Going to school means learning new skills and facts in different subjects. Teachers teach and students learn, and many scientists are interested in finding ways to improve both teaching and learning processes.
Sian Beilock and Susan Leving, two psychologists at the University of Chicago, are trying to learn about learning. In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock and Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn: If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math. “If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement,” Levine told Science News. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.
Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn—and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone.
The new study involved 65 girls, 52 boys and 17 first-and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.
The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers: To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example, was probably anxious about math.
Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher’s anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math—and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers with math anxiety.
According to surveys done before this one, college students who want to become elementary school teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are women, Levine said.
【小題1】Sian Beilock and Susan Levine carried out the new research in order to ______.

A．know the effects of teaching on learning

B．study students’ ways of learning math

C．prove women teachers are unfit to teach math

D．find better teaching methods for teachers

【小題2】The underlined part in paragraph 2 most probably means that girls may ___________.

A．end up learning math anxiety from their teachers

B．study the ways their female teachers behave

C．have an influence on their math-anxious female teachers

D．gain unexpected achievement in such subjects as math

【小題3】In the study, what were the teachers required to do?

A．Prepare two math achievement tests for the students

B．Tell their feelings about math problems

C．Answer whether a math superstar had to be a boy

D．Compare the students’ scores after the math tests

【小題4】What is the finding of the new study?

A．No male students were affected by their teachers’ anxiety

B．Almost all the girls got lower scores in the tests than the boys

C．About 30% of the girls thought boys are better at math than girls

D．Girls with math-anxious teachers all failed in the math tests

【小題5】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．117 students and teachers took part in the new study

B．The researchers felt surprised at the findings of their study

C．Beilock and Levine are interested in teaching math

D．Men teachers are better at teaching math than women teachers

Believe it or not,the ability to choose is the power to change.If you can choose to live your life differently,will you be the same person?
Well,choosing to do the following few “simple”things will help to change your life.
Review your life.Take time to go through your life and ask yourself, “If I do the same thing I do every day,will there be a change?If I want to change,where will my first step be?”
Make careful choices.Choose exactly what you wish to get to live your life;describe and think what you really want
Keep up with chances.Find out about the possibilities and ways that can make you move toward your goals,write them down and see which one suits you most.
Get down to business.Start working on your goals.People may bring you down;you may have difficulties;you will fail and want to give up.But the most important thing is never to give up.
If you try these “simple”things,you will find that success is something for everyone,and you will finally become what you want to be.Remember,success is more than what you hold in your hands;It is something from the heart.
【小題1】How many pieces of advice does the writer give on changing one’s life?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

【小題2】Once you get down to business,the most important thing is to         .

A．see possibilities

B．set goals

C．a(chǎn)sk for help

D．keep on trying

【小題3】The underlined word “it”in the last paragraph refers to            .

A．choice

B．change

C．success

D．life

【小題4】This passage mainly discusses the relationship between           .

A．choice and change	B．power and life
C．choice and difficulties	D．power and success

When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket.
I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I waited and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter (交款處) and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there! There was a hole in his pocket, but no money. Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face.
Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. "You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you," said the woman. "It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask that one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I  would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, 1 know you will feel as good about it as I do now."
Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.
I would like to say ’"thank you" to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets (毯子) and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.
【小題1】When did the story probably happen?

A．On Christmas Day.	B．Before Christmas Day,
C．On New Year’s Day.	D．After New Year’s Day.

【小題2】Why did the writer want to say ’’thank you" to the woman?

A．Because she bought Mark a nice present.

B．Because she always paid money for others.

C．Because she collected clothes for the homeless.

D．Because she taught Mark to help people in need.

【小題3】What’s the best title for this passage?

A．A big supermarket	B．A kind woman
C．A happy family	D．A wonderful gift

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump(樹(shù)樁) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s not about going to a temple to burn some incense(香) hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups; those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “l(fā)ucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman’s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
【小題1】Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’s point?

A．Make the best of a bad job.

B．Rome was not built in a day.

C．All is not gold that glitters.

D．A good heart conquers ill fortune.

【小題2】What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?

A．She became famous through her family background.

B．She is a British talk show host.

C．She became successful by her own effort.

D．She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks in her life.

【小題3】The writer quoted the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show __________.

