My son loves video games very much. He spends hours every day playing video games in his room. Is there any redeeming（補(bǔ)償?shù)模〆ducational value to video games? Some seem like they could help him learn strategy. But I worry others may be too violent or numb（使麻木）his mind.
Cecilia
Some games may improve kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Games that require kids to actually move or manipulate（操縱）the game through their own physical movement can even get sedentary kids moving, though not as much as they could if they actually played outside or participated in sports or other outdoor acuities. Others, though, don’t have such benefits, and violent video games have been shown that they might increase kid’s aggressive behavior.
Like a lot of aspects of raising kids, when it comes to video games, the healthiest approach is actually self-control.
The American academy of Pediatrics(AAP) recommends that kids should spend no more than 2 hours each day on screen time, including watching TV or movies, or playing computer or video games. So consider setting limits at least that strict to keep game playing from affecting their schoolwork, household responsibilities, and the physical activity your son needs very day.
Make sure that he’s playing games which are suitable for his age group. All video games are rated and labeled by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Steer clear of（避開）any rated “M” for mature. Those are for ages 17 and older and can contain heavy-duty violence, strong language, and sexual content.
Try to keep the video game console（游戲機(jī)控制板）in a common area of the house, not your son’s room. That way you can catch any inappropriate content in the games he’s playing, and he’ll be in a position to interact with others in the house while he’s playing.
Make sure your son has appealing alternatives, too, such as sports, activities, opportunities to socialize with peers; and downtime to be creative. If you continue to have concerns about his video game activity, talk with your doctor.
Reviewed by：Mary L. Gavin, MD
【小題1】What is the opinion of Mary L. Gavin about playing video games?

A．Whether it’s beneficial or harmful depends on what the video games are.

B．It always improves kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills.

C．It will make kids more violent and increase their aggressive behavior.

D．Kids should give it up and put their hearts fully into their schoolwork.

【小題2】The underlined word “sedentary” in the first paragraph of the answer letter is the nearest in meaning to “______”.

A．unhealthy

B．lively

C．bright

D．inactive

【小題3】According to Mary L. Gavin, which of the following is encouraged to do by parents?

A．Keep the video game console out of their house.

B．Allow their children to play only such video games as rated “M”

C．Let kids play video games as much as possible if it doesn’t affect their lessons.

D．Help their children develop other healthy hobbies such as sports and painting.

【小題4】Which is the best title of this passage?

A．Should children play video games?

B．Kids’ playing video games is harmful.

C．Is playing video games good for kids?

D．Help children choose video games.

High school graduation is worth celebrating. It marks a big change in the lives of young adults. However, it ought to mean even more. It ought to mean that the graduate is ready for college or career.
In a report issued last year, we found that almost half of recent Illinois high school graduates required remedial courses(補(bǔ)習(xí)課) upon enrolling(注冊(cè)) a community college. These courses require time and money to complete, yet offer no credits toward a degree. Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college.
Why is the remediation rate so high? A large part of the reason is that we have not set high enough standards for what our students need to learn from kindergarten to high school. They simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
The same is true for careers. In Illinois, good jobs continue to go vacant(空缺) even while we are trying hard to go through tough economic times. This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know.
The good news is that in Illinois we have a plan to help get our students ready for life in the real world. We have already taken an important first step by becoming one of the 45 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards and have begun introducing them to classrooms this year. The new standards provide fewer, clearer and higher benchmarks(標(biāo)準(zhǔn)) for academic progress. They focus on deeper knowledge required at each grade level, give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they’ve learned.
Research shows that when expectations are raised, students rise to meet them. Adapting to higher standards and raising expectations may prove challenging, but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers. Readiness is worth a celebration.
【小題1】According to the passage, in most cases, students taking part in remedial courses ___.

A．come from wealthy families

B．leave college before finishing their courses

C．a(chǎn)re offered credits toward a degree

D．a(chǎn)re likely to develop their academic interest

【小題2】The author uses the third and fourth paragraphs to __.

