If you want to learn anything at school, you need to listen to your teachers. Unfortunately, millions of kids can’t hear what their teachers are saying. And it’s not because these students are goofing off. Often, it’s the room’s fault. Building architecture and building design can create echo(回声)-filled classrooms that make hearing difficult.

Children with hearing impairments（损伤）suffer most from noisy classrooms. They sometimes can’t hear questions that other students ask in class. Compared with kids with healthy hearing, they have a harder time picking up new vocabulary words by hearing them in talking.

Even kids with normal hearing have a harder time in the classroom when there’s too much noise. Younger children in particular have trouble separating important sounds – like a teacher’s voice – from background noise. Kids with learning disabilities and speech impediments（障碍）and kids for whom English is a second language also have a harder time learning in noisy situations.

In recent years, scientists who study sound have been asking schools to reduce background noise, which may include loud air-conditioners and pipes. They’re also targeting outdoor noises, such as highway traffic. Noise reduction is a big deal. Why? Because quieter classrooms might make you smarter by letting you hear your lessons better.

“It’s so obvious that we should have quiet rooms that allow for access to the lesson,” says Dan Ostergren, a hearing scientist. “Sometimes it surprises me that we spend so much time discussing this topic. I just want to go. Why is this hard for anyone to grasp?”

1.The underlined part “goofing off” in the first paragraph can be replaced by “     ”.

2.Who is most affected by noisy classrooms?

3.Why should noise be reduced in classrooms?

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

You and your friends will have lots of fun with Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies. You can talk to someone who is in another room at your house or someone who is up to 180 feet away from you. You can take your walkie -talkie with you when you go camping or walking.
Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies are easy to use. This is what you do:
1. Push the ON button.
2. Hold the TALK button in and say something. If your friend has his/her walkie - talkie on, he/she will hear you.
If you want to talk for a long time, you can lock the TALK button. Just push the button in and up. When you finish talking, push the TALK button down.
3. When you finish talking, let go of the TALK button and listen. When your friend pushes the TALK button and says something, you will hear what your friend says through your walkie -talkie.
4. When you finish talking with your friend, push the ON button again to turn your walkie-talkie off.

Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen（氧气）that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty.
Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway（摇摆）from side to side.
Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden.
Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention?
Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem (茎) and more leaves.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is right?

B

How do apology languages work? Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering a partial apology in a “language”, that was foreign to your listener. The five languages of apology include:

Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”

List the hurtful effects of your action. Not “I am sorry if …”, but “I am sorry that…”. You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.

Apology Language 2:“I was wrong.”

Name your mistake and accept fault. Note that it is easier to say “You are right” than “ I am wrong”, but the latter carries more weight.

Apology Language 3: “What can I do to make it right?”

How are you now? How shall I make amends(弥补) to you? How can I restore your confidence that I love you— even though I was so hurtful to you?

Apology Language 4: “I’ll try not to do that again.”

Engage in problem-solving. Don’t make excuses for yourself such as, “Well, my day was just so…” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself from putting them in the same bad situation again.

Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”

Be patient in seeking forgiveness. They may need some time or greater clarification(澄清) of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.

Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch(橄榄枝) of peace.

1.The passage mainly talks about___________

A．5 tips for apologies that work              B．5 ways of refusing apologies

C．the function of apology languages           D．the importance of apology languages

2.According to Paragraph 1, your apology may be refused mainly because________

A．your listeners can’t understand your dialect.

B．your listeners can’t hear what you said clearly.

C．your apology is not sincere.

D．your apology is not expressed well enough.

3.When offering an apology, which of the following does the author prefer?

A．“You are right”                        B．“I am sorry if …”

C．“I was wrong.”                        D．“Well, my day was just so…”

4.In the last paragraph, the author tells us even if your apology may not be accepted, at least ___________.

A．It’s your fault any more                 B．your mind will be at peace

C．your friend will make peace with you.        D．your apology is true to your heart

How do apology languages work? Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering a partial apology in a “language” , that was foreign to your listener．The five languages of apology include:

Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”

List the hurtful effects of your action．Not “I am sorry if …”, but “I am sorry that…”．You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.

Apology Language 2:“I was wrong.”

     Name your mistake and accept fault．Note that it is easier to say “You are right” than “ I am wrong”, but the latter carries more weight.

Apology Language 3: “ What can I do to make it right?”

     How are you now? How shall I make amends(弥补) to you? How can I restore your confidence that I love you— even though I was so hurtful to you?

Apology Language 4: “I’ll try not to do that again.”

     Engage in problem-solving．Don’t make excuses for yourself such as, “Well, my day was just so…” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself from putting them in the same bad situation again．

Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”

      Be patient in seeking forgiveness．They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.

      Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace.

The passage mainly talks about___________

     A．5 tips for apologies that work          B．5 ways of refusing apologies

     C．the function of apology languages       D．the importance of apology languages

According to Paragraph 1, your apology may be refused mainly because________

     A．your listeners can’t understand your dialect.

     B．your listeners can’t hear what you said clearly.

     C．your apology is not sincere.

     D．your apology is not expressed well enough.

When offering an apology, which of the following does the author prefer?

     A．“You are right”                   B．“I am sorry if …”

       C.“I was wrong.”                   D．“Well, my day was just so…”

In the last paragraph, the author tells us even if your apology may not be accepted, at

least ___________.

     A．It’s your fault any more                B．your mind will be at peace

     C．your friend will make peace with you   D．your apology is true to your heart