In her new book, “The Smartest Kids in the World,” Amanda Ripley, an investigative journalist, tells the story of Tom, a high-school student from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who decides to spend his senior year in Wroclaw, Poland. Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students’ test scores from significantly below average to well above it. Polish kids have now outscored American kids in math and science, even though Poland spends, on average, less than half as much per student as the United States does. One of the most striking differences between the high school Tom attended in Gettysburg and the one he ends up at in Wroclaw is that the latter has no football team, or, for that matter, teams of any kind.
That American high schools lavish more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint. This is not a matter of how any given student who plays sports does in school, but of the culture and its priorities. This December, when the latest Program for International Student Assessment(PISA) results are announced, it’s safe to predict that American high-school students will once again display their limited skills in math and reading, outscored not just by students in Poland but also by students in places like South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, and Japan. Meanwhile, they will have played some very exciting football games, which will have been breathlessly written up in their hometown papers.
Why does this situation continue? Well, for one thing, kids like it. And for another, according to Ripley, parents seem to like the arrangement, too. She describes a tour she took of a school in Washington D.C., which costs thirty thousand dollars a year. The tour leader—a mother with three children in the school—was asked about the school’s flaws. When she said that the math program was weak, none of the parents taking the tour reacted. When she said that the football program was weak, the parents suddenly became concerned. “Really?” one of them asked worriedly, “What do you mean?”
One of the ironies of the situation is that sports reveal what is possible. American kids’ performance on the field shows just how well they can do when expectations are high. It’s too bad that their test scores show the same thing.
【小題1】Tom decides to spend his senior year in Poland because _______.
| A．he intends to improve his scores |
| B．Polish kids are better at learning |
| C．sports are not supported at schools in Gettysburg |
| D．there are striking differences between the 2 countries |
| A．PISA plays a very important role in America |
| B．little time is spent on sports in Japanese schools |
| C．American high schools complain about sports time |
| D．too much importance is placed on sports in America |
| A．low expectations result in American students’ poor PISA performance |
| B．high expectations push up American students’ academic performance |
| C．American students’ academic performance worries their parents a lot |
| D．lacking practice contributes to American students’ average performance |
| A．compare Polish schools with those in America |
| B．call on American schools to learn from the Polish model |
| C．draw public attention to a weakness in American school tradition |
| D．explain what is wrong with American schools and provide solutions |
【小題1】A
【小題2】D
【小題3】A
【小題4】C
解析試題分析：文章介紹了美國學(xué)生在學(xué)業(yè)上比其他國家的學(xué)生平均要低，這是因為美國人傳統(tǒng)上就重視運動，學(xué)生包括家長都把注意力更多的放在體育上，作者是想引起人們對美國傳統(tǒng)的弱點的關(guān)注。
【小題1】推理題：從第一段的句子：Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students’ test scores from significantly below average to well above it.可知波蘭的學(xué)生的學(xué)習(xí)成績提高很快，所以可以推斷出湯姆要到波蘭學(xué)習(xí)是為了提高學(xué)習(xí)成績，選A
【小題2】細節(jié)題：從第二段的句子：That American high schools lavish more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint.可知美國的學(xué)校更加重視運動，選 D
【小題3】句意理解題：從前面的句子：American kids’ performance on the field shows just how well they can do when expectations are high.可知美國孩子在球場的表現(xiàn)好是因為期望值高，同樣的事情發(fā)生在學(xué)習(xí)成績上，就是說對他們學(xué)習(xí)成績的期望值低，選A
【小題4】寫作意圖題：文章介紹了美國學(xué)生在學(xué)業(yè)上比其他國家的學(xué)生平均要低，這是因為美國人傳統(tǒng)上就重視運動，所以作者是想引起人們對美國傳統(tǒng)的弱點的關(guān)注，選C
考點：考查教育類短文
口算能手系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we’re hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.
One cost-cutting proposal is to allow college students to get a bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there’s a question: Would the quality of undergraduate(本科生)education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a “three-year degree” model.
I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum(課程) any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits(學(xué)分). In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly “throw out” one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist “diluting(稀釋)” the quality of the education they offer.
In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior to a quality three-year education. A college education requires sufficient time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it’s not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns(實習(xí)生)in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University.
