It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations”. I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.

Then I looked at my financial package.

The cost of Dream School’s tuition, room and board was around MYM 40,000—an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.

In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as 1 was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.

One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.

At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.

As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chain. As I walked out of that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years fighting there.

In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream” university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.

1. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?

A. He was full of joy.                 B. He was lost in his dream.

 C. He was worried about the money.     D. He was uncertain which school to go to.

2. We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.

A. honest           B. strict           C. supportive      D. decisive

3. In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride” can be replaced by “_________”.

A. would pay for transport to the school    B. would show me around the campus

C. would offer free meals at all events      D. would charge me nothing for tuition

4.What does the author mainly want to say?

 A. Your second-choice college may actually be your best fit.

B. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.

C. You should try your best to attend your dream school.

D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.

.

Some schools that are not year-round often have summer programs. In many cases, students take summer classes to repeat a subject they failed. This way they get a second chance to succeed. But schools also offer summer classes to students who want to be free of a required class during the next school year.

Generally, students in these classes want to take fewer subjects during the year because they are involved in a lot of activities. They might be involved in sports or music programs. Or both – and more.

These summer school students do the same amount of work as if they took the class during the school year. But they do it in a much shorter time, one or two months. They say it makes for a lot of reading and homework and not much time for anything else. Some education experts are worried about high school students who take summer school because of pressure to attend a top university.

The New York Times recently reported about summer classes at one of the best high schools in the United States. New Trier High School is in Winnetka, Illinois. Almost six hundred students are in school this summer. Only twenty are repeating classes that they failed. The others are in difficult courses like physics and history.

The students say taking classes like these in the summer means that they can take even more difficult classes next year. They say this shows not only that they are serious about their studies but that they have experienced the most difficult high school program.

Another place with a lot of students in summer school is Palo Alto, California. The Mercury News reported that about twenty percent of the students in the city schools are in class this summer. That is more than two thousand teenagers.

A third are in classes they failed before. The others are taking subjects they do not have time for during the normal school year.

But they are not taking subjects like physics and history. The students in Palo Alto are in classes like creative writing, film studies, literature and cooking.

63. This passage mainly talks about ______.

A. summer classes in American schools

B. why American schools offer summer classes

C. the advantages of American summer school

D. experts’ anxiety(担忧)about American summer school

64. Which of the following is NOT the reason for the students’ attending summer classes in America?

A.Repeating a subject.           

B.Completing a required subject ahead of time.

C.Improving their physical quality    

D.Learning some special skills

65. What’s the biggest difference between the summer classes in New Trier High School and in Palo Alto?

A.There are more students attending classes that they failed before in Palo Alto.

B.Some students in Palo Alto learn some special skills instead of taking physics and history.

C.Some students in Palo Alto take some subjects so that they can join in sports or music programs later.

D.The students’ attitude towards studies in Palo Alto is worse than that in New Trier High School.

66. What can we infer from the passage?

A.American students in schools don’t have any pressure to attend top universities.

B.Summer school students don’t do the same amount of work as they do during the school year.

C. American students attend summer schools in order to relax themselves very much.

D. American students in high schools face great pressure to attend top universities.

A growing number of students in the United States are studying Mandarin(普通话). It is the official language of China. More and more people speak Mandarin than those who speak other languages in the world.

Schools that teach Mandarin want to prepare students for a future in which they are likely to work with people from China. Business in China is booming(繁荣的), and that trend(趋势) is expected to grow.

The US government is trying to encourage even more public schools to teach Mandarin. Officials are considering spending about $1 billion on Mandarin programs in schools. China is getting involved(参与) too. The Chinese government has donated

Mandarin textbooks to US schools. Some schools are also taking part in teacher exchange programs with China.

“It is important for students to learn Mandarin and Chinese culture,” said Mary Patterson, a school principal(校长) in Portland, Oregon. “Students who do so will have wider opportunities when they become adults.”

Why are US schools teaching Mandarin?

A. To help students communicate with Chinese students.

B. To encourage students to move to China,

C. To prepare students for the future.

D. To get students interested in business.

The underlined word “donated” (in Paragraph 4) can be replaced by “______”?

A. provided          B. kept           C. made          D. found

What is the best title for this passage?

A. Why US students learn Mandarin         B. Schools in China

C. How to speak Mandarin                  D. China today

Noah Webster, born on October 16, 1758 , is known for The American Dictionary of the English Language. He has been called the " Father of American Scholarship and Education. " His " Blue-Backed Speller" books were used to teach spelling and reading to five generations of American children. But how much .do you know about him beyond that?

   At the age of 16, Noah Webster began attending ,Yale College. Unfortunately, he spent his four years at Yale during the American Revolutionary War, and, because of food shortages, many of his college classes were held in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Later, he served in the army.

Having graduated from Yale in 1778, Webster wanted to continue his education in order to earn his law degree. He had to teach school in order to pay for his education. He set up many small schools that didn't survive, but he was a good teacher because instead of forcing his students to learn, like most teachers did, he rewarded them. He earned his law degree in 1781, but did not practice law until 1789. Once he started he found the law was not to his liking.

   Webster did not have much money. In 1793 , Alexander Hamilton lent him $ 1500 to move to New York City to edit a newspaper. In December, he founded New York ' s first daily newspaper, American Minerva, and edited it for four years. For decades, he published . textbooks, political essays, a report on some diseases, and newspaper articles for his party, He wrote so much that a modern list of his published works required 655 pages .Noah Webster died on May 28, 1843 and was buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.

1.What's the main idea of Paragraph l?

A.  Webster's famous dictionarie .

B. Webster's daily routines.

C.  Webster's main achievements.

D. Webster's college education.

2.Which of the following best describes Webster's life at Yale?

A. Tough.     B. Smooth.     C. Normal.     D. Tiring.

3.What did Noah want to be after graduation from Yale?

A. A teacher.     B. A lawyer.      C. A headmaster.    D. A scholar.

4.Why was Webster a good teacher?

A. Because he set up many small schools.

B. Because he graduated from Yale College,

C. Because he forced his students to learn.

D. Because he often rewarded his students.

5.What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A. Webster was a most productive author.

B. Webster led a miserable life in New York City.

C. Webster's books added up to 655 pages.

D. Webster didn't write any polifical works.