Forty years ago, Finland was a small country with mediocre（普通）public schools. Today, Finland is still small but no one calls Finland’s public schools mediocre any more.

In 2000, the Finns surprised the world when their 15-year-olds scored at the top of a closely watched international exam called the PISA. Finland has stayed near the top ever since, while the U.S. scores around the middle.

Pasi Sahlberg, an official with Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture, is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland’s success, and what states like Washington can learn from it.

Sahlberg’s message, although he is too polite to put it so bluntly（坦率）: Stop testing so much, trust teachers more; give less homework; shorten the school day.

On Tuesday, in a room filled with teachers, principals, professors, school-board members and policy makers, Sahlberg joked about the Finns’ reputation（名声） for being a quiet, humble people. “When Finland hit the top of the PISA,” he said, “the biggest disbelievers were Finns.”

More seriously, Finland never set out to create the world’s top school system. Instead, he said, the country decided in the 1970s that it wanted to ensure that a student’s success didn’t depend on family background.

“Finland relied on cooperation among teachers and schools, rather than on competition. Rather than judging teachers and schools based on test scores,” he said, “Finland puts trust in its teachers and principals. Teachers develop the curriculum in Finland, and design their own tests. There are no national tests, except one at the end of high school.”

That’s just the start. Along with a shorter school day, Finnish students don’t even start school until they are 7 years old. Many primary schools have a policy against giving homework.

“But Finland,”he said,“succeeded in part by adopting ideas from the U.S. and other countries. And those countries, ”he said, “can learn from Finland, too.”

1.What might be the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A. To introduce a Finnish official.

B. To compare the education systems of Finland and the US.

C. To share the story of Finland’s success in education.

D. To ask the US to improve its education.

2.People first learned Finland’s success in education from_____.

A. its students’ performance in an international exam.

B. its international exchange programs.

C. lectures given by Pasi Sahlberg.

D. its small-sized public schools.

3.Which of the following can contribute to Finland’s success in education?

a. Giving students fewer tests.

b. Giving teachers more trust.

c. Evaluating students’ family backgrounds.

d. Creating the world’s top school system.

e. Starting school late.

A. a,b,c B. c,d,e C. a,b,e D. b,c,d

4.What Pasi Sahlerg said in Paragraph 7 suggested that ______.

A. children should start school as early as possible.

B. competition among teachers might be harmful to education.

C. the US education system is still the most advanced.

D. it’s necessary to set up a national curriculum.

A food additive (添加剂) is any substance that is added to food. Many people are put off by the idea of “chemicals in food.” The truth is that all food is made up of chemicals. Natural substances like milk, as well as man-made ones like drinks on sale in the market, can be described by chemical formulas. Some chemical substances are indeed harmful, but a person who refused to consume any chemicals would find nothing to eat.

The things we eat can be divided into natural and man-made substances. Some people feel that only natural foods are healthy and that all man-made ingredients are to be avoided. But many natural chemicals, found in plants and animals, are harmful when eaten, and some laboratory-made substances increase the nutritional value of food. Other chemicals have natural and man-made forms that are exactly alike: vitamin C is vitamin C, whether it comes from a test tube or from an orange. Like “chemical”, “man-made” doesn’t necessarily mean “not fit to eat”.

Food additives are used for many reasons. We add sugar and salt and other things to foods we prepare at home to make them taste better. Food producers have developed a range of additives that stabilize（使稳定）, thicken, harden, keep wet, keep firm, or improve the appearance of their products. Additives can make food more convenient or nutritious, give it a longer shelf life, and make it more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the sales and profits of the producers.

Food additives are presently the centre of a storm of serious argument. Food producers have been known to use additives that have not been proved safe; some substances in common use have been proved unsafe and have been taken off the market. Many people feel there’s a risk of eating food to which anything has been added. But food additives are now regulated by the FDA of the federal government, and new additives will go through strict testing before they can be placed on the market. For most people, the chances of developing serious side effects (副作用) from the long-term use of presently approved (批准) food additives are very small.

1.From the passage we can learn that .

A. natural foods are much safer than man-made ones

B. it is right to refuse chemicals in food

C. food additives are harmful to our health

D. all foods have chemical substances

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

A. Food additives can improve the quality of foods in many ways.

B. To ensure food safety, the FDA will stop food additives.

C. Foods free of additives can keep a much longer shelf life.

D. Foods with more additives have higher nutritional value.

3.We can infer from the regulation to the food additives by the FDA that .

A. new additives will be approved more easily than before

B. food with common-used additives will be taken off the market

C. food additives will be used in a safer and more scientific way

D. food producers won’t be allowed to use new food additives

4.According to the writer, the food additive is .