A．provide solutions to the rising remediation rate

B．show the present situation of unemployment in Illinois

C．suggest knowledge learned in school be put into practice

D．explain why students aren’t prepared for college and a career

【小題3】Which of the following statements about the Common Core State Standards is TRUE?

A．They were first adopted in Illinois.

B．More benchmarks are required.

C．They benefit teachers as well as students.

D．They ensure students’ success in college.

【小題4】Based on the last paragraph, what is the author’s attitude to raising expectations of students?

A．Supportive	B．Critical
C．Doubtful	D．Worried

Elaine Yu Yee-nee, 15, Creative Secondary School
Lockers are designed in a way to hide their contents for a reason. Otherwise, they’d have open fronts like cupboards. Searching students’ lockers would be total invasion(侵犯) of privacy. Having a locker is more than having a place to store your stuff. A locker also gives you the freedom to keep certain things hidden. These can include harmless personal items like diaries, letters and photos. Searching lockers could discomfit students and others might make fun of them.
Yes, lockers are school property(財(cái)產(chǎn)). But that doesn’t give schools the right to inspect lockers as they please. While students are using lockers, they have the right to keep their contents private. Teachers could ask for permission to take a look inside a student’s locker and if the student is OK with that, then it would be fine. Searching students’ lockers without their permission would result in the loss of trust.
I doubt that students who have something dangerous to hide, such as weapons or drugs, would put them in their lockers. They would not want to risk being caught so easily.
Giving schools the right to search lockers would not help catch those who commit crimes. But it would certainly create an environment in which students would be embarrassed to have their belongings shown in public for no good reason.
Ronald Ling Pak-ki, 20, University of Hong Kong
Many students see their lockers as personal property. They would never agree that schools should have the right to inspect their lockers. But I think schools have an absolute right to do so.
It is the schools that actually own the lockers. Students just use them to store some of their things safely and conveniently. There are clear rules on what items students can and cannot keep in their lockers. Schools have both the duty and the right to check if students are following the rules.
I don’t think school authorities would decide to search a student’s locker unless they felt the need to do so. They might, for instance, suspect students of hiding drugs. To make sure that the process remains open and fair, only authorized teachers should have the right to search lockers. The search should be carried out in such a way as not to embarrass students in front of others.
【小題1】What are .the two students talking about?

A．How to make sure schools are safe.

B．Whether there are crimes in schools.

C．Whether schools can search students’ lockers.

D．How to establish trust between teachers and students.

【小題2】The underlined word could be replaced by ___.

A．embarrass

B．frighten

C．worry

D．challenge

【小題3】According to Elaine, school lockers ____.

A．a(chǎn)re students’ personal property

B．should be changed into cupboards

C．a(chǎn)re likely to hold some dangerous things

D．can be searched with students’ permission

【小題4】Which of the following would Ronald agree with?

A．Students won’t hide drugs in lockers.

B．Students use lockers but don’t own them.

C．Students should not put personal things in lockers.

D．Students may forbid teachers to inspect their lockers.

The use of lotteries (彩票) to allocate (分配) school places is to be reviewed by the British government because more than 20 percent of children are failing to get into their first-choice schools in parts of the country.
The struggle for secondary school places has reached record levels this year, increasing anxiety for hundreds of thousands of families. A report from 43 local authorities suggests that in many areas, up to a fifth of children face disappointment. Families in London are the hardest hit.
This week is admissions week, when about 570,000 families will receive notice about their child’s secondary school acceptance. As the recession (不景氣) forces more parents to consider a state education rather than a private one for their children, more than a third of local authorities have noted rises in the number of applications for secondary school places.
This year, just 62 percent of children in Richmond-upon-Thames got into their parents’ first-choice school, down from 64 percent last year. The council said this was caused by an increase in applications.
In another London authority, Tower Hamlet, 71.1 percent of children were admitted to their parents’ first choice school. In Leeds and Warwickshire, 85 percent were successful. In Derby the figure was 81 percent, while in Wiltshire, Stockport and Lincolnshire, the figure was 89 percent.
In many authorities, the figures are similar to those of last year. Exceptions include Brighton and Hove, which introduced a lottery system to allocate oversubscribed places last year. This year, it has seen a 3.5 percent increase in the number of children obtaining their first choice, bringing the total to nearly 88 percent. However, more than 5 percent of children in this area have been allocated a place at a school that was not among any of their choices.
Lotteries are being used at the government’s suggestion by a small number of oversubscribed schools in around twenty-five local authorities. They were meant to prevent middle-class parents from abusing the system by buying or renting homes close to the best schools.
【小題1】According to the passage, more and more parents in Britain prefer to send their children to _______.

