Many people go to work each day to a job they hate. The harmful feelings influence their entire life, putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities. There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:
Do some self-analysis. Ask yourself -- What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my priorities? What is my secret passion? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.
Use your unique genius and talents. Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities. Talents, such as managing, creating, researching, training others, drawing, can all seem like easy work because you have a natural flair（才能）for them. True happiness comes from combining your natural talents, developing and excelling in them, and working in a field, job, industry that you have a passionate interest in.
Make a decision. Only action can change your life. Read a book. Take vocational tests. Use a good career-management professional. Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need. Then make a decision and go forward. Outline the action steps to reach your career goal. Finding meaning, passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so don’t wait any longer. Begin right now and set in motion your own plan to live a happier, more satisfying life.
【小題1】Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career

B．Steps on How to Live Happily and Comfortably

C．Do not Hate Your Job Any Longer.

D．Find Out Your Natural Talents and Make a Success.

【小題2】According to the passage, by analyzing ourselves, we can      .

A．know the true meaning of our life

B．understand better about the career we want

C．find out our own unique genius and talents

D．improve relations with our family and friends

【小題3】The purpose in writing this passage is to _____.

A．persuade people to work hard to make a happier life

B．reveal some wrong-doings at work

C．direct people to choose their career

D．give some solutions to deal with troubles at work

We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed — no examination is perfect — but to have no tests or examination would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency， the values and the purpose of each teacher.
Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them — a form of favoritism will replace equality at the moment. The bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents（反對(duì)者） of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
【小題1】The word “favoritism” in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that         .

A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs.

B．poor children with certificates are favoured in job markets.

C．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs.

D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success.

【小題2】What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?

A．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation.

B．There would be more opportunities and excellence.

C．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools.

D．Children’s job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation.

【小題3】The opponents of the examination system will agree that           .

A．jobs should not be assigned by systematic se lection

B．computers should be selected to take over many jobs.

C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards

D．schools with academic subjects should be done aw ay with

【小題4】The passage mainly focuses on            .

A．schools and certificates	B．examination and equality
C．opportunity and employment	D．standards and reputation

A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue”, he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled task the driving is.”
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (減輕) the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving privileges.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of
those states have restrictions on passengers. California is the strictest, with a novice (初學(xué)者) driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20 for the first six months.
【小題1】Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?

A．Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.

B．A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.

C．Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.

D．A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

【小題2】According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to _________.

A．their lack of driving experience???

B．their frequent driving at night

C．their improper way of driving???

D．their driving with passengers

【小題3】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A．Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.

B．Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn.

C．Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons.

D．The licensing authorities are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents.

【小題4】A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that _________.

A．driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule

B．they should be prohibited from taking on passengers

C．the licensing system should be greatly improved

D．they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m.

【小題5】The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system _______.

A．is under discussion?????

B．has been put into effect

C．is about to be set up??????

D．has been perfected

Schooling Matters
March 25, 2014  Chengdu  Michelle Obama
You see, the truth is that I grew up like many of you. My mom, my dad, my brother and I, we lived in a tiny apartment in Chicago, which is one of the largest cities in America. My father worked at the local water plant…
While we certainly weren’t rich, my parents had big dreams for me and my brother. They had only a high school education themselves, but they were determined to send us both to universities.
So they poured all of their love and all of their hope into us, and they worked hard. They saved every penny. And I know that wasn’t easy for them, especially for my father. You see, my father had serious illness called multiple sclerosis(多發(fā)性硬化癥). And as he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk, and it took him longer to get dressed in the morning.
But no matter how tired he felt, no matter how much pain he was in, my father hardly ever missed a day of work, because he was determined to give me and my brother a better life. And every day, like so many of you, I felt the weight of my parents’ sacrifices on my shoulders. Every day, I wanted to make them proud.
So, while most American kids attend public schools near their homes, when it was time for me to attend high school, I took an exam and got into a special public high school where I could get a better education. But the school was very far from my home, so I had to get up early every morning and ride a bus for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half if the weather was bad. And every afternoon, I’d ride that same bus back home and then immediately start my homework, often studying late into the night – and sometimes I would wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to study even more.
And it wasn’t easy. But whenever I got tired or discouraged, I would just think about how hard my parents were working for me. And I would remember something my mother always told me – she said, “A good education is something that no one can take away from you.”
【小題1】The passage can be sorted as a        ．

A．self-introduction

B．short story

C．news report

D．speech draft (草稿)

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE about Michelle Obama and her family?

