Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time: if corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language those around him use. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, children learn to do all the other things they learn to do without being taught--- to walk , run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle --- compare their own performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes for himself, let alone(更不用说) correct them. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless he was made to. Soon he becomes dependent on the teacher. Let him do it himself. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.

    If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(常规的) work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can’t find the way to get the right answer. Let’s end all this nonsense of grades, exams and marks. Let us throw them all out, and let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn: how to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.

    Let them get on with this job in the way that seems most sensible(合情理的) to them, with our help as school teachers if they ask for it. The idea that there is a body of knowledge to be learnt at school and used for the rest of one’s life is nonsense(无意义的) in a world as complicated and rapidly changing as ours. Anxious parents and teachers say, “But suppose they fail to learn something essential(基本的), something they will need to get on in the world?” Don’t worry! If it is essential, they will go out into the world and learnt it.

What does the writer think is the best way for children to think?

By listening to their parents’ instructions. 

By asking a great many questions.

By making mistakes and having them corrected. 

By copying what other people do.

What does the writer think teachers should not do?

A. Give children correct answers.        

B. Point out children’s mistakes to them.

C. Allow children to mark their own work.    

D. Encourage children to copy one another.

According to the passage, learning to speak and learning to ride a bike are _____.

A. the most important skills                  B. the basic skills children should master

C. almost the same as learning other skills     D. much different from learning other skills.

The writer thinks that children’s progress should only be estimated(评估) by ______.

A. the children themselves                B. their parents

    C. their teachers                         D. education authorities(权威)

The writer is afraid that children will grow up into adults who are ______.

A. too selfish                            B. too independent

C. dependent and unable to use basic skills    D. able to think for themselves

Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time: if corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language those around him use. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, children learn to do all the other things they learn to do without being taught--- to walk , run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle --- compare their own performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes for himself, let alone(更不用说) correct them. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless he was made to. Soon he becomes dependent on the teacher. Let him do it himself. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.
If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(常规的) work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can’t find the way to get the right answer. Let’s end all this nonsense of grades, exams and marks. Let us throw them all out, and let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn: how to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.
Let them get on with this job in the way that seems most sensible(合情理的) to them, with our help as school teachers if they ask for it. The idea that there is a body of knowledge to be learnt at school and used for the rest of one’s life is nonsense(无意义的) in a world as complicated and rapidly changing as ours. Anxious parents and teachers say, “But suppose they fail to learn something essential(基本的), something they will need to get on in the world?” Don’t worry! If it is essential, they will go out into the world and learnt it.
【小题1】What does the writer think is the best way for children to think?

Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time: if corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language those around him use. Bit by bit, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, children learn to do all the other things they learn to do without being taught--- to walk , run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle --- compare their own performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes for himself, let alone(更不用说) correct them. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless he was made to. Soon he becomes dependent on the teacher. Let him do it himself. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.

    If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(常规的) work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can’t find the way to get the right answer. Let’s end all this nonsense of grades, exams and marks. Let us throw them all out, and let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn: how to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.

    Let them get on with this job in the way that seems most sensible(合情理的) to them, with our help as school teachers if they ask for it. The idea that there is a body of knowledge to be learnt at school and used for the rest of one’s life is nonsense(无意义的) in a world as complicated and rapidly changing as ours. Anxious parents and teachers say, “But suppose they fail to learn something essential(基本的), something they will need to get on in the world?” Don’t worry! If it is essential, they will go out into the world and learnt it.

1.What does the writer think is the best way for children to think?

A.     By listening to their parents’ instructions. 

B.      By asking a great many questions.

C.  By making mistakes and having them corrected. 

D.  By copying what other people do.

2.What does the writer think teachers should not do?

A. Give children correct answers.        

B. Point out children’s mistakes to them.

C. Allow children to mark their own work.     

D. Encourage children to copy one another.

3.According to the passage, learning to speak and learning to ride a bike are _____.

A. the most important skills                  B. the basic skills children should master

C. almost the same as learning other skills     D. much different from learning other skills.

4.The writer thinks that children’s progress should only be estimated(评估) by ______.

