Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (男子气概), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to be consistent to a stereotype, a US study says.Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their abilities to express their emotions, rather than feeling they had to obey to the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The findings of the study are against the received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being ignored by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys’learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes,” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to give in to a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys feel pressed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reported

  1. 1.

    The author believes that a single-sex school would ____

    1. A.
      force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men”
    2. B.
      help to form masculine aggressiveness in boys
    3. C.
      encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
    4. D.
      naturally place emphasis on the traditional image of a man to boys
  2. 2.

    It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _____

    1. A.
      perform relatively better
    2. B.
      grow up more healthily
    3. C.
      behave more responsibly
    4. D.
      receive a better education
  3. 3.

    What does Tony Little say about the British education system?

    1. A.
      It fails more boys than girls academically
    2. B.
      It focuses more on mixed school education
    3. C.
      It fails to give boys the attention they need
    4. D.
      It places more pressure on boys than on girls
  4. 4.

    According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _____

    1. A.
      teaching can be adapted to suit the characteristics of boys
    2. B.
      boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded
    3. C.
      boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
    4. D.
      teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit
  5. 5.

    Which of the following is the characteristic of boys according to Abigail James’ report?

    1. A.
      They enjoy being in charge
    2. B.
      They act the same to stereotypes
    3. C.
      They have sharper vision
    4. D.
      They are violent and sexist

Everyone knows about straight—A students. We see them frequently in TV situation comedies and in movies like Revenge of the Nerds(《菜鸟大反攻》)，a comedy film satirizing(讽刺)social life in college. They get high grades，all right，but only by becoming dull laborers，their noses always stuck in a book. They are not good at social communication and look clumsy while doing sports.
How，then, do we account for Domenica Roman or Paul Melendres?
Roman is on the tennis team at Fairmont Senior High School. She also sings in the school singing group, serves on the students’ union and is a member of the mathematics society. For two years she has kept up A’s in every subject. Melendres, a freshman at the University of New Mexico，was student-body president at Valley High School in Albuquerque. He played soccer and basketball well, exhibited at the science fair，and meanwhile worked as a reporter on a local television station. Being a speech giver at the graduation ceremony，he achieved straight A’s in his regular classes，plus rewarding points for A’s in two college-level course.
How do super—achievers like Roman and Melendres do it? Brains aren’t the only answer “Top grades don’t always go to the brightest students,” declares Herbert Walberg, a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who has conducted major studies on super—achieving students “Knowing how to make the most of your innate(天生的)abilities counts far more. Much more.”
In fact，Walberg says，students with high IQ sometimes don’t do as well as classmates with lower IQ. For them，learning comes too easily and they never find out how to get down.
Hard work isn’t the whole story, either．“it’s not how long you sit there with the books open．”said one of the many—A students we interviewed. “It’s what you do while you’re sitting.” Indeed，some of these students actually put in fewer hours of homework time than their lower-scoring classmates. The kids at the top of the class get there by mastering a few basic techniques that others can readily learn

  1. 1.

    What can we conclude from the first paragraph?

    1. A.
      Most TV programs and films are about straight-A students
    2. B.
      People have unfavorable impression on straight—A students
    3. C.
      Everyone knows about straight-A students from TV or films
    4. D.
      Straight-A students are well admired by people in the society
  2. 2.

    What will be talked about after the last paragraph?

    1. A.
      The interviews with more students
    2. B.
      The role IQ plays in learning well
    3. C.
      The techniques to be better learners
    4. D.
      The achievements top students make
  3. 3.

    What can we infer from the passage?

    1. A.
      IQ is more important than hard work in study
    2. B.
      The brightest students can never get low glades
    3. C.
      Top students certainly achieve all-around developments
    4. D.
      Students with average IQ can become super-achievers

You might think the largest library in the world would be in Europe. But it isn’t. It’s in Washington D.C. It’s called the Library of Congress.
President John Adams started the library in 1800 for members of Congress. He wanted them to be able to read books about law. The first 740 books were bought in England. They were simply set up in the room where Congress met. Then Thomas Jefferson sold Congress many of his own books. He felt Congress should have books on all subjects, not just on law. This idea changed the library forever.
The library grew and grew. Now it covers a large area of land. It contains20million books as well as many pictures, movies, globes and machines. Experts in every field work there. Hundreds of people call every day with all kinds of questions. Many of them get answers right over the phone.  
The library is a huge storehouse. Thomas Edison’s first movie and Houdini’s magic books are preserved there. And it is the proud owner of the world’s best collection of humorous books

  1. 1.

