Bursting into the classroom from recess, 15 children take their seats and face the woman they know as Ms. Yang.

“What day is it today?” she asks, in Mandarin Chinese.

“Confucius’ birthday!” the fifth graders shout in Mandarin.

“Why do we celebrate Confucius’ birthday?”

“Because he’s the greatest teacher in the history of China!” exclaims a brown-haired girl. She is speaking Mandarin.

English is rarely heard in Lisa Yang’s class at the Chinese American International School(CAIS), despite the fact that few students are native speakers of Mandarin.

The United States is actively trying to increase the group of students in “critical languages” such as Mandarin. The students at CAIS are way ahead in such a trend.

Founded 25 years ago, this small private school in San Francisco, USA, does what few other American schools do: It produces fully fluent speakers of Mandarin Chinese, by far the most commonly spoken language in the world.

Mandarin Chinese is suddenly hot in American schools. As China becomes the world’s leading economy sometimes this century, schools in the U. S. are scrambling to add Mandarin to their list of foreign languages or expand Chinese programs already in place.

“It really is almost unprecedented. People are looking at China as a force to be reckoned with… And to ensure that the U. S. has the ability to conduct trade, and to work with the Chinese. Certainly having an understanding of Chinese language and culture is an advantage,” said Marty Abbott of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL).

To develop Chinese-language programs has not been smooth. A shortage of trained teachers has made it difficult for some schools to join the race. When schools do get teachers, they often hire them straight from China, and the teachers usually suffer culture shock when they come to the U. S.

Robert Liu remembers his first two years in an American classroom It was not an easy adjustment. “In China, students respect their teachers,” he said. Liu found that American students, however, expect an active teaching style. He had to use games to engage them rather than lectures.

To avoid many of the problems with foreign teaching styles, the CAIS has been working with the Chinese government to improve training of teachers who are sent to the U. S.

1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Understanding Chinese language and culture is helpful to work with Chinese.

B. Chinese-language programs have met trouble during the development.

C. Many other American schools do the same as CAIS, founded 25 years ago.

D. A lack of trained Mandarin Chinese teachers is a problem for the programs.

2.What kind of problem is the most difficult to adjust in teaching Chinese in America?

A. To adapt themselves to the American life styles.

B. To communicate with the American students.

C. To get along well with the American students.

D. To be fit for the cultural differences in teaching styles.

3.The meaning of the underlined word “scrambling” is similar to .

A. climbing B. rushing

C. changing D. beating

4.It can be learned from the passage that .

A. the students in Lisa Yang’s class usually speak Chinese

B. There are few American students in Lisa Yang’s class

C. We celebrate Confucius’ birthday because he’s the greatest history teacher

D. in America the students don’t respect their teachers

 

 

Joshua, Helmut ,and Bethlehem

Michelle O. Donovan

ISBN 9781462058679

Life is not easy for nine-year-old Joshua during World War II. Because of his family’s Jewish background, they are sent to live in the concentration camps. Scared and alone, Joshua one day makes friends with a little mouse he calls Bethlehem who becomes his closest friend.

More Things in Heaven

Bill Bosworth

ISBN 9780595433582

In his More things in Heaven, Bill Bosworth presents the highlights of his 83 years of life, including his trips to India and the study of the writings of several great spiritual leaders. More Things in Heaven will appeal to anyone who insists on finding the deepest meaning for their existence based on their own experiences.

Encourage Me!

Inspirational Poetry

Gloria Coykendall

ISBN 9781412027854

It is an easy-to-read collection of poems originally written to encourage in faith and to be a cure for chronic depression… cure to strengthen identity and purpose.

Creation or Evolution

Michael Ebifegha

ISBN 9781450289023

Were humans created, or did they evolve? How old is the Earth? The debate between science and religion continues to be heated. In Creation or Evolution, Michael Ebifegha examines these two opposed world views within the structure of empirical science.

 

Seeking the Edge

Dr. Joseph L. Rose

ISBN 9781462031795

Seeking the Edge provides the tools and techniques to find that edge in one’s life—driving readers to achieve success whether in your current job, finding a new job, in education, family, or even hobbies.

1.Who wrote the story about a little boy and a little mouse?

A.Bill Bosworth. B.Michelle O. Donovan.

C.Dr. Joseph L. Rose. D.Gloria Coykendall.

2.The ISBN for the book of poems is _______.

A.9781462031795 B.9781412027854

C.9780595433582 D.9781462058679

3.What kind of readers will probably like reading More Things in Heaven?

A.Those who are searching for the meaning of life

B.Those who are trying to be spiritual leaders.

