A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ” I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”

? “Forty.”

? “No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”

? “Two months and five days.”

? “Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.

? “Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct?”

? Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but-still not a word.

? “Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect（疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”

? “You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.

? “But I made a note of it.”

? “Well... if you say so.”

? “Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”

? Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!

? “Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”

? “Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is!”

? I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.

? “Merci（法语: 谢谢）,” she whispered.

? I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.

? “For the money.”

? “But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this‘merci’?”

? “In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”

? “They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless（懦弱）? Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）-to be such a fool?”

? Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”

? I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”

1.While talking to Julia, the writer expected from her________.

A. a protest　　　B. gratitude　? C. obedience　　 D. an explanation

2.What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.

A. nervousness in front of her boss???????

B. acceptance of injustice

C. shyness when talking about money?????

D. unwillingness to express herself

3.The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.

A. to be more aggressive??????? B. to be more careful in her work

C. to protect her right?????????? D. to live independently

4.At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!” to show ________.

A. his understanding of Julia’s anxiety

B. his worry about Julia’s future

C. his concern on the living condition of working-class people

D. his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited

5.From the story, we can tell that Julia’s employer was________.

A. greedy but honest????? 　 B. ill-tempered but warm-hearted

C. strict but forgiving??????? D. none of the above

We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming（把…按能力分班）pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!
　　Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual (智力的) abilities. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.
　　In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.
　　Sometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this effectively. And expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.
1. Group work provides pupils with the opportunity_________.
　　A. to develop academic abilities                 　　 B. to learn to teach.
　　C. to do some experiments                        　　 D. to learn to be capable organizers.
2. By "held back" in the first paragraph the author means _________.
　　A. drawn to their studies                           　　     B. prevented from advancing
　　C. made to remain in the same classes         　　 D. forced to study in the lower classes
3. In the passage the author's attitude towards " mixed-ability teaching" is ________.
　　A.questioning               B. approving  　　     C. objective 　　 D. critical
4. The author's purpose of writing this passage is to _________.
　　A. offer advice on the proper use of the library
　　B. emphasize the importance of appropriate formal classroom teaching
　　C. argue for teaching bright and not -so-bright pupils in the same class
　　D. recommend pair work and group-work for classroom activities
5. The author argues that a teacher's chief concern should be the development of the student's _____.
　　A. total personality              　　                   B. intellectual ability
　　C. learning ability and communicative skills        D. personal qualities and social skills

　　①Brain-injured boy set for ￡ 1.75m payout

　　A YOUNGSTER who was knocked off his bicycle by a taxi and left with a serious brain injury is set to be awarded ￡ 1.75 million.

　　Fourteen-year-old George Currie, from Dalkeith, was living in country Durham with his parents Allister and Paula at the time of the accident in September 1993.

　　George, who was then three years old, was riding his small tricycle along the pavement when he lost control and swerved on to the road into the path of an on-coming taxi.

　　The driver's insurance company has now ac cepted responsibility for the accident and New Castle County Court is expected to rule on the payout on Monday.

　　②Boating accidents reduce

　　Lee and Collier counties tied at No. 10 for boating accidents in Florida in 2004, an improvement for both.

　　But because the counties remained in the top 10 among Florida's 67 counties, safety continues to be a concern, officials said.

　　③Teens react to new law on driving permit

　　Lawmakers may hope to make teenage drivers drive more safely, but some local teens behind the wheel feel angry following the passing of Senace Bill 36 last week.

　　SB 36 is a law that limits times new teen drivers can drive and the number of passengers

　　④Road accidents take costly toll

　　Traffic accidents kill more than one million people each year, injure tens of millions more and cost developing countries twice as much as they receive in international aid, the leader of a research body said Wednesday.

　　The figures have led experts to form an international road safety network to choose the most important research areas, inform policy makers and help develop ways to prevent accidents, particularly in poor nations.

　　pavement: 人行道

　　swerve: 突然转

　　insurance: 保险.

　　Florida counties with the most accidents in 2004:

　　1．Monroe (98)

　　2．Palm Beach (65)

　　3．Pinellas (64)

　　4．Broward (59)

　　5．Miami-Dade (54)

　　6．Okaloosa (34)

　　7．Orange (24)

　　8．Bay (22)

　　9．Lee (21)

　　10．Collier (21)

(1) What does Passage ① tell us about the boy?

[　　]

A．He was injured in the head when he was 14.

B．He has waited for the payout for a long time.

C．He has lived in the same place since the accident.

D．He was run over by a taxi when riding on the pavement.

(2) What can we learn about Lee and Collier counties from Passage ②?

[　　]

A．They both became safe places.

B．They won the same place in race.

C．They had the same number of accidents.

D．They joined hands in reducing accidents.

