United States and Canada are multicultural countries with many national, religious and cultural differences, where people attach great importance to individualism—the uniqueness among people. Teachers value the qualities that make each student special and different. You can see such values through their educational systems. For example, students needn’t memorize lots of information. Instead, they work independently and find answers on their own. There are discussions for children to show their own ideas and opinions.
By contrast, people have the same language, history, and culture in most Asian societies. As a result, Asia’s educational system reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea learn to work together and help one another in assignments. And the teaching methods are often very formal and serious. In class, teachers give lectures while students listen and take notes. Discussion is replaced by reciting rules of information that have been memorized.
These two systems both have advantages and disadvantages. One advantage in Japan is that there is much more math and science than American students learn by the end of high school. In addition, students study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The difficult system also prepares students for a society that place emphasis on discipline（纪律） and self-control. However, while memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students admit forgetting much of the information that they have memorized after exams.
On the other hand, the educational system in North American has an advantage that students learn to think for themselves, which prepares them for a society that values creativity. The disadvantage is that when they graduate from high school, they haven’t recited as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.
【小题1】People in multicultural countries such as the US or Canada lay more stress on __________.

Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s see if I can name a few proverbs “off the cuff” since I haven’t prepared for it.

1.What is this passage mainly about?

A. How to say English correctly and properly.

B. Why English expressions include words about clothes.

C. Which words can be used to describe my father.

D. What people mean when they use some proverbs.

2.Which of the following proverbs are not related to money?

A. tighten one’s belt                    B. burn a hole in one’s pocket

C. get caught with their pants down        D. take one’s hat off to them

3.Tim often considers himself the most important person in the world , which is far from the truth .We may say ____.

A．he is “too big for their boots”.

B. he “bet his boots on that ”.

C. he “ fill their shoes”.

D. he “wears his heart on his sleeve ”.

4.If you want to praise somebody for his calmness when facing danger , you may say ___.

A. “You really fill your shoes”

B. “Awesome ! You wear your heart on your sleeve!”

C. “Amazing !How can you keep your shirt on at that time!”

D. “Cool! You are truly a stuffed shirt”.

Like any good mother,when Karen found out that another baby was on the way,she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son,Michael,prepare for a new baby.Day after day,night after night,Michael sang to his mommy’s tummy(肚子).

Finally,Michael’s little sister was born.But she was in serious condition.With sirens (警报) howling in the night,the ambulance rushed the baby to St.Mary’s Hospital.The days inched by.The little girl became worse.The pediatric(儿科的) specialist told the parents to prepare for the worst.

Michael kept begging about singing to his sister,but kids are not allowed in pediatric department at St.Mary’s Hospital.Karen made up her mind to take Michael to see his sister.She dressed him in an oversized suit and marched him into the hospital.He looked like a walking laundry basket,but the head nurse recognized him as a child and shouted,“Get that kid out of here now!”Karen rose up strong,and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed into the head nurse’s face.“He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!”

Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside.He gazed at the tiny baby losing the battle to live.And he began to sing.In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old,Michael sang,“You are my sunshine,my only sunshine.You make me happy when skies are grey.”Instantly the baby girl responded.Her pulse rate became calm and steady.Her strained breathing became smoother.

“Keep on singing,Michael.”“The other night,dear,as I lay sleeping,I dreamed I help you in my arms…”Michael’s little sister relaxed as healing rest seemed to sweep over her.“Keep on singing,Michael.”Tears conquered the face of the nurse.“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

The next day—the very next day—the little girl was well enough to go home!

1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A.It’s Hard to Raise a Baby????????????? B.Mother’s Love???

C. The Miracle of a Brother’s Song??????? D.An Unforgettable Day

2.From Karen’s action in the first paragraph we know that??????? .

A.mothers often pay much attention to their newly-born babies

B.it often takes some time for a child to accept his/her newly-born brother or sister.

C.it is good for children to learn to sing songs to babies

D.mothers often tell their children how to look after their younger brothers or sisters

3.The underlined word“strained”means“???????? ”.

A.unnatural????????? B.exciting?????? C.deep????????? D.blocked

4.Which words can describe Michael?

A.Naughty and annoying.????????????? B.Strong and brave.

C.Active and careless.???????????????? D.Concerned and determined.

Good readers know that reading isn’t just about knowing words — it’s a way of thinking. Smart readers think before, during and after reading. Here are some tips that may be of some help.

    Think before you read. Before you read the text, ask yourself the questions that why you are reading it and what you want to get from it. Answering the questions will help you choose what words you need to know and what words you can skip or scan.

    Think while you are reading. Can you get the meaning of the text without looking up new words in a dictionary? Are there any clues in the text? A text will often give examples that may help you understand what some of the words mean. Let’s take the following sentence for example.

    Many large Russian cities, such as Chelyabinsk and Irkutsk, have taken steps to protect their culture.

    The words “Chelyabinsk” and “Irkutsk” may be new to us, but the sentence tells us that they are examples of _______.

    Think after you read. Do you understand the text? What is the main idea of the text? Can you guess the meaning of the new words? Which words do you need to look up? Is the text too easy or too hard for you?

