Although many Chinese students say that their knowledge of English grammar is good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor. Whenever I speak to a Chinese student, they always say,“My spoken English is poor.”  1.I would like to suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.

First, they fail to find suitable words to express themselves due to a limited vocabulary. 2. However, you can speak with a limited vocabulary, if you choose a positive attitude. Others will follow you as long as you use the words that you know.

   3. Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous. Yet students should remember that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY. Your aim in writing is to be accurate following the rules for grammar and using the right words and spelling them correctly. However, in speaking your aim is fluency. You want to get your message across, to talk to someone in English, as quickly and as well as you can, even though sometimes you may use a wrong word or tense, but it doesn't matter.   4.

The third reason is that not enough attention is paid to listening. You have one mouth but two ears! All that hearing is necessary for you to start speaking.

Fourth, most Chinese students are reactive rather than proactive language learners. Instead of actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their English always remains poor.  5.  

A. The person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowances for any mistakes he hears.

B. They may try to avoid making similar mistakes next time.

C. Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary.

D. If you have this proactive outlook, then you will see English opportunities wherever you go.

E. However, their spoken English does not have to remain“poor”![来源:Zxxk.Com]

F. Second, they are afraid of making mistakes.

G. The second reason lies in the reluctance of using what has just been learned.

 

Kuss Middle School serves students in Fall River, Mass. , a former mill town that has struggled economically for decades. Students at Kuss have struggled, too, usually falling short of making the academic progress required under the No Child Left Behind law.

Then, last year, the school experimented with extending the school day. Teachers got paid at a higher hourly rate.

Students weren't thrilled at first with leaving school at 4:15 p.m. instead of at 2:20 p.m. But the added hours gave them more time for physical education and let them select special interest classes. By the end of the year, student scores had risen by enough to enable Kuss to make the progress required under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

The only surprise is that more districts haven't lengthened school schedules set decades ago to accommodate (适应) a farm economy rather the information economy of today.

School days The USA ranks 36th of 40 industrialized nations in average weekly instructional time. Selected countries: 1) Thailand--30.5 hours  2) Korea--30.3 hours  7) China--26.5 hours 14) France--24.6 hours  15 ) UK--24.6 hours 16) Mexico--24.2 hours  23 ) Japan--23.8 hours 26)Canada--23.6 hours  36)USA--22.2 hours  40)Brazil--19 hours

New research suggests the time is ready for a change:

Matched against 39 other developed countries, the United States is near the bottom in the rankings of average weekly instructional time in school.  Measured over 12 years, students in the top-scoring countries spend the equivalent of a full extra year in school.

US students perform poorly on math and science tests compared to their international peers, according to a US Education Department comparison released earlier this month. In math, American 15-year-old scored near the bottom among the study's 30 developed countries.

Most countries that boost the number of minutes spent on math instruction find pay offs in improved math scores, according to a study released this month by the Brookings Institution. Small in creases in the school day are more effective than a longer school year, the report concluded.

The most encouraging news about the benefits of extending the school day comes from Massachusetts, where an experiment with 10 schools, including Kuss, appears to be working. Those 10 schools lengthened their instructional days by 25% and boosted their state scores in math, English and science at all grades.

Perhaps the concept won't work everywhere. Certainly, it won't instantly be popular. But it's obvious that a problem exists or that adding class time seems to help.

1.What is the main idea of the above passage?

A．Experiments with extended school hours produce academic gains.

B．Kuss Middle School sets a good example for US education.

C．Academic progress has achieved under the No Child Left Behind law.

D．Information age calls for more instructional lime at all schools.

2.A longer school day is suggested for the following reasons except that _________.

A．students from many developed countries spend more time at school

B．American students do a bad job at science subjects

C．teachers are paid at a higher rate with time added

D．a longer school day works better than a longer school year

3.Which statement is true of Kuss Middle School?

A．Kuss Middle School lies in where a farm economy is changing to an information one.

B．Kuss Middle school has joined the federal "No Child Left Behind" progrann

C．Neither teachers nor students are happy with the longer school day.

D．Adding class time functions at Kuss Middle School.

4.The writer has expressed ____________.

A．a positive attitude towards adding school time

B．a negative attitude towards adding school time

C．a changing attitude towards adding school time

D．a right attitude towards adding school time

 

         If you’re a male and you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re a survivor. According to statistics，you’re more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman，and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term，about 78 years for men in Australia，you’ll die on average five years before a woman.

