D
“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle (婴儿包) was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped—the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance. www.ks5u
One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly, “A boy, a big boy … called me—a f-…freak.” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift for literature and music.
The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor. Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft(移植) on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated (捐献),” the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success. His talents blossomed into genius. School and college became a series of successes. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交) service. “But I must know!” he urged his father. “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept the secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材). Slowly and tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to let out the secret.
52．The story is mainly about _______.
A．how a boy had new ears through an operation
B．what a devoted parent privately did for the child
C．how a disabled boy turned into a useful person
D．why a donator made a sacrifice to a bright boy
53．From the first paragraph we know that the mother _______.
A．was determined to donate her ears to perfect her son
B．kept her husband unknown about the baby’s situation
C．felt shocked and disappointed to see her new baby
D．complained of her bad luck to have a disabled child
54．The underlined word “freak” in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to “_______”.
A．slow-acting person
B．ugly-looking child
C．badly-behaved student
D．strangely-shaped creature
55．What can be inferred from the passage? www.ks5u
A．The agreement was between the donator and the family.
B．The boy was so popular that he was made class president.
C．Finally the boy came to know who the donator was.
D．The mother donated her ears to her son after she died.
56．What moral lesson can we draw from this reading?
A．Real love lies in what is done unknown rather than what is done known.
B．It is up to parents to help their children heart and soul.
C．True beauty lies only in the heart not in appearance.    
D．It is a virtue(美德) for young generations to learn to be grateful.

D

Ellen Swallow Richards was the first woman to earn a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A chemist, social activist, teacher, and first woman member of the Institute of Engineering, she believed that housekeeping was a science. As a progressive thinker at the time, she thought that women needed to learn about money matters and have up-to-date information on cleanliness and nutrition. She encouraged women from all backgrounds to get the best education possible.

Ellen was born in 1842 and was brought up in Massachusetts. A graduate of Vassar College in New York, she returned to New England to attend MIT. After her marriage to Professor Robert Richards, she worked in a laboratory at MIT, examining pollution of water sources in Massachusetts. Her work led to the creation of the first food-inspection (检验) laws of that state. She was instructor at MIT from 1884 until her death in 1911.

Like other progressive thinkers of the time, Ellen was worried about problems of the poor and the effect of the environment on society. She considered the environment a key factor in quality of life. Within the family, as in the world at large, science was chief in tools used to help the poor. Science could help to manage money matters, keep a home safe and clean, and improve quality of life. Food properly cooked could be tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive. Better and cheaper food could protect the health and improve the lives of working-class families.

Ellen created the science of housekeeping, now called home economics, and elevated（提升）it to a serious college subject. She worked tirelessly as a national leader in developing standards, materials, and teacher training for this new field. Her publications cover many subjects—from the chemistry of cooking and cleaning to the cost of living.

57. According to the text, Ellen __________.

A. provided new jobs for the poor            B. helped to create new kinds of food

C. set up the field of home economics         D. created the ideas of food-inspection laws

58. As a progressive thinker, Ellen __________.

A. suggested people cook their own meals at home

B. believed cheap food was better than expensive one

C. advised women to get the best education possible

D. considered money matters a key factor in quality of life

59. Ellen believed that __________.

A. poor families knew how to manage money

B. families were well informed about good nutrition

C. cheaper food could not protect people’s health

D. families spent much on food but were not well nourished

60. One can infer that, as a result of the efforts of people such as Ellen, __________.

A. one may study home economics at a university for a career

B. the pollution of water sources is no longer a problem

C. most people today learn to cook at school

D. science does not help much within the family as in the world

D

Eight-year-old Bethany and seven-year-old Eliza are having a great time jumping around in the orchard of their home in a village near Penrith. They can play any time they like because they don't go to school. Instead, they are educated at home by their parents, Paul and Veronika Robinson. But they don't have lessons, have never used a timetable and learn only what and when they want to learn.

"I want my kids to have freedom in their childhood, not spend it in an institution," says 37-year-old Veronika, "School is all about control and following the rules." Veronika and her 56-year-old husband Paul have never experienced the daily rush to get dressed and out of the door that is common in most households with school-aged children. "We get up at our leisure - usually around 8:30," says Veronika. "We might visit a friend, or go to the library, and on Tuesdays we shop at the market. In summer, we spend most of our time outside and the girls entertain themselves a lot."

New research due to be published this spring reveals a very different picture of Britain's home educators. "Out of 297 families, 184 said that they never use a timetable," says Mike Fortune-Wood of Home Education UK. "Ninety per cent never or rarely use textbooks, and nearly all said that happiness, contentment and self-fulfillment were more important than academic achievement. Only 15% felt that planning what to learn was crucial."

So far, so good. But what, you might ask, are the children actually learning?

"It wasn't important to me that the girls could read by a certain age, but they both picked it up for themselves at around seven," says Robinson. "Weighing cooking ingredients uses maths, and making a shopping list teaches them to write. Observing five hens has taught the girls about survival of the fittest. "

But what about when the children grow up? Can they go to university? The home educators' answer is they can if they want to. There are a variety of routes into higher education, but probably the most common is to join a local college. This is what Gus Harris-Reid has done. "I was educated at home all my life. I'd never had a lesson or been inside a classroom until I started GCSEs," says the 18-year-old. "I'm now studying for 4 A-levels at Exeter College. I've had no problem with the work or with fitting in." When asked to reflect on his experience of home education, his considered response is, "Like a permanent holiday, really!" Not a bad start for someone who plans to take a mechanical engineering degree next year.