A．Her parents were poor but had good educational backgrounds.

B．She attended a public high school near her home.

C．Her father suffered a serious disease and became disabled.

D．She was aware of her parents’ sacrifices and expectations.

【小題3】Which of the following words best describes Michelle’s father?

A．Optimistic.

B．Humorous.

C．Strong-minded

D．Generous

【小題4】What does Michelle mainly want to tell readers in this excerpt?

A．We should work hard and get good educations.

B．Our parents always have high expectations for us.

C．She is an ordinary person from an ordinary family.

D．The road to the US First Lady is not easy.

A euphemism (from the Greek words eu—well and pheme—speak) is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions.Most people，for example，would find it very difficult to say in plain language that they have arranged for their sick old dog to be killed.They would soften the pain by saying：We had Ruby put down or We had Ruby put to sleep.Many people prefer to call someone plain than ugly，or cuddly rather than fat.
Euphemisms are an important part of every language，but it seems that English has an ever­growing number of them.The non­native speaker not only has to make sense of the euphemisms he hears，he also has to learn which euphemisms are appropriate in any particular situation.He might be aware that his American friend needs to use the toilet when she asks where the bathroom (or restroom，or comfort station) is，but he is less likely to guess that his English friend has the same need when he says he has to see a man about a dog.He might have learned，for example，that in the family way is a euphemism for pregnant.If，however，he says to his boss，“Congratulations！I hear your wife is in the family way，” he would be using an expression that is too familiar for the circumstances.
Schools are full of euphemisms.At Frankfurt International School，for example，the special lessons given to students who are having difficulties in their school subjects are called Study Center (in the middle school) and Academic Workshop (in the high school)．Teachers rightly do not want to upset students or parents by being too frank or straightforward，and usually choose a softer word or expression to convey the same message.
【小題1】According to the passage，people use euphemisms in order to________.

A．make themselves understood

B．a(chǎn)void embarrassment

C．to sound straightforward

D．a(chǎn)ttract attention

【小題2】A person who is described as plain and cuddly is in fact________.

A．tall and handsome	B．pretty and slim
C．ugly but tall	D．ugly and fat

【小題3】When an English lady says she has to see a man about a dog，she might want to________.

A．have her old dog killed	B．see an ugly friend
C．go to the toilet	D．see a pregnant woman

【小題4】The main purpose of Paragraph 2 is to________.

A．stress that euphemisms are an important part of every language

B．inform readers that English has an ever­growing number of euphemisms

C．suggest non­native speakers use euphemisms as often as possible

D．warn English learners to be careful about the meaning and use of euphemisms

【小題5】At Frankfurt International School，the students who receive lessons in Study Center________.

A．have poor grades in the subjects

B．do well in school

C．work hard at their lessons

D．prefer to learn more

Almost everyone has seen someone speed read.They appear to skim the text and still have read and absorbed the content.The people who have studied speed reading techniques will still read at different speeds；however they will undoubtedly beat those without experience.
The best and most efficient way to learn to read fast is to join in classes，where speed reading skills will be explained clearly.
The advantage of courses is that students will be shown several different strategies showing them to choose the ones they find easiest to understand the material they are reading.
Students should try to learn all the strategies presented during their courses as, once these are mastered，they will see a dramatic improvement in their reading rate，after which they can choose their preferred style. Students will see the benefits of speed reading as soon as the techniques are applied to their main field of study.
A traditional education builds habits in reading which a good speed reading course will  push aside，replacing with new techniques. A comprehensive course will also advise students how to become more efficient readers；hopefully this will also encourage the desire for self improvement as well as the desire to read.
Lecturers in speed reading will usually take the time to teach students the importance of  preparing the environment they work in before they read a single work­ remember reading at speed is all about increasing the speed of comprehension not just the speed of reading! The satisfaction of reading faster and with better comprehension skills cannot be ignored；the techniques of speed reading increase the enjoyment of reading.Speed reading is a skill to be encouraged in each and every generation of new readers.
【小題1】What's the best title of this passage?