    The first step in starting the Library of Congress was

    1. A.
      buying Thomas Jefferson’s books
    2. B.
      buying books from England
    3. C.
      putting up the library building
    4. D.
      asking experts in every field to work there
  2. 2.

    Thomas Jefferson’s opinion about the library was that

    1. A.
      it should buy books on law
    2. B.
      it should be the largest in the world
    3. C.
      it should have books on all subjects
    4. D.
      it should answer all kinds of questions
  3. 3.

    Which of the following is NOT true?

    1. A.
      Thomas Jefferson enriched the collection of the Library
    2. B.
      The Library of Congress is in Washington D
    3. C.
    4. D.
      The Library of Congress has books on all subjects from the very beginning
    5. E.
      You can ask the experts in the Library of Congress all kinds of questions by phone
  4. 4.

    The best title for this passage is

    1. A.
      General Introduction to the library of congress
    2. B.
      The building of the Library of Congress
    3. C.
      The Library of Congress—the American’s Pride
    4. D.
      The Library of Congress—the World’s Best Collection of Humorous Books

Children brought up on healthy diets are more intelligent compared with their junk food eating partners, a new research suggests.
Kids fed a diet packed high in fats, sugars, and processed(加工) foods had lower IQs than those fed pasta(意大利面食), salads and fruit, it was found.
The effect is so great that researchers from the University of Bristol said those children with a “healthier” diet may get an IQ improvement.
Scientists stressed good diet was essential in a child’s early as the brain grows at its fastest rate during the first three years of life.
This indicated head growth at this time is linked to intellectual ability and “it is possible that good nutrition(营养)during this period may encourage excellent brain growth”
Scientists tracked the long term health and happiness of around 14,000 children born in 1991 and 1992 as part of the West Country’s Avon Longitudinal(纵向的)Study of Parents and Children(ALSPAC).
Parents were questioned about the types and frequency of the food and drink their children consumed when they were three, four, seven and eight and a half years old. According to their different changing form, these children were marked and given grades which ranged from minus two for the most healthy to 10 for the most unhealthy.
In the research, IQ was measured of 4,000 children when they were eight and half years old, using a validated(经过认证的)test-the Wechsler Intelligence Scale(韦氏儿童智力量表)for Children.
The results found after taking account of some influential factors, a leading processed food diet at the age of three was associated with a lower IQ at the age of eight and a half, whether the diet was improved after that age.
Every 1 point increase in dietary pattern score was associated with a 1.67 fall in IQ

  1. 1.

    Scientists stressed good diet was essential in a child’s early life because   

    1. A.
      the brain grows at its fastest rate during the first three years of life
    2. B.
      those children with a “healthier” diet must get an IQ improvement
    3. C.
      children brought up on healthy diets are less intelligent
    4. D.
      these children were given good grades
  2. 2.

    Which of the following in NOT true?

    1. A.
      Those children with a “healthier” diet may get an IQ improvement
    2. B.
      Good nutrition at any stage may encourage excellent brain growth
    3. C.
      Scientists tracked the long term health and happiness of about 14,000 children
    4. D.
      Every 1 point increase in dietary pattern score was associated with a 1.67 fall in IQ
  3. 3.

    The recults found if a child ate a leading processed food diet when he was 3, he would      

    1. A.
      have a higher IQ
    2. B.
      have a higher IQ as long as he improved his diet
    3. C.
      have one IQ when he was 8
    4. D.
      have a lower IQ whether he improved his diet
  4. 4.

    Parents were questioned except when their children were      years old

    1. A.
      3
    2. B.
      4
    3. C.
      7
    4. D.
      8
  5. 5.

    What is the best title of the passage?

    1. A.
      Food for thought
    2. B.
      What is healthy food?
    3. C.
      Healthy diet improves children’s intelligence
    4. D.
      How to become clever?

