Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask. But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history. Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history.

The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past. I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures. However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don't seem to learn from history." Perhaps at least in teaching history, to my children I can do a small part in changing this.

A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context. We can not even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less (更不必说) try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be.

I teach my children history, for one more reason. I purchased a set of historical audio (录音机) tapes for our children. My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over. It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself. I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr. if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished. I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for.

1.The main purpose of this passage is to __________.

A．instruct the parents how to teach their children history

B．show the importance of history in politics

C．explain the reasons why children study history

D．introduce the writer’s own way of teaching history

2.Which of the following is not the reason for studying history according to the author?

A．One can learn from history in order not to make the same mistakes.

B．It can help us to understand the current political climate.

C．Without history, one can be nothing but a fool in every aspect.

D．One can know the principle of doing something and not doing something.

3. Some positive historical figures are mentioned in the last paragraph to show __________.

A．people can be inspired to do good, while also learning to fight against evil

B．people may also learn from bad historical figures

C．more celebrations should be held to honor their achievements

D．today’s people can also achieve what they achieved

4. What would be talked about in the following paragraph?

A．How to teach history effectively.

B．Some negative reasons for studying history.

C．How to get more people to study history.

D．Some bad historical figures.

There are three separate sources of danger in supplying energy by nuclear power.

First, the radioactive material must travel from its form of production to the power station. Although the power stations themselves are strongly built, the containers used for the transport of the materials are not. Normally, only two methods of transport are in use, namely road or rail. Unfortunately, both of these may have an effect on the general public, since they are sure to pass near, or even though, heavily populated areas.

Secondly, there is the problem of waste. All nuclear power stations produce waste that in most cases will remain radioactive for thousands of years. It is impossible to make these waste radioactive, and so they must be stored in one of the inconvenient ways that scientists have invented. For example, they may be buried under the ground, or dropped into deserted mines, or sunk in the sea. However, these methods do not solve the problem, since an earthquake could easily break the containers.

Third, there may occur the danger of a leak or an explosion at the power station. As with the other two dangers, this is not very likely, so it does not provide a serious objection to the nuclear program. However, it can happen.

Separately, these three types of dangers are not a great cause for worry. Taken together, though, the probability of disaster is extremely high.

1.Which of the following is FALSE ?

2.The author thinks that the ways to store nuclear wastes are ____________.

3.What do we learn from the last paragraph ?

4. What is this passage mainly about ?

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

E

         All areas of the world face a nurses shortage. But the shortage is most severe in developing countries. Many of their nurses move to the more developed nations for better pay, better working conditions and better chances for career development. For example, nearly 2,000 nurses left the Caribbean between 2002 and 2006.

         The Caribbean nations currently have about 1 nurse for every 1,000 people. The ratio(比例) of nurses to population is about 10 times higher in the United States and countries in the European Union(EU). Now, more than 21,000 nurses who trained in the Caribbean are working in the United States, Canada and Britain.

         Gaetan Lafortune is an official of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(O.E.C.D) in Paris. He says the nurses shortage also affects industrialized countries. He says, “There is concern in most O.E.C.D.countries that the number of nurses is too small to meet the demand. And what is more worrying is that their concern is sort of growing.” Mr Lafortune says a large number of nurses are expected to retire within the next 10 years. At the same time, the health care needs of aging populations are expected to grow, intensifying the shortage of nurses.

         Gaetan Lafortune said, “In the U.S., for instance, some researchers have found that there may be a shortage of close to a million nurses by 2020.” The United States is 1 of the 21 countries in the O.C.E.D. Gaetan Lafortune says in the recent years many of the countries increased their efforts to hire foreign nurses. As a result of that, O.E.C.D. countries were mainly exporting their shortage problem to countries that may have an even greater need for these nurses.

【小题１】What will be the main causes of the global nurses shortage in the next 10 years?

         a. The demand for nurses will decrease.                           

b. Many nurses will be too old to work.

         c. Many rich countries will hire more foreign nurses.    

d. Nurses are often looked down upon.

         e. Aging populations will increase rapidly

         A. a and b                   B. b and c                   C. b and e                   D. c and d

【小题１】The underlined word “intensify” in para. 3 means “________”.

         A. strengthen           B. neglect              C. reduce                   D. cause

【小题１】We know from this text that America and the EU countries ______.

