Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about what to believe or what to do．According to a report on the World Economic Forum （2016），critical thinking，creativity，and their practical application are widely accepted as the top three skills that young people need to possess*in their future career．
A good critical thinker usually takes the following steps before he decides what to do．Whenever he needs to do something，he would，first of all，reason．He checks why he needs to do it and whether he really needs to do it．Then，analyze．He tries to find out what it really is and the best way to do it．After that，evaluate．He makes sure whether he is able to do it and how to do it well．Finally，he makes the decision and takes action．Take the "Double 11"（a popular online shopping day in China） as an example．A few days before it，he checks carefully what he needs and whether he really needs them，and makes a shopping list．He goes to the online shops to compare the quality and the prices of the things that he is going to buy．He compares the shops that sell these things．
Then he checks whether he can afford them and in which shops he is going to buy them．Although it takes him some time to make the decisions，he would not regret after the shopping．
Then what would happen if he didn't think critically before he made the decisions？After the crazy "Double 11"，there were usually a lot of complaints on the Internet．There were regrets about buying more things than they needed．There were complaints about the poor quality and the prices of the things they bought．There were also complaints because they received wrong things or simply received nothing．There were all kinds of regrets and complaints．Why so？They had not thought critically before they made the decisions．
Critical thinking helps you make wiser decisions．It helps you avoid wasting time，money and so on．Therefore，do look before you leap．
33．According to the passage，critical thinking is a thinking skill that ．
A．helps make better choices
B．will appear in the future
C．helps make quick decisions
D．makes us spend more money
34．In Paragraph 2，how does the critical thinker analyze the things he may buy？
A．He checks what he needs to buy．
B．He studies the quality and the prices．
C．He makes a proper shopping list．
D．He checks how much money he has．
35．The underlined word "complaints" means that the people ．
A．are not satisfied
B．are not confident
C．are not interested
D．are not responsible
36．Which of the following examples is the use of "critical thinking"？
A．Daming did a new science experiment before reading instructions．
B．Lingling's parents became very angry when they knew her bad marks．
C．After looking at the other team﹣s weak points，the coach made a new plan．．
D．After hearing the stranger s words，the girl followed him into a supermarket．
Reading comprehensionA. Choose the best answer. (12分)
Letter A
| To the Editor: Why do our children have 11 weeks of summer vacation? Many years ago, 85 percent of Americans worked on farms. Children needed summer vacation because they helped with the farm work. Today only 3 percent of Americans work on farms. But our children still have long summer vacations. American students lose one or two months of learning during their summer vacations. Away from school for so many weeks students forget what they learned. Experts say that students lose maths skills and reading skills. At the beginning of school in September, teachers have to review last year’s studies for the first four to six weeks of school. Summer vacations are not great opportunities for learning. Most parents work outside of the home. They can’t be with their kids during the long summer months. Some families can pay for summer camps, but many can’t. Most children stay home and watch TV. They are bored. Most children do not learn new skills during the summer. James, Teacher |
Letter B
| To the Editor: I am against a longer school year. I believe people learn everywhere, not just in school. I believe children gain experience in the world. Summer vacation is a great opportunity. Kids can discover the world outside of school. They can learn to do things they can’t learn in a classroom. They can learn to swim and ride bikes. They can travel or go to summer camps. They can take time to do things like cooking and art. Some can get summer jobs. They can get work experience or help people in the community. They can spend time with people of other ages. Basically, they can get more experience in the world. Long summer vacations give families time together. During the school year, everyone is busy. During summer vacations, we take time to do things together. Vacations are good for families. Linda, Parent |
According to the chart, which two countries have the same number of school days?
| A．England and Australia . | B．Singapore and Thailand. |
| C．Japan and the United States. | D．South Korea and China. |
James says that, many years ago, most children used their vacation time to _______________.
| A．study in school | B．go to summer camps |
| C．have new experiences | D．help on the farm |
James says most parents _______________ during the summer months.
| A．travel abroad | B．are with their children |
| C．are busy with their work | D．go to summer camps |
Linda says children can get _______________ during the summer months.
| A．no time to watch TV | B．more work experience |
| C．more classroom time | D．better reading skills |
According to Linda, children do a lot of activities except that _______________.
| A．they learn to swim and ride bikes | B．they go to summer camps |
| C．they do cooking | D．they improve maths skills |
What is best title of the Letter B?
| A．Yes to a Longer School Year | B．Vacations Are a Way of Experiencing |
| C．Adults Need More Vacation Time | D．Vacations Are Boring to Families |
It is said that more than four million people die each year from smoking. That number is frightening.