Once there was a king who never ate a meal unless there was a dish of fish with it, but one day there was a big storm and the fishermen were not able to go out to catch fish, so the king had no breakfast and no lunch. Then he ordered his servants to tell everybody in his capital that if anyone brought him a fish, he would give him anything that he asked for.
At last, a fisherman caught a big fish late in the afternoon and hurried to the king's palace with it. But the king's Prime Minister would not let him in until he promised to give him half of whatever the king gave him for the fish.
The king was very happy when he saw the fish. He asked the fisherman what he wanted for his fish. To his surprise, the fisherman said, "I want you to beat me two dozen(一打) times with a stick." When the king began to beat him a dozen times, the fisherman jumped away and said, "That is enough for me. I promised the other dozen to your Prime Minister." Then he told the king what had happened between the Prime Minister and himself. The king was very angry. He not only gave the Prime Minister the dozen hits, but also said, "Because you have been dishonest, you will not be my Prime Minister any more. The fisherman will take your place."

  1. 1.

    The king didn't have breakfast and lunch because ____

    1. A.
      there was a big storm
    2. B.
      the Prime Minister did not bring him any food
    3. C.
      there was no fish
    4. D.
      his servants didn't know how to cook well
  2. 2.

    The fisherman took his fish to the king's palace because ____

    1. A.
      the king had promised to give him whatever he wanted
    2. B.
      the king was dying from hunger
    3. C.
      he wanted to teach the Prime Minister a lesson
    4. D.
      he wanted to be the Prime Minister
  3. 3.

    When the fisherman told the king what he wanted, the king ____

    1. A.
      was very happy
    2. B.
      was very surprised
    3. C.
      was very angry
    4. D.
      gave him what he wanted at once
  4. 4.

    The king got rid of his Prime Minister because ____

    1. A.
      the fisherman was cleverer than his Prime Minister
    2. B.
      the Prime Minister did not know how to catch fish
    3. C.
      the Prime Minister was not an honest man
    4. D.
      the Prime Minister took half of what the king gave the fisherman

Carrot juice, because of its many healthy benefits, is commonly called the "magic juice". It has been found that adding carrot juice to people’s diets greatly improves their health. And its delicious taste makes it popular with all members of the family as a beverage.
Carrot juice is one of the richest sources of vitamin A that can be used in the daily diet. Lack (缺乏) of vitamin A can cause dryness and damage to the skin, nails and hair. Drinking carrot juice to increase the vitamin A in the diet is said to be good for many parts of the body, including the bones and teeth.
Drinking carrot juice is thought to be extremely helpful to the liver (肝脏), because vitamin A helps to clean the liver and reduce fat in it. And it is suggested that drinking carrot juice should be done regularly, rather than just from time to time.
Drinking carrot juice is also thought to improve the eyesight because of the vitamin A in the juice. Lack of vitamin A can lead to night blindness, which can be very dangerous, especially when the person is driving a car. An easy way to find out if you are lacking in vitamin A is to walk from a bright room into a dark room. Your eyes may have some trouble in getting used to the change of light if you are lacking in vitamin A.
How can you make carrot juice? Wash some carrots well in cold water. Scrape (刮) them lightly, but do not peel them, as this will take away valuable vitamins and minerals that lie close to the skin

  1. 1.

    Lack of vitamin A can lead to _____

    1. A.
      skin dryness
    2. B.
      broken bones
    3. C.
      complete blindness
    4. D.
      liver cancer
  2. 2.

    According to the passage, carrot juice ______

    1. A.
      is popular because it is a magic cure for many diseases
    2. B.
      does a lot of good to the teeth and other parts of the body
    3. C.
      can wash away the waste from the body
    4. D.
      may be harmful to the body if it’s drunk too much
  3. 3.

    We can learn from the fourth paragraph that _____

    1. A.
      drinking carrot juice helps to protect your eyesight
    2. B.
      driving cars at night may lead to night blindness
    3. C.
      walking from a bright room into a dark room may lead to night blindness
    4. D.
      you will find it easy to get used to the change of light if you lack vitamin A
  4. 4.

    Which would be the best title for this passage?