A．a(chǎn) state school	B．a(chǎn) private school
C．a(chǎn) school in London	D．a(chǎn) school in Brighton

【小題2】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The lottery system is certainly a good way to allocate school places.

B．Over one in five children fail to get into their first-choice schools in parts of Britain.

C．The lottery system is welcomed by parents around twenty-five local authorities.

D．The number of applications for secondly school places is falling this year.

【小題3】In the following places, the highest preferred school admission rate is in _______.

A．Richmond-upon-Thames	B．Brighton and Hove
C．Lincolnshire	D．Derby

【小題4】The purpose of using lottery system is to ________.

A．keep middle-class parents buying or renting homes close to the best schools.

B．increase the number of children obtaining their first choice

C．decrease the number of applications for some good schools

D．create equality between children from different social classes

【小題5】The passage is most probably taken from _______.

A．a(chǎn) survey on education	B．a(chǎn) textbook on science
C．a(chǎn) speech on radio	D．a(chǎn)n essay on economy

Cheektowage Central Middle School can be a lot of fun. It has game nights and student dances, after-school activities, and sports teams. However, students at the school must earn the right to join in the fun. If they don’t do their homework, participate in class, and behave at all times, they’re banned(禁止) from participating in after-school activities.
Students and parents say the threat of being excluded(排除在外) appears to be working. Kenny T. of Reno, Nev., says it taught him that actions have consequences: “I learned that I need to be balanced in both my work and athletics to be rewarded for working hard.” Parent Sondra LaMacchia told The New York Times that her 14-year-old daughter is learning responsibility at Cheektowaga Central. The teen used to perform poorly in her studies, but then she was banned from a school dance. The message got through loud and clear. “It’s nobody’s fault but hers,” LaMacchia said.
Although exclusion may help teach responsibility, some psychologists say it can also be threatening, especially for students who often cause, or may cause, trouble in school. They might become more aggressive and antisocial, which is exactly what schools like Cheektowaga Central want to prevent.
Should schools exclude students from activities to get them to behave? I believe teens need school activities and that inclusion can be the answer. For some troubled students, activities can be their motivation to stay in school. “Activities such as sports may be the only thing keeping certain students in school,” says Duace Wood, a teacher at Mohonasen High School in Rotterdam, N.Y. Getting involved in after-class activities keeps troublesome students in class. Even if they don’t do as well as their classmates, they are still learning. The more time they spend at school, the less time they have to even think about starting trouble. Teams also provide support and role models, and they help build the confidence that students need to succeed. If students who don’t behave are banned from activities, they might give up on school altogether.
【小題1】Paragraph 2 is developed by _______.

A．a(chǎn)nalyzing causes	B．giving examples
C．examining differences	D．following the time order

【小題2】Parent Sondra LaMacchia supports the policy of exclusion because _______.

A．it provides role models

B．her daughter is aggressive

C．her daughter hates taking exercise

D． it helps teach responsibility

【小題3】In Paragraph 3 and 4, the author mainly talks about________.

A．students who are good at sports

B．students who often cause trouble

C．teens who do well in their studies

D．teens who always behave themselves

【小題4】What is the author’s attitude towards the school’s policy of exclusion?