【小題1】The first paragraph serves as a(n)________．
| A．explanation | B．definition | C．introduction | D．comment |
| A．most American universities are against the “three-year degree” model |
| B．many famous US universities are considering adopting the “three-year degree” model |
| C．professors are willing to accept the “three-year degree” model |
| D．the “three-year degree” model can make college learning more efficient |
| A．college students are offered the co-op program |
| B．electives’ credits make up one quarter of the required credits |
| C．a(chǎn)ll students are required to finish four-year education before graduation |
| D．some excellent students can graduate ahead of time |
| A．the author is a college professor |
| B．the author thinks the cost of a university education is too high for people to afford |
| C．the author considers the university education quality very important |
| D．the author pays special attention to the all-round development of college students |
| A．It’s time to shorten the learning process |
| B．Best learning takes place over time |
| C．University education should be watered down |
| D．College education calls for reform |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion—like stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with (充斥) different kinds of thoughts? Or was it paralyzed, unable to think?
The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse yourself in the negative emotion. Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minute—but only one minute—to do nothing else but feel that emotion.
When the minute is over, ask yourself, “Am I willing to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?” Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really feel it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly.
If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion. When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all that negativity with your breath.
This exercise seems simple—almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task.
【小題1】Which one does not belong to the negative emotion?
| A．a(chǎn)nxiety | B．confusion | C．depression | D．sorrow |
| A．Listen to some music. |
| B．Ignore it and do something else. |
| C．Just do nothing and truly feel that emotion. |
| D．Think about it and try to deal with it immediately. |
| A．break down | B．get rid of | C．cut off | D．throw into |
| A．Clear Your Mental Space. |
| B．Deep Breath, Trouble Away. |
| C．Try to Avoid the Negative Emotion. |
| D．Hold on to Negative Emotion as Long as Possible. |
| A．doubtful | B．optimistic | C．frightened | D．confused |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming(把……按能力分班) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all，it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade！
Besides, it is rather unreal to grade pupils just according to their intellectual(智力的) ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.
In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to deal with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively in order to have the ability to become leaders. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.
Sometimes the pupils work in pairs；sometimes they work on individual tasks , and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is suitable. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work：it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.
【小題1】We can know from the passage that the author’ s attitude towards “mixed-ability teaching” is______.
| A．a(chǎn)pproving | B．disapproving | C．questioning | D．inactive |
| A．drawn to their studies | B．forced to study in the lower classes |
| C．made to remain in the same classes | D．prevented from advancing |
| A．Pupils also learn to develop their reasoning abilities. |
| B．Pupils also learn how to participate in teaching activities |
| C．Group work gives pupils the chance to learn to work together with others. |
| D．Group work supply pupils with the chance to learn to be good organizers. |
| A．offer advice on the proper use of the library |
| B．recommend pair work and group work for classroom activities |
| C．a(chǎn)rgue for teaching bright and not-so-bright pupils in the same class |
| D．tell us the importance of proper formal classroom teaching |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students. It shows that most students considered understanding spoken English to be their biggest problem on arrival. This was followed by speaking. Writing increased as a problem as students discovered difficulties in writing papers that they were now expected to hand in. Reading remained as a significant problem.
Information gained helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course. Although many students have chosen to join the course with a reasonable motivation, we considered it important to note what seemed to encourage interest. Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar-based English teaching in their own country. To use the same method would be self-defeating because it might reduce motivation, especially if it has failed in the past. Therefore a different method may help because it is different.
Variety of activity was also seen as a way of maintaining or increasing motivation. Several years ago we had one timetable that operated throughout, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest about halfway through the ten weeks. This led us to a major re-think, so in the end we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students.
【小題1】What is the test mainly about?
| A．Foreign students have more problems. |
| B．There are many ways to improve English. |
| C．Teaching should meet students’ needs. |
| D．English learning problems should be studied again. |
| A．had to write their papers |
| B．became better at speaking |
| C．became less interested in reading |
| D．had fewer problems with listening |
| A．different teaching methods should be used |
| B．grammar-based teaching seems to be encouraging |
| C．English courses are necessary for foreign students |
| D．teaching content should be changed halfway |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Encouraging early reading skills can build a path to a lifelong love of reading and can help your child get a head start in school. While reading to your child is still the most important thing you can do to build reading skills, there are many techniques that can help.
Make reading fun. Play games with your child as you read. Many traditional children's games can be adapted to encourage reading skills.
While reading or during play, tell your child, "I spy with my little eye, something that begins with the letter "b". Help the child find something on the page or in the room that begins with that letter. For example, “I see a barn.” This can also be used to teach beginning letter sounds.Ｉspy with my little eye something that begins with the sound “s”. Help the child find a word that begins with the "s" sound.