A. worrying B. acceptable

C. poisonous D. avoidable

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Seven Ways to Find Out What You Really Want in Life

Be good to yourself

You can’t pinpoint(准确指出) exactly what you want in life. You’re constantly sacrificing your time and dreams for other people. 1. Ask yourself: if you weren’t tied down by your job, family, or anything else, then what would you be doing right now?

Regret nothing

To be good to yourself is not selfish. It’s your life. It’s time for you to live it exactly the way you want to. If you constantly regret things you did or didn’t do in the past, then you won’t be able to move forward. 2.

Figure out what you need

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what you need. Sit down and think about what you need most. The freedom to express yourself? Love? Financial security? Something else? If it helps, you can make a list. Also think about the kind of legacy(遗产) you want to leave behind.

3.

You can fly only by pushing back against something you don’t want. Figure out what upsets you, and be specific about it. Don’t just say that you hate your office job. Pinpoint exactly why you hate it. Could it be your strict boss? Your workload? Your meaningless job title? Or all of the above?

Determine what makes you truly happy

There’s no life to waste if you’re happy with living it. Think about what makes you happy. Being around children? Is it traveling? Owning a successful business? Financial freedom? 4.

Let people around you know what you’re trying to achieve

Don’t keep your goals and desires to yourself. Voice it all out! If you tell people what you’re trying to accomplish, they will most likely support you and give you new ideas. Sometimes mother does know best!

Stay positive

Life doesn’t always go how you want it. Don’t feel discouraged as your plans stray(偏离). Take control. Instead of being anxious, try your best to advance with the changes. You will get there someday. 5.. You’re just taking a little detour(绕道).

A. Don’t live in the past but live in the present!

B. Sometimes a positive attitude is all you need to keep going.

C. Determine what really bothers you.

D. Once you pinpoint the one thing that makes you happy the most, you’ll have a pretty clear

idea of what you should struggle hard to get in your life.

E. You have to put yourself first, because if you don’t, then no one else will.

F. Determine what you are going to do next.

G. You should think of things positively.

完形填空阅读下面短文, 从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中, 选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

On a cold winter evening, I was walking home, tired and hungry, when suddenly came screams (呼喊声) from behind some trees. _____ , I slowed down to listen, and _____ that what I was hearing were the sounds of a fight. A woman was being _____ not far from where I stood.

“Should I go to help her?” I thought. I was worried about my own _____ , and I regretted having suddenly decided to take a new way home that night. “ _____ I’m hurt too? Shouldn’t I just _____ to the nearest phone and call the police?...” But already the girl’s _____ were growing weaker. I knew it was time for me to act fast because I could not _____ the life of this unknown woman, _____ it meant risking (冒……的危险) my own life.

I am not a _____ man. I didn’t know where I found the _____ and physical strength(体力), but once I had finally _____ to help the girl, I became suddenly changed. I ran behind the bushes and _____ the attacker off the woman. Struggling, we fell to the ground, where we fought for a few minutes _____ the man jumped up and escaped.

_____ heavily, I stood up and came up to the girl, who was crying behind a tree. In the 56 , I could not see her clearly, but I could certainly _____ her shock. Not wanting to frighten her any further, I at first spoke to her from a distance.

“It’s OK,” I said _____ . “The man ran away. You’re safe now. ”There was a long stop and then I heard the words, said in both wonder and _____ . “Dad, is that you?” And then, from behind the tree, stepped out my youngest _____ , Katherine.

1.A. ExcitedB. FrightenedC. InterestedD. Disappointed

2.A. knewB. understoodC. realizedD. imagined

3.A. attackedB. buriedC. robbed (抢劫)D. caught

4.A. moneyB. safetyC. futureD. family

5.A. What forB. So whatC. What aboutD. What if

6.A. moveB. escapeC. runD. jump

7.A. criesB. noisesC. cheersD. sounds

8.A. saveB. ignoreC. changeD. decide

9.A. althoughB. becauseC. asD. but

10.A. kindB. generousC. intelligentD. brave

11.A. courageB. beliefC. attitudeD. hope

12.A. agreedB. expectedC. promisedD. decided

13.A. tookB. droppedC. pulledD. got

14.A. unlessB. afterC. sinceD. until

15.A. WalkingB. DrinkingC. BreathingD. Fighting

16.A. daylightB. afternoonC. darknessD. midnight

17.A. feelB. seeC. guessD. find

18.A. angrilyB. softlyC. loudlyD. happily

19.A. shameB. peaceC. painD. surprise

20. A. sonB. daughterC. grandsonD. cousin

根据句意和语法, 在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式(不多于3个单词)。

1.Either you or he ___________(like) playing basketball. With whom can I play？

2.The photo reminds me my school days.