         A. refuse to offer equal pay to foreign nurses

         B. have at least one nurse out of 100 people

         C. don’t like to train nurses of their own countries

         D. have more serious nursing problems than the Caribbean nations

【小题１】What does the text mainly tell us?

         A. Nursing is no longer a worthwhile profession in most countries.

         B. The different attitudes towards nursing in different countries.

         C. Nurses shortage will result in serious consequences.

         D. The health care industry needs more nurses.

Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask. But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history. Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history.

   The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past. I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures. However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don't seem to learn from history." Perhaps at least in teaching history to my children I can do a small part in changing this.

   A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context. We cannot even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less (更不必说) try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be.

   I teach my children history, for one more reason. I purchased a set of historical audio (录音机) tapes for our children. My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over. It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself. I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr. if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished. I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for.

1.

 What message can we get from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2?

    A. Many people aren't clever enough to learn well from the past.

    B. Many people fail to make good use of history and make the same mistakes.

    C. Many people feel it hard to understand history.

    D. Many people have no interest in studying history.

2.

 In Paragraph 3, the author shows that history is useful because ___________.

    A. it makes the current political situation go smoothly

    B. it helps us realize the importance of historical events

    C. it helps us understand why things are the way they are

    D. it helps people accept the present situation where they live

3.

What would be talked about in the following paragraph?

A. How to teach history effectively.                 

B. Some negative reasons for studying history.

C. How to get more people to study history.       

D. Some bad historical figures.

4.

The main purpose of this passage is to ____________.

A. inspire the parents to teach their children history  

B. show the importance of history in politics

C. explain the reasons why children study history

D. introduce the writer’s own way of teaching history

On Jan. 3, a netizen（网民）nicknamed “Programmer Humor”published a short story on his micro-blog. It said that there was an old lady who swept nearly every inch of his Internet company. When she passed by a programmer, she took a look at the codes on the programmer’s computer and kindly reminded him, “Be careful, the stack is overfilled!”

Certainly, it is a casual and fictitious（虚构的）story made up by the micro-blogger. However, no one would have guessed that the short blog would eventually cause the first great Internet meme（网络快速爆红现象） of 2011 in China. Suddenly, the mysterious “Sweeping Old Lady” is showing up nearly everywhere and reminding professionals of their mistakes. From 8 a. m. on Jan. 5, some netizens collected stories of the “Sweeping Old Lady” and found she had appeared to give advice in 150 kinds of careers. A netizen even said he had met with a similar situation in real life.

Actually, the “Sweeping Old Lady” is not new figure, but is based on the “sweeping monk （和尚）”in Louis Cha’s famous Kung fu novel of “Tian Long Ba Bu”. The “sweeping monk” is an old monk and does the lowest class of work in Shaolin Temple, but he is actually the No. 1 master in the noel both in Kung fu and in the study of Buddhism.

The “Sweeping Old Lady” is also a great modest master. Lots of netizens wish that they could have such a lady beside them to give them precious suggestions at a key time.

Although there may be 1,000 “Sweeping Old Ladies” in 1,000 people’s minds, it cannot prevent the “Sweeping Old Lady” from becoming the most popular figure on the Internet.

“Programmer Humor” said he is just a programmer in the real world and once he saw the story about the “Sweeping Old Lady,” he wrote it down in his micro-blog because it was funny. He never knew who the original writer of the story was and never thought the story could be so popular.

1.What quality does the “Sweeping Old Lady” have?

A．Honest and knowledgeable.               B．Modest and patient.

C．Modest and knowledgeable.               D．Honest and patient.

2.Which description about the “Sweeping Old Lady” is right?

A．She is an old lady good at sweeping the Internet.

B．She is just an imaginary figure created by a netizen.

C．She is well-know as the old “sweeping monk.”

D．She likes to give instructions everywhere.

3.What can we infer from the text?

A．The sweeping old lady is always looking down on the people around her.

B．We should ask sweeping old lady for advice when meeting with difficulties.

C．People want to have a “Sweeping Old Lady” nearby to do the cleaning.

D．We shouldn’t judge a person by his or her appearance and we’d better respect everyone.

4.What does the author think of the “Sweeping Old Lady”?

A．She should be praised and respected.

B．She shouldn’t mind others’ business.

C．She should go in for network.

D．She shouldn’t show off before professionals.