Enter a typical high school, and the first thing you see is the front office, where the principal sits and report cards(学生成绩报告单)are stored．The front office also reinforces familiar rank：principal at the top, teachers in the middle, kids at the bottom, sitting with hands folded at their desks．
Now, imagine a school where the organizational structure is completely flat．At the New Country School in Henderson, Minn．, there is no front office．Visitors are immediately embraced by an airy atrium(中庭)that is the centerpiece of this one-room schoolhouse．All around the room,124 students sit at the desks－real office desks－working at their own personal computers on their own projects．
When Dee Thomas and her colleagues get together 15 years ago to design a new high school, they knew there was one thing that had to go：the bell．Thomas said that everyone agreed that the constant interruption of classes caused huge amounts of strain．Moreover, it's just not natural, Thomas said．
There．are no teachers at New Country Adults are viewed as guides to learning．Every few weeks, students must present projects they've been working on to the rest of the school community．To prepare for their presentations, they gather at tables in the middle of the school atrium and then present their work to their guides．In their spare time, students clean the bathrooms and the rest of the school themselves．
Kids at New country test better than their peers on the state tests and on the pre-college ACT．The school sends 90 percent of its graduates to college．But that doesn't tell the whole story．New Country struggles to keep its seniors from leaving．The school's senior project is demanding－300 hours of work．
But for some students, New Country offers a rare alternative, a choice they can't find anywhere else．And the school is constantly visited by educators from around the world looking for new ideas．That's the foundation of efforts to reform American high schools today and there's a need to experiment with an institution that is failing millions of students．
(1)
The underlined part“there was one thing that had to go：the bell”in Paragraph 3 means that ________．
[ ]
A．
keeping the bell was necessary
B．
the bell should be changed into a pleasant music
C．
the bell was very important
D．
the bell should be removed
(2)
Which of the following is TRUE about New Country according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
Students work on their own projects using their personal computers．
B．
Students consult with guides, who“teach”in a traditional way．
C．
It appeals to both junior and senior students．
D．
Students show their projects to each other every week．
(3)
Which of the following is NOT a feature of New Country?
[ ]
A．
No seniors
B．
No front office
C．
No bells
D．
No cleaners
(4)
What would be the best title for the passage?
[ ]
A．
Typical high schools and experimental schools
B．
Experimental school without classes or teachers
C．
New schools in America
D．
Education reform in America
(5)
What is the author's attitude towards New Country?
Since earliest times we humans have been thrilled and chilled by things we can not understand－weather, death, the movement of stars and planets, even the darkness of night．
In order to cope with these great terrors, myths and legends were born－dragons and ghosts and winged beings from heavenly realms．
Even today, as we enter the new age, the old fears remain．Instead of dragons and ghosts and lost civilizations like Atlantis, however, modern terrors include UFOs, tropical plagues(瘟疫)and killer asteroids from the far reaches of space．
Anyone who thinks we have outgrown our old fears and fascination for the unknown need only visit a bookstore or tune in to cable television．Many of these popular books and programs deal with angels, ghosts, lost civilizations, UFOs, doomsday comets and other mysteries．
Wouldn't it be wonderful, I used to think deeply, if someone came along and did a book about the mysteries－a kind of no-nonsense summary that gives us a brief but thorough overview of the word's greatest mysteries of science, religion, folklore and history?
Fortunately, such a book has now appeared－E．Randall Floyd's startlingly clear and concise 100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries：Strange Secrets of the Past Revealed．From the Big Bang and rise of man to death-dealing asteroids and spontaneous human destruction by fire, this book covers them all, an amazing range of facts, figures and human drama, all told from a seasoned journalist's perspective．
Mr．Floyd, a former European correspondent for United Press International, professor of history, motion pictures screenwriter and author of more than a dozen-best-selling books, says the idea for the book originated with his nationally syndicated newspaper column, Strange Encounters．He spent five years researching and writing the book．
(1)
Myths and legends came into being because ________．
[ ]
A．
humans were thrilled and chilled by things not easily understood
B．
humanswanted to deal with the great terrors
C．
humanswere creative to make up stories
D．
there were no books to refer to and no TVs to watch in the old days
(2)
Which of the following doesn't belong to modern terrors?
[ ]
A．
UFOs
B．
tropical plagues
C．
killer asteroids
D．
dragons and ghosts
(3)
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the underlined word“outgrown”as it is used in the fourth paragraph?
[ ]
A．
grown too large or too tall for, e．g．one's clothes
B．
grown faster or taller than other people
C．
leave bad habits behind as one grows older
D．
grown too quickly from
(4)
What's the writer's tone of comment on the book?
