We believe that there is more to education than preparation for a job. Children must be prepared for all aspects of their adult life work, leisure, personal relationships, creative activities, coping with money matters, independence, and parenthood.

       Nevertheless, it would be unrealistic to provide an education which took no account of the needs of employers.

       What type of training does the business world regard as important?

       Many young people applying for jobs were, in the employers' opinions, very weak in the basic skills of handwriting, grammar and spelling. Though additional education at university level improved the students' general ability, a report states, "In basic skills the standards remained stubbornly low."

       It is debatable whether standards have declined in recent years. What is certain is that employers do not believe the standard is now high enough. Do technological changes make greater demands upon the students' abilities?

       We should also remember that the job expectations of young people have increased. The girls who would have once become shop assistants or hairdressers now want to be secretaries. Boys who sought an apprenticeship （學徒） 20 years ago now desire to have an engineering degree. But it is still the same girls and boys with the same degree of ability. No wonder there are problems in reaching the "necessary standards" of the business world.

       Many employers believed that it was important for teachers to have experience outside the world of college and school. They should work for a while at some other kinds of job "to see how the world of business and commerce differs form their own". The teaching profession and society in general needed a greater understanding of manpower needs and therefore of "the desired" direction of the education system.

1．The article mainly talks about ________.

       A．no education among young people       

       B．meeting the educational requirements of employment

       C．the problem of unemployment       

       D．the weaker standards of education

2．In the writer's opinion, education should ________.

    A．pay more attention to students' academic ability

    B．only meet the needs of employment

    C．be suitable to all aspects of being an adult, including employment

       D．focus on grammar

3．"The same girls and boys" in Para. 6 refer to ________.

       A．those who are likely to be unemployed

       B．those who have just left middle school

       C．those who are looking for jobs far beyond their abilities

       D．those who might have become shop assistants, hairdressers and apprentices in the past

4．It's suggested that teachers should _________.

       A．never change their jobs                        B．spend more time on their school work

       C．improve their teaching methods        D．get some work experience outside school

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Want to take an out-of-this-world trip? Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic plans to make that possible. Beginning in 2009, people should have the opportunity to become space tourists, traveling at about 3,000 mph to heights about 75 miles above Earth. Branson has high hopes for his latest plans. "It is just the start of what we believe will be a new age in the history of mankind—one day making the affordable exploration of space by human beings a real possibility," he said.  

At the start, though, the trip won’t be cheap. Seats aboard Virgin’s first craft—VSS Enterprise—will cost about $200,000. Prices could drop after the first hundred space flights. Despite the current ticket cost, more than 30,000 people—including celebrities(名人) Sigourney Weaver and Victoria Principal—have expressed interest in getting onboard.  

People who don't have an extra $200,000 still have a chance to get a seat aboard the craft. A computer game contest and a reality television show are in the works. Those who can’t afford a ticket will have an opportunity to win a seat.    

Virgin is expected to be the first commercial spacecraft. It will hold six passengers and two pilots. Passengers will be able to see the Earth from many different viewpoints. The cabin will include 15 floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing for views that extend about 1,000 miles in any direction.

Passengers will have three days of preflight preparation. On the big day, the spacecraft will take off from the Mojave Spaceport in the California desert. The craft will rocket passengers into space at four times the speed of sound. The journey will last about 2 1/2 hours. Passengers will wear spacesuits and helmets(頭盔). They will be able to float around the cabin and do somersaults(空翻) during the five minutes of weightlessness they will experience in zero gravity. At the end of the flight, the craft will land on a runway.

Virgin Galactic could be _____.

A. the engineer of the first commercial spacecraft

B. the name of a series of spacecrafts

C. the company of the first commercial spacecraft

D. a passenger aboard the first commercial spacecraft

The space passengers will do all the following except that _____.

A. they will receive a three-day training course

B. they will wear spacesuits and helmets

C. they will take about $200,000 with them

D. they will experience weightlessness  

Which statement is true according to the passage?

A. More than 30,000 people have got to travel in spacecraft.

B. Many people signed up for space travel in spite of the high ticket cost.

C. Those without much money could also go space travel without occupying the seats.

D. The first commercial spacecraft will have six persons on board.

What is the text mainly about?