Yet people around the world continue to smoke. In the United States, about forty-seven million adults smoke. This year, more than 430,000 Americans died of diseases which have something to do with smoking. The American Cancer Society(美国癌症协会)says smoking harms the body greatly. It warns that smoking even a number of cigarettes is dangerous.
It’s not easy to give up smoking. However, doctors say you probably will live longer if you do stop smoking. You will feel better and look better. You also will protect the health of family members who breathe your smoke.
There is not one right way to stop smoking, doctors say. Any way can help. You can take long walks or spend time in places where smoking is not allowed. Also, you can eat a small piece of fruit or vegetable instead of having a cigarette. The sooner you stop smoking, the more you’ll reduce your chances of getting cancer and other diseases.
Stop smoking before smoking stops you!How many people die from smoking each year?
What does the American Cancer Society say about smoking?
Is it easy to give up smoking?
What will happen if you stop smoking sooner?
What is the best title of the article?
Today, not all people over 70 think they are old. People stay younger for longer. Here are three women who are over 70 and are still strong. What do they do, and how long have they done it?
 79-year-old Omara from Cuba(古巴) is one of the most popular jazz singers in the world. She has been singing and dancing in clubs for 60 years. Her latest CD, Gracias, came out in 2009 and is enjoyed by people of different ages. |
 Dodo was born on September 1, 1919. She has been an outstanding American tennis player for more than 70 years, from a young girl into her 90s. Now she plays in the matches for people over 75 and has won over 320 medals. |
 American lady Carmen, who was born in 1931, has been a model since she was 13. Her job started when a photographer saw her on a bus and asked to take her photo. Today she still shows up on world-class fashion shows, shining brightly together with young girls who are in their 20s. |
Omara, Dodo and Carmen are all_________.
| A．from America | B．young and famous |
| C．old but still working | D．working with young girls |
Omara has been singing and dancing in clubs for_________ years.
| A．60 | B．70 | C．75 | D．90 |
Dodo has won over 320 medals in_________.
| A．singing contests | B．photo contests |
| C．dancing contests | D．tennis matches |
Carmen became a_________ at the age of 13.
| A．singer | B．model | C．tennis player | D．photographer |
What does the reading above tell us?
| A．These days young people are not as hard-working as the old. |
| B．Women in Western countries are not supposed to retire early. |
| C．Many people stay younger for longer because they keep on working. |
| D．The three ladies are still working because they want to make more money. |
Good writing starts with good ideas. If you write about things that you care about, you will write better. If you write about things that you don’t care about, you’ll be bored and your paper will not have many good ideas.
Once you have a good idea, the next step is organization. Think through your paper before you start. Write an outline. You need to know what your main points are before you start your first paragraph (段落). Use 2-4 main points, one paragraph each.
In your central paragraphs, be concise (简短的) and specific （具体的）. Give examples with details（细节）, not just general ideas. If you can say the same thing with fewer words, do it! Don’t use big words.
When you finish writing, look at your outline again. Did you really follow it or did it change as you wrote? Many times you find different ideas as you write. Look at your central paragraphs. What are their main ideas now? Are these ideas in the introduction? I often write the introduction again to fit the paper after I finish writing. What is the 1st step for a good writing?
| A．Think through your paper before you start. |
| B．Write a good 1st paragraph. |
| C．Have a good idea. |
| D．Look for many examples. |
What is the 2nd step?
| A．Have a good idea. | B．Write an outline. |
| C．Write the 1st paragraph. | D．Give examples with details. |
What does the word “outline” mean in the 2nd paragraph?
| A．提纲 | B．外形 | C．中心 | D．总结 |
What should you do in the central paragraph?
A. Don’t use big words.
B. Give examples with details.
C. Say the same thing with fewer words.
D. A, B and C.What should you do after finishing writing?
A. Look at your outline again.
B. Check the mistakes.
C. Look at your central paragraph again.
D. Both A and C.
Itisdecidedby ____whetherthefootballmatchwillbemoved toalatedate.
| A．HensleySchool | B．MayfairSchool |
| C．bothofthetwoschools | D．theweather |
Harveywouldliketo_______.
| A．borrowsomematerials | B．lendMargaretsomething |
| C．getsomethingback | D．haveatalkwithMargaret |
IfyouwanttogooutforlunchonSunday,youcancallupthenumber__.
| A．2706030 | B．3562367 | C．2785161 | D．7365531 |
YoudonothavetopayonMondayifyougoto_________.
| A．SkylineHotel | B．LansdowneParkShoppingCenter |
| C．NewYorkMuseum | D．GardenRestaurant |
IfyouwanttoenjoyyourselfonSundaymornings,youcangoto____.
| A．GardenRestaurant | B．NewYorkMuseum |
| C．Mayfair School | D．CoffeeShop. |