66. What is the topic of this article?

 A. New ways of learning to read and write      B. Problems with UK schools

C. Home education in the UK                  D. Wild, undisciplined children

67. Why do the Robinsons not send their children to school?

A. They think schools control children too much.

 B. They do not like the courses taught in schools.

 C. They want to teach their children farming skills.

 D. They live in a remote area where there are no schools.

68. According to the article, in homes with school-going children, ______.

  A. mornings are rushed and stressful.   

  B. the children hardly ever go outside.

  C. the family wakes up around 8:30am.

  D. the children must ask permission to go to the toilet.

69. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

  A. Most home educators believe that happiness is more important than good grades.

 B. Most home educators believe that planning is important.

  C. Most home educators do not follow a timetable or use textbooks.

  D. Most home educators are not worried about when their children learn to read and write.

70. What does the article say about home-educated children getting into university?

  A. They learn so many useful skills at home that universities are happy to accept them.

  B. They can get into university if they have 4 A-levels.

 C. They can go to school later and get the qualifications they need in order to enter university.

  D. Home education is so relaxed that they are likely to experience problems when faced with the pressures of a degree course.

D

Eight-year-old Bethany and seven-year-old Eliza are having a great time jumping around in the orchard of their home in a village near Penrith. They can play any time they like because they don't go to school. Instead, they are educated at home by their parents, Paul and Veronika Robinson. But they don't have lessons, have never used a timetable and learn only what and when they want to learn.

"I want my kids to have freedom in their childhood, not spend it in an institution," says 37-year-old Veronika, "School is all about control and following the rules." Veronika and her 56-year-old husband Paul have never experienced the daily rush to get dressed and out of the door that is common in most households with school-aged children. "We get up at our leisure - usually around 8:30," says Veronika. "We might visit a friend, or go to the library, and on Tuesdays we shop at the market. In summer, we spend most of our time outside and the girls entertain themselves a lot."

New research due to be published this spring reveals a very different picture of Britain's home educators. "Out of 297 families, 184 said that they never use a timetable," says Mike Fortune-Wood of Home Education UK. "Ninety per cent never or rarely use textbooks, and nearly all said that happiness, contentment and self-fulfillment were more important than academic achievement. Only 15% felt that planning what to learn was crucial."

So far, so good. But what, you might ask, are the children actually learning?

"It wasn't important to me that the girls could read by a certain age, but they both picked it up for themselves at around seven," says Robinson. "Weighing cooking ingredients uses maths, and making a shopping list teaches them to write. Observing five hens has taught the girls about survival of the fittest. "

But what about when the children grow up? Can they go to university? The home educators' answer is they can if they want to. There are a variety of routes into higher education, but probably the most common is to join a local college. This is what Gus Harris-Reid has done. "I was educated at home all my life. I'd never had a lesson or been inside a classroom until I started GCSEs," says the 18-year-old. "I'm now studying for 4 A-levels at Exeter College. I've had no problem with the work or with fitting in." When asked to reflect on his experience of home education, his considered response is, "Like a permanent holiday, really!" Not a bad start for someone who plans to take a mechanical engineering degree next year.

67. What is the topic of this article?

 A. New ways of learning to read and write      B. Problems with UK schools

C. Home education in the UK                  D. Wild, undisciplined children

68. Why do the Robinsons not send their children to school?

A. They think schools control children too much.

 B. They do not like the courses taught in schools.

 C. They want to teach their children farming skills.

 D. They live in a remote area where there are no schools.

69. According to the article, in homes with school-going children, ______.

  A. mornings are rushed and stressful.   

  B. the children hardly ever go outside.

  C. the family wakes up around 8:30am.

  D. the children must ask permission to go to the toilet.

70. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

  A. Most home educators believe that happiness is more important than good grades.

 B. Most home educators believe that planning is important.

  C. Most home educators do not follow a timetable or use textbooks.

  D. Most home educators are not worried about when their children learn to read and write.

71. What does the article say about home-educated children getting into university?

  A. They learn so many useful skills at home that universities are happy to accept them.

  B. They can get into university if they have 4 A-levels.

 C. They can go to school later and get the qualifications they need in order to enter university.

  D. Home education is so relaxed that they are likely to experience problems when faced with the pressures of a degree course.

C

“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle (婴儿包) was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she held her breath—the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance.

One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly, “A boy, a big boy … called me—a f-…freak.” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president but for that. He developed a gift for literature and music.

The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor. Could nothing be done? “I believe we could transplant on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated ,” the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” said the father.

The operation was brilliantly successfull. His talents blossomed into genius. School and college became a series of successes. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交) service. “But I must know!” he urged his father. “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”

“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept the secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(灵柩). Slowly and tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to let out the secret.

49.The story is mainly about _______.

A．how a boy had new ears through an operation

B．what a devoted parent privately did for the child

C．how a disabled boy turned into a useful person

D．why a donator made a sacrifice to a bright boy

50.From the first paragraph we know that the mother _______.

A．was determined to donate her ears to perfect her son

B．kept her husband unknown about the baby’s situation

C．felt shocked and disappointed to see her new baby

D．complained of her bad luck to have a disabled child

51.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The agreement was between the donator and the family.

B．The boy was so popular that he was made class president.

C．Finally the boy came to know who the donator was.

D．The mother donated her ears to her son after she died.

52.What moral lesson can we draw from this reading?

A．Real love lies in what is done unknown rather than what is done known.

B．It is up to parents to help their children heart and soul.

C．True beauty lies only in the heart not in appearance.    

D．It is a virtue for young generations to learn to be grateful.