A. The exciting moment of the spacecraft’s launching.

B. The living condition of space tourists in the craft.

C. Preparations for a space travel.

D. Plans for the first commercial space flight.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

According to some talk, the younger generation in Smithville is the most antisocial in history. This seems far from the truth. Young people today as a whole are better, more informed, more ambitious, healthier, and more smart than ever before. Why then, it may be asked, do we see such restlessness and such antisocial behavior among our young people?

For the answer the citizens of this community must look at themselves. What have they done to the grounds that have been built in the last fifteen years? How many swimming pools are there? How many vocational training projects have been started? How many community – organized youth parties and picnics have been held?

The average citizen will answer that the responsibility for these activities belongs to the schools. But the schools cannot be held responsible for all the free – time activities of all the young people of this community. The job of the schools is formal education, not free – time recreation（娛樂）.

This community needs a youth center suitable for such activities as picnics, camping, sports, music, art and so on. There should be social and recreational activities to meet the needs and interests of every member of our school age youth.

Mayor Elmo D. Greely has proposed the formation of a Youth Club as the first step in the direction of a Youth Center. Mayor Greely has called a meeting at the City Hall on Friday, August 15, at noon.

Giving up a lunch hour is a very little sacrifice for a project that can be of great importance to this community.

This newspaper urges every adult and young person of Smithville to attend this important meeting. We believe our industrial, business, and professional leaders have an especially strong duty to be present.

This newspaper will be present and intends to support this project with vigor.

The underlined word “antisocial” probably means “           ”.

       A．opposed to an orderly society or way of life    B．promising

       C．suitable to present society      D．having a lot of social experience

What does the writer think of the sentence “The younger generation in Smithville is the most

antisocial in history.”?

       A．He thinks it is true.         B．He thinks it is not true.

       C．He thinks it is partially true.   D．He thinks it is nonsense.

The main idea of Paragraphs 2 and 3 is                 .

       A．to give us lots of questions to show that problem is serious.

       B．that school should hold the responsibility for education rather than free – time recreation.

       C．to analyze the reasons why the youth are antisocial.

       D．that we should take more activities or start many vocational projects.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆吉林通化第一中學高三第一次月考英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

One school night this month I walked quietly up to Alexander, my 15-year-old son, and touched his cheek gently in a manner I hoped would seem casual．A year ago he would have ignored this disturbance but now he reacted impatiently and leaned back to his computer screen．

I made a mistake: breaking into my teenager's personal space. “The average teenager has pretty strong feelings about his privacy," Lara Fox and her friend Hilary Frankel told me. Mr．Frankel and Mr．Fox, both 17, are the authors of Breaking the Code, a new book that seeks to bridge the generational divide between parents and adolescents．It is being promoted by its publisher as the first self-help guide by teenagers for their parents, a kind of "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus" that explains the language and actions of teenagers．The girls dealt with issues including hanging out late, money, school pressures, smoking etc．

Personally, I welcome their opinions．The most common missteps in interacting with teenagers arise from the war between parents exercising their rights to know what goes on under their roof and teenagers firmly guarding their privacy．Teenagers can be quick to interpret their parents' remarks and respond with anger that masks their vulnerability （脆弱 ）. Ms Fox said, "What we want above all is your approval．Don't forget, no matter how much we act as if we don't care what you say, we believe the things you say about us．"

Nancy, a New York child-raising expert said she didn't agree with everything the authors suggested but found their arguments reasonable．"When your kids are saying, ' You don't get it, and you never will, ' there are lots of ways to respond so that they will listen and that is what the writers point out．"

" My parents helped me see that, " Mr．Fox told me, " even though they used to stay out late and ride their bicycles to school, times have changed and the way parents educate children is different．These days there is a major fear factor in bringing up kids．Parents worry about their child crossing the street．" The writers said they hoped simply to throw light on teenage thinking．

1.According to the two girls, teenagers nowadays are ____．

A．independent          B．intelligent

C. inconsiderate           D．sensitive

2.The underlined sentence "You don't get it, and you never will" in the 4th paragraph implies that ____．

A．the teenagers don't want/to admit their weakness

B．the teenagers think that their parents will never understand them

C．the parents do not necessarily force into the world of their children

D．the generation gap cannot be shortened despite their parents' efforts

3.It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that ____．

A．teenagers should guard their privacy

B．Nancy totally agrees with the two girls' opinions

C．parents are more concerned about children's safety

D．the two girls have obtained numerous support from the public

4.Why does the author mention the book "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus ?

