I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It’s hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.
【小題1】 Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?

A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service.

B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains.

C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic.

D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness.

【小題2】 We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．China can make and sell any product all over the world

B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment

C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand

D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination

【小題3】 Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Look for a New Way of Learning.	B．Reward Creative Thinking.
C．How to Become a Creator.	D．Establish a technical Environment.

There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at the announcement board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.
Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking workers.
Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.
Another useful way to find a job is through a college or a university. For example, students at the University of Texas in Austin can go to the Career Exploration Centre to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute(降落傘)？”by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career since it was published in nineteen seventy.
Some experts also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources to help them find the right job.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about? __________

A．Finding a job	B．College students’ part-time jobs
C．Craigslist Web site	D．The relation between study and work

【小題2】By logging on the Craigslist Web site, you can _________ .

A．sell your old things	B．do some shopping online
C．create your own announcement board	D．get useful information about 450 cities

【小題3】“What Color is Your Parachute(降落傘)？”is a book giving tips to those who want to ________ .

A．work on the plane

B．buy a parachute

C．publish a book

D．find a suitable job

【小題4】It can be learned from the passage that _______ .
A. companies often put job information in local shops.
B. the Internet is the most popular tool for job hunters in the USA.
C. Susan W. Miller’s company is helping people choose careers
D. California Career Services mainly serves university students.
【小題5】How many ways of finding jobs are mentioned in the passage?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“ I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“ I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But a younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they are positive(積極的) or negative (消極的)，they are rubbing off on you. If you are around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame others, and you play the role of victim(受害者) , chances are you will start as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: make a list of the people who you hand out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career(職業(yè)) path.”
【小題1】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed

B．How to make friendship last for ever

C．You are who your friends are

D．Friends are the most important in one’s success

【小題2】The underlined sentence “ rubbing off on you” means ________ .

A．They’ll push you ahead	B．They will influence(影響) you
C．They’ll cover your shortcomings	D．They will help you achieve your goal

【小題3】The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show _______ .

A．the musician’s living conditions are quite poor

B．People have poor taste in music

C．People have different attitudes towards the same thing.

D．Young people have greater chances of succeeding

【小題4】By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7 , you can _______ .

A．improve a lot in making more friends

B．come to the right way of making friends

C．develop a better friendship with your friends

D．a(chǎn)rrange the time with your friends properly

【小題5】The passage is mainly written for ________ .

A．musicians

B．managers

C．negative people

D．people wanting to succeed

Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it.
In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.
The multiplication tables(乘法口訣表)are an exception to the general rule. that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood. The law of overlearning explains why cramming (突擊學習)for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development
【小題1】What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1

A．Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

B．People remember well what they learned in childhood.

C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words.“

D．Stories for children are easy to remember

【小題2】The author explains the law of overlearning by

A．presenting research findings

B．setting down general rules

C．using examples

D．making a comparison

【小題3】According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is

A．a(chǎn) result of overlearning

B．a(chǎn) special case of cramming

C．a(chǎn) skill to deal with math problems

D．a(chǎn) basic step towards advanced studies

【小題4】What is the author's opinion on cramming?

A．It leads to failure in college exams.

B．It increases students' learning interest.

C．It's possible to result in poor memory.

D．It's helpful only in a limited way.

Can you remember the first time you learned to ride a bike or drive a car？Learning these skills changed your life forever and opened up new horizons（視野）. Learning about computers can be like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car. Once you have invested the time to master the skills，you will never go back to the old days. The new technology is simply too convenient and too powerful.
Technological developments through the years have enabled us to do more with less effort. We have continuously looked for better ways of doing things. Each invention and new development has allowed us to extend our capabilities. Today we see one of the most dramatic technologies ever developed—the computer. It extends the capabilities of our minds.
Computers have saved organizations millions of dollars. Furthermore，these same computer systems have opened up new opportunities that would have gone undiscovered or neglected. The computer may multiply what we can do，and the return on investment is high. The growth of computer usage is surprising. On the other hand，the computer can do serious damage. Invasion of privacy（侵犯隱私），fraud（欺詐），and computer-related mistakes are just a few shocking examples.The computer is like a double-edged sword. It has the ability to cut us free from some activities，but it can also cut deep into profits，personal privacy，and our society in general. How it is used is not a function of technology. It is strictly a function of how people decide to use or misuse this new technology. The choice is yours，and only through a knowledge of computer systems will you be able to avoid the dangers while enjoying the many，many benefits of the computer age.
【小題1】The writer thinks learning about computers is like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car because ______.