A． Negative

B．Sympathetic

C．Satisfied

D．Supportive

Every summer, no matter how urgent work schedule is, I take off one day exclusively for my son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement panic, where we discovered that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters (過山車)in the world. We experienced through face-stretching turns and circles for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, in a calm voice, he remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he’d been on. As I listened, I began to sense something seriously out of balance.
Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents found it hard to find new stimulations for cold kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young feces were looking disappointed and bored
Facing their children's complaints of "nothing to do", parents were spending large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy relief from the terrible complaint of their bored children. This set me thinking the obvious question: "How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there's been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?"
What really worries me is the strength of the stimulation. I watch my little daughter's &ce as she absorbs bloody special effects in movies.
Why do children facing such excitement seem starved for more? Thai was, I realized, the point I discovered during my own adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Excitement has less to do with speed than changes in speed.
I am concerned about the increasing effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear uninterested and burned out, with a "been there, done that" air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends’ children are advised to take medicine to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants (抗抑郁藥)to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives—I question the role of kids’ boredom in some of the diagnoses (處方).
My own work is focused on the chemical imbalances and biological factors related to behavioral and emotional disorders. These are complex problems. Yet I’ve been reflecting more and more on how lie pace of life and the strength of stimulation may be contributing to the rising rates of psychological problems among children and adolescents in our society.
【小題1】The reason why the author felt surprised in the amusement park was that ________.

A．his son was not as excited by the roller coasters ride as expected

B．his songs enjoyed turns and circles with his face stretched

C．his son appeared upset but calm while riding the roller coasters

D．his son could keep his balance so well on the fast moving roller coasters

【小題2】According to the author, children will probably feel excited ________.

A．if their parents allow them to ride roller coasters very often

B．since parents spend money on the same form of entertainment

C．a(chǎn)fter they take anti-depressants according to the diagnoses

D．if they are often exposed to more stimulating entertainment

【小題3】From his own experience, the author came to the conclusion that children seem to expect _______.

A．a(chǎn) much wider variety of sports facilities

B．a(chǎn)ctivities that require complicated skills

C．the change of the forms of recreation

D．more challenging physical exercise

【小題4】In order to relieve children's boredom, the author would probably suggest ________.

A．a(chǎn)djusting the pace of life and strength of stimulation

B．promoting the practice of dad-son days

C．consulting a specialist in child psychology

D．balancing school work with after school activities

About half American teenagers do not get enough sleep on school nights.They get an average of sixty to ninety minutes less than experts say they need.
One reason for this is biology.Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups.Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning.As a result，many students go to class feeling like sixteen?year?old Danny.He is an active teen— except in the morning.“Getting up in the morning is pretty terrible.I’m just very out of it and tired.Through the first and second period I can hardly stay awake,” he said.
Michael Breus is a psychologist.Teens，he says，need to sleep eight to nine hours or even nine to ten hours a night.He says sleepy teens can experience a form of depression(消沉) that could have big influence on their general well being.It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road.So what can schools do about sleepy students？The psychologist says one thing they can do is to start classes later in the morning.Studies show that students can improve by a full letter grade in their first and second period classes.
Eric Peterson is the head of St.George’s School in the northeastern state of Rhode Island.He wanted to see if a thirty?minute delay(推遲)would make a difference.It did.He says visits to the health center by tired students decreased by half.Late arrivals to the first period fell by a third.And students reported that they were less sleepy during the day.Eric Peterson knows that changing start times is easier at a small school like his.But he is hopeful that other schools will find a way.
【小題1】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Later classes，fewer sleepy teens

B．Early birds have good food

C．Early to bed and early to rise

D．Fewer classes，more happiness

【小題2】The underlined word“this”in the second paragraph refers to________.

A．teenagers’ staying up

B．teenagers’ getting up late

C．teenagers’ not getting enough sleep

D．teenagers’ not studying seriously

【小題3】Michael Breus thinks that________.

A．teens should get up early

B．teens need enough sleep to be lively

C．depression is common in teens

D．the first period class should be cut off

【小題4】The last paragraph tells us________.