A．Speed Reading Is an Important Skill

B．Speed Reading Brings You Pleasure

C．Better Attend a Special Class

D．Your Reading Skill Have to Be Improved

【小題2】What is the best way that readers can improve their speed reading according to the    writer's opinion?

A．To practice reading at different speeds.

B．To read fast without complete understanding.

C．To attend classes that teach speed reading.

D．To experience satisfaction by reading.

【小題3】 How does the writer suggest readers learn the strategies provided by the class?

A．They should choose one suitable strategy to improve speed reading.

B．They should choose the method suitable to their main field of study.

C．They must follow the instructions of their teachers.

D．They should try all of them in order to choose the suitable one.

【小題4】 Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A．The aim of the reading course is only to increase the speed of reading.

B．The writer thinks little of the reading habits formed by traditional education.

C．The desire to read is the key factor to improve one's reading skill.

D．The speed reading course in designed for future generations.

So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning，they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves.Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them.It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading.Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”．
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes.They differ in kind and function.The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read.Teaching is also public activity.It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language.Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind，and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable，what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest(探索)for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions.“Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful，enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are，and when both teacher and learner fulfill them appropriately，then much of the pressure and feeling of failure both is eliminated.Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of learning to read by reading.
【小題1】The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that ________.

A．it is one of the most difficult school courses

B．students spend endless hours in reading

C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance

D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading

【小題2】The teaching of reading will be successful if________.

A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students

B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading

C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading

D．teachers can make their teaching activities observable

【小題3】The underlined word “scrutiny” most probably means “________”．

A．inquiry

B．observation

C．control

D．suspicion

Getting a good education is more important today than ever before. It is the best thing you can do to build a better future for your children and yourself.
Most children in Canada attend public schools. Public schools are completely founded by governments through tax (稅收) income. Boys and girls attend the same school and share the same courses and classes. Schooling in Canada is provided in English and in French.
The rest of Canadian children attend private schools，which are supported mainly by fees (費(fèi)) paid directly by parents. Some private schools enroll (招收) only boys or girls.
By law，children must attend school from age 5 to 16.Children are usually in school between 8：30 or 9：00 a．m.，and 3：00 or 4：00 p．m.Monday through Friday，from September to the middle of June. There are several different levels in the Canadian education system. The first is called Elementary Schools. In most provinces Elementary Schools include Kindergarten through Grade 7 or 8.
From Grade 8 or 9 through 12 or 13，children go to Secondary School or High School. High School students must take certain courses for several years，such as English or French and mathematics. Some courses help students get a job after they graduate from school. Other courses prepare students for college or university. In Canada，teenagers usually make these choices for themselves，with the advice of their teachers，guidance counselor (指導(dǎo)教師) and parents.
Schools usually offer extra activities at the end of the normal school day. These include sports，games，music and clubs.
Most elementary and high schools encourage parents to take part in school activities. Parents' nights are organized from time to time. These are chances for parents to discuss their children's progress with teachers. You may wish to bring a friend with you. After graduating from high school，many young adults continue their studies through post­secondary education.
【小題1】According to the passage，students in Canada can get education for free in ________.

A．private schools	B．universities
C．public schools	D．community (社區(qū)) college

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

A．Most high school students choose their courses against their wills.

B．The students do their after­class activities all the afternoon.

C．Parents are allowed to take part in school activities in the morning.

D．If you don't send your five­year­old child to school in Canada—you break the law in Canada.