3. His elder brother is an (energy) football player

4. The boy lying on the ground __________(lie) that he had seen a cock lay an egg.

5.--- Did you sleep well last night? --- Never (good) , like a rock.

6. This is the first time we (see) a film in the cinema together as a family.

7.People who are________a diet mustn’t have chocolate.

8.It wasn’t until we had stayed together for a couple of weeks I found we had a lot in common.

9.She decided to follow him out of (curious) .

10.Does _______ matter if he can’t finish the job on time?

单句改错

每句有一处错误，请按以下要求改错：

错误：把某词改为某词。写为：某词---某词。例如: was--were

增加：在某词后加某词。写为：某词后加某词。例如：by后加the

删除：去掉多余的词。写为：去掉某词。例如：去掉a

1.They are looking forward to visit China again.

2.The little boy is at his computer, playing computer games, as if having a great fun.

3. He had promised that he’d have a word with me about my work, but he did not keep his words.

4. When he climbed to the top of the mountain, he was out of his breath.

5.When we were young, every evening my brothers and I will stay at home waiting for our mother.

6.Weather permitted, we’ll go out to climb the hill.

7.I’m sorry to have put you to trouble of changing a large note for me.

8. From space, the earth looks like blue. This is why about 71 % of its surface is covered by water.

9.We shall have studied last night, but we went to the concert instead.

10. With time gone by, his memory seems to get worse and he often forgets what subject is discussed at present.

Lost iPhone

Unexpectedly, I lost my white iPhone 5s in Midtown on Friday night. It had a blue green cover on it. There are many pictures of my son in it, and I’m heartbroken. Please return, no questions asked. Reward. Reply to: -2652255359@craigslist. org

Do you need a babysitter that you can trust?

My name is Tina. I am a responsible babysitter that you can trust. If you are looking for someone dependable and affordable I am that person! I HAVE MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE (including disabled children)! I am a retired Home Health Aid and absolutely love children. I work with my sister Iris who has also more than 20 years’ experience as a teacher’s assistant. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETINC YOU! Available 24 hours and flexible with fees! I am fully bilingual—Spanish/English. Please email me or call 712-867-7688.

I BABYSIT ONLY AT MY HOME

I accept children from all ages. Fee starts from $100～$150 a week depending on the hours. I am very flexible and my fee can change. Feel free to contact me via email or on my cell phone 566-67-1873 and we can work something out.

Part-time Chinese Babysitter Wanted

Part-time Chinese speaking babysitter needed to assist with one-year-old twins and to perform some light housework as needed. Assistance needed Fridays and occasional weekends. Please provide your salary expectation. College students are welcome to apply.

Reply to: comm-encbq-2652113885@craigslist. org

1.If you want to send your kids to the babysitter’s home, you can find one in _______ .

A. Ad 1 B. Ad 2 C. Ad 3 D. Ad 4

2.What do we know about Tina?

A. She can speak two languages.

B. She lives alone now.

C. She takes care of children over 3.

D. She used to be a teacher’s assistant.

3.An applicant accepted by Ad 4 will have to _______ .

A. be able to speak two languages

B. be a college graduate

C. work every weekend

D. look after two children

4.Who posted the lost and found information?

A. A mother. B. A kind woman.

C. A heartbroken girl. D. A parent.

Hu Li’s heart sank due to the color of the air. Driving 140 kilometers from Tianjin City to Beijing last week, she held her breath as the air became a charcoal grey haze (炭灰色的阴霾) . The 39-year-old businesswoman has lived in Beijing for a decade, and this past month, she said, brought the worst air pollution she has ever seen. It gave her husband a cough and left her seven-year-old daughter housebound (足不出户) . “My husband as well as I is working here, so we have no choice,” she said. “But if we had a choice, we’d like to escape from Beijing.”

The extended heavy pollution over the last month, which caused punishment in return for a day last week-called the “airpocalypse” by Internet users-has largely changed the way that Chinese think about the country’s air. On one day, pollution levels were 30 times higher than levels considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO). Flights were cancelled. Roads were closed. One hospital in east Beijing reported they had treated more than 900 children for breathing issues. Bloomberg found that for most of January, Beijing’s air was worse than that of an airport smoking area.

The smog’s most threatening aspect is its high concentration (浓度) of PM

2. 5-particulate matter that is small enough to breathe deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing breathing infections, lung cancer and possibly damaging children’s development. The WHO has estimated that outdoor air pollution accounts for two million deaths per year, 65% of them in Asia.