A．it is simple and practical

B．it needs a lot of practice

C．it leads people to new life experiences

D．it takes much time to master the skills

【小題2】According to the passage，computers bring people the following benefits EXCEPT ______.

A．a(chǎn)voiding mistakes	B．saving money
C．making money	D．opening up opportunities

【小題3】This passage is probably written for ______.

A．computers	B．computer producers
C．computer learners	D．computer programmers

What is a good education? The question is far from being answered. Once more, colleges and universities are changing their programs: they drop "fun courses" and restart some of the traditional subjects neglected (忽視) since the 1960s. Many great schools are again requiring the students to take a number of classes in English, history, literature, the social sciences, philosophy, the natural sciences, and art if they want to get a degree. Meanwhile, the experts are trying to describe the good education of our time. Obviously the purely vocational training once favored is not enough. But neither is the gentleman's education of the nineteenth century. Educational programs must meet the demands of a modern world where men and women have to work and to deal with big problems.
What, then, is a good education of this century? Some educators suggest that it should include foreign languages and the study of foreign cultures; a mastery of English, including the ability to write and speak well, because communications have become all-important in the modern world, and also because "a person who doesn't speak and write clearly doesn't reason clearly either"; some knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology) that deal with human relations and human problems; some basic knowledge of modern science, which would enable future voters to be better informed about current problems like nuclear. Finally, many educators insist that all college graduates should be familiar with computers and modern information system since the educated professionals of tomorrow will have to understand their machines. Is that all? "No, of course not." answer the educators. "We have not mentioned the two great building blocks of education: history and literature!"
【小題1】The best title for this passage might be _______.

A．Education	B．A Mastery of English
C．A Good Education	D．Something About Study

【小題2】The underlined word "drop" in the first paragraph means _______.

A．desert

B．dislike

C．decline

D．neglect

【小題3】The author thinks that the question about what a good education is _______.

A．has been answered fairly well

B．hasn't been put forward yet

C．has been dealt with successfully

D．has not been answered satisfactorily

【小題4】Some educational experts believe a mastery of English should include the ability _______.

A．to read fast	B．to write and speak well
C．to write clearly and accurately	D．to listen and speak skillfully

In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (學會) of each new skill -- the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality（準時）for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency（前后一致） is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (說教), their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.
【小題1】Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills, _________________.

A．should be avoided

B．is universal among parents

C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child

D．will make the child lose interest in learning new things

【小題2】In the process of children’s learning new skills, parents _________________.

A．should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read

B．should expect a lot of the children

C．should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own

D．should create as many learning opportunities as possible

【小題3】The second paragraph mainly tells us that _________________.

A．parents should be strict with their children

B．parental controls reflect only the values of the community

C．parental restrictions vary, and are not always for the benefit of the children alone

D．it’s parents’ and society’s duty to control the children

【小題4】The word“precept” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_________________”.

A．opinion

B．punishment

C．behavior

D．instruction

【小題5】In terms of moral matters, parents should _____________________.

A．follow the rules themselves

B．be aware of the huge difference between adults and children

C．forbid things which have no foundation in morality

D．a(chǎn)lways ensure the security of their children

BEIJING — China’s education authority will tighten the widely criticized policy of “extra credits” for the national college entrance examination to ensure a fairer chance for all exam-takers.
Under the policy, high school students who win awards in national Olympic competitions could get ‘‘extra credits’ up to 20 points for the national college entrance exam. Students with talent in sports and students who are from ethnic groups can also benefit from this policy. The extra credits have increased these students’ chances of being admitted by famous universities. Some parents were found to have helped their children fabricate(偽造)award experiences or falsify qualifications to get extra credits.
“It has harmed education equality，” the ministry said.
Xiong Bingqi, vice-chief of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said the policy is designed to help students who have special talents but may be weak in academic performance to have a chance to receive higher education. uIt will still be needed but it is time to make the rules fairer," he said.
The ministry said it will reduce the range of competitions whose winners can get extra credits, and limit the winners, privileges(優(yōu)先權(quán)).
The new policy will apply to students who begin high school in 2011, it said.
Chen Lei, a mother of a 10-year-old girl, said she welcomed the ministry's policy adjustment as she does not want her daughter to become an Olympic competition geek.
But not all the Chinese parents welcomed the new policy. “It is like a thunderbolt for me. My - 13-year-old son has spent so much time studying Olympic math，and participated in so many technological competitions during vacations. It is useless now,” said Dong Wen, a 43-year-old mother.
A student said, “Many students have changed the current study plan, and they can abandon the competition. I will be interested in learning the courses which can improve my abilities.”   
Yuan Guiren, minister of education, told China Daily that the reform is an attempt to consider  the overall quality of an applicant. “But the country will not stop the national college entrance  examination as it is still the most objective way to evaluate talent in China，” lie said.
【小題1】It can be inferred from the passage that_____.