In this variation on the popular game, instruct the child that, "Simon says, point to something that starts with the letter "n". The child can then find an object in the room or a body part, such as the nose, that starts with the letter presented. This can also be used to teach beginning sounds.
Make a game out of rhyming (押韻) words by making up silly words to rhyme with the child's name or favorite toys. This sets the stage for rhyming real words by showing the child the similarities of sounds. As the child masters making up the words, begin rhyming real words to one another.
Tips to raise a successful reader:
Put books in places where the child plays. If books are easily accessible, children are more likely to pick them up.
Let children "read to you" by looking at pictures. Making up stories to go along with illustrations helps children discover how words relate to pictures.
Take books along on trips or even short visits to the doctor's office or grocery store.
Have children help you shop. Reading grocery lists and looking for specific items helps build vocabulary.
【小題1】 Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．A good reading habit can benefit your child at school. |
| B．Computer games help children develop reading skills. |
| C．You should be careful as for what books to read. |
| D．Children enjoy reading poems to their parents. |
| A．a(chǎn)vailable | B．beneficial | C．readable | D．worthwhile |
| A．The most important thing is to make reading funny. |
| B．Children have a preference for stories with pictures. |
| C．Rhyming games should begin only with real words. |
| D．Children tend to read more if books are at hand. |
| A．Interest is the best teacher |
| B．Practice makes perfect |
| C．Good methods are half done |
| D．Failure teaches success |
| A．Parents. | B．Adolescents. | C．Educators. | D．People in general. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Speaking in any language is all about imitating (模仿) other people. You want to be able to speak like native speakers do. Before you can form your own correct sentences, you first need to see lots of similar ones in the language you are learning.
When you speak in your native language, you don't have to think about the grammar or the words you use. Correct sentences just come to you. In fact, your brain uses sentences you've already seen or heard. If you want to speak a foreign language fluently, you have to learn it the way you learned your native language--- by massive(大量的) input.
Reading and listening will help you develop language intuition(直覺). It's all about putting lots of correct sentences in your head. Then your brain can imitate them, producing similar sentences to express the meaning you want. When you read and listen a lot, paying attention to useful vocabulary, you will soon start to use new words and phrases in your speaking and writing, and you will develop language intuition. You will start to feel what sounds good and what sounds bad --- just as you do in your native language.
It may seem like you need more time to learn a language by reading and listening, as opposed （相反的）to learning based on grammar rules. For example, to get a good feeling for the use of articles in English you need to read lots of sentences, analyzing them closely. Wouldn't it be easier to read a unit on articles in a grammar book? Well, the problem is that it takes lots of time to build a sentence when you have to think of grammar rules. When you talk to someone, you don't have time for that. The input-based approach may seem to be more demanding, but it's the only way to achieve fluency.
【小題1】According to the passage, if you want to speak a foreign language like a native speaker, you must_________.
| A．learn grammar very well |
| B．input many sentences in your head |
| C．read many books in the foreign language |
| D．write many compositions |
| A．Ability to understand a foreign language |
| B．Ability to use a foreign language without thinking about it |
| C．Ability to speak a foreign language |
| D．Ability to imitate a native speaker |
| A．Listening and Reading |
| B．Writing and Listening |
| C．Reading and Translating |
| D．Listening and Translating |
| A．You can speak your native language without think about grammar |
| B．Before you can speak your native you must hear millions of sentences |
| C．The input-based approach is the only way to speak a language fluently |
| D．Grammar is no use at all |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
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 laws 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 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.
【小題1】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. |
| 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 accuse their parents of misleading them. |
| D．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Evcryone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.
【小題1】Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?
| A．They are hardworking and courageous. |
| B．They are stubborn and bold. |
| C．They are creative and persistent. |
| D．They are curious and modest. |
| A．the tragic accident | B．the building of the bridge |
| C．the brain damage | D．the discussion and persuasion |
| A．She could understand Washington and helped him a lot. |
| B．She cnuldn't understand him but took good care of him. |
| C．She didn't like Washington's idea about building the bridge. |
| D．She took the responsibility to continue building the bridge. |
| A．people all over America supported him |
| B．a(chǎn)lmost no bridge experts in the world supported him |
| C．his friends were strongly in favor of his idea |
| D．many people considered it would be a great fe |
| A．NO pains, no gains. |
| B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．A lighted heart is a good medicine. |
| D．Passion creates wonder. |
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