Grandparents might be known for spoiling grandchildren, but a new study says they might also be helping the kids improve their social skills and behavior.
Spending time with grandma and grandpa especially appears to help children from single-parent, divorced/separated or stepfamily households, according to the report, published in the February Journal of Family Psychology.
"Grandparents are a positive force for all families but play a significant role in families undergoing difficulties," the study's lead author, Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said in an American Psychological Association news release. "They can reduce the negative influence of parents separating and be a resource for children who are going through these family changes."
In interviewing 11- to 16-year olds from England and Wales, Attar-Schwartz and her team found that the more conversations the youths had with a grandparent, including asking for advice or even money, the better they got along with their peers and the fewer problems they had, such as hyperactivity and disruptive behavior.
"This was found across all three family structures," she said. "But adolescents in single-parent households and stepfamilies benefited the most. The effect of their grandparents' involvement was stronger compared to children from two biological parent families."
The study did not look at children who lived solely with their grandparents, though.
The findings have great implications for people in the United States, the authors said, because American grandparents are increasingly sharing living space with their grandchildren. A 2004 U.S. Census Bureau survey found that more than 5 million households include a grandparent and a grandchild under 18, up 30 percent since 1990, according to background information in the news release.
【小题1】It is generally believed that a grandmother __________ .

A．can help a child through hard times

B．can help kids develop social skills

C．can spoil a child

D．is a positive force for all families

【小题2】 According to the passage, grandparents will be of least benefit to a child __________ .

A．from two biological parent families

B．from a single—parent household

C．from a divorced household

D．from a stepfamily household

【小题3】A child who asks his grandmother for money will __________ .

A．have difficulty in getting along with his peers

B．still get along well with his peers

C．be easier to be spoiled than his peers

D．not be popular with peers

【小题4】 We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________ .

A．there are more families in America undergoing difficulties

B．American parents are much busier than those from other countries

C．American grandparents are much better at bringing up their grandchildren

D．American kids like to share more living space with their grandparents

【小题5】 The passage implies that __________ .

A．children who live solely with their grandparents may benefit the most

B．grandparents are a source of comfort to children from families undergoing difficulties

C．grandparents play a more positive role than parents in children’s growth

D．all families should leave their children to be brought up by grandparents

The teacher was leaving the village, and everybody seemed sorry. The miller at Cresscombe lent him the small cart and horse to carry his goods to Christminster, the city of his destination, such a vehicle proving of quite enough size for the teacher's belongings, for his only article, in addition to the packing-case of books, was a piano that he had bought when he thought of learning instrumental music. But the eagerness having faded he had never acquired any skill in playing, and the purchased article had been a permanent trouble to him.
The headmaster had gone away for the day, being a man who disliked the sight of changes. He did not mean to return till the evening, when the new teacher would have arrived, and everything would be smooth again.
The blacksmith, the farm bailiff and the teacher were standing in confused attitudes in the sitting room before the instrument. The teacher had remarked that even if he got it into the cart he should not know what to do with it on his arrival at Christminster, since he was only going into a temporary place just at first.
A little boy of eleven, who had been assisting in the packing, joined the group of men, and said, ‘Aunt has got a fuel-house, and it could be put there, perhaps, till you’ve found a place to settle in, sir.’
‘Good idea,’ said the blacksmith.
The smith and the bailiff started to see about the possibility of the suggested shelter, and the boy and the teacher were left standing alone.
‘Sorry I am going, Jude?’ asked the latter kindly.
Tears rose into the boy’s eyes. He admitted that he was sorry.
‘So am I,’ said Mr. Phillotson.
‘Why do you go, sir?’ asked the boy.
‘Well—don't speak of this everywhere. You know what a university is, and a university degree? It is the necessary hallmark (标志) of a man who wants to do anything in teaching. My scheme, or dream, is to be a university graduate. By going to live at Christminster, I shall be at headquarters, so to speak, and if my scheme is practicable at all, I consider that being on the spot will afford me a better chance.’
The smith and his companion returned. Old Miss Fawley's fuel-house was practicable; and she seemed willing to give the instrument standing-room there. So it was left in the school till the evening, when more hands would be available for removing it; and the teacher gave a final glance round.
At nine o'clock Mr. Phillotson mounted beside his box of books, and waved his friends good-bye.
【小题1】It seemed that the teacher _____.

