| 阅读理解。 |
American kids are talking more tests than ever before, and they"re stressed out. Is help on the way? Just
the sight of a test makes some kids sweat. For others, it is a blank answer sheet. Then there are the frightening
words, "Take out your Number 2 pencil." All three fill 10-year-old Chelsea Logo with fear. "I start to tap my
pencil on the desk," says the fifth grader, "Then I feel the butterflies in my stomach."
Chelsea is not alone. In a recent survey, more than 70% of kids aged 9 to 13 said they worry about tests.
It"s no wonder. Across the United States, public schools give more than 250 million standardized tests each
year.
Why do kids have to take so many tests? The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law requires that students in
grades 3 through 8 be tested each year. The law"s goal is for all students to be at grade level by 2014. Students
must pass the tests and meet other requirements or their schools may be shut down.
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants to change NCLB. But that doesn"t mean he favors getting
rid of tests. Duncan believes tests should be used mainly to evaluate kids" strengths and weaknesses. Tests,
Duncan says, should not be used to punish kids or their schools for failure. "The goal is to focus on great
teaching and learning," Duncan said.
Under NCLB, each state sets its own standards for students to meet. The result, Duncan says, is that states
are making the tests easier. To fix this problem, 48 states are now working together to create common
standards. "I want to set a high bar for kids," Duncan says, "so they"ll be in great shape to achieve their dreams."
Like them or not, tests are here to stay. So how can you handle test stress? Schools are teaching students
to relax through deep breathing and stretching. In Oakland, California, Principal Zarina Ahmad of Piedmont
Avenue Elementary leads her students in a cheer to get them excited about learning. |
| 1. The underlined part "the butterflies in my stomach" in Para I can be replaced by _____. |
A. guilty
B. nervous
C. exciting
D. proud |
| 2. According to the passage, the NCLB law _____. |
A. is focusing on teaching methods in schools
B. is requiring schools to make the tests more difficult
C. is trying to make schools be responsible for students
D. aims to evaluate kids" strengths and weaknesses by means of tests |
| 3. We can learn from the passage that Arne Duncan _____. |
A. is strongly against tests
B. suggests closing some schools
C. is concerned about students" development
D. suggests each state set its own standard |
| 4. It can be concluded from the last two paragraphs that _____. |
A. it"s impossible to get rid of tests
B. schools have no good way to deal with students" stress
C. tests help assess what students have to learn
D. schools are aware of students" stress caused by tests |
| 1-4: B C C D |
核心考点
试题【阅读理解。 American kids are talking more tests than ever before, and they"re str】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
任务型读写。阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。 |
A simple water pump is helping to improve the lives of poor families in several Asian and African countries.
The treadle pump (脚踏抽水机) is based on a design developed in the 1970s by Norwegian engineer Gunnar
Barnes. It can be made locally and easy to build from bamboo or other wood and two metal cylinders (圆筒)
with pistons (活塞). The pistons go up and down as a person stands on lever (控制杆) devices, treadles, and
uses a natural walking motion.
How many hours a day the pump needs to be operated depends on the season and how much water is
needed for crops. It could be two hours a day or seven hours a day. Small children sometimes stand with their
parents on the treadles. Everyone in the family can take turns operating the pump.
Families using them ate more vegetables, because they were able to grow more to eat and to sell. Many of
these families also drank more milk, because they bought a cow with their added earnings. Men with treadle
pumps often no longer have to leave the farm to seek extra work in cities. The pumps can also improve
education. Farmers often use their extra earnings to buy books for their children or to pay for schooling.
A farmer in Zambia said he hoped to have enough money in three years, to buy a diesel-powered pump.
Then he could grow more crops over a larger area. But the world economic crisis has had an effect on some
farmers. Even some who were able to buy diesel pumps now do not have enough money to buy fuel. So they
are using their treadle pumps again. |
 |
| 阅读理解。 |
If cars had wings, they could fly-
and that just might happen, beginning
in 2011. The company Terrafugia,
based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says
it plans to deliver its car-plane, the |  | | 阅读理解。 | Paul, the oracle octopus (章鱼保
罗), was given a replica (复制品) of the
World Cup as a reward for his perfect
eight-for-eight record in predicting the
results of matches.
The two-year-old octopus with possible
supernatural powers turned into a worldwide |  | | 阅读理解。 | Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China"s
higher education reform? It"s too early to answer. But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education.
Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll
50 students, so called child prodigies (奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011. On graduating in 2015, these
students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education-unlike the students of their age from
the state-run universities.
The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the
government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they
want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions. Other schools could turn their applications
down for their unauthorized diplomas.
The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away. On Dec. 18, 2010 more
than l,000 students and their parents visited the Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews.
Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation. Not a penny
comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run.
The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development
between 2011 and 2020. The goal is to make China"s higher education internationally competitive. To
accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them
out. The ministry should have applauded the independence the school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged
more to do likewise.
Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage. Nanfang University of Science and
Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill. | | 1. What will make those 50 students different from others? | A. They are all child prodigies.
B. They will study much longer time.
C. They are willing to challenge the Ministry of Education.
D. They will receive an unauthorized diploma. | | 2. The trouble the students in the school may have is that ____. | A. the government will have no voice in the school
B. they won"t receive any diploma when graduating from the school
C. other schools are unlikely to accept their diploma from the school
D. they will not learn how to be competitive | | 3. What does the author think of Nanfang University of Science and Technology? | A. It is another kind of diploma mill.
B. It"s impossible for the school to be competitive.
C. It will never get the approval from the Ministry of Education.
D. Its independence from the government may benefit the education reform. | | 4. What is the best title of the passage? | A. University of New Style
B. China"s Education Reform
C. Modeling Hong Kong University
D. Authorized or Not? | | 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 | May 1st is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for
high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there
is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. 1.____
These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make
the process easier. 52. On the other hand, deciding students much time. Students may not like being put on
waiting lists. Also, some colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges
hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. 3.____
For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is to show them the money, especially this year;
the weak economy makes parents nervous. 4.____ The recent problems that spread from the housing market to
credit markets have even affected students" loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase
their financial aid for students.
5._____ The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This
will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finishes high school. The number is not
expected to start rising again until 2015. | A. Besides, top colleges are facing changes in the population.
B. What contributes to it?
C. But a mistake can be costly if it happens.
D. But top colleges ignore them.
E. They have international students who know English.
F. It can mean several acceptances to choose from.
G. They cannot afford college as planned. |
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