Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones 2,3 and 4 of the transport system. Most hosts don’t live in the town center as much of central London is commercial and not residential (居住的). Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger accommodation in a less crowded area. It is very convenient to travel in London by underground.
Meal Plans Available
Continental Breakfast
Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast ,packed Lunch and Dinner.
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast . Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal(谷物)，bread and tea or coffee. Cheese ,fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in English. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by dessert , fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit, you must first ask your host’s permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student . However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practice English at home quite as much.
【小题1】The passage is probably written for       

A．hosts willing to receive foreign students

B．foreigners hoping to build British culture

C．travellers planning to visit families in London

D．English learners applying to live in English homes

【小题2】Which of the following will the host provide?

A．Room cleaning.

B．Medical care.

C．Free transport.

D．Physical training.

【小题3】What can be inferred from Paragraph3?

A．Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2.

B．The business centre of London is in Zone 1.

C．Hosts dislike traveling to the city centre.

D．Accommodation in the city center is not provided

【小题4】According to the passage. What does continental Breakfast include?

A．Dessert and coffee	B．Fruit and vegetables.
C．bread and fruit juice	D．Centre and cold meat.

【小题5】Why do some people choose self-catering accommodation?

A．To experience a warmer family atmosphere.	B．To enrich their knowledge of English\
C．To entertain friends as they like.	D．To enjoy much more freedom.

About 21,000 young people in 17 American States don’t attend classes in school buildings. Instead, they receive their elementary (初等) and high school education by working at home on computers . The Center for Education Reform says the United States has 67 public “cyberschools,” and that is about twice as many as two years ago.
The money for students to attend a cyberschool comes from the governments of the states where they live. Some educators say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools . They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well.
Other educators praise this new form of education for letting students work at their own speed. These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools . They say learning at home by computers ends long bus rides for children who live far from school.
Whatever the judgment of cyberschools , they are getting more and more popular.
For example , a new cyberschool called Commonwealth Connections Academy will take in students this fall. It will serve children in the state of Pennsylvania from ages five through thirteen.
Children get free equipment for their online education. This includes a computer, a printer, books and technical services. Parents and students talk with teachers by telephones or by sending emails through their computers when necessary.
Students at cyberschools usually do not know one another. But 56 such students who finished studies at Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter school recently met for the first time. They were guests of honor at their graduation.
【小题1】What do we know from the text about students of a cyberschool?

A．They have to take long bus rides to school.

B．They study at home rather than in classrooms.

C．They receive money from traditional public schools.

D．They do well in traditional school programs.

【小题2】What is a problem with cyberschools?

A．Their equipment costs a lot of money.

B．They get little support from the state government

C．It is hard to know students’ progress in learning.

D．The students find it hard to make friends.

【小题3】 Cyberschools are getting popular because    

A．they are less expensive for students

B．their students can work at their own speed

C．their graduates are more successful in society

D．they serve students in a wider age range

【小题4】We can infer that the author of the text is _________.

A．unprejudiced(无偏见的) in his description of cryberschools .

B．excited about the future of cryberschools

C．doubtful about the quality of cryberschools

D．disappointed at the development of cryberschools.

Today, in many high schools, teaching is now a technical miracle of computer labs, digital cameras, DVD players and laptops. Teachers can e-mail parents, post messages for students on online bulletin(公告，告示) boards, and take attendance with a quick movement of a mouse.
Even though we are now living in the digital age, the basic and most important element of education has not changed. Most students still need that one-on-one, teacher-student relationship to learn and to succeed. Teenagers need instruction in English, math or history, but they also want personal advice and encouragement. Kids talk with me about their families, their weekend plans, their favorite TV shows and their relationship problems. In my English and journalism classes, we talk about Shakespeare and persuasive(富有哲理的) essays, but we also discuss college basketball, the war in Iraq and career choices. Students show me pictures of their rebuilt cars, their family vacations, and their newborn baby brothers. This personal connection is the necessary link between teachers and students that no amount of technology can improve upon or replace.
A few years ago I had a student in sophomore English who was struggling with my class and with school in general. Although he was a humorous young man who liked to joke around, I knew his family life was far from ideal. Whenever I approached him about missing homework or low test grades, he always had the same reply, “It doesn’t matter because I’m quitting school anyway.” Even though he always said this in a half-teasing way, I knew he needed to hear my different opinion and my “value of a high school education” lecture. He needed to hear this speech from me. After he left my class, he struggled through the next two years of school. But, he did finally graduate because we kept telling him to hang in there. We’d cared about him finishing school.
Recently, I saw this former student working at a local Italian restaurant. I told him again how proud I was of him. He said that he was hoping to go back to school to become a certified electrician. I encouraged him to get that training.
Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process—the human one.
【小题1】The first paragraph mainly talks about _____________.