A．was not getting on well with the headmaster

B．had lived a rather simple life in the village

C．was likely to continue to practice playing the piano

D．would get help in the city on arriving there

【小题2】 The motivation of the teacher’s moving lay in his _____.

A．ambition

B．devotion

C．admiration

D．inspiration

【小题3】 The boy named Jude may be described as _____. 

A．polite, generous and cheerful	B．active, modest and friendly
C．kind, bright and helpful	D．calm, confident and humorous

【小题4】In the passage the writer describes both the teacher’s _____.

A．love for music and his dislike for musical instruments

B．hard work in the village and his strong interest in city life

C．friendship with some villagers and also conflicts with others

D．eagerness to go to the city and his affection for the village

There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.
【小题1】Open education allows the students to __________.

A．grow as the educated	B．be responsible for their future
C．develop their own interests	D．discover subjects outside class

【小题2】Open education may be a good idea for the students who __________.

A．enjoy learning	B．worry about grades
C．do well in a traditional classroom	D．are responsible for what they do in life.

【小题3】Some students will do little in an open classroom because __________.

A．there are too few rules	B．they hate activities
C．open education is similar to the traditional education	D．they worry about the rules

【小题4】Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

A．Open education is a really complex idea.	B．Open education is better than traditional education.
C．Teachers dislike open education.	D．The writer thinks that open education is a good idea in practice.

Dear editor,
I am Paul , a senior English teacher in Linchuan No. 1 Middle School in Jiangxi Province , China. This letter is written to ask for your opinion.
The other day, I met with a multiple - choice exercise. We teachers argued heatedly with each other over its answer. Unfortunately, neither side could convince the other. The sentence is to be attached at the end of the letter. There is no doubt that the reference answer C is correct. But I don’t  think it is the only answer. Personally, I do think A is also a reasonable choice in sense as well as in grammar, if the case is treated from another aspect.                                
What puzzles me is why we should deal with so many multiple - choice exercises with not rigorous（严谨的）enough reference keys. But being a teacher, it’s very important and necessary to make it clear to students which answer is correct, which is more appropriate, and which is the best one. Regrettably, Multiple - choice test, which is a bit old - fashioned in western countries, seems to be quite popular and covers a rather high percentage in all sorts of English tests in China, especially in NMET.
Personally speaking, I don’t think multiple - choice test form making up more than 75 percent of the total scores in college entrance examination is a very good and effective testing method. Instead, more subjective testing forms depending on one’s own thinking and his ability to use the language like key words falling, question answering, paragraph or passage summarizing, English - Chinese or Chinese - English inter - translation, etc. should be applied to English proficiency tests. Through the test forms mentioned above, students’ ability to use the language will be better developed. Consequently, more advanced and outstanding English learners could be picked out. In fact, a test paper focusing on multiple - choice test influences, in a sense, students to form their own language thinking, which hinders（阻碍）the development of their language ability as well. Do you think so?
I am looking forward to your authoritative opinion. Thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Liao
【小题1】.
. What can be learnt from the letter is that the writer ________.

A．writes to argue with the editor over China’s present test system

B．thinks the reference answer to the sentence is completely wrong

C．thinks subjective test forms constitute a rather high percentage in NMET

D．doesn’t think highly of China’s present English proficiency test forms

【小题2】.
. In order to better develop students’ ability to use English, the writer suggests ________.

A．dealing with more multiple - choice exercises

B．laying stress on the practice of subjective exercises

C．arguing hotly with teachers over reference answers

D．considering a problem from different aspects

【小题3】.
Which of the following does NOT belong to subjective exercises in English learning?

A．Keeping a diary.	B．Summarizing a paragraph.
C．Copying a test.	D．Translating a passage.

【小题4】.
The writer seems to feel ________ as to the future development of students’ language ability.

