One is never too old to learn. Life learning (sometimes called un-schooling or self-directed learning) is one of those concepts that are almost easier to explain by saying what it isn’t than what it is. And that’s probably because our own schooled backgrounds have convinced us that learning happens only in a fine building on certain days, between certain hours, and managed by a specially trained professional.

Within that schooling framestudy, no matter how hard teachers try and no matter how good their textbooks, many bright students get bored, many slower students struggle and give up or lose their self-respect, and most of them reach the end of the process unprepared to enter into society. They have memorized a certain body of knowledge long enough to rush back the information on tests, but they haven’t really learnt much, at least of the official curriculum.

Life learners, on the other hand, know that learning is not difficult, that people learn things quite easily if they’re not compelled and forced, if they see a need to learn something, and if they are trusted and respected enough to learn it on their own timetable, at their own speed, in their own way—no matter what age and no matter whether we’re at school or at home.

Life learning is independent of time, location or the presence of teacher. It does not require mom or dad to teach, or kids to work in workbooks at the table from 9 to noon. Life learning is learner-driven. It involves living and learning—in and from the real world. It is about exploring, questioning, experimenting, making messes, taking risks without fear of making mistakes, being laughed at and trying again.

Furthermore, life learning is about trusting kids to learn what they need to know and about helping them to learn and grow in their own ways. It is about providing positive experiences that enable children to understand the world and their culture and to interact with it.

1.It is implied in the text that it is hard to ______.

A. tell the nature of life learning 　　      B. carry life learning through

C. learn without going to school 　　      D. find a specially trained teacher

2.According to the author, the schooling framestudy often ______.

A. produces slow students with poor memories

B. ignores some parts of the official curriculum

C. fails to provide enough knowledge about life

D. gives little care to the quality of teaching materials

3.Life learners recognize that learning will not be difficult if they are ______.

A. able to respect other people　                  B. careful to make a time table

C. clear about why to learn　　                     D. cautious about any mistakes

4.According to the author, life learning ______.

A. could prevent one from running risks

B. teaches a kid how to avoid being laughed at

C. makes a kid independent of his parents

D. could be a road full of trials and errors

5.Through life learning, children ______.

A. will grow without the assistance from parents

B. will be seperated from the negative side of society

C. will be driven to learn necessary life knowledge

D. will learn to communicate with the real society

 (江西省景德镇市2009届高三第三次模拟考试)

Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise， we accept these failures as a 　36　 part of the learning process. But all too often as parents and teachers we disallow this 　37　 right to our children.

When I see a child 　38　 to this kind of pressure， I think of Donnie.

Donnie was my youngest third grader. His 　39　 of failure kept him from classroom games that other children enjoyed. He 　40　 answered questions—he might be wrong.

I tried my best to build his 　41　. But nothing changed until midterm， when Mary Anne， a student teacher， was assigned(安排) to our classroom.

She was young and pretty， and she loved children. My pupils， Donnie included， 　42　 her.

One morning， we were working math problems at the chalkboard. Donnie had 　43　 the problems with painstaking neatness. Pleased with his progress， I 　44　 the children with Mary Anne and went for art materials. When I returned， Donnie was in 　45　. He'd missed the third problem.

My student teacher looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face 　46　. From the desk we shared， she got a container filled with pencils.

“Look， Donnie，” she said， kneeling beside him and gently 　47　 the tear­stained face from his arms. “I've got something to 　48　 you.” She removed the pencils， one at a time， and placed them on his desk.

“See these 　49　， Donnie，” she continued. “They belong to Mrs Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are 　50　？ That's because we make mistakes too. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That's what you 　51　 learn to do， too.”

She kissed him and stood up. “Here，” she said， “I'll leave one of these pencils on 　52　 desk so you'll remember that everybody makes mistakes， 　53　 teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and a smile.

The pencil became Donnie's 　54　 possession. That， together with Mary Anne's frequent encouragement， gradually 　55　 him that it's all right to make mistakes—as long as you erase them and try again.