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．There are only boys in some private schools.

B．There are only boys in some public schools.

C．There are both boys and girls in some private schools.

D．There are both boys and girls in all public schools.

【小題4】We can tell that from the middle of June to August，the students in Canada are ________.

A．on school holidays

B．in school

C．a(chǎn)t work

D．preparing for the final examination

Sure，it's good to get along well with your teacher because it makes the time you spend in the classroom more pleasant.
And yes，it's good to get along well with your teacher because，in general，it's smart to learn how to get along well with the different types of people you'll meet throughout your life.
In fact，kids who get along well with their teachers not only learn more，but they're more comfortable about asking questions and getting extra help.This makes it easier for them to understand new materials and do their best on tests.When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher，he or she can be someone to turn to with problems，such as problems with learning or school issues.
Here is a question：what if you don't get along well with your teachers? In fact，teachers want to get along well with you and enjoy seeing you learn.But teachers and students sometimes have personality clashes(個(gè)性沖突)，which can happen between any two people.If you show your teacher that you want to make the situation better，he or she will probably do everything possible to make that happen.By dealing with a problem like this，you learn something about how to get along with people who are different from you.
However，if a certain teacher isn't your favorite，you can still have a successful relationship with him or her，especially________.Here are some of those responsibilities：
Attend class ready to learn.
Be prepared for class with the right pencils，books，and completed assignments.
Listen when your teacher is talking.
Do your best，whether it's a classroom assignment，homework，or a test.
【小題1】The passage is written for________.

A．teachers

B．a(chǎn)dvisers

C．students

D．parents

【小題2】According to the passage，getting along well with your teachers will make you________.

A．get the best scores in the exams

B．have more pleasant time in the classroom

C．have no problems with study

D．get a better seat in the classroom

【小題3】The underlined word “that” in the fourth paragraph refers to________.

A．getting along very well with classmates

B．the disappearance of personality differences

C．a(chǎn) better relationship between you and your teacher

D．the happy time you have in the classroom

【小題4】“________” can be filled in the blank.

A．if you fulfill your basic responsibilities as a student

B．if you are easy­going and helpful

C．if you know some basic social skills

D．if you are thought of as a good student

To most of us，school means classes，teachers，schedules，grades，and tests.But for the children at Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts，school is very different.
Firstly，there are no lessons.All the children，aged between 4 and 19，do whatever they want.There are no teachers—only “staff members”．The idea behind this is that you do not need to make children learn，because children want to learn anyway.“You do not need to say to a three year­old，‘Go explore your environment.'You can't stop them！” says Daniel Greenberg，a founder of the school.“But if you make children do what you want all day，they will lose all taste for learning.”
At Sudbury Valley School，you will permit children to talk，read，paint，cook，work on computers，study French，play the piano，climb trees or just run around.Two boys spent three years just fishing!
The other way that Sudbury Valley School is different is that the children can decide the rules.Every week，there is a school meeting where both children and staff have one vote each—even the four­year­olds.They decide the school rules，how to spend the school budget，and even which staff they want and do not want any more.
When the school first opened in 1968，people said it would never work.But today，the school has 200 students，and 80%of its students go on to college. Even the two boys who went fishing all the time have successful careers today.One of them is a musician and the other is a computer scientist.
【小題1】What is the main topic of the article?

A．An unusual school.	B．Children's hobbies.
C．A school without rules.	D．Education in the US.

【小題2】What does the school believe?

A．Teachers cannot teach children Well.

B．Children learn best when they do what they want to do.

C．Learning is for adults—children should only play.

D．Children should only learn about one thing at a time.

【小題3】What does Daniel Greenberg say about three­year­olds?

A．They love learning.

B．They are very naughty.

C．They want to be outside all the time.

D．They are too young to learn anything.

【小題4】Who has the most power in the school meetings?

A．The older children have more power than the younger children.

B．A child has more power than an adult.

C．The younger children have more power than the older children.

D．Everybody has equal power.