A. the children themselves                B. their parents

    C. their teachers                         D. education authorities(权威)

5.The writer is afraid that children will grow up into adults who are ______.

A. too selfish                            B. too independent

C. dependent and unable to use basic skills    D. able to think for themselves

完形填空

　　Einstein, a world-famous scientist, was often invited to make speeches though  1 people could understand.

　　Once on his way, his driver said, “Dr. Einstein, I've learned all your lectures by  2 . I'm sure I can repeat one without any  3 .”

　　Hearing this, Einstein said with a smile, “That's  4 . You can take my  5 . Luckily, nobody there  6 me. I'll pretend to be your  7 .”

　　The driver really pretended to be Einstein,   8 gave the lecture.

　　When he finished, an old professor with grey hair came  9 and said, “Dear Dr. Einstein, your lecture is  10 advanced that there are quite a few points I don't  11 . Would you please be so  12 as to give further explanation?”

　　The driver, being a quick-minded man, said, “your  13 are abstract (抽象)”.

　　“Perhaps my driver is  14 to help you.” And he  15 to the ‘driver’, “Would you please answer this question for  16 ?”

　　Having heard the thorough explanation  17 by the ‘driver’, the professor was much  18 . He stood dumbfounded and said to  19 , “His driver is so  20 , let alone (更不用说) Einstein himself.”

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What’s the meaning of “dark horse”? It’s someone who wins when no one expects it.

Han Xiaopeng took China’s first gold on snow. He became an Olympic “dark horse” by winning the gold medal in men’s freestyle aerial skiing(自由式滑雪空中技巧) at Turin in Italy. He made two almost perfect jumps for the highest score. Han had never won a world gold medal before, let alone(更不用说) in the Olympics!

“I never thought this would happen,” said the 23-year-old. “I feel like I’m in a dream.” It’s China’s second gold medal at the Turin Olympics. But more important, Han’s gold was the country’s first ever in a snow sport. In 2002, China’s Yang Yang won the gold for speed skating at the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, US.

That Han’s win was unexpected doesn’t mean that he didn’t work hard.

Han grew up in Jiangsu Province. Before he started his training on snow, he used to be an acrobat(杂技演员) at a circus. In 1995, a coach found his talent(才能). The coach, Yang Er’qi, said Han had the agility(灵活性) and courage to be a ski jumper. When Yang first took the 12-year-old to northern China, the boy couldn’t swim, skate or ski. But he wasn’t afraid of the high platform(跳台) and kept on training.

Han almost left the sport after hurting his knee months before the Salt Lake Games. In that Olympics he only got 24th. “I was hopeless at that time, but my family and the coach stood firmly(坚强地) behind me, helping me through,” he recalled.

 Han Xiaopeng worked so hard that he won the gold medal in the Olympics at last. Because of his success, more and more people in China are becoming interested in skiing. We are proud of him and we hope he will have another big success in the next winter Olympics.

71. What does ‘dark horse’ mean? It means _____________.

A. a horse which is dark                                 B. someone who is unexpected to win

C. a horse which likes the dark               D. someone whose win is expected

72. Where did Han Xiaopeng take China’s first gold on snow?

A. In China                B. In Italy.             C. In America.             D. In Australia.

73. What made the coach, Yang Er’qi, choose Han Xiaopeng to be a ski jumper?

A. He had enough courage though he was only 12 years old.

B. He was born in the south of China and liked sports on snow.

C. He had the agility and wasn’t afraid of the high platform.

D. He had the talent and he had won a world gold medal before.

74. Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A. He insisted on competing though hurting his knee in the game

B. He made two almost perfect jumps and got the highest score.

C. Someone had won the gold before Han Xiaopeng at the winter Olympics.

D. He never gave up even though he had faced many difficulties.

75. What is the best title for this passage?

A. A Wonderful Match                           B. A Dark Horse at the Winter Olympics

C. A Hopeful Snow Game                       D. An Exciting Skiing Race