A．the variety of modern teaching methods.

B．the wide use of modern technology in education

C．the importance of teacher-parent relationship.

D．the importance of using modern technology.

【小题2】The underlined word “ compassionate” in Para 5 means ____________.

A．ambitious

B．knowledgeable

C．sympathetic

D．generous

【小题3】 According to the text, the most important element in education is _________.

A．teachers’ good instruction	B．advanced technology
C．teachers’ encouragement	D．personal connection

【小题4】The author states his view of education by __________.

A．example

B．description

C．figure

D．comparison

People believes that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb, you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms(体育馆). Here, people are learning on  climbing. The climbing wall goes straight up and small holding places for hands and feet.
How do people climb the wall? To climb, you need special shoes and harness(保护带) around your chest to hold you. There are ropes(绳索)tied to your harness. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high, and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the new piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult is your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall, the harness and the ropes hold you, and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.
Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger.
【小题1】What can we infer from the passage?

A．People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays.

B．It is impossible to build up one’s body by climbing.

C．People can only learn the skill of climbing outdoors.

D．It is always easy to see holding places in climbing.

【小题2】The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is _______.

A．to tie ropes to your	B．to control your fear
C．to move away from the wall	D．to climb straight up

【小题3】The word “workout” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means _________.

A．settlement

B．exercise

C．excitement

D．tiredness

【小题4】Why does the author write this passage?

A．To tell people where to find gyms.	B．To prove the basic need for climbing
C．To encourage people to climb mountains.	D．introduce the sport of wall climbing

Your children’s teacher will be providing extra time for test preparation. This school year’s test will be held on January 8 and 9. The test preparation time is open to all students, and we strongly encourage your children to attend.
This year we are changing the time for our test preparation: it will be on Thursday mornings from 8:10 to 8:50. This helps children who ride the bus and cannot stay for the after-school period. It also helps avoid conflicts with after-school activities.
Danielle and Marina will be working with the recent new test takers 6 days on the following Thursdays: 15^th, Nov; 29^th, Nov; 6^th, Dec; 13^th, Dec.; 20^th, Dec. and 3^rd, Jan.
Besides the test preparation lectures on these dates, teachers are already putting test preparation into their usual courses. We are finding that we can help our students to be both skillful and whole-hearted readers and test takers — after all, we all know that the best test preparation is good reading and writing training.
What can you do at home? Again, the best and most effective test preparation for the ELA test is reading and more reading. The research is quite clear — students who do well in the tests are those who are good readers. Reading not only builds reading ability, it also helps build confidence — important for successful test taking! But do discourage your children from spending too much time on books that are too hard or even a bit too hard. Children best develop comprehension skills when they are reading books just right for them (too easy doesn’t hurt here either).
Finally, on Friday, December 7, we will have a morning lecture on the ELA. Please pay attention!
【小题1】The text is mainly about ________.

A．how teachers will provide more time for test preparation

B．the reason why time for test preparation will be changed

C．how teachers have put test preparation into their usual courses

D．test preparation information that parents should know about

【小题2】The time for test preparation has been changed to _________.

A．make it more convenient for the students to attend

B．help the new test-takers have more time to read

C．avoid disagreement in time between different years of students

D．avoid conflicts between preparation time and the usual courses

【小题3】From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Danielle will help students prepare for different tests

B．the school year test will be on a Tuesday

C．all the children must take part in the test preparation

D．the students can learn how to write well in the test preparation

【小题4】 Parents should _____ at home.

