Though the ways of teaching have come a long way, the ways of communicating between teachers and students are almost the same. But now, a European country is trying to change that by building schools that have no classrooms, no subject lessons and best of all, no grades.
The idea behind the special school is that children are creative. And researchers also think that kids’ learning and ideas are as important as those of the CEO of Google, so why not give them a similar environment? Kids may be successful in such an environment.
To make kids more creative, the schools are built with special learning areas instead of traditional classrooms. And even the lessons are taught in a special way, with mobile phones and computers.
There is no “right” or “wrong” kind of education. The school believes that everything is a learning experience, whether it is about a serious science project or making a movie inside the school’s recording studio.
One of the special schools opened in August, 2011. It has five learning areas. The Cave is a secluded place where students fix their attention on individual (个人的) projects without being bothered (打扰). The Lab is a place where students can do all kinds of experiments and test their ideas. Kids can work in groups in the same projects in The Camp Fire. The Show Off is where kids can show their inventions. And if the kids need a rest, they can visit The Watering Hole, which has all kinds of fun activities.
Sounds great? And the coolest thing is that the school is free! I hope more schools like this will appear in the world!
【小题1】What is the idea behind the special school?

Most children like watching TV．It's very interesting．By watching TV they can see and learn a lot and know many things about their country and world．Of course they can learn on the radio，but they can learn better and more easily on TV．Why? Because they can hear and watch at the same time．But they can't see anything over the radio．TV helps to open children's eyes．TV helps to open their brain，too．They can learn newer and better ways of doing things．They may find the world is now smaller than before．Many children watch TV Saturday or Sunday evenings．They are always busy with their lessons．But a few children watch TV every night．They go to bed very late．They can't have a good rest．How about you，my young friend?

1．What's the main idea of this passage?

A．Watching TV is a good help for most student to learn everything．

B．It's interesting to watch TV for children．

C．Watching TV is a good way for children to learn something useful．

D．Watching TV is good for children，but watching TV too much is not good at all．

2．The children like watching TV better than listening to the radio because ________．

A．watching TV is more interesting

B．they can learn more

C．they can watch and hear at the same time

D．They can watch every night

3．In “TV helps to open their brain”，the “brain” means _________．

A．智力                   B．大脑                    C．脑袋                      D．视野

4．A few children go to bed late because they _________．

A．are busy with their lessons                        B．do their homework

C．watch TV too late                                      D．listen to the radio

5．From this passage we can know，if your friend watches TV too much，_________．

A．his parents will help him with his work

B．his parents will be very angry and stop him from watching

C．it's good way to learn better and more easily

D．it's not good for health，but very good for his lessons

　　Some people like to fish. Some like to build things. Others like to paint. George Washington Carver liked to grow things. He was happy when he was with flowers and plants. He liked farming.

　　Today, farmers of the South are glad that George Washington Carver felt this way. Thanks to Mr Carver, they grow good crops. Once Southern farmers only planted cotton. But George Washington Carver told them, plant peanuts (花生). They will make your land rich. Your other crops will grow better. The farmers listened to him. They planted peanuts. Then they came to him again. Where could they sell thousands of peanuts?

　　Once again George Washington Carver helped them. He found hundreds of ways of using peanuts. Some things that could be made from peanuts were butter (花生酱) and candy. Soap, oil (油), paint (油漆), ink, and any other things would be made from peanuts, too.

　　George Washington Carver was a Black. Today, his work is known all over the world.

(1) George Washington Carver liked to ________.

[　　]

(2) The story says, “Where could they sell thousands of peanuts?” The word “they” means ________.

[　　]

(3) The story does not say this, but from what we have read, we can tell that ________.

[　　]

A．George Washington Carver is not well known

B．Southern farmers would not listen to Mr Carver

C．George Washington Carver was a great scientist

D．George Washington Carver was a great inventor

(4) What did George Washington Carver find?

[　　]

A．He found hundreds of ways to pick peanuts.

B．He found hundreds of ways for using peanuts.

C．He found thousands of ways to get peanuts.

D．He found hundreds of ways to plant peanuts.

(5) The main idea of the whole story is that ________.

[　　]

A．George Washington Carver helped the Southern farmers

B．George Washington Carver liked to row things

C．George Washington Carver was a farmer

D．All butter and candy can only be made from peanuts

These days, I’m surprised at what my classmates have changed since school started. It’s not just the new teachers, new buildings, or new rules. I also notice how people are dressing differently. Dressing is not just a choice to keep warm. It’s also a healthy personal choice in so many ways.
Dress rules: Many schools have dress rules. They tell students what to wear at school. The teachers don’t hope to see their students wear unsuitable clothes in the classroom.
Self-respect: The way we dress shows the way we feel about ourselves. If we aren’t confident or need lots of attention, we’ll often dress in ways that help us get that attention. If you want to get attention in a healthy way, you don’t need to dress in an interesting way to express your mind.
Body image(形象): If some kids look very bad or ugly, dressing properly(正确地) can cover them. And it can also help them feel beautiful and comfortable among their friends.
Being what you wear: Dressing is important. Dressing in a wrong way can make people mistake(误解)you. People like to judge according to what they see. Clothing can often give people a wrong idea.
【小题1】 The writer feels very ____________ because of the way his classmates dress these days.

People can find jobs in many ways. Sometimes you can find a job easily, by walking into a local store and looking at its notice board(布告栏). Local stores often have areas for people to put small signs telling the services that they need or they can provide.  Such services include looking after children or cleaning houses.
Another popular tool for finding a job is the Internet. For example, people around the world can
use the Craigslist Web site to buy things, meet people or find a job. It is said that the site can receive two million new jobs each month.
Another useful way to find a job is through a university. For example, students at the University
of Texas can go to the job center to get help. Many college students like this way better.
At times, some experts(专业人士)can also help people find a job. Susan Miller has her own company called California Job Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find a job by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods to help them find the right job. So with her help, many people have succeeded in finding a good job.
【小题1】On the Craigslist Web site, you can't________ .