1.Which conclusion can we draw from the first paragraph?

A. Hu Li is living in Beijing.

B. Hu Li traveled to Tianjin for business.

C. The haze is harmful to people.

D. The pollution is the worst in Beijing’s history.

2.The extended heavy pollution has largely changed .

A. the way they traveled

B. the opinion about national air

C. the way they lived their life

D. the lifestyle of Internet users

3.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Hu Li’s Attitudes to Beijing’s Haze

B. The Damage of Beijing’s Haze

C. WHO Suggests Improving Beijing’s Air

D. What Caused Air Pollution in Beijing

There is a story about a man who lost his legs and left arm in an accident. After the accident, only a finger and thumb on his right hand remained.

He was a brilliant, creative, and educated man. He had gained a lot of experience while traveling around the world, so he became very depressed after his accident. He was afraid that he would spend the rest of his life suffering and would no longer be able to spend his life in a meaningful way. Then, he realized that he still had partial function of his right hand and could still write even though it was very difficult. An idea occurred to him. “Why not write to other people who need encouragement? ”

He wrote to the prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied, “Writing to the prisoners is acceptable, but your letters will not be answered. ”

Filled with excitement, the man knew he could write his letters. He began sending one-way messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the limit. He poured his heart and soul into his words and shared his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.

It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of a reply. One day he received a letter from the prison ministry. It was a short note from the officer who monitored and checked the prison mail.

The letter said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell to cell until they literally fall to pieces! ”

No matter what circumstances life may present, we all have unique experiences, abilities, and God-given talents. We can discover ways to reach others who desperately need messages of encouragement and strength.

1.In order to live in a meaningful way, the man began to .

A. receive the school education

B. write to other people who need encouragement

C. meet the people who are depressed

D. help other people with lost arms and legs

2.According to the prison minister, .

A. the man was not allowed to write to the prisoners

B. the man couldn’t go to see the prisoners himself

C. the prisoners were not allowed to answer the letters

D. he was not sure if the prisoners liked receiving the letters

3.From the officer’s short note we are told that .

A. the man would be offered free paper to write letters on

B. some of the prisoners were not satisfied with his letters

C. the prisoners eagerly wanted to write back to the man

D. his letters were very popular among the prisoners

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

A. Stories about a Humorous Person

B. Popularity of Special Letters

C. Special Letters of Encouragement

A Bite of China is a serious documentary providing a unique view of Chinese as well as the relations between people and food and between people and society from the perspective of food.

The touching documentary reminds some people of their mother, and makes some realize that every grain comes from hard work. Some people see patriotism (爱国主义) in the documentary, and some consider it a great cultural export.

“It is not empty propaganda (宣传) about China’s splendid food culture. Instead, it shows the techniques used in making food and their production process as well as the lives of ordinary people, thus striking a chord (共鸣) with the audience, ”an Internet user said. The success of the documentary should be attributed to sincerity and reality.

It is said sarcastically that Americans like to shoot sci-fi films because they have no history, while Chinese like to shoot time-travel dramas to the past because they have no future. It has set people thinking. Works that are created behind closed doors and fail to reflect reality or that only focus on the luxury lives of a few people and ignore ordinary people’s desire for enough food and clothing will not touch people’s hearts, and they will be no use whether traveling to the past or the future.

A Bite of China shows that a commercial documentary promoting patriotism can be full of touching details, that the emotions of ordinary Chinese people should be exhibited even in publicizing China overseas, and that even a completely commercial program can achieve both artistic and commercial success.

“We made this documentary with our respect and love for food, ”said director Chen Xiaoqing. Being sincere is the most important thing for artists because they cannot move others unless they themselves are first moved, and cannot convince others unless they themselves are first convinced. Sincerity is the “secret” for making this documentary so popular, and every cultural creator should learn from its success.

1.What is not the feature of A Bite of China from Paragraphs 1 and 2?

A. Showing relations between people and food and between people and society.

B. Making people realize every grain comes from hard work.

C. Not only providing delicious food but also making people see patriotism.

D. Touching many mothers who can do some cooking.

2.How was Paragraph 4 written?

A. Giving an example. B. Comparing.

C. Narrating. D. Introducing.

3.What’s the secret for making this documentary so popular and successful?

A. Beauty. B. Delicious taste.

C. Interest. D. Sincerity.

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Why is A Bite of China so popular?

B. Why is A Bite of China made into a film?

C. The process of making A Bite of China.

D. A Bite of China witnesses patriotism.