Going to school from 8 am until 5 pm may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit.”
Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing, they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”
According to studies, low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”
Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．
But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming, and that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”
【小题1】From the first paragraph，we learn that      ．

A．the longer schedule is harmful to kid's health

B．all Chicago students had a holiday on Columbus Day

C．Sydney Shaw supports the added time

D．few kids are bored with the lack of holidays

【小题2】Low-income students fall behind in summer because      ．

A．no good teachers are willing to teach them

B．they can't get help from their parents

C．their parents are unwilling to hire private teachers

D．they themselves have no desire to learn

【小题3】Some people are worried about adding school hours mainly because      ．

A．it will have a bad effect on the kids’ futures

B．the current school day has been too busy

C．no one supports the idea

D．it will be costly and time-consuming

【小题4】The text is mainly about      ．

A．whether a longer school day will help narrow the achievement gap

B．how students have benefited from additional school hours

C．why the achievement gap among students needs to be narrowed

D．what causes the achievement gap among students

Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly confident, it radiates (辐射) from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet (磁铁). Besides, those who are self-confident can in turn inspire (encourage) confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.
So how can we build a sense of self-confidence and prepare ourselves on the way to success?
First, do what you believe to be right, even if others mock or criticize you for it. Believe in yourself and believe that you can do it in any situations, because if you believe you can, then you really will. The belief keeps you searching for answers, which means that pretty soon you will get them.
Second, govern your behavior based on what other people think. What’s more important, be willing to take risks and go the extra miles to achieve better results, in which case mistakes can not be avoided. Always be ready to admit your mistakes, and learn from them. Next, work hard to settle the problems in order to cover up your mistakes before anyone notices. Building self-confidence is readily achievable, as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through. And what’s even better is that the things you’ll do to build self-confidence will also build success -- after all, your confidence will come from real, solid achievement. No one can take this away from you!
As you sow, so will you reap. With your perseverance (毅力) and improvement, you are getting closer to success. At this stage, wait for others to give congratulations and compliments on your achievements. “Thanks, I really worked hard on it. I’m pleased you recognize my efforts.” The congratulations and compliments from others will promote you to gain further success.
Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and it is no wonder that so many people struggle to find it. Self-confidence really can be learned and built on. Besides, whether you’re working on your own self-confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s well worth the effort!
【小题1】Those who are truly confident _______.

A．succeed without effort and hard work

B．encourage people around to become confident

C．appear more attractive and thus become successful

D．gain the confidence of others and feel successful

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

A．praise

B．imitate (模仿)

C．punish

D．laugh at

【小题3】When others congratulate us on our achievements, we are supposed to _______.

A．praise them in return

B．gain further improvement

C．politely accept the compliments

D．expect them to congratulate you again

【小题4】Which of the following proverbs (sayings) best goes with Paragraph 4?

A．Look before your leap.

B．It is no use crying over spilt milk.

C．Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

D．Learn from past mistakes and avoid future ones.

【小题5】The purpose of the text is to _______.

A．tell people how to become successful

B．convince people to do what they believe to be right

C．encourage people to build confidence and achieve success

D．criticize people who lack confidence and thus fail in their career

We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed—no examination is perfect — but to have no tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in school or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher.
Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them — a form of favouritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child form a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school.
The opponents of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
【小题1】What is the similarity between supporters and opponents?
A. They both like exams.                B. They both dislike exams.
B. They value standards.                D. They value equality.
【小题2】The word “favouritism” in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that ________.

A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs

B．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs

C．poor children with certificates are favoured in job markets

D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success

【小题3】What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?

A．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation.

B．There would be more opportunities and excellence.

C．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools.

D．Children’s job opportunity would be affected by their school’s reputation.

【小题4】The opponents of the examination system will agree that _________.

A．jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection

B．computers should be selected to take over many jobs

C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards

D．schools with academic subjects should be done away with

【小题5】The passage mainly focuses on ___________.