A．concerned

B．curious

C．confused

D．satisfied

Some people would go through anything just to achieve their dream. Kasia Siwosz is proof. For the final year student on the university women’s tennis team, the road to Berkeley, University of California was met with poor advice and misinformation from her home country and two unsuccessful stops along the way that fell short of expectations.
Born in Poland, Siwosz began playing tennis at seven years old and developed the skills that helped her earn a top-50 ranking among the ITF Junior division (国际网球联会青少年赛).. Siwosz wanted to do more with her life than just play tennis, which led her to seek chances that would also allow her to obtain a top education. While most who grow up in the U.S. are naturally accustomed to the American tradition of collegiate (大学的) sports, such a custom is not as familiar in a country like Poland. “There’s no collegiate sports in Poland and no culture of sports and academic (学术的) study there. You can only do one, not both,” Siwosz said.
Her desire to have a quality education led her to America to follow her dream. While Siwosz was talented enough to begin her collegiate tennis career, she could only attend community college because she missed the deadline to apply to four-year schools, mainly due to misinformation provided in her home country of Poland.
When she had earned all her credits and was able to transfer (转学), Siwosz made the decision to attend Baylor in Texas. Her friends from Poland put in a good word for the university, saying that it was a good fit because there were many international players at Baylor. “I thought it would be a good idea, but it really wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Siwosz said. “I wasn’t happy at Baylor. The level of tennis was high, but the academic standards were no match and I just wanted more.”
After one year at Baylor, Siwosz’s luck finally began to change when she made the decision to transfer to Berkeley, which was due in large part to Lee, a former Berkeley student. Lee, who is a keen tennis player himself, met Siwosz four years ago in Texas. “I knew she was unhappy there,” he said. “I saw the opportunity for her to come here.” Siwosz visited Lee in Berkeley. “I ended up loving this place and this school,” Siwosz said. “I came here a lot over the summer, I gave it a shot and I ended up with a Berkeley education and a spot on one of the best college tennis teams in the country.”
【小题1】What does “two unsuccessful stops” (Paragraph 1) refer to?

A．Poland and the U.S.

B．Baylor and Berkeley.

C．The community college and Baylor.

D．The ITF Junior division and the Berkeley tennis team.

【小题2】 Why did Siwosz want to leave her homeland for America?

A．Poland had no culture of sports.

B．Berkeley had always been her dream university.

C．She wanted to play tennis and have a good education.

D．She wanted to improve her tennis skills and get a higher ranking.

【小题3】 Why did she leave Baylor?

A．The level of tennis there was not high.

B．It was not suitable for international students.

C．She couldn’t get along with her friends there.

D．She was not satisfied with the education level there.

【小题4】 What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How Siwosz left Poland.

B．How Siwosz realized her dream.

C．How Siwosz became a top tennis player.

D．How Siwosz transferred from Baylor to Berkeley.

1) Your teens don’t want you to be their friends. What they need is for you to be a reliable responsible role model worthy of their respect, and not some overgrown child who wears too tight jeans or T-shirts with slogans advocating the good points of 100 proof liquor.
2) Don’t debate the teen ever. If she wants to debate, suggest she sign up for the Debate Club. If you buy into their teen logic (which is basically illogic, the product of an immature brain and every extreme of emotion known to mankind) your mouth will go dry. Teens need to know that no means no. Remember when your teen was two years old and he said “no” a lot? Well now it’s your turn, particularly when your teen wants to engage in behaviors that are dangerous.
3) Don’t buy your teen a car. If you do, he will total it in record time. Guaranteed. The teen should earn the car, or at least a portion of it (and by that I don’t mean one of the tires). You know how you take much better care of an item of clothing you spent a fortune on compared to one you bought in a bargain basement? It’s the same thing, only a car can do serious damage.
4) Encourage sports participation even if your teen has two left feet. In some sports, two left feet won’t knock him out of the box, so to speak. Sports participation develops perseverance and cheerfully functioning as a team member. You also will know where your child is every day after school (on the field, that is, or at a rival school). Just make sure you root for the right team, okay? Been there, done that.
5) Let the school know you in a good way so that school personnel do not dive under the desk when you approach. If you are asked to speak at the school, your teen will feel mighty proud. If you make something for the bake sale, try to make it taste edible and if you can’t see it through, do yourself and your child a favor and buy something at the local bakery or supermarket.
6) To know your teens’ friends is to know your teens. Teens have a secret life, and a parent’s goal is to find out secrecy that is sometimes thicker than the CIA and the KGB combined. If you really want to know what your kid is up to, get to know their friends. How? By being warm and kind, and by asking questions that don’t sound like an interrogation（审讯）, but serve that purpose without their knowing it.
【小题1】 When your kids are doing something that might negatively affect their future, you should _____.

A．have your kids express their opinions fully and then discuss with them

B．think about how you can be their close friends

C．report that to their school immediately

D．say no and tell them that they must stop

【小题2】 According to the passage, as a parent, you should encourage your kids __________.