    1. A.
      Tips on How to Make Carrot Juice
    2. B.
      The Way to Keep Good Health
    3. C.
      The Great Benefits of Carrot Juice
    4. D.
      A Healthy Diet for Patients

Bertie knew there was something in the wind．His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie’s feet when Father cleared his throat and began, “You’ll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We’ve found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England.”
His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. “But the lion,” he cried, “What about the lion?”
“I’m afraid there’s something else I have to tell you,” his father said. Looking across at Bertie’s mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.
“No! You can’t send him to a circus!” said Bertie. “People will come to see him. He’ll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He’d rather die. Any animal would!” But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.
Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father’s deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he slipped downstairs, took down his father’s hunting rifle from the rack and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion’s neck. The time had come.
“Be wild now,” he whispered. “You’ve got to be wild. Don’t ever come home. All my life I’ll think of you. I promise I will.” He buried his head in the lion’s neck. Then, Bertie clambered down the hill and walked away.
When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.
There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion’s head

  1. 1.

    Bertie’s mother was sad probably because she ______

    1. A.
      had been seriously ill recently
    2. B.
      had decided to send Bertie to school
    3. C.
      knew selling the lion would upset Bertie
    4. D.
      knew Bertie would hate to go to England
  2. 2.

    In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle to ______

    1. A.
      kill the lion out of anger
    2. B.
      show his anger towards his father
    3. C.
      protect himself from the lion
    4. D.
      threaten the lion back to the wild
  3. 3.

    The passage intends to show that ______

    1. A.
      animal-hunting is popular in Africa
    2. B.
      parents are sometimes cruel to their children
    3. C.
      people and animals can be faithful to each other
    4. D.
      animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses

Among the many things that Brisbane (布里斯班), Australia, does really well, the care for kids is the best one. Here is a list of places that will be suitable for your kids.
Swimming pools
Simple way for happiness: mix kids with water. Of course, this is a choice for the hot summer months.
Parks
Free outdoor fun: it’s suitable for kids of all ages. It’s a place for parents to let kids run wild.
The Children’s Art Centre
The Children’s Art Centre has been very popular. Kids’ favorite here is some exhibitions specially designed for children. But we must pay some money.
South Bank Parklands
South Bank Parklands has everything you need to keep kids amused. Take them for a swim at the man-made beach. On weekends, go through the arts market or go to a cheap movie. South Bank Parklands often gives free performances too.
Roma Street Parkland
Close to bus transport, this parkland is easily accessible（可进入的）. It’s  ideal (理想的) for kids of all ages. Younger kids can take a trip on the Jelly Bean Express, a 1.3 km trackless train ride around the parkland. Free entry(进入) and open every day

  1. 1.

    What does the text mainly talk about?

    1. A.
      Brisbane—a beautiful city in Australia
    2. B.
      How to travel in Brisbane
    3. C.
      Famous parks and activities in Brisbane
    4. D.
      Some interesting places for kids in Brisbane
  2. 2.

    If your kids want to watch performances for free, you can take them to ______

    1. A.
      South Bank Parklands
    2. B.
      Roma Street Parkland
    3. C.
      The Children’s Art Centre
    4. D.
      Parks
  3. 3.

    What can we know about Roma Street Parkland?

    1. A.
      It opens only at weekends
    2. B.
      Only younger kids can visit it
    3. C.
      We need not buy tickets for a visit
    4. D.
      Younger kids have to walk while visiting it
  4. 4.

    What do kids love best in the Children’s Art Centre?

    1. A.
      Man-made beach
    2. B.
      Some exhibitions
    3. C.
      Arts market
    4. D.
      Jelly Bean Express
  5. 5.

    Who will be interested in the text most?