A．schools and certificates	B．examination and equality
C．opportunity and employment	D．standards and reputation

Since the 1990s, education has been required for all South Africans from age seven to fifteen. Last December, the government announced that 70% of students passed their final examination to finish high school. In 2008, the pass rate was about 63%. There have been increases each year since then.
Professor Shireen Motala says basic education is no longer a problem in South Africa. Most children stay in school until they are about sixteen. The problem is that large numbers of them leave without completing high school.
Students take an examination known as the “matric”(高考) in Grade Twelve. Professor Motala says, “Less than half of the children who started school in 2000 sat for the matric last year. Many dropped out of school, so only around 45% took the matric. And the worry is where those students actually go.” Those who drop out have to compete with better educated people for jobs.
Educational researchers also point to another problem. South African schools do not produce enough students with the skills for higher education in maths and science. Many schools are not well-equipped. Children do not see laboratories, and, as a result, their science marks are not very good. They do not have libraries at school. Also, many teachers do not have the skills or training to do their jobs.
In South Africa, a number of teachers were poorly trained before. Secondly, teachers have been confused by the many educational reform efforts in the last fifteen years. Finally, language differences in the classroom have not got as much attention as they should, which is a huge problem. Subjects such as maths and science are taught in English starting at about the age of ten. But South Africa has eleven official languages.
South Africa’s minister of basic education promises a number of improvements. Angie Motshega says teacher development efforts will focus on subject and content knowledge, making sure that the correct teachers are in the correct jobs.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we can learn that ______.

A．South Africans are badly in need of education

B．South African teenagers do very well at school

C．the South African government takes education seriously

D．South African teenagers have become more clever

【小题2】What is the real concern of Shireen Motala?

A．Something is wrong with the country’s basic education system.

B．Most children have to find a job at an early age.

C．The final exam is too difficult for most children.

D．Most children cannot complete high school until they are 16.

【小题3】South African students perform poorly in science for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT ______.

A．they don’t work hard enough

B．their schools do not have laboratories

C．they cannot get help from libraries

D．there are not enough skilled teachers

【小题4】With which of the following would Shireen Motala most probably agree?

A．Schools should focus more on maths and science than any other subject.

B．More educational reforms should be carried out in South African schools.

C．The more teachers teach maths and science, the better marks students may get.

D．More attention should be paid to language differences in maths and science classes.

In modern society, receiving systematic college education seems a necessary way for success as a graduate from first-class university may always get more opportunities than others. However, if it is gold, it will shine one day. In this article, we will get to know three most successful people in U.S. who never finished their college education. Following experiences of these successful dropouts may give you some inspiration.
1. Bill Gates
Harvard’s campus paper “Harvard Crimson” called Bill Gates “Harvard’s most successful dropout,” while the rest of the world preferred to name him “the world’s richest man” for more than a decade. Now, even not on the top, he is still among the list of the world’s wealthiest people.Gates entered Harvard in the fall of 1973. Two years later, he dropped out to found Microsoft with friend Paul Allen. And in 2007, he finally received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
2. Steve Jobs
The iPad, even Buzz Lightyear probably wouldn’t have existed if Steve Jobs stayed in school. Because his family couldn’t afford his college education, Jobs had to drop out of Reed College just after entering for 6 months. Then he found Apple, NeXT Computer and Pixar, which had made great influences on development of modern technique and culture. However, this wizard thought that his brief college education was not worthless.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright
As the America’s most celebrated architect, Wright spent more time on designing colleges rather than attending classes in them. Once spent one year in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then he left for Chicago and started to learn from Louis Sullivan, the “father of modernism." Wright’ s splendid resume included more than 500 works, most famous of which are Fallingwater and New York City's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
【小题1】What does“dropouts”in Paragraph One mean?

A．Hardworking students.

B．Very successful students.

C．Students failing to finish their school education.

D．Students from poor families.

【小题2】Which of the following is right according to Paragraph One?

A．People graduating from famous universities are more likely to get jobs.

B．Many successful people had the experience of giving up their school education.

C．If one has a lot of gold, he will become very rich one day.

D．We should stop our college education to follow in those successful people’s steps.

【小题3】According to the writer, Bill Gates _________.

A．is richer than any other man in the world

B．is well-known in Harvard University

C．finally finished his study at Harvard and got a doctorate degree

D．is the only founder of Microsoft

【小题4】Which of the following statements can’t be learned from the last two paragraphs?

A．The reason for Jobs’ dropping his college education is that his parents couldn’t pay for it.

B．Jobs thought his six-month college education gave him no help.

C．Wright’s teacher was a very famous artist.

D．Wright is the designer of New York City’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

【小题5】What does the author want to tell us in this passage?