C.Those who study the art of writing

D.Those who like traveling abroad.

4.Which of the following books explores the origin of humans?

A.Seeking the Edge.

B.Creation or Evolution.

C.Joshua, Helmut, and Bethlehem.

D.More Things in Heaven.

 

It is a tall tale that terrifies most young children. Swallow a piece of chewing gum and it will remain in your body for seven years before it is digested. An even worse tale is that swallowed gum can wrap itself around your heart.

But what does happen if you should accidentally eat a stick of gum? Chewing gum is made out of gum base, sweeteners, coloring and flavoring. The gum base is pretty indigestible一it is a mixture of different ingredients that our body can’t absorb.

Most of the time, your stomach really cannot break down the gum the way it would break down other foods. However, your digestive system has another way to deal with things you swallow. After all, we eat lots of things that we are unable to fully digest. They keep moving along until they make it all the way through the gut and come out at the other end one or two days later.

The saliva in our mouths will make an attempt at digesting chewing gum as soon as we put it in our mouths. It might get through the shell but many of gum’s base ingredients are indigestible. It’s then down to our stomach muscles一which contract and relax, much like the way an earthworm moves一 to slowly force the things that we swallow through our systems.

Swallowing a huge piece of gum or swallowing many small pieces of gum in a short time can cause a blockage within the digestive system, most often in children, who have a thinner digestive tube than adults 一but this is extremely rare.

1.Children might feel terrified after swallowing chewing gum mainly because .

A. they believe the tall tales about chewing gum

B. chewing gum will stay in their body for years

C. their heart will be wrapped by chewing gum

D. chewing gum is indigestible for children

2.What happens to the food that can’t be fully broken down?

A. It remains in our digestive system forever.

B. It will be eventually moved out of our body.

C. It will fight against the power of the gut.

D. It will stick to the gut for one or two days.

3.What would be the best title for text?

A. How does our digestive system work?

B. Can chewing gum be swallowed by kids?

C. Does swallowing chewing gum matter?

D. Why swallowing chewing gum frightens kids?

 

Urbanization

Until relatively recently, the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city. The first city was probably founded no more than 5500 years ago. 1. In fact, nearly everyone live on farms or in tiny rural(乡村的) villages. It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history 一 a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.

Britain was only the beginning. 2. The process of urbanization — the migration(迁徙) of people from the countryside to the city — was the result of modernization, which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.

In 1900, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities. Only about 2% live on farms. 3.

Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninety-five people on farms to feed five people in cities. 4.

Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite and the servants, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmer and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.

Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. 5. Today, instead of needing ninety-five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non-farmers.

A. That kept cities very small.

B. The rest live in small towns.

C. The effects of urban living on people should be considered.

D. Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies.

E. But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities.

F. Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive.

G. Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.

 

You may be surprised to see “making sure children never suffer” as a mistake. The following may help you understand how rescuing children from all suffering weakness.

A little boy felt sorry for a butterfly struggling to from its chrysalis. He decided to the butterfly. So he peeled the chrysalis open for the butterfly. The little boy was so to watch the butterfly spread its wings and fly off into the sky. Then he was horrified he watched the butterfly fall to the ground and die because it did not have the muscle to keep flying. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to the chrysalis helps the butterfly become stronger.

Like the little boy, too often want to protect their children from struggle in the of love. They don’t realize that their children need to struggle, to experience , to deal with disappointment, and to solve their own problems. Only in this way can children their emotional strength, become and develop the skills necessary for the even bigger struggles they will meet throughout their lives. Children experiencing sufferings can the ups and downs of life.

However, it isn’t helpful either in this case when parents lectures(训斥), blame and shame to what the child is experiencing. Mothers to say, “Stop crying and acting like a spoiled boy. You can’t always get what you want.” These words should be avoided.

Instead, parents can offer loving support. You can say, “Don’t lose . Be brave! You will succeed if you try again.” Then comes the tough part—no a no lectures. Simply allow him to discover that he can get over his disappointment and what he can do to get what he wants in the future.