36.A.small                    B. basic                        C. necessary                 D. large

37.A.correct                 B. same                        C. important                 D. natural

38.A.suffering               B. object                       C. fall                           D. subject

39.A.fear                      B. lesson                      C. chance                            D. sense

40.A.always                  B. often                        C. never                       D. seldom

41.A.self­protection       B. self­improvement      C. self­confidence         D. self­learning

42.A.respected                     B. disliked                     C. avoided                    D. mined

43.A.worked out           B. copied                      C. gone over                 D. leaned

44.A.left                       B. offered                     C. missed                            D. parted

45.A.surprise                B. astonishment             C. anger                       D. tears

46.A.darkened               B. brightened                C. pulled                       D. loosened

47.A.lifting                   B. picking                     C. holding                     D. pushing

48.A.help                      B. show                       C. reward                            D. promise

49.A.pencils                  B. mistakes                   C. marks                      D. containers

50.A.used                     B. built                         C. worn                       D. damaged

51.A.may                            B. must                        C. will                          D. can

52.A.my                       B. someone's                C. the teacher's             D. your

53.A.still                       B. also                          C. even                        D. not

54.A.prized                   B. own                         C. kept                         D. expected

55.A.warned                 B. informed                  C. persuaded                 D. reminded

I ran into a stranger as he passed by. “Oh, excuse me please” was my __41 . He said: “Please excuse me too; I wasn’t watching for you.” We were very 　42 , this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said goodbye. But at home a 　43 story is told.

Later that day, when I was cooking the evening meal, my daughter stood beside me very 　44 . When I 　45 , I nearly knocked her down. “Move out of the 　46 ,” I said with a frown. She walked away, her little heart broken. I didn’t 　47 how harshly (严厉地) I’d spoken.

While I lay awake in bed that evening, my husband said to me, “While 　48 a stranger, you are polite, but with the girl you love, you are 　49 . Go look on the kitchen floor; you’ll find some flowers by the door. Those are the flowers she brought for 　50 . She picked them herself: pink, yellow and blue. She stood quietly not to 　51 the surprise, and you 　52 saw the tears in her eyes.”

__53 , my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt down by her bed. “Wake up, little girl,” I said. “Are these flowers you picked for me?” She smiled: “I found them out by the tree. I picked them 　54 they’re pretty like you. I knew you’d like them, especially the blue.”

I said: “Daughter, I’m sorry for the way I 　55 today. I 　56 have yelled at you that way.”

She said: “Oh Mom, that’s okay. I love you anyway.”

I said: “Daughter, I love you too. And I do like the flowers, especially the blue.”

I had got the world 　57 again. I’d 　58 to be polite to people in the street – good 　59 make society work. But a stranger is someone we bump into once and then never see again – and 　60 is for life.

41. A. answer　　　　　　　 B. words　　　　　　　 C. response　　　　　 D. speech

42. A. careful　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　　　 C. serious　　　　　　 D. unhappy

43. A. interesting　　　　　 B. meaningful　　　　 C. similar　　　　　　　 D. different

44. A. still　　　　　　　　　　 B. noisy　　　　　　　　 C. upset　　　　　　　 D. excited

45. A. called　　　　　　　　 B. turned　　　　　　　 C. returned　　　　　 D. removed

46. A. house　　　　　　　　 B. space　　　　　　　 C. way　　　　　　　　 D. area

47. A. realize　　　　　　　　 B. care　　　　　　　　 C. prove 　　　　　　　　　　 D. understand

48. A. referring to　　　　 B. listening to　　　　 C. dealing with 　　 D. picking up

49. A. anxious　　　　　　　 B. patient　　　　　　　 C. disappointed 　　 D. unkind

50. A. us　　　　　　　　　　 B. you　　　　　　　　　 C. the family　　　　 D. her friends

51. A. ruin　　　　　　　　　 B. expect　　　　　　　 C. announce　　　　 D. handle

52. A. seldom　　　　　　　 B. simply　　　　　　　 C. even　　　　　　　　 D. never

53. A. By this time　　　　 B. At one time　　　 C. For a time　　　　 D. At the same time

54. A. while　　　　　　　　 B. so　　　　　　　　　　 C. unless　　　　　　　 D. because

55. A. considered　　　　 B. acted　　　　　　　　 C. developed　　　　 D. performed

56. A. shouldn’t　　　　　 B. couldn’t　　　　　 C. wouldn’t　　　　　 D. mustn’t

57. A. clear　　　　　　　　　 B. right　　　　　　　　 C. beautiful　　　　　 D. meaningful

58. A. begin　　　　　　　　 B. learn　　　　　　　　 C. continue　　　　　 D. change

59. A. manners　　　　　　 B. habits　　　　　　　 C. lifestyles　　　　　 D. behaviors

60. A. lover　　　　　　　　 B. companion　　　　 C. family　　　　　　　 D. friend