A．Successful people often have unordinary life experience.

B．College education is not so important to one’s success.

C．People from poor families are more likely to give up their college education.

D．Even without college education, one can still achieve success with one’s hard work.

Competition between international universities is heating up, as China grows as one of the largest exporters of students aiming to study abroad. “Lots of universities are becoming more and more aggressive to attract Chinese students. Every day I receive contacts from universities in the US expressing the desire to come to China to recruit students,” said Frank Joseph, a commercial officer from embassy of the United States.
One key reason why more Chinese students are able to study abroad is the economy: With China’s boom within the past decade, more families have the financial wherewithal(资金) to send their children to international universities. There will be a total of 200,000 family-funded Chinese students studying overseas in 2009, up 20 percent from last year, said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of China Education Association for International Exchange.
International institutions, Joseph said, are also facing increasingly tough financial situation with a shortage of domestic students and a drop in government subsidies(补贴). Students, especially in the US are paying high tuition fees and living expenses. Chinese students with money to spend, according to experts, can fill up the gap. Students on average spend 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan every year studying in US, according to statistics from the US Institute of International Education. During 2007-2008, there were approximately 81,000 Chinese students studying in the US, up 19.8 percent from 2006.
Representatives from approximately 60 universities from the United States are planning to arrive in Beijing this weekend to attract more Chinese students at this year’s fair. Besides the US, many other countries are also vying(竞争) to enroll Chinese students.
Post-study work visa put out by British government allows all international students completing a UK degree qualification to apply for a visa to stay on and look for work in UK for up to 2 years. Being the third most popular destination for international students next to the US and the UK, France has set up two types of scholarships and has handed out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years.
【小题1】The reason for heating up competition between international universities is ___.

A．that China has become one of the largest exporters of the students aiming to study abroad

B．that the students in China are becoming richer and richer

C．China’s boom, the students’ desire and foreign universities’ commercial motive

D．that the students in foreign countries do not want to go to universities

【小题2】Why are more Chinese students able to study abroad?

A．Because they can’t go to the best universities at home.

B．Because their families have enough money to send them to international universities.

C．Because they want to win the scholarship of foreign universities

D．Because the Chinese students enjoy following others and they want to be independent.

【小题3】Which of the following statements is true?

A．There are fewer family-funded Chinese students studying abroad in 2008 than in 2009.

B．Chinese students are able to study abroad for their relatives overseas.

C．In 2009 there will be 200,000 state-funded Chinese students studying overseas.

D．In 2009 there will be 200,000 Chinese students studying in the US.

【小题4】From the passage we can learn that _____.

A．the number of foreign students is becoming smaller and smaller

B．there were approximately 81,000 foreign students studying in the US during 2007-2008

C．the international universities are short of money

D．the Chinese students are richer than the American students

【小题5】What does the UK do to attract the international students?

A．Setting up two types of scholarships.

B．Handing out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years.

C．Allowing to look for work in their spare time in the UK for up to 2 years.

D．Permitting students to have a visa to stay on and look for work for 2 years after completing the degree.

Reading can provide lots of fun for children and teens during summer vacation. Children who read during the summer are better prepared for school when they return to classes in the fall. Public libraries throughout Wisconsin will host summer events to encourage children and young adults to include reading in their summer fun.
●All Star Readers
The Milwaukee Public Library will host its 2007 Summer Reading Club for kids from 3 to 18. Signing up starts on June 1 at all Milwaukee public libraries and bookmobile sites.
Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to become “All Star Readers” at the Milwaukee library when they sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Children can score a point by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages. When they reach the reading goal, they will win a bag full of prizes.
●Sparkey Spots the Ball
Children up to 5 years old can join the read-to-me club, “Sparkey Spots the Ball”. They will receive their own reading folders to record the books read to them by parents, brothers and sisters or relatives. Once they have listened to 20 books, they will win a baseball and a coupon（优惠券）for McDonald’s ice cream.
●X-treme Read
Teens between the age of 13 and 18 can join in their own reading program called “X-treme Read”. Teens can read to win movie passes, CDs and more.
The library also plans extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. Check with your local library or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the exact dates, times, and places of the demonstrations (集会).
【小题1】Students who take part in the reading club can _________.

A．take part in extreme bike races

B．get a good mark in the final exam

C．get better prepared for the new term

D．finish their homework ahead of time

【小题2】In order to become “All Star Readers” and win a lot of prizes, you _________.