A．Eric Peterson visits the health center every day

B．it’s not easy for Eric Peterson to change start times

C．students in St.George’s School can get up later than before

D．students in St.George’s School aren’t late for school any more

【小題5】What can we infer from the passage?

A．Danny is a lazy boy and always late for school.

B．Teens should go to bed early and get up early, too.

C．The psychologist has no idea how to solve the problem.

D．Enough sleep makes a healthy and active student.

In my long years of teaching, I often ask my students to read the texts until they can recite them, and I tell them that recitation is an important part of their homework. However, some of my students are tired of doing so, thinking that it is both hard and useless. They argue that it takes a long time to recite a text from memory and text itself never appears in a test paper.
In my opinion, it naturally takes time to recite a text, but it is worth doing so. When you are able to recite a text, you are sure to be familiar with the words and expressions. When you need them in reading or writing or doing exercises, they will come to your mind quickly, and so you will give quick response to all kinds of language situation. How can we say that it is useless?
Besides, many students complain that they soon forget what they were once able to recite. This is true, but you don’t need to worry. While you are reading and forgetting the texts, your language   level is being raised. Sure you don’t remember your Chinese texts that you once read in the primary school, but now you are able to read novels and newspaper. So, recitation of the texts will help you improve your language ability.
【小題1】The writer often asks his students to recite the texts, __________.

A．But they don’t like to do so

B．And they are eager to do so.

C．But they wrote a letter to the Department of the Education reporting the thing.

D．But they do more exercises instead of reciting the texts.

【小題2】What do the students think about the teacher’s advice?_______

A．The English teacher tries his best to help them with English

B．The English teacher is very kind to them.

C．The English teacher asks them to do something useless.

D．The English teacher should let them study on their own.

【小題3】According to the text, which of the following is correct_________.

A．The teacher thinks the students are too naughty to learn english well.

B．The students think they spend a lot of time in reciting the texts and get nothing.

C．The students say that they often forget the words.

D．The students take no interest in English.

【小題4】When the students are against his suggestion, the writer_______.

A．often criticizes them

B．patiently explains to them why they should recite the texts

C．wants to give up his idea

D．is afraid that he is criticized by the headmaster.

【小題5】Why does the writer suggest that the students recite the text?_____.

A．Reciting the texts can improve the ability of applying English.

B．Reciting the texts is the bestway of learning English.

C．The students should remember all the texts that the teacher has taught them.

D．Reciting the texts can greatly improve the classroom teaching

When my daughter was in the fifth grade, she came home from school almost every night with three or more hours of homework. It was my duty to help her get it done. One night she worked until midnight doing her homework.
I felt annoyed, but I didn’t want the teacher to think I was lazy. So I never complained. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed to me that five hours of homework was a bit too much for a fifth grade student.
Later, I found out that parents and educators have discussed about homework for more than a century. Parents who like more homework want to give their children every advantage to succeed in today’s world. Some educators see homework as a way to help students perform better in tests.
Other parents dislike the recent trend toward more homework. They don’t want to stay up until midnight helping their children. They would prefer to spend their time going to the park or reading some really good books with their children. Added to the opposition(反對(duì))are those who say that homework increases the gap(差距)between the rich and the poor. That’s because middle class families do better when it comes to helping their children with their homework.
So, who is right? Is homework an enemy or a help? According to experts, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
【小題1】The author thought that her daughter’s homework _________.

A．was too difficult

B．was too much to finish

C．was done more carefully than other students’

D．could be done as long as she helped her daughter

【小題2】The author never complained to the teacher because _________.

A．she was too angry to talk with the teacher.

B．she did not like complaining.

C．she was afraid of being thought lazy by the teacher.

D．her daughter would be annoyed if she complained.

【小題3】In the last paragraph, experts __________.

A．think middle school students should do lots of homework.

B．haven’t come up with any idea to solve this problem.

C．think homework should be given, but not too much.

D．support the idea that homework is good for students.