1.A. story B. proverb C. saying D. Experiment

2.A. damages B. burns C. creates D. experiences

3.A. hear B. suffer C. date D. emerge

4.A. kill B. feed C. help D. rescue

5.A. excited B. moved C. puzzled D. depressed

6.A. as B. since C. before D. until

7.A. power B. energy C. strength D. force

8.A. come up B. do away with C. get along with D. break away from with

9.A. teachers B. parents C. relatives D. friends

10.A. case B. charge C. name D. course

11.A. friendships B. scholarships C. relationships D. hardships

12.A. strengthen B. require C. get D. achieve

13.A. warm-hearted B. strong-willed C. absent-mind D. cold-blooded

14.A. expect B. predict C. survive D. avoid

15.A. add B. adapt C. devote D. contribute

16.A. pretend B. happen C. tend D. seem

17.A. discouraging B. inspiring C. interesting D. touching

18.A. heart B. face C. sight D. weight

19.A. parking B. smoking C. drinking D. rescuing

20.A. figure out B. carry out C. rule out D. drop out

 

My three-year-old granddaughter, Tegan, went with her parents to a family gathering at the home of her other grandparents. Everyone was having a wonderful time visiting and catching up on all the latest family news.

Like most children, Tegan was having a good time playing with all the toys that were different from her own and that were kept for children to play with at her grandparents’ house. In particular, Tegan had found a little tea set and had begun pretending that she was having a tea party. She set up all the place settings and arranged her table with the great care and elegance that only a three-year-old can create. Meanwhile, her Daddy was engrossed in conversation, and as he continued to chat with his family, Tegan would hand him a cup of "tea". Her Daddy, who always tries to participate in her games, would pause for a few seconds from his conversation, and say all the proper words and gestures for her tea party which would thrill Tegan. He would request two lumps of sugar. He would tell her how wonderful her tea tasted, and then he would continue his adult conversation with his family.

After going through this routine several times, her Daddy suddenly awoke to reality as he had a flash of concern in his mind: "She is only three years old, where is she getting this ‘tea’ that I've been dutifully drinking?" He quietly followed her, without her knowing, and his fears were growing stronger as he saw her turn and go through the bathroom door. Sure enough, there she was stretching up on her tippy toes reaching up to get her ‘tea’ water -- out of the container of water that grandpa used to soak his false teeth!

1.At the family gathering, the adults __________.

A.watched their favorite TV programs

B.talked about what happened at home

C.drank tea while chatting

D.arranged tables for children’s games

2.Which of the following phrases can replace the underlined phrase “was engrossed in” in Paragraph 2 ?

A.got tired of B.got annoyed by

C.was absorbed in D.was puzzled at

3.What can be learned from the text ?

A.Tegan was unhappy to be left alone at the gathering.

B.Tegan’s father often played with her in games.

C.Tegan refused to apologize for what she had done.

D.Tegan’s father cared nothing about what she was doing.

4.Tegan’s Dad followed her secretly to find out __________.

A.whether there was any tea left

B.how she made tea so wonderful

C.where she got the sugar for tea

D.what kind of tea he had drunk

 

Are you a saver or a spender?

"A penny saved is a penny earned." This old saying calls attention to the wisdom of saving money. "_________________________" is another way to talk about saving for the future.

People who hate to spend money are known as "tightwads," while those who like to get the most value for their money are called "thrifty." A thrifty person is different from a "spendthrift." A spendthrift is someone who spends wastefully. People like that are often said to spend money "like a drunken sailor" or "like there's no tomorrow."

In the United States, people who want to start a savings account have different choices of where to put their money. These include banks and credit unions. Credit unions are cooperatives for people who have some kind of connection. For example, the members might work for a university or a government agency. Most credit unions are nonprofit organizations.

Credit unions, banks and other financial institutions pay interest on savings accounts. But the interest rates are low. Certificates of deposit(存款证) pay higher returns. With a certificate of deposit, or CD, a person agrees not to withdraw the money for a certain period of time. This term could be anywhere from a few months to several years. Longer terms, and larger amounts, pay higher interest. People can withdraw their money early but they have to pay a fine.

In a number of countries, people have been saving less over the years. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a group of thirty-four countries. The OECD says in 1990, Americans had a household savings rate of seven percent. This year, that rate is expected to be a little more than four percent and many European countries have higher rates like the UK and France , but Americans save more than families in countries like Japan and South Korea.

1.Which of the following proverbs can be filled in the blank in Paragraph 2?

A.Health is wealth.

B.Money is a good servant but a bad master

C.Put money away for a rainy day.

D.Money doesn’t grow on trees.

2.If you have $10,000, which of the following may help you get higher interest ?

A.Choose certificates of deposit for one year.

B.Put the money in banks for one year.

C.Put the money in credit unions for one year.

D.Choose certificates of deposit for one year but withdraw the money ahead of time.

3.What does the passage mainly talk about ?

A.Different choices of putting money away in the US.

B.The importance of saving money.

C.How to put money into banks.

D.The household savings rate in the US.

 

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