(3) Which passage would give more information on the prevention of road accidents?

[　　]

We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming（把…按能力分班）pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!

　　Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual (智力的) abilities. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.

　　In our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.

　　Sometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this effectively. And expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.

1. Group work provides pupils with the opportunity_________.

　　A. to develop academic abilities                 　　 B. to learn to teach.

　　C. to do some experiments                        　　 D. to learn to be capable organizers.

2. By "held back" in the first paragraph the author means _________.

　　A. drawn to their studies                           　　     B. prevented from advancing

　　C. made to remain in the same classes         　　 D. forced to study in the lower classes

3. In the passage the author's attitude towards " mixed-ability teaching" is ________.

　　A.questioning               B. approving  　　     C. objective 　　 D. critical

4. The author's purpose of writing this passage is to _________.

　　A. offer advice on the proper use of the library

　　B. emphasize the importance of appropriate formal classroom teaching

　　C. argue for teaching bright and not -so-bright pupils in the same class

　　D. recommend pair work and group-work for classroom activities

5. The author argues that a teacher's chief concern should be the development of the student's _____.

　　A. total personality              　　                   B. intellectual ability

　　C. learning ability and communicative skills        D. personal qualities and social skills

We have so many first days in our lives. First days are milestones(里程碑) in our lives. They 36 the beginning of a new experience or journey and they are also filled with　 37　 feelings. They can be a little frightening as we step into the unknown, but they can also inspire us as they give us fresh　 38 for the future.

I want to share a 39 that perfectly shows this point. Trisha was told that 40 is the key to knowledge. She watched her older brother 41 he read his schoolbooks and could hardly 42 the day when she would learn to read.

But after Trisha 43 started school, she found that she was not able to understand words like the other boys and girls. However hard she 44 , she saw only confusion. Trisha 45 , the teacher and the other children laughing at her, and she began to believe that she was not 　46 .

By the time Trisha entered the fifth grade, she had lost the 47 in herself. That was the year when she met Mr. Falker. He was 48 . He praised Trisha’s talents, and he wouldn’t tolerate the other children laughing at her. After some time, Mr. Falker 49 that Trisha didn’t know how to read, but he knew she could 50 some help.

He found an expert, and together they 51 with Trisha after school. They 52 her to understand words 　53 one day Mr. Falker handed her a book and she could read it all by herself. She didn’t even notice the tears in his eyes.

This is a true story. The little girl is Patricia Polacco, a famous 54 , and Thank you Mr. Falker is the twenty-sixth book that she has written. Mr. Falker gave her a fresh new 55 and made a difference in her life.

【小题1】A. cause　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. mark　　　　　　　　　　　 C. describe　　　　　　　　 D. show

【小题2】A. absurd　　　　　　　　　　　 B. strange　　　　　　　　　 C. mixed　　　　　　　　　　 D. strong

【小题3】A. blood　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. evidence　　　　　　　　 C. hope　　　　　　　　　　　 D. air

【小题4】A. belief　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. story　　　　　　　　　　　 C. view　　　　　　　　　　　 D. concern

【小题5】A. reading　　　　　　　　　　　 B. speaking　　　　　　　　 C. listening　　　　　　　　 D. thinking

【小题6】A. before　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. since　　　　　　　　　　　 C. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. though

【小题7】A. look for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. wait for　　　　　　　　　 C. ask for　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. wish for

【小题8】A. gradually　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. mostly　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　　　　　　 D. firmly

【小题9】A. breathed　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. tried　　　　　　　　　　　 C. managed　　　　　　　 D. pressed

【小题10】A. took off　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. stayed up　　　　　　　 C. kept on　　　　　　　　　 D. fell behind

【小题11】A. smart　　　　　　　　　　　 B. hard-working　　　　 C. healthy　　　　　　　　　 D. easy-going

【小题12】A. memory　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. balance　　　　　　　　 C. chance　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. confidence

【小题13】A. shy　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. proud　　　　　　　　　　 C. different　　　　　　　　 D. strict

【小题14】A. doubted　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. witnessed　　　　　　　 C. represented　　　　　　　　 D. realized

【小题15】A. with　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. besides　　　　　　　　　 C. including　　　　　　　　 D. within

【小题16】A. sang　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. worked　　　　　　　　　 C. danced　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. chatted

【小题17】A. helped　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. begged　　　　　　　　　 D. allowed

【小题18】A. when　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. once　　　　　　　　　　　 C. until　　　　　　　　　　　 D. whether

【小题19】A. teacher　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. writer　　　　　　　　　　 C. expert　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. guide

【小题20】A. school　　　　　　　　　　　 B. start　　　　　　　　　　　 C. home　　　　　　　　　　 D. attention