence but the quality of the product that is important.
That led me to a new idea, the quality of work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office – Don’t work harder but work smarter! There’s a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of work. That means thinking of ways of getting more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “learning habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off across the board in all your studies.From the passage, we know that the author is _____.
| A．a poet | B．an educator |
| C．an editor | D．a director |
We can infer from the first two paragraph that we students _____.
| A．have enough time |
| B．can meet the president |
| C．get something done well |
| D．should accept the explanation |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means _____.
| A．That is impossible | B．That is not important |
| C．That is unbearable | D．That is not acceptable |
The main purpose of writing the passage is to give _____.
| A．information | B．encouragement |
| C．criticism | D．advice |
One day a mime(哑剧演员) is visiting the zoo and wants to make some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zookeeper drags him into his office. The zookeeper explains that the zoo’s most popular attraction, a gorilla(大猩猩), has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla. The mime accepts.
The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He soon discovers he can sleep all as he likes, play and make fun of the people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime — the job he likes but loses.
However, with days going by, he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience(观众), he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition(隔墙), and dangles(悬挂) from the top to the lion’s cage. The lion gets angry at this. The scene is afuel to the crowd.
At the end of the day he is given a pay raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this continues for some time. The crowds grow larger, and the mime’s pay keeps going up.
Then one day when he is dangling over the lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified(吓坏). He starts screaming, “Help me!”, but the lion is quick. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, “Shut up you fool! Do you want to get us both fired?”How does the mime find the job dressing up as the gorilla?
| A．Hard and tiring. | B．Dangerous. | C．Easy and fun. | D．Boring. |
The mime’s first contact with the lion is to __________.
| A．find pleasure for himself | B．get the lion’s attention |
| C．get his pay raised | D．win back his audience |
The underlined works “a fuel” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by __________.
| A．frightening | B．common | C．exciting | D．familiar |
From the last paragraph we can know that ___________.
| A．the lion will eat the poor mime |
| B．the lion is also played by a person |
| C．the animals in the zoo are all played by people |
| D．animals played by people can attract more visitors |
Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators（捕食性动物） don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
To learn more about how captivity(监禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos.
The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts（同类事物） who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years——more than three times as long.
Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity(肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups.
Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants. The text tells us that zoo elephants are different from other zoo animals because they________
| A．develop health problems. |
| B．1ive to a ripe old age. |
| C．are not afraid of predators. |
| D．have difficulty eating food. |
What do the scientists find in their research?
| A．Female elephants live longer than male elephants. |
| B．Female zoo elephants die earlier than their wild counterparts. |
| C．Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts. |
| D．Both elephants in zoos and those in the wild live in large herds. |
Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph?
| A．Zoo-born elephants should be attended more carefully |
| B．Elephants are no longer an endangered species. |
| C．It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo. |
| D．Zoos should keep more animals except elephants. |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．Comparison between two species of elephants |
| B．Longer lives for wild elephants |
| C．Female elephants suffer from poor health. |
| D．Longer lives for zoo animals. |
The effects of air pollution on natural conditions have been a disturbing problem for many years. Some scientists hold the view that the air inside houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may even be one hundred times worse.
Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution, which can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye pain, headache and other problems. Believe it or not, some pollutants can cause breathing diseases of blood and even cancer.
What made us feel relieved is that there’s growing concern about the problem now. It is true that when builders began constructing houses and offices they did not want to waste energy. To do this they built buildings that prevented or limited the flow of air between inside and outside. For the same purpose, man-made building materials were employed to build houses, which are now known to let out some harmful gases.