A．man can conquer nature

B．luck is in your own hand

C．bad luck can turn into good

D．you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you

University is generally regarded as one of the most important times in a person’s life, yet the function of this institution continues to arouse debate. Many believe that arts subjects are  too easy, that practical skills are more useful and that a chosen subject for study should be clearly linked to a career. However, this view is far too simplistic. Arts subjects are very difficult. They can prepare students for any number of careers as well as allowing the student to take time to make a decision. The function of the modern university is to cater to different types of student.
Arts subjects are not easy. For example, a degree in Literature is not an easy option. No question in a Literature class has a single, simple answer. Debate is conducted in a spirit of openness, texts are very closely analyzed and skills in close reading are developed. Literature is about language, our primary means of communication. Arts subjects require the same concentrated study as any other subject.
Arts subjects can prepare students for any number of careers. A degree in an arts subject teaches skills in well organized debates and defence of a position through the provision of evidence. These are applicable to many types of career. Law, for example. The point is that an undergraduate degree in any Arts subject trains the student in analysis and structure. Therefore, Arts graduates can pursue any number of careers.
Arts subjects allow the student to take time to choose a career. Love of the subject for its own sake may well be the initial motivation for the Arts undergraduate but because the subject they have chosen is not so clearly linked to a career they have time to reflect, making a decision only when they are absolutely certain. Students who pursue Arts subjects therefore have the leisure to make a carefully considered choice.
In conclusion, it is clear that Arts subjects are not a waste of time. They are flexible when it comes to relating them to a career and they allow the student to discover an appropriate career path. Many industries now acknowledge that a degree in Literature can be just as valuable as any other subject, especially when it is evident that Arts graduates tend to think more creatively. Not all undergraduates have clearly defined goals and not all subjects can be simply matched to a career. Acknowledging this difference should be the main function of a modern university
【小題1】 What does the author mainly argue in this article?   

A．Universities should be aware of diversity	B．Universities should focus on practical courses.
C．Arts courses should be promoted.	D．Arts subjects are inappropriate for work.

【小題2】What does the author imply about universities’ attitude to students?   

A．They need to be more understanding of students’ needs.

B．They need to keep out arts students.

C．They need to link courses to careers.

D．They need to offer more arts courses.

【小題3】The author suggests that technical subjects ____________.  

A．a(chǎn)re more important than arts subjects.	B．a(chǎn)re more useful to the modern world.
C．have equal value to arts subjects.	D．a(chǎn)re not as important as arts subjects.

【小題4】From the article, we know skills acquired by arts undergraduates include___________. 

A．Perception and investigation	B．Technique and motivation
C．Appreciation and dedication	D．Analysis and structure

【小題5】According to the author, the students choose arts courses initially because ___________. 

A．they are unsure about a career	B．they are interested in the subject
C．they hate technical subjects	D．they are creative people

Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes．Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden （監(jiān)獄長(zhǎng)） at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941．In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine．
Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect ．She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing．She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them．Most importantly, she cared about them．And as a result, they cared deeply about her．
Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident．The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral．He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open．Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells．There were so many that they proceeded unguarded．But no one tried to escape．If he had, the others might have killed him immediately．So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven．
Katherine’ s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals．Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for．"
【小題1】When Katherine’s husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________．

A．encouraging the prisoners	B．visiting the prison houses
C．spending time in listening to the prisoners	D．doing some writing for the prisoner

【小題2】Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?

A．Because Katherine was the wife of the warden．

B．Because Katherine didn’t look down upon them and cared about them．

C．Because Katherine made reforms in the prison．

D．Because Katherine had been killed by one of them．

【小題3】Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?

A．The policemen at the funeral．	B．The guards．
C．The other prisoners．	D．The policemen from other prisons．

【小題4】The best title of this passage is_________．

A．To Honor Their Souls	B．Reforms at Sing Sing Prison
C．To Meet Their Requirement	D． Katherine Lawes’ s Life

Listening to a radio broadcast in a foreign language is difficult for many of us. We may have studied the language for several years, and are able to read it, perhaps even write in it. But listening and understanding the spoken language require special skills. Some people have a natural ability that helps them to learn a language quickly, while others must study for a long time. Everyone, however, can improve his or her listening skills with practice.
We are good listeners in our own language because we have had years of practice. We understand the grammar and the language. We know what to expect a person to say to us in almost any situation. We have been in similar situations many times, and we have heard it all before. We can understand it, even if we do not listen carefully.
But this is not true with a foreign language. We must listen with our full attention. And we must try not to let the cultural style of our language affect our understanding of the foreign language. Listening to a foreign language broadcast is easier if we know something about it. There are clues that can help us. One clue is the time of a day. Morning programs usually contain many short items of news, information or entertainment. The items are short because most of us are getting ready to go to work in the morning. Often we do not have time to listen to long programs. Evening programs are different. There is time for more details about the subjects discussed.
We can get a clue about the program from the music at the beginning, but we must be familiar with the music of the foreign culture. The kind of music—serious and slow, or fast and light—can tell us what kind of program to expect. The name of the program can give us good information about what it will contain.
Another good clue is the broadcaster. The more we listen to the same person, the easier it will be to understand him. His speaking style will become familiar to us. Further, the broadcaster provides clues to the organization of the broadcast at the beginning of the program. The broadcaster usually gives us the highlights of the program to prepare us for the details that will follow.
【小題1】We are good listeners in our own language because ________.

