C

Few people hate homework more than Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth. There is a hot discussion across the country: does homework really improve school results? A growing number of educators say no.

“We always think it is worth it,” says Kohn, “and homework will improve their school results and give them good study skills, but the research shows it is just not so. No study has ever found any academic benefit(学业上的成效) of assigning (布置) homework before kids are in high school. and even in high school the case is very weak.”

But how could hours of reading, writing and solving math problems not help kids to learn? We asked tenth graders at the Galloway School, in Atlanta.

“I learn everything that I need to in class,” says 16-year-old Matt Ritchie. “And it is really unnecessary to do homework. It is just boring.”

“If I listen in class and take good notes, I usually do well on tests,” explains his classmate Paige Solomon, “So I don’t think it is helpful-if anything, it just makes me kind of fearful of going to that class.”

“I’m usually in a bad mood when I have a lot of homework,” says 16-year-old Carter Parder, “because I stay up later. And then I’m groggy the next day.”

According to Kohn, even if kids learn a little through homework, the cost is too high. Homework may kill a student’s interest in learning. If kids seem to be sinking(陷入) under a mountain of work, parents should intervene(干涉). Most adults wouldn’t want to work eight hours a day, and then come home to hours of extra work. Kids are no different.

48. According to the passage, we know that Alfie Kohn _______ .

A. is a high school teacher.

B. is an expert in language study.

C. does deep research into homework

D. is a great novel writer.

49. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Most people think homework is of great help to students.

　B. Kohn is the first person to prove homework is unimportant.

C. Kohn thinks homework is helpful for college students.

D. Parents should pay much attention to the homework of their children.

50. The underlined word “groggy” in Paragraph 6 means “_______”

A. uninterested　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy

C. sleepy　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. clear-minded

51. The passage was written mainly to _________ .

A. introduce the book The Homework Myth

B. point out the importance of homework

C. show doing homework is a waste of time

D. show there is no need to assign homework

　　　　 B

Central park

Outside among the trees, watch the wildlife-both the human and animal varieties. Call (212) 360-3465 or (212) 360-2726 for daily events and tours. Central Park stretches from 59th to 110th Sts. and from 5th Ave.to Central Park West.

Empire State Building

This is among the most striking buildings in the city, the nation, even the world. The observation deck(瞭望台) on the 86th floor is open to the general public, offering a wonderful view of the city. On the second floor you’ll find the New York Skyride, a simulated(模似的) helicopter ride over Manhattan 5th Ave. at 34th St., Midtown/ (212) 736-3100.

Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum

Five blocks west of Time Square, this museum has hundreds of air, deep-sea and space exhibits. Walk the flight deck of the 900-foot-long aircraft carrier Intrepid; see dozens of old and modern aircraft and ride the Intrepid Navy Flight Simulator.Pier 86, W. 46th St. and 12th Ave./(212)245-0072.

Madison Square Garden

　 If it’s big, it probably happens at the Garden. Check out sporting events, concerts and much more. Tours are available. 7^th Ave., btwn.31^st and 33^rd Sts., Middtown/(212)465-6741.

45. The New York Skyride is for　　　　 .

A. city transportation 　　　　B. flight training　 　

C. model plane sports　 　　　D. sightseeing

46. If a visitor is interested in music, he will probably go to　　　　 .

A. Central Park　　　　　　　　　　 　B. Empire State Building

C. Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum　　 　D. Madison Square Garden

47. What is the purpose of these texts?

A. To provide information of living in New York.　

B. To provide directions of city traffic in New York.

C. To give visitors a guide to New York.

D. To give a brief introduction to the history of New York.

　　　　　　　　 　A

In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching. “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may comment on the transport system. “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”

41.Small talk is _______________.

A. a kind of conversation with short words　　

B. a greeting used when people meet each other

C.　 to let people disagree about something　

D.　 something we talk about to start a conversation

42 The favorite topic of small talk for English people is _________.

　　　 A. the weather　　　　 B. politics　　　　　 C. games　　　　　　　　　 D. languages

43 The passage suggests that when we learn a language _________.

　　　 A. we should learn about the transport system of the country

　　　 B. we should only master the grammar and the vocabulary

　　　 C. we should learn the culture of the country

　　　 D. we should understand the importance of the language

44 What we learn from the passage is that __________.

　　　 A. different languages have different grammar

　　　 B. small talk is an important part of a language

　　　 C. small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

　　　 D. in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather

25. ----Good luck on your journey!

---- _________.

　 A. It doesn’t matter　　 B. That’s all right.　 C. Good luck　 D. Thank you

24. _______ the houses were knocked down in the earthquake.

A. A great many 　 　B. The number of 　

C. A great many of 　 D. A large amount of

23. -Do you know this city?

-No, this is the first time that I ______ here.

A. was 　　 B. am 　 C. have been 　 D. had been

22. You can hardly imagine the trouble we had _______ in touch with him again?

A. getting 　　　B. keeping 　 C. to get 　　 　　D. kept

21. In some places women are expected to earn money ______ men work at home and raise their children.

A. but 　　　 　　　B. while 　 　C. because 　 　　D. though