Facing the serious challenge, scientists have been searching for a way to handle the problem. To everyone’s delight, they discovered a natural pollution control system for building—green plants, though they do not really know how plants control air pollution. Scientists suppose that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants and in exchange gives out oxygen through its leaves and tiny organizations on its roots. Therefore they recommend that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square meters of space. Because studies indicate that different plants absorb different chemicals, the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. In conclusion, having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and healthier place. Why not try?Which of the following statements is TRUR?
| A．Outside air pollution is more harmful than the air inside. |
| B．Scientists have discovered how plants control air pollution |
| C．Indoor air pollution may cause diseases including cancer. |
| D．Only large plants can absorb harmful gases indoors. |
According to scientists, some kind of indoor pollution can be found in ________.
| A．every old building |
| B．every modern house |
| C．all kinds of houses |
| D．all kinds of offices |
What does the underlined part “To do this” refer to in Para3?
| A．To build houses and offices |
| B．To limit the air flow inside |
| C．To use man-made materials |
| D．In order not to waste energy |
The reason why we should use different kinds of plants to clean the air is that ___.
| A．plants can drive out all kinds of pollutants indoors |
| B．plants can absorb different harmful indoor chemical |
| C．plants can take in all pollutants inside and outside |
| D．plants may give out more oxygen than people need |
American Watersports Tuesday-Saturday
Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to
rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jet skis, and even parasail!
Enjoy the water up-close or from a bird’s eye view! No matter what activity you’re
enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block!
15th Street Boat Company Monday-Saturday
15th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They’re sure to have what you are looking for, whether it’s a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagant boat with comfortable seats with a stereo and high tech navigation. You can rent a boat for half a day or a couple of days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they’ve got it. It’s fun for everyone!
Coconut’s Watersports 9am-5pm Monday-Sunday
Coconut’s Watersports is open 7 days a week and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet Ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the Jet Ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended.
Jet Ski Tours of Miami 10am-7pm Thursday-Sunday
Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two tour and each Jet Ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch sight of dolphins, turtles or a crab resting in these splendid Florida waters.You should especially protect yourself from sun burnt while visiting______.
| A．Jet Ski Tours of Miami |
| B．Coconut’s Watersports |
| C．15th Street Boat Company |
| D．American Watersports |
Which of the following can help you enjoy sailing a boat?
| A．Go to the Sea Gardens Beach Resort. |
| B．Visit 15th Street Boat Company. |
| C．Choose Jet Ski Tours of Miami. |
| D．Visit Coconut’s Watersports. |
What’s a must to ride alone in the Jet Ski activities?
| A．One must be at least 14 years old. |
| B．One must wear bathing suits and shorts. |
| C．One must apply plenty of sun block. |
| D．One must be accompanied by parents. |
What will you do to satisfy your son’s curiosity about sea animals?
| A．You would like to rent a boat to ride with him. |
| B．You need a boat with comfortable seats with a stereo. |
| C．You’d like to choose American Watersports. |
| D．You prefer the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock. |
Roughly speaking, teachers in traditional education may feel that students are too young to know much about the world, and have to be told what to do most of the time. By contrast, open education offers teachers quite different feelings. Students are expected to be responsible for their own education—to discover subjects by themselves instead of being made to study them. This way of teaching allows the students to grow independently and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Some students who do badly in a traditional classroom will be happier in an open classroom and enjoy learning. They will not have to worry about grades or rules at all.
However, many students won’t do well in an open classroom. For these students, they will do little in school if there are too few rules. They will not make good use of open education, which is so different from traditional class, because they may have a problem getting used to making so many choices on their own. For them it is important to have some rules to direct them. They may worry about the rules even when there are no rules. In addition to that, some traditional teachers do not believe in open education and do not like it either.
Since both of some good points and bad points of the open education have been explained clearly, you may have your own opinion on the issue. Personally, I think that the concept of open education is good only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. I believe, most students, but of course not all students, need some structure in their classes. They may want and need to have rules.
In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.Open education allows the students to_________________.
| A．grow as the educated |
| B．be responsible for their life |
| C．discover subjects outside class |
| D．develop their own interests |
Open education may be a good idea for the students who __________.
| A．worry about grades and rules |
| B．aren’t used to making choices |
| C．do well in a traditional classroom |
| D．enjoy having some rules in class |
Some students will do little in an open classroom because___________.
| A．there are too many rules |
| B．they don’t like activities |
| C．there are too few rules |
| D．they worry about the rules |
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
| A．Open education is a really complex idea. |
| B．Open education is better than traditional education. |
| C．Traditional teachers don’t believe in open education. |
| D．The writer thinks open education is practical. |