A．It is one of the best-sellers

B．It is also written by the two girls

C．The two books have the similar theme

D．The two books have different opinions

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年廣東省中山市僑中高三第二次模擬考試英語題 題型：閱讀理解

One man tells of driving on a long and lonely road, the last 65 miles of it unpaved, in order to watch Indian dances in the state of Arizona. After the dances, he returned to his car only to find that it had a flat tire. He put on the spare and drove to the only service station in that town.

“Do you fix flats?” he inquired of the attendant.

“Yes,” came the answer.

“How much do you charge?” he asked.

With a twinkle in his eye, the man replied, “What difference does it make?”

This is what has been called a “Hobson’s choice”. A Hobson’s choice is a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go without.

According to Barbara Berliner, the phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century entrepreneur (企業(yè)家) Thomas Hobson. There was no choice by the customer — it was strictly Hobson’s choice.

But often we really have a choice, and the choice does make a difference. We may not always believe it. We may feel as if we have no choice, but almost always there is a choice in the matter. And when we realize that we do most things by choice, then we are taking control of our own lives.

Someone challenged me to try an experiment that completely changed my perspective. “For the next seven days,” he said, “eliminate the words ‘I have to’ from your vocabulary and say ‘I choose to’. Don’t say, ‘I have to work late tonight’. Instead, say, ‘I choose to work late’. When you choose to do it, you take control of your life. Instead of saying, ‘I have to stay home’, try ‘I choose to stay home’. The way you spend your time is your choice. You are responsible. You have control.”

In just seven days I was no longer saying “I have to” and I felt better about my decisions. I learned that there is very little in my life I actually have to do. You and I decide to do certain things because we believe that it will be for the best. When we eliminate “I have to” from our vocabularies, we take control.

Try it for a week and you see what happens. I think you’ll see it’s a change for the better.

1. What did the attendant mean by saying “What difference does it make”?

A．The man didn’t need to pay for the work.

B．It was unnecessary for the man to ask about the price.

C．There was no need for the man to have the tire fixed.

D．The man should keep silent.

2.The author learnt from the experiment that he      .

A．could become more challenging

B．could spend more time relaxing himself

C．should take pleasure in helping others

D．a(chǎn)ctually changed his attitudes towards life

3.What does the underlined word “eliminate” mean?

A．Remember.

B．Repeat.

C．Remove.

D．Recite.

4.What is the situation where we have a “Hobson’s choice”?

A．We have no choice but to follow.

B．We should often change our choice.

C．We should make preparations before a journey.

D．We should think twice before taking action.

5. The purpose of writing this text is to            .

A．a(chǎn)dvise us to become active in life

B．explain what Hobson’s choice is

C．tell an interesting story about the author

D．a(chǎn)ccept others’ advice modestly

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學年浙江省高三上學期期中考試英語卷 題型：閱讀理解

Birds that are half-asleep—with one brain hemisphere（半球）alert and the other sleeping—control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks．

    Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds．The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves．The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert．Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once．

    Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily．Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions．Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze（注視）direction．

    Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did．Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in internal spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time．

    “We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say．

    The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep evolved（發(fā)展）as creatures scanned for enemies．The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts．He’s seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror．The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open．

    Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals．Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning．

    Studies of birds may offer unique insights（深刻的理解）into sleep．Jerome M．Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg．” He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species．

1.According to the passage, birds often half sleep because ______．

       A．they have to watch out for possible attacks

       B．their brain hemispheres take turns to rest

       C．the two halves of their brain are differently structured

       D．they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions

2.What is implied about the example of a bird’s sleeping in front of a mirror?

       A．An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security．

       B．Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security．

       C．The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread．

D．A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror．

3.While sleeping, some water animals tend to keep half awake in order to ______．

A．a(chǎn)lert themselves to the approaching enemy

       B．emerge（浮現(xiàn)）from water now and then to breathe

       C．be sensitive to the ever-changing environment

       D．a(chǎn)void being swept away by rapid currents

4.By saying “just the tip of the iceberg”, Siegel suggests that ______．

       A．half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather

       B．the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved

       C．most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers

       D．half-brain sleep may exist among other species

 

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