A．should be 19 years old

B．should be at least 5years old

C．must read at least 1,000 pages or 10 books

D．should listen to 20 books.

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．Children up to 5 can not join in the read –to- me club.

B．Children can score two points by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages..

C．Teens between the age of 6 and 12can join in “X-treme Read”.

D．There are extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July.

【小题4】In which club will they win a baseball and a coupon for McDonald’s ice cream.?

A．2007 Summer Reading Club	B．Sparkey Spots the Ball
C．X-treme Read	D．All Star Readers

Learners of English, especially self-taught learners may have trouble in understanding speeches by native speakers. The following ways might help improve their listening ability.
First of all, do things step by step. It is not good to listen to something beyond your level. Better choose a suitable course and start with the first book. Go on to the second book only after you are sure you understand the first one.
Secondly, stick to one course of study. Don’t change books often. Never let your attention be attracted by another course just because it seems to be more “fashionable”. 
Thirdly, listen to the English news program over the radio from time to time.  Better go through the news stories in the Chinese-language newspaper first. That will make it easy for you to understand the English news on the radio.
Fourthly, if you have time, listen to some interesting stories in “Special English from the V.O.A. or other listening materials of the same level as that of your textbook”.
【小题1】This is a piece of advice to learners of English on how to ________.

A．improve their listening ability

B．read fast

C．write better English and read faster

D．speak correctly

【小题2】If you want to understand the English news program on the radio, you should ________.

A．read the Chinese-language newspaper step by step

B．read again and again the Chinese-language newspaper

C．go through the Chinese-language newspaper first

D．be able to recite the Chinese-language newspaper

【小题3】The author advised that once you have taken up a course, you ________.

A．should stick to it

B．should begin with the last book

C．should take up other courses if they are more fashionable

D．shouldn’t do anything else

【小题4】In this passage, V.O.A. stands for ________.
A.  a book         B. a magazine       C. a text-book      D. a radio station

For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner．Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict．In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it．From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness．And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely．Both feel trapped．
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap．The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things．Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends．Second, blaming．The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong．Third, needing to be right．It doesn’t matter what the topic is．The laws of physics or the proper way to break an egg —the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something — and therefore to command respect．Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress．
【小题1】Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?

A．Both can continue for generations．

B．Neither can be put to an end．

C．Neither has any clear winner．

D．Both are about where to draw the line．

【小题2】What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The teens cause their parents to mislead them．

B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict

C．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict．

D．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents

【小题3】Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________．

A．give orders to the other	B．gain respect from the other
C．know more than the other	D．get the other to behave properly

【小题4】What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A．Solutions for the parent –teen problems．

B．Examples of the parent –teen war．

C．Causes for the parent –teen conflicts．

D．Future of the parent-teen relationship．

We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed like this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck.
At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said: "Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won’t last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won’t last."
After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted: "Dad! Dad, Holly crashed your truck."
My heart sank and my mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. Was anyone hurt? Who else was involved? As I ran to the door, I heard a voice in my heart say: "Here is a chance to show Holly what you really love. She’ll never forget it."
The accident had occurred in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle, the family van (搬运车). In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes and the gas pedal. Holly was unhurt physically, but when I reached her, she was crying and saying: "Oh, Dad, I’m sorry. I know how much you love this truck." I held her in my arms as she cried.
Later that week a friend stopped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes moistened (湿润) and she said: "That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad’s car and ran into a log that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home my Dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me."
Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of that night.
I remember how sad Holly was and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know what really matters in my life.
【小题1】How did the crash happen?

A．The van was parked in the wrong place that evening.

B．Holly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

C．The brakes of the truck didn’t work properly.

D．Holly was too careless and young to drive a truck.

【小题2】Why didn’t the writer punish Holly?

A．He was so rich that he didn’t care about losing one truck.

B．He thought there was no point punishing her after the accident.

C．He believed the truck was made of metal and of poor quality.

D．He wanted Holly to know he loved her more than any possessions.

【小题3】What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．She still suffered physical pain.

B．She felt guilty of damaging the car.

C．It left a deep wound on her soul.

D．She was not forgiven by her Dad.

【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．What really matters?

B．Better to forgive and forget

C．Who is to blame?

D．Accidents will happen