A．to wear too tight jeans	B．to sign up for the Debate Club
C．to be greatly involved in sports	D．to make as many friends as they can

【小题3】 The underlined word “total” in the third paragraph probably means ________.

A．damage

B．add

C．buy

D．earn

【小题4】 The passage mainly wants you to know that __________.

A．kids have their secrecy and freedom

B．Raising Teenagers calls for certain parenting skills

C．your teen needs some house rules

D．the family is changing

I Don’t Think I Wrote Wrong
Lao Yang was born in a small town. He liked reading when he studied at school. He thought the writers were respected(尊敬) and could get a lot of money. He wrote a lot of stories and posted them to the editorial departments (编辑部) but didn’t receive any answers.
Now he works in a factory. He’s busy at work. When he’s free, he always reads something. He always remembers he hoped to be a writer when he was young. One day, Xiao Ping, his ten-year-old daughter, came back. She looked worried and didn’t eat anything. She said Miss GAO, her Chinese teacher, told them to write a solicit article(征文) “My Father” that evening. But she did not know what to write.
“That’s easy,” said Lao Yang. “Let me help you.”
Then he sat down to write the solicit article at once. He easily finished it on time. He was sure Miss GAO would like it. But one afternoon he asked his daughter if the article had been chosen to post to the editorial department.
“My teacher said your article digressed from the subject(离题),” said the girl.
“I don’t think so,” Lao Yang shouted angrily. “I described(描写) just my father!”
【小题1】.. Lao Yang wrote a lot of stories because _______.

A．he likes reading

B．he learned much at school

C．he wanted to be a writer

D．he wanted to help others

【小题2】.. Lao Yang posted the stories to the editorial departments, _______.

A．and he got a lot of money	B．and he became a famous man
C．and he was respected	D．but he failed

【小题3】.. As _______, Lao Yang decided to help his daughter.

A．he was a writer

B．he was free

C．he wanted to realize his ideal(理想)

D．he wanted to make his daughter happy

【小题4】. Lao Yang hoped _______.

A．his article could surprise the teacher

B．his article could be chosen

C．the children could like his article

D．everyone could soon know him

【小题5】.. Lao Yang’s solicit article digressed from the subject _______.

A．because he couldn’t write it at all

B．because he didn’t know his father well

C．because it was too bad to be chosen

D．just because he described his father

As the world prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on March 8, a new report details the progress and challenges girls face in getting an education.
The report – from the Education for All Fast Track Initiative – highlights the importance of girls’ education for economic(经济的) and social development. It follows progress in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritania, Mozambique and Niger.
Prema Clarke, author of Fast-tracking Girls’ Education, says, “Progress for girls’ education is that they can leave their homes, leave their families and come to a place to study and to learn.  And that’s a big achievement because otherwise these girls have to stay at home, looking after their brothers and sisters, doing the cooking or doing the cleaning.”
She says progress toward the Millennium Development Goals and those of Education for All “is allowing and enabling girls and forcing countries to look at this issue(问题) and to ensure that interventions (干预) help girls attend school.”
Benefits
Improving education for girls brings many benefits, says Clarke. “It means that girls can then enter the workforce. They can look after their own families much more effectively. They can prevent child death rate. They can educate their own girl children when they begin to expand their own families.” Studies show that having an educated female population helps to improve a country’s health and economic well-being.
Warnings
The report says, “In developing countries, too many girls are not in school, and many girls face continuing health risks and danger just walking to class.”
“Especially in the fragile and post-conflict countries and in many of the African countries, this is a real issue,” she says. Till now, the interventions have been so focused on providing schooling and providing teachers, etc. And now I think there is much more expanded focus on looking at specific（特定的）communities of girls within at-risk groups that now need much more specific attention and much more creative solutions(解决方法) to help them attend school.”
【小题1】The underlined word “highlights” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．shows

B．stresses

C．remarks

D．improves

【小题2】 According to Clarke, improving education can provide girls with all the opportunities EXCEPT _______.

A．to educate their own girl children	B．to prevent child death rate
C．to enter the workforce	D．to study abroad

【小题3】This passage is intended to _____.

A．promote the progress in girls’ education

B．talk about the benefits of improving girls’ education

C．give some information about the education girls are facing

D．sing high praise for the girls’ education

【小题4】It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A．the girls’ educational situation in developing countries is still serious

B．girls were free to go wherever they wanted to in the past

C．there are enough teachers in most of the African countries

D．International Women’s Day was first celebrated on March 8 in 1900

TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language, which assesses the proficiency (熟练) of English language of a person in an academic setting. Various institutions, scholarship programs require this test as a trusted and effective indicator of a person’s ability to communicate in English.

