At a primary school in a small town in the east of South Carolina, second-grade teachers Garneau and Lynne are convinced that separating elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement in both genders（性别）．

    David Chadwell, South Carolina’s expert of single gender education says, “Boys and girls learn, hear and respond to their surroundings differently．We can teach boys and girls based on what we now know．”

    Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way, he explains．The organization of the male eye makes it sensitive to motion and direction．“Boys understand the world as objects moving through space,” he says．

    The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver and black．It’s no accident that boys tend to create pictures of moving objects instead of drawing the happy colorful family, like girls do in their class．

    The female eye, on the other hand, is drawn to warmer colors like red, yellow and orange．To attract girls, Chadwell says, the teacher doesn’t need to move as much as in boy’s class．Using descriptive phrases and lots of colors in presentations or on the blackboard gets their attention．

    Boys and girls also hear differently．“When someone speaks in a loud tone, girls understand it as yelling,” Chadwell says．“They think you’re mad and can shut down．” Girls are more sensitive to sounds．He advises girls’ teachers to watch the tone of their voices．Boys’ teachers should sound more forceful, even excited．

    A boy’s nervous system causes him to be more cautious when he is standing, moving, and the room temperature is around 69 degrees Fahrenheit．Stress in boys, he says, tends to increase blood flow to their brains, a process that helps them stay focused．Girls are more focused when seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees Fahrenheit．Girls also respond to stress differently．When exposed to threat and conflict, blood goes to their guts（肠道）, leaving them feeling nervous or anxious．

    These differences can be applied in the classroom, Chadwell adds．“Single gender programs are about making the best use of the learning．”

What is David Chadwell’s attitude toward separating elementary-age boys and girls while learning?

    A．Supportive   B．Worried  C．Concerned    D．Uninterested

To engage boy in a class, the teacher ______．

    A．must have a moving object in this hand    

    B．needs to wear clothes in warm color

    C．has to speak politely               

    D．had better move constantly while teaching

Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?

（ ??= Paragraph 1  ??= Paragraph 2  ??= Paragraph 3  …．．． ??= Paragraph 8 ）

Which of the following students is most likely to be focused?

    A．A boy sitting in a warm room B．A standing boy who is faced with stress

    C．A girl standing in a cold room   D．A girl who is facing a lot of pressure

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

  The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品杂货），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

  I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

  People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影响）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

56. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

  A. The man’s job was bike racing.                 B. It was their only possession.

  C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.                        D. They used it for work and daily life.

57. We can infer from the text that ____________.

  A. the couple worked 60 hours a week.               B. people were busy before Christmas

  C. the stranger brought over the bike             D. life was hard for the young family.

58. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

 A. From radio broadcasts.                            B. From a newspaper.

 C. From TV news.                                      D. From a stranger.

59. What do the couple learn from their experience?

 A. Strangers are usually of little help.                    B. One should take care of their bike.

 C. News reports make people famous.              D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

Human facial expressions differ from those of animals in the degree ___ ___ they can be controlled on purpose.

A. with which        B. to which

C. of which    D. for which

It is the season for long lines and frayed(紧张的) nerves. Here are some ways to survive a holiday flight.

Lighten up

Do yourself a favor and ship your presents. Nearly every US airline charges a fee to check a bag, so shipping gifts is now cheaper and more convenient than carrying them in your luggage.

Weigh your options

Not knowing what you’re going to pay for your luggage is annoying. So calculate your overweight-luggage fees at home. You can find the fees out in advance by visiting new site Luggage Limits, which provides the latest information on more than 90 airlines.

Leave amateurs in the dust

Trust us and get to the airport an extra half-hour early. The check-in and security lines are filled with inexperienced files, and it’s a hard walking. Plus, if you decide to cut it close you may not get onto the flight at all. To reduce costs, airlines have reduced on flights and routes. The remaining flights are more likely to be oversold, especially on busy travel days. Fliers who check in early are the least likely to get bumped from oversold flights.

Take it public

The rates for renting a car at the airport have more than doubled over the past year because rental lot inventories have decreased dramatically(现住地). True, renting at the airport is convenient, but it’s just not worth it anymore. Unless you really need a car, take public transportation, hop a cab, or beg a friend to pick you up at the airport instead.

Say no to bumper cars

Tell the people picking you up to avoid parking their car. They can hang out in their car for free while waiting to get a call from you when you land. Many airports, including JFK and LAX now feature this sensible choice.

How does the author think of shipping gifts?

A. Unnecessary.    B. Expensive.      C. Inconvenient.    D. Wonderful.

Airlines have reduced flights to _________.

A. deal with crisis    B. reduce the time for leave

C. lower the cost     D. provide more job chances

It can be learned from the passage that ______.

A. renting a car at the airport is expensive  B. taxis stay at the airport free of charge

C. cars can park at the airport for free      D. JFK encourages people to take a taxi

What’s the best title for the passage?

  A. Five ways to survive a holiday flight.    B. Good seasons for flight.

  C. Cars at the airport.                   D. How to board a flight

Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow. While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union. Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families.

Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to (＝before) marriage. Not only do the prospective(预期的) marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings. Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider.

As for any family， the basic ingredient(成分) of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual(相互的) respect. However， love alone is not enough. Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily.

Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success. Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit. Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved. Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully.

By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent(矛盾的) loyalties， lingering(持久的) hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams. The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable. However， there are ways to confront(面临) and resolve them. For example， support groups and professional counselors(法律顾问) are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming(压倒性的).

Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly. It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort. Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily. Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection.

According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States.

A.no stepfamilies

B.more stepfamilies than ever before

C.fewer stepfamilies than ever before

D.fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？

A.The pursuit of the same careers.

B.Professional interventions(干涉).

C.The development of special interests.

D.Careful planning before the marriage.

Many people believe that 　　　　 contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily.

A.everlasting loyalties

B.open communication

C.kindness and mutual respect

D.persistent(持久稳固的) affection

It is natural for a stepfamily to be 　　　　.

A.unrealistic

B.complicated

C.ambivalent

D.guilty

According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is 　　　　.

A.impossible         

B.satisfying and rewarding

C.discouraging and frustrating

D.a difficult and trying experience