    1. A.
      Children and parents
    2. B.
      Artists
    3. C.
      Movie lovers
    4. D.
      Swimmers

American scientists say musical training seems to improve communication skills. They found that developing musical skills involves the same process in the brain as learning how to speak. The scientists say that could help children with learning disabilities.
Nina Kraus is a neurobiologist (神经生物学) at Northwestern University in Illinois.  She says musical training involves putting together different kinds of information.  She says the process involves hearing music, looking at musical notes, touching an instrument and watching other musicians. She says the process is not much different from learning how to speak.  Both involve different senses.
Professor Krauss says musical training and learning to speak each make us think about what we are doing. She says speech and music pass through a structure of the nervous system called the brain stem. The brain stem controls our ability to hear. 
Until recently, experts have thought the brain stem could not be developed or changed.  But Professor Krauss and her team found that musical training can improve a person's brain stem activity. Their study was reported in the Proceedings in the National Academy of Sciences. 
The study involved individuals with different levels of musical ability. They were asked to wear an electrical device that measures brain activity. The Individuals wore the electrode (电极) while they watched a video of someone speaking and a person playing a musical instrument -- the cello. Professor Krauss says cellos (大提琴) have sound qualities similar to some of the sounds that are important with speech. 
The study found that the more years of training people had，the more sensitive they were to the sound and beat of the music. Those who were involved in musical activities were the same people in whom the improvement of sensory events was the strongest. 
Professor Kraus says the study shows the importance of musical training to children with learning disabilities. She says using music to improve listening skills could mean they hear sentences and better understand facial expressions

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, the new findings about the value of musical training involves ______ aspects

    1. A.
      three
    2. B.
      four
    3. C.
      five
    4. D.
      six
  2. 2.

    Which is the correct order of the process of musical training?
    a. touching an instrument                   b. watching other musicians
    c. hearing music                          d. looking at musical notes

    1. A.
      a→b→c→d
    2. B.
      b→c→a→d
    3. C.
      c→d→a→b
    4. D.
      d→a→b→c
  3. 3.

    Scientists say musical training could help children _______ in this article

    1. A.
      improve their grades
    2. B.
      with disabilities
    3. C.
      with learning disabilities
    4. D.
      get on well with others
  4. 4.

    Professor Krauss says besides musical training, ______ can also let us think about what we are doing

    1. A.
      learning to speak
    2. B.
      hearing ability
    3. C.
      musical ability
    4. D.
      listening skills
  5. 5.

    According to the passage we can know that Professor Krauss ______ some experts’ opinion that the brain stem could not be developed or changed

    1. A.
      is in favor of
    2. B.
      disagrees with
    3. C.
      ignores
    4. D.
      thinks highly of

I had made up my mind a long time ago that I would not give a homeless person money, because I could never be sure what that money would be used for. Instead, I decided, I would buy them a sandwich, a cold drink on a hot day, a cup of coffee, whatever I could manage.
I was out recently and saw a homeless man outside of a Starbucks. I decided I would buy this man lunch. I bought a sandwich and soda.
Just as I was leaving the store, two policemen were approaching the man. Obviously the shop owners had complained of his wandering and the police were there to draw him away from the storefronts. Just as they were about to wake him, I asked one of the officers if it was all right if I just gave the man something before he went. I was not sure why I asked the permission but the policeman said sure and I just left the bag in the man’s cart, got in my car and drove off.
As I was driving off I remember thinking “I hope people saw that”. Then I had to seriously ask myself why I hoped people had seen me give the man a sandwich from Starbucks. Was it because I wanted people to think, “She’s such a nice person!”? Why did I hope others had seen me do it? I continued to wonder this all evening.
The next morning, it came to me that I wanted people to have witnessed that small act of kindness not so that I would receive credit and praise but so that they might be inspired to do the same and in so doing that others still would witness their acts of kindness. Thus the whole spirit of pity and giving would be lasting

  1. 1.

    The underlined word “Starbucks” in the second paragraph is the name of a _________

    1. A.
      shop
    2. B.
      bookstore
    3. C.
      bank
    4. D.
      man
  2. 2.

    When the author saw the homeless man, he was __________

    1. A.
      begging outside
    2. B.
      buying goods
    3. C.
      staying awake
    4. D.
      falling asleep
  3. 3.

    What’s the purpose of the passage?

    1. A.
      To show the author is great
    2. B.
      To encourage people to help others
    3. C.
      To introduce an experience that changed the author
    4. D.
      To call on people not to give money to a homeless man
  4. 4.

    The author can be best described as __________

    1. A.
      bad-tempered
    2. B.
      hard-working
    3. C.
      kind-hearted
    4. D.
      self-confident
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