A．we have a natural ability of learning language	B．our own language is much easier
C．we listen to our own language more carefully	D．we have practiced it for years

【小題2】 If you don’t have enough time, you can listen to ________.

A．evening programs	B．programs with soft music
C．morning programs	D．familiar programs

【小題3】You can know the information of the program according to ________.

A．its music	B．the broadcaster
C．its name	D．the time of the program

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump(樹(shù)樁) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s not about going to a temple to burn some incense(香) hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups; those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “l(fā)ucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman’s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
【小題1】Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’s point?

A．Make the best of a bad job.

B．Rome was not built in a day.

C．All is not gold that glitters.

D．A good heart conquers ill fortune.

【小題2】 What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?

A．She became famous through her family background.

B．She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks in her life.

C．She is a British talk show host.

D．She became successful by her own effort.

【小題3】The writer quoted the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show __________.

A．luck is in your own hand

B．bad luck can turn into good

C．you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you

D．man can conquer nature

BEUING (Associated Press 美聯(lián)社) —China has a growing middle class, a tradition of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year. Selling educational toys should be easy.
While China may be the world’s biggest toymaker, many of the best are exported . Department stores here do not have enough high quality toys. It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.
A US company, BabyCare, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China.
BabyCare works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals.  People who join the company’s "mother club"can get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost, if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company’s educational toys and child?care books.
"We want to build a seven?year relationship with those people," said Matthew J. Estes, BabyCare’s president. "It starts during pregnancy , when the anxiety and needs are highest." BabyCare works on a onetoone basis. Doctors, nurses, and teachers paid by BabyCare advise parents, explain toys that are designed for children at each stage of development to age six.
BabyCare opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo. It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.
It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children’s education and health that no other companies are in.
【小題1】What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?

A．Educational toys and foreign toy markets.

B．Problems with China’s toy market and education.

C．Reasons for pushing sales of educational toys in China.

D．Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China.

【小題2】 Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?

A．Club members buy BabyCare products for free childcare advice.

B．Doctors in Beijing help in making BabyCare products.

C．Parents are encouraged to pay $ 18 for club activities.

D．BabyCare trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost.

【小題3】BabyCare is developing its business in China by.

A．opening stores in Beijing hospitals

B．offering 18?month courses on child?care

C．setting up children’s education centers

D．forming close relationships with parents

【小題4】Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Mother’s Club in China.	B．BabyCare and Doctors.
C．American Company Model.	D．Educational Toys in China

Why does a large education nation like China have so few world renowned scientists as the US? Educationists from China and the US try to find out the answer to questions like this at a forum on the basic education strategy.
The forum, held recently, was jointly organized by the Education Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education in China and the Postgraduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US. It aims to find out similarities and differences that exist between two countries in their educational system.
While some educationists in China keep a doubtful eye to the country’s educational system in recent years. Their American counterparts give a positive answer to the basic education in China, saying that it is still one of the best in the world.
An American educationist told reporters that the basic education in the US was criticized in recent years due to its political tendency. On the contrary, Chinese government’s stress on basic education and qualified teachers has set a good example.
At primary and middle school, pupils in China did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils. However, few grow to be world “masters”. Why? Educationists attributed this to China’s stress on examination rather than students’ interest.
Deputy Director of the postgraduate school of Pennsylvania University said American teachers encouraged students to focus on their strong points. In China, students are driven to study to pass the entrance examination test and they do not pay much attention to their own interest.
At the forum, director of the Education Development Research Center Mr. Zhang said in the future, the research center would make its middle and long-term basic education strategy by taking some references from other countries including the US.
He also revealed that for a long time in the future, China would make a breakthrough in setting the policy for quality education.
【小題1】This passage is mainly about _________.

A．quality education development in the future

B．why China’s education cultivates few world masters

C．China’s good basic education

D．genius education at the primary stage

【小題2】 The underlined word “renowned” in the first paragraph probably means ________

A．famous

B．a(chǎn)ctive

C．qualified

D．experienced

【小題3】The following statements are true EXCEPT that _________

A．basic education in the US is associated with the government’s political interest.

B．the forum aims to find out the reason why there few world masters in China.

C．a(chǎn)ll the educationists in China cast doubts in the country’s educational system.

D．Chinese government’s stress on basic education is spoken highly of.

【小題4】 Few pupils in China who did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils grow to be world “masters”, because _________

A．The US government spends more money on basic education

B．American pupils are cleverer than Chinese pupils

C．basic education in China is not as successful as that of the US

D．Chinese people pay less attention to students’ interest

【小題5】China’s educational system will _______ in the future.

A．help students to study even harder to pass the examination

B．a(chǎn)pply more attention to quality education referring to systems of other countries

C．a(chǎn)llow students to pay more attention to their own interest without their test results

D．copy the educational system in the US