[ ]
A．
Puzzled．
B．
Critical．
C．
Praising．
D．
Shocked．
(5)
The main purpose of writing this passage is to ________．
The cultural and natural values of Kakadu National Park were recognized internationally when the Park was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List．This is an international register of properties that are recognized as having outstanding cultural or natural values of international significance．Kakadu is the largest national park in Australia and is the second largest national park in the world．Kakadu is a biological wonderland, which is almost 8,000 square miles．The wildlife in Kakadu National Park includes over 280 kinds of birds, 60 kinds of native mammals, 55 kinds of freshwater fish, thousands of insects, and many reptiles, the most famous of which is the salt-water crocodile．All life in the park depends on water．
Kakadu is not only home to the wildlife but the area is also famous for the longest continuous human culture that exists in the world．Aborigines have been living in this area for at least 40,000 years．The descendants(后裔)of these First Australians still live in Kakadu today．Kakadu contains one of the longest continuous records of rock art in the world, with around 5,000 paintings, with rock sites dating back 25,000 years．More than 1,000 sites have been recorded．Kakadu has been given double World Heritage status by the United Nations．It is one of only 17 of the 469 World heritage Areas listed for both natural and cultural values．
It is Australia’s largest national park, but it isn’t just the size that surprises visitors－it is the sense of something very old and grand．Creation of the 500 km escarpment(悬崖)began 2,000 million years ago．Today those gorges are filled with rainforests, washed by waterfalls．
Kakadu is one of the world’s special places．It is hard to pick the ideal time to visit Kakadu．In the wet season large areas of the park are closed to the public．It would not be possible to enter or exit from the park through the Kakadu Highway．Most of the people there agree that the best time to visit is at the end of the dry season．Some areas of Kakadu have restricted visiting times, and some are not open to the general public．Over 230 000 tourists visit Kakadu National Park every year．As you enter Kakadu National Park, you will be required to buy a permit．Part of this money is paid to the Traditional Owners of the land and the rest is given to the repairs of the park．
(1)
Why does the author mention so much wildlife in Paragraph 1?
[ ]
A．
To represent the scene of the nature．
B．
To attract readers’ attention．
C．
To take the wildlife for example．
D．
To show the value of the park．
(2)
Kakadu is given double World Heritage status by the United Nations because of _________．
[ ]
A．
the descendants of these First Australians still in Kakadu today
B．
the particular environment and the unusual rock art
C．
the longest continuous human culture that exists in the world
D．
Aborigines living in this area for at least 40,000 years
(3)
The followings are mentioned in the passage except _________．
[ ]
A．
living things in Kakadu
B．
the escarpment and the gorges
C．
the history of the park
D．
the weather of the area
(4)
The underlined word gorges in Paragraph 3 means _________．
[ ]
A．
narrow valleys between hills or mountains
B．
buildings where cases are determined
C．
large and open structures for sports events
D．
places where something is located
(5)
What does the author advise visitors to do when they go to Kakadu?
[ ]
A．
To get more information about the special place．
B．
To make a better choice between the wet or dry season．
C．
Not to enter the national park without permission．
D．
Not to go there through the Kakadu Highway．
阅读理解：
Celia was shocked．She had always been in good shape during high school, but now, in her first year of college, she was suddenly ten pounds heavier．“My friends and I often had pizza or ice cream when we studied late at night,” she said, “and I was always drinking Coke to stay awake．”
Celia's experience is common．Many students enter college and find it so different that they cannot deal with changes properly．They're away from their parents and in a new stressful environment．Pressures together with freedom to sleep and eat whatever they please cause many students to experience the “Freshman 15”：gaining weight suddenly in their freshman year of college．
Most students do not realize that the “Freshman 15” can cause some serious health problems．Of course, college-age adults are still developing bone mass, so gaining some weight is normal．Sudden weight gain, however, puts too much strain(负担)on the heart and lungs, resulting in little energy and some difficulty thinking and remembering．In later life, it can lead to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and possible cancer．
The solution to the “Freshman 15” is simple－pay attention to developing good habits! In general：
●Eat normal-sized meals at regular times．Eat slowly and enjoy it, so you don't need to go back for more．
●Keep only healthy snacks in your room－and don't snack too often!
●Control drinking and smoking．Alcohol has a lot of calories, and smoking too much makes exercise difficult．
●Exercise regularly! Even just 30 minutes a day－such as walking quickly to class from your dorm－will make a big difference!
(1)
What happened to Celia in her first year of college?
[ ]
A．
She had sleep problems．
B．
She put on weight suddenly．
C．
She always studied late．
D．
She went on a diet so as to keep in good shape．
(2)
What do many students think of their freshman year of college?
[ ]
A．
They find it quite different．
B．
They find it not quite difficult．
C．
They find it very free．
D．
They find it simple．
(3)
What do most college students fail to realize?
[ ]
A．
Gaining some weight is normal．
B．
They have grown up．
C．
They have gained a lot of weight．
D．
Sudden weight gain may result in serious health problems．
阳光课堂课时优化作业系列答案