A．high school students with talent in sports are weak in academic performance

B．students who win awards in Olympic competitions can’t get extra credits in 2011

C．the number of competitions whose winners can get extra credits will be smaller

D．the extra credits have reduced students' chances of being admitted by famous colleges

【小題2】What does the underlined word “geek” probably mean?

A．a(chǎn) winner

B．a(chǎn) smart learner

C．a(chǎn) competitor

D．a(chǎn) dull student

【小題3】Which person in the passage was strongly against the new policy?

A．Xiong Bingqi

B．Chen Lei

C．Dong Wen

D．Yuan Guiren

【小題4】What might be the best title for the text?

A．“Extra credits policy in China to be adjusted

B．Promotion of national Olympic competitions

C．Advice on the national college entrance exam

D．Chinese government to push education reform

The koala(考拉) is possibly one of the best known Australian animals, and is found in four states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The word “koala” comes from an Australian aboriginal word meaning “no drink”.
Sometimes people call them “koala bears” but koala is not a bear. It belongs to a special group of Australian mammals, called marsupial(有袋類). Female marsupials have a pouch where the baby animals live after they are born.
Koalas have soft, thick, grey or brown fur on their backs. The fur on the stomach is white. Koala that live in the south have thicker fur than those in the north because of the cold winters, whereas the koalas in the northern part of the country live in warm to hot weather most of the year so have thinner fur. A koala has a large hairless nose and round ears. Koalas don’t have tails. Adult koalas measure between 7 and 14 kilograms.
Koalas spend nearly all their time in the trees using their sharp, curved claws and long toes to climb about and to hold on to the tree branches. They sleep most of the day, and feed and move from tree to tree mainly at night.
The reason koala sleep for much of the day is because their food eucalyptus(桉樹) leaves are very tough so they use a lot of energy to digest. Sleeping saves energy. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to almost every other animal. Koalas rarely drink water; they get water from the leaves they eat.
Each koala has a home range made up of several trees that they visit regularly. They normally do not visit another koala’s home trees except that a male is looking for a female to mate with.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is NOT true about the name “koala bear”?

A．The name was given by the native in Australia

B．The word “koala” is an original English word

C．The name describes one of its living habits

D．The name is partly false

【小題2】Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “punch”？

A．House

B．Cave

C．Pocket

D．Nest

【小題3】Why do the koalas live in the south have thicker fur than those in the north?

A．The thicker fur can protect them from the colder weather

B．It’s always hot in summer in the north

C．It’s always cold in the winter in the south

D．They have to move to the north in the winter

【小題4】Why do koalas sleep much in the day?

A．Their foods are poisonous

B．They want to save energy for the activities at night

C．They can’t get enough energy from their tough foods

D．They can’t get enough water from their leaves

There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned in schools in most countries, and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use some physical punishments to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages.
It’s easy to find reasons to allow some physical punishments. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to abandon physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this was the way they were brought up and that it didn’t do any harm to them. They believe that for the child’s sake they have the right to discipline the child in any way they consider fit, including using some physical punishments. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket.
However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don’t have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is seat belt use —now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits.
In conclusion, parents have to change some of their belief and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force, and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society.
【小題1】According to the first paragraph, many parents think that ____________.

A．they are free to use physical punishment on their children

B．most of the children behave badly in their daily life

C．they have changed their attitudes towards their children

D．physical punishment is effective to educate their children

【小題2】Many parents won’t give up physical punishment because _____________.

A．they are disappointed with their children

B．they were brought up just in the same way

C．they don’t want to hurt their children badly

D．they don’t know what to do with their children

【小題3】The author gives the example of using seat belts in order to show ____________.

A．most people are used to wearing seat belts

B．it’s not difficult to change some negative habits

C．seat belts are really very necessary and useful

D．people won’t change their old habits unless forced

【小題4】The main purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ____________.

A．talk about a ban on using physical punishment

B．tell us we should educate our children in other ways

C．a(chǎn)dvise parents to give up using physical punishment

D．suggest physical punishment should be used at home