A．prepare good meals for their children

B．read more books with their children

C．ask their children not to spend too much time on reading

D．encourage their children to read more books fit for them

【小题5】Why did the school encourage all the students to take part in the test preparation?

A．Test preparation is what they always do.

B．The students will learn what will be included in the final exam.

C．Test preparation helps students to be more interested in reading and confident.

D．The test is a long way off and there are better things to do.

We all know how important human life is—it’s priceless. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what the color of your skins is—all people are human beings. Firstly, we can tell you that the lives of your relatives could depend on your ability to give first aid. If you think highly of human’s life, this website is for you! Here you can find information about first aid.
The very first thing that you should do when you see an accident is to evaluate the situation and prevent further dangerous incidents. First of all, you have to recognize what has happened and what the dangers to rescuers and victims are. Think about how to take care of the victims.
Helping usually takes place in very difficult conditions and injuries can be very bad. Therefore, you cannot be too afraid of making mistakes to help. Sometimes you have to face the fact that regardless of your actions and your efforts the victim’s condition might not improve—he or she could even die. In some cases even professional medical aid may not succeed. If you have done everything you think you should do, you shouldn’t feel guilty.
Do not expose yourself to danger. Giving first aid can be dangerous. While trying to help a victim, do not forget about your own safety. If something happens to you, you won’t be able to help anyone.
Call for help after you find out the condition of a victim. But remember if a victim faints due to breathing failure caused by drowning, choking or poisoning, you should first take actions that help to bring back the heart beat and breathing. While calling, talk shortly but clearly. Always provide the following information: the location of the accident, the kind of accident, the number of the injured and your full name and phone number and so on.
【小题1】The passage is probably taken from _________.

A．a newspaper

B．the Internet

C．a textbook

D．a guide book

【小题2】The underlined word “ evaluate” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．leave

B．protect

C．avoid

D．judge

【小题3】 What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．You should learn some professional knowledge about first aid.

B．You shouldn’t feel guilty if you don’t know about first aid.

C．Try your best to give first aid and don’t be afraid of making mistakes

D．Don’t make mistakes when you are giving first aid.

【小题4】The author thinks that helping a victim can be ____________.

A．risky

B．shocking

C．exciting

D．boring

【小题5】It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．young people must learn how to give first aid

B．you should forget about your own safety while giving first aid.

C．when you see an accident you should do nothing but call the police.

D．when calling for help you should give all relevant details.

Kids who receive special education are, without doubt, the hardest working children in any school. When they are having difficulty learning basic literacy and number concepts, when they break rules, when they need more services, support and adult attention than their peers, then they are struggling the hardest. In psychology, we are trained to think that if we are feeling angry or confused when sitting with a patient, then we are probably feeling just what our patient is feeling. The same is true for students with disabilities. Whatever we feel when we work with them, they are probably feeling as they work with us.
If you have a disability that affects your education, then you have a brain disorder. Because education, even in mathematics, is largely verbal（用言辞）, most brain disorders responsible for educational disabilities affect language, and how you process words and ideas in written and oral form. To imagine how much effort a child with a language disability spends each school day, imagine yourself attending a school today taught in a language you had a basic understanding of. Imagine though, that while you seem fluent to others, you have trouble when people talk too fast, use idioms or expressions.
When adults and classmates blame, or criticize kids who receive special education, they are struggling with their own confusion. It is difficult to imagine the world as it is lived by someone with an educational disability. It is difficult to understand how someone who can be so "normal" can have so many problems. It is so easy to imagine that if they just tried harder... without understanding that just to do the ordinary, kids with disabilities are making an extraordinary effort.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the author by writing the passage?

A．to introduce how hard to be a special education teacher.

B．to think highly of the children with disabilities.

C．to show the disabled have much trouble in understanding.

D．to call on the society to care for the disabled.

【小题2】 If a disabled kid learns number concepts, he __________.

A．won’t work as hard as a normal.

B．will work double as hard as a normal.

C．will be as patient as the normal.

D．will think of his disability first.

【小题3】If a kid has a disability affecting his education, he will ________.

A．have a hard time using the language.

B．be too foolish to learn maths .

C．not understand what others are saying.

D．have a lot of trouble in remembering words.