    If you practice reading and thinking in this way, you will become a smarter reader and you will learn more, faster and better.

This passage is probably taken from _______.

A. a newspaper for general readers     B. a magazine for language teachers

C. a book for language learners         D. an advertisement for a new book

Which of the following can best be put in the blank in the passage?

A. countries             B. mountains             C. rivers             D. cities

The author of the passage advises us to do all the following EXCEPT_______.

A. we should think before, while and after we read a passage

B. we’d better look up every new word in a dictionary

C. we should learn to guess the meanings of new words

D. the clues in a passage should be made use of

I was watching some little kids play soccer. These kids were only five or six years old, but they were playing a real game — a serious game — two teams, complete with coaches, uniforms, and parents. I didn’t know any of them, so I was able to enjoy the game without the distraction of being anxious about winning or losing.

The teams were pretty evenly matched. I will just call them Team One and Team Two. Nobody scored in the first period. Then came the second quarter. The Team One coach pulled out what must have been his first team and put in the scrubs(替补队员), except for his best player who now guarded the goal.

    The game took a dramatic turn. I guess winning is important even when you’re five years old — because the Team Two coach left his best players in, and the Team One scrubs were no match for them. Team Two packed around the little guy who was now the Team One goalkeeper. He was an outstanding athlete, but he was no match for three or four who were also very good. Team Two began to score. The lone goalkeeper gave it everything he had, desperately throwing his body in front of incoming balls, trying bravely to stop them.

    Team Two scored two goals in quick succession. It angered the young boy. He became a raging maniac — shouting, running, diving. With all the strength he could gather, he covered the boy who now had the ball, but that boy kicked it to another boy twenty feet away, and by the time he repositioned himself, it was too late — they scored a third goal.

I soon learned who the goalkeeper’s parents were. They were nice, decent-looking people. I could tell that his dad had just come from the office — he still had his suit and tie on. They yelled encouragement to their son. I became totally absorbed, watching the boy on the field and his parents on the sidelines.

    After the third goal, the little kid changed. He didn’t quit, but he became quietly desperate and futility was written all over him. His father changed, too. He had been urging his son to try harder — yelling advice and encouragement. But then he became anxious. He tried to say that it was okay — to hang in there. He sorrowed for the pain his son was feeling.

    After the fourth goal, I knew what was going to happen. The little boy fetched the ball from the net and handed it to the referee(裁判). He just stood there while huge tears rolled down both cheeks. He went to his knees, and he cried the tears of the helpless and brokenhearted.

    At that moment, I saw the father start onto the field. His wife seized his arm and said, “Jim, don’t. You’ll embarrass him.” But he tore loose from her and ran onto the field. Suit, tie, dress shoe, and all — he charged onto the field, and he picked up his son so everybody would know that this was his boy, and he hugged him and held him and cried with him. I’ve never been so proud of a man in my life.

    He carried him off the field, and when he got close to the sidelines I heard him say, “Scotty, I’m so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son.”

    “Daddy,” the boy sobbed. “I couldn’t stop them. I tried, Daddy, but they scored on me.”

    “Scotty, it doesn’t matter how many times they scored on you. You’re my son, and I’m proud of you. I want you to go back there and finish the game. I know you want to quit, but you can’t. And, son, you’re going to get scored on again, but it doesn’t matter. In my eyes, you are the winner! Go on, now.”

    The little guy ran back onto the field — and they scored two more times — but it was okay. Now in all viewers’ eyes, he is the Winner.

    When you’re all alone, and you’re getting scored on — and you can’t stop them — it means a lot to know that it doesn’t matter to those who love you. In their eyes, so long as you don’t give up, you are the winner. And they are always proud of you.

1.The phrase “took a dramatic turn” (Paragraph 3) can best be replaced by ______.

A. went on smoothly                             B. changed greatly

C. attracted less attention                    D. got interrupted

2.Which detail from the story can reflect the little boy’s losing confidence?

A. The lone goalkeeper gave it everything he had, desperately throwing his body.

B. He became a raging maniac — shouting, running, diving.

C. With all the strength he could gather, he covered the boy who now had the ball.

D. He didn’t quit, but he became quietly desperate and futility was written all over him.

3.Why did the boy’s mother try to stop her husband running onto the field?

A. She thought it would only make his son feel awkward.

B. She hoped her son could gather courage and cheer himself up.

C. She considered it useless to encourage his son at that time.

D. She knew it was not allowed when the game was still in progress.

4.Which words can best describe the change of the writer’s feelings when watching the game?

A. curious → anxious → grateful

B. bored → upset → delighted

C. calm → absorbed → moved

D. surprised → thoughtful → interested

5.Which can be seen as the climax (the most important point) of the story?

A. The boy’s going to his knees and bursting into tears helplessly.

B. Team Two’s scoring another two goals after the boy went back to the field.

C. The boy’s fighting bravely in face of Team Two’s excellent performance.

D. The father’s running onto the field and encouraging his son not to give up.

6.The best title for the story is ______.

A. A Proud Father                                          B. An Amazing Game

C. The True Winner                                        D. The Magical Encouragement