TOEFL is available in CBT----Computer-based Technology, PBT----Paper-based Technology and IBT----Internet-based Test formats（形式）to assess the proficiency of English Language. IBT TOEFL is a four-hour test comprising sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. In areas where internet-based test is not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given. PBT is a three-hour test comprising four sections: Listening, Structure and Written Expression, Reading Comprehension and Writing.
Taking TOEFL test opens many doors to get admission in foreign universities. More than 7500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries rely on TOEFL test scores to check proficiency for English Language. It is very convenient to take this test and it is available in 165 countries world wide.
It measures your academic skills that whether you are ready to study or train at under graduate or post graduate level in foreign universities or not. In the test candidates are provided with a passage from text books and questions based on lectures, and you can be asked to speak or write in response related to that passage.
As the test is made up of 100 % academic questions, so many universities consider it the most effective test, while taking any admission. To take TOEFL test you should:
-----Improve your writing skills;
-----Improve your vocabulary;
-----Practice other reading passages on the TOEFL Test;
-----Be familiar with the format of the test;
-----Practice for listening test on the TOEFL test.
To take admission in World’s famous Harvard University, the minimum TOEFL score required is 587 on the paper-based test, 240 on the computer-based test, or 94-95 on the internet-based TOEFL.
【小题1】The underlined word “comprising” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．including

B．forming

C．combining

D．explaining

【小题2】Which section is Not included in IBT TOEFL?

A．Reading.	B．Writing.
C．Speaking.	D．Structure and Written Expression.

【小题3】 According to the passage, many students are required to take TOEFL test probably because the test can________.

A．improve their academic skills

B．indicate their proficiency of English language

C．provide scholarship programs in many countries

D．decide your graduation from foreign universities

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Advantages of TOEFL test	B．Introduction to TOEFL test
C．Preparations for TOEFL test	D．Assessment of TOEFL test

Bexley Middle School eighth-graders won the grand prize at the 2009 National Engineers Week Future City Competition (TM) on Feb. 18 in Washington, D.C. They competed with 37 other schools across the country.
The students qualified for the national competition by winning a regional competition on Jan. 17 in Columbus. By winning the national event, the students earned an all-expenses paid trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., according to a Bexley school district news report.
Future City aims to stir (激发) interest in science, technology, engineering and math among young people. Bexley team members were Tom Krajnak, Abby Sharp, Wyatt Peery, Elizabeth Maher, Aaron Hutchinson and Truman Haycock. They work in teams under the guidance of a teacher, Margaret Englehardt, and a volunteer engineer, Mark Sherman, design and build a city of tomorrow. Mayor John Brennan presented the students during a recent Bexley City Council meeting. Each team in the Future City competition plans its city using Sim City software and creates a model to show a physical representation of one section of the city. Team members must write both an essay about the yearly theme and an abstract about their city. They also must make a presentation to judges.
Focusing on eco-responsibility, the Bexley team built “Novo-Mondum,” an Icelandic city in the year 2171. Krajnak said the team’s project included a new water system for each resident unit and a 500-word essay on using bacteria to purify water. “We used our essay and abstract (摘要) to build a model,” he said. “It was hard to organize which building would go where, what each building does and how to make it look good.”
Englehardt said her students did a good job answering impromptu (即席) questions during the regional competition. “They can think on their feet,” she said. Principal Harley Williams said the school is very proud of the students’ performance.
【小题1】.. From the passage we can learn that the grand prize winners will _________.

A．receive scholarship for further studies

B．get a free trip to Space Camp in Huntsville

C．earn a large sum of money for their designs

D．be admitted to universities without exams

【小题2】.The goal of the Future City competition is to _________.

A．make the Sim City software popular

B．test the students’ knowledge of city planning

C．select future engineers from young students

D．make students become interested in engineering

【小题3】. Each team must do the following EXCEPT _________.

A．write brief abstracts describing their city

B．present and defend their designs before judges

C．build a future city in Iceland by themselves

D．create model cities using the Sim City software

【小题4】. According to Margaret Englehardt, the students _________.

A．always stand still in the competition

B．react very quickly to the questions

C．prepare for the questions in advance

D．take pride in the advisers’ performance

【小题5】