【小题4】Before you intend to blame a kid receiving special education, __________.

A．you should try to understand what he is saying.

B．you should imagine the world he lives in.

C．you should imagine yourself in his shoes.

D．you should think of the education he has received.

That year , in the local school, there was a new math teacher, as well as some new pupils. One of the new kids was the stupidest child anyone had ever seen. It made no difference how quickly or how slowly they tried explaining numbers to him; he would always end up saying something enormously stupid. Like two plus two was five, seven times three was twenty-seven, or a triangle had thirty corners……
Before this boy arrived, math lessons had been the most boring of all. Now they were great fun. Encouraged by the new teacher, the children would listen to the pieces of nonsense spouted by the new kid, and they would have to correct his mistakes.
Whenever the new teacher asked questions, the stupid kid would stand up but made the wrong answers, the other students all wanted to be the first to find his mistakes, and then think up the most original ways to explain them. To do this they used all kinds of stuff : sweets, playing cards, oranges, paper planes, etc. It didn’t seem like any of this bothered the new kid.
However, Little Lewis was sure that it was bound to make him feel sad inside. Lewis was sure he would see him crying. So, one day, he decided to follow the new kid home after school. On leaving school, the new kid walked a few minutes to a local park, and there he waited for a while, until someone came along to meet him……
It was the new teacher!
The teacher gave the new kid a hug, and off they went, hand in hand. Following from a distance, Lewis could hear they were talking about math.
【小题1】根据短文第二三段描述，可知这位新老师的工作很有创造性，故选A。
【小题2】根据短文最后一段Following from a distance, Lewis could hear they were talking about math.描述，可知选B，这个所谓的最蠢的学生其实比其它学生知道的多。
【小题3】根据Lewis was sure he would see him crying. So, one day, he decided to follow the new kid home after school.描述，可知选B。
【小题4】联系上文To do this they used all kinds of stuff :可知选C。
【小题5】The math lessons became interesting again because of the new teacher’s ___________.

A．creativity

B．imagination

C．responsibility

D．curiosity

【小题6】The passage implies that the stupidest child____________________________.

A．was in great need of math teacher’s help after class

B．knew much more about math than other classmates

C．had no much gift for math and was slow to learn it

D．disliked both the new math teacher and his lessons

【小题7】According to the passage, Lewis followed the stupidest in order to ______________.

A．learn about where he lived	B．find out if he felt upset
C．say something to comfort him	D．make friends with him

【小题8】 What does the underlined word “this” in the third paragraph refer to ?

A．To find the stupidest kid’s mistakes.

B．To think up the most original ways to explain.

C．To use all kinds of stuff.

D．To follow him home after school.

Too many people want others to be friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships don’t last long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friend starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose your friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interests. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know better.
Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be the first step in solving the problem. So a friend must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity, and understanding.
【小题1】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Three Important Points in Life

B．How to Be a Good Friend

C．Honesty Is the Most Important Quality

D．A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed

【小题2】Some friendships don’t last long because________.

A．some people don’t treat friendship seriously

B．there are too many people who want to make friends

C．they don’t share their lunch money

D．some people only receive friendship but don’t give friendship back

【小题3】In the 2nd paragraph the underlined phrase “count on” probably means _______.

A．calculate

B．trust

C．matter

D．include

In order to know a foreign language thoroughly (完全地)，four things are necessary. First, we must understand the language when we hear it spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, correctly with confidence(自信) and without hesitation (犹豫). Thirdly, we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar.
There is no short way to succeed in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough only to memorize the rules from a grammar book. It is no much use learning by heart long lists of words and their meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language. If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. We must “Learn through use”. Practice is important. We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we can.
【小题1】The most important things to learn a foreign language are      .

A．understanding and speaking	B．hearing, speaking, reading and writing
C．writing and understanding	D．memorizing and listening

【小题2】Which of the following is the most important in learning a foreign language?

A．A good memory.

B．Speaking.

C．Practice.

D．Writing.

【小题3】“Learn through use” means       .

A．we use a language in order to learn it

B．we learn foreign language in order to use it

C．we can learn a language well while we are using it

D．both B and C