         There're many reasons for this--typically，men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.

         “Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should，” says Dr. Gullotta.“This is particularly so

for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike. According to a recent survey, 95％of women aged between 15 and early 49s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70％of men in the same age group.

         “A lot of men think they’re unbeatable，”Gullotta says．“They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, Geez, if it could happen to him …”

         Then there’s the ostrich（鸵鸟）approach．“Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.

         “Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.

“Prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases．Besides, the final cost is far greater，it’s called premature death.”

1.Why does the author congratulate male readers at the beginning of the passage?

         A．They can live longer than they expected．

         B．They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.

         C．They have lived long enough to read this article.

         D．They are more likely to survive serious diseases now．

2.Which of the author’s statements is the most important reason that men die five years earlier on average than women according to the passage?

         A．Men drink and smoke much more than women.

         B．Men don’t seek medical care as often as women.

         C．Men are more likely to suffer from deadly diseases.

         D．Men aren’t as cautious as women in face of danger.

3.Which of the following best completes the underlined sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him…” （in Para 4） ?

         A．it could happen to me，too.

         B．it would be a big misfortune.

         C．I should avoid playing golf.

         D．I should consider myself lucky.

4.What does Dr．Ross Cartmill mean by“the ostrich approach”（in Para 5）?

         A．A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions.

         B．A new treatment for certain psychological problems．

         C．Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved.

         D．Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear.

 

A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?

Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen’s work.  1. What they look for is your presence — to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express her worries and fears, but don’t let them focus on those fears.

Help them get organized. 2.   Together , you and your teen can work out a time-table in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.

Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It is important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best.   3.    If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet, rather than junk food, is best for reducing stress.

4.  Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and /or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation, fun, and exercise are all important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

Show a positive attitude.  5.   Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right , no matter what the results are.

A. A parent’s attitude will dictate their teen’s emotions.

B. Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.

C. They will only make the situation worse.

D. Encourage your teen to relax.

E. The best thing is simply to listen.

F. Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly.

G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

 

Jascha Richter once sang “don't need too much talking without saying anything” to reveal his lonely feeling in a crowd.

   Dad always told me never to ever reveal my true opinions towards other people if such opinions are negative. He said this is the “Chu Shi Zhe Xue”, the philosophy of dealing with social network.

   It seems that everybody here just follows this philosophy very, very well.

   Friends. I would say that if I were given true friendship I would definitely treasure it with my greatest care. If I really regard someone as my close friend, I would never leave her alone whenever she's in need, either financially or mentally. And I always believe, as long as I treat people with whole-hearted honesty, I would have some rewards—at least, just ONE true friend of the same gender（性别）.

    Sometimes I just miss my friends in China. Perhaps when we became friends, we were still young, too young to have been polluted by any dirt in the society. But here, it is simply different. It seems that all of us have learnt how to SURVIVE in a foreign land and such an experience actually makes us learn how to extract (榨取) the most benefits from the surroundings in order to survive.

   All are friends around me. I've looked through all the dark sides of their personalities and yet I have to pretend that I know nothing. THEY ARE GOOD. THEY ARE GOOD. AND WE ARE FRIENDS. And then I can make myself comfortable enough to talk to people I hate the most. And of course, they don't say any words truly from their hearts. Neither do I.

   But, sometimes I just feel unwilling to talk to these people. Sometimes, I just want to be alone, quietly, without being forced to listen to their gossip or other useless words.

   “Standing on a mountain high

Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky

I should go and see some friends         

But they don't really comprehend”

    Jascha Richter expresses my feelings also.

67. 1.What do we know about the writer’s father according to this passage?

A. He is really a good philosopher.                          

B. He possibly gets on well with others.

C. He told the writer to reveal her true opinions.       

D. The passage doesn’t tell us at all.

68. 2.What’s the most probable reason the writer mentions Jascha Richter’s song twice in the passage?

A. She likes Jascha Richter’s song.

B. Jascha Richter is one of her friends.

C. The song expresses her feelings.

D. She uses it to perfects her article.

69. 3.Which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE?

  A. She is now living abroad but doesn’t enjoy the life there.

  B. She absolutely believes in her father’s philosophy.

  C. She shows a positive attitude towards her relationship with others.

  D. She thinks highly of her friends by repeating “They are good”.

70. 4.The writer mostly expresses her ______ in this passage.

A. happiness      B. homesickness    C. sadness           D. loneliness