Every year thousands of young people in England finish school and then take a year off before they start work or go to university. Some young people go to other countries and work as volunteers (志愿者). Volunteers give their time to help people. For example, they work in schools or hospitals, or they do something helpful for the environment.

Pauline Jones, 18, lives in Cardiff, Wales. Next year she is going to university to study Chinese, but now she’s living in Belize. Pauline says, “I’m working with other people here to save the coral reefs (珊瑚礁) in the sea near Belize. The reefs here are beautiful, but if the sea water is very polluted, the coral will die. I’m helping to do research on the coral and the fish that live around the reefs. All over the world, coral reefs are dying. We need to do something about the problem before it’s too late.”

“I’m staying with a family here and I help do some housework. I don’t get any money, but that’s OK. I love my work here, and I’m learning a lot about the people of Belize—and myself! After I finish my work, I want to stay here for another three months. I want to travel around Belize and Central America.”

1.Some young people from England _______ after they finish school.

A．go to university abroad

B．spend one year abroad as volunteers

C．go to work for money

D．start work in schools or hospitals

2. Pauline Jones, an eighteen-year-old girl, is living in _______ now.

A．England           B．China             C．Belize            D．Cardiff

3. Pauline Jones is _______ with other people.

A．studying Chinese in a university

B．working to save the coral reefs

C．helping do some housework

D．doing some research in Wales

4.From the passage, we know that the coral reefs ______.

A．will die because of the pollution

B．are not as beautiful as before

C．cannot live without fish in the sea

D．will probably be sold for money

5.Pauline Jones wants to_______after she finishes her work as a volunteer.

A．stay there for another year

B．go back home to start work

C．learn about the people home

D．travel around Central America

正误判断
In the United States, children start school when they are five years old. In some states they must stay in school until they are sixteen. Most students are seventeen or eighteen years old when they leave secondary（中等的） schools. There are two kinds of schools in the United States: public schools and private（私立的）schools . Most children go to public schools. Their parents do not have to pay for their education because the schools receive money from the government. If a child goes to a private school, his parents have to get enough money for his schooling. Some parents still prefer private schools, though they are much more expensive. Today about half of the high school students go to universities after they finish the secondary school. A student at state university does not have to pay very much if his parents live in that state. But many students work while they are studying at universities. In this way they develop good working habits and live by their own hands.
【小题1】Children can go to school at the age of four in the U.S.
【小题2】Most parents prefer to send their children to private schools in America.
【小题3】About fifty percent of high school students can go on to universities after they leave the secondary school today.
【小题4】Lots of American students go to universities by depending on their parents completely (完全地).
【小题5】The passage is mainly about American education.

正误判断

In the United States, children start school when they are five years old. In some states they must stay in school until they are sixteen. Most students are seventeen or eighteen years old when they leave secondary（中等的） schools. There are two kinds of schools in the United States: public schools and private（私立的）schools . Most children go to public schools. Their parents do not have to pay for their education because the schools receive money from the government. If a child goes to a private school, his parents have to get enough money for his schooling. Some parents still prefer private schools, though they are much more expensive. Today about half of the high school students go to universities after they finish the secondary school. A student at state university does not have to pay very much if his parents live in that state. But many students work while they are studying at universities. In this way they develop good working habits and live by their own hands.

1.Children can go to school at the age of four in the U.S.

2.Most parents prefer to send their children to private schools in America.

3.About fifty percent of high school students can go on to universities after they leave the secondary school today.

4.Lots of American students go to universities by depending on their parents completely (完全地).

5.The passage is mainly about American education.

It is common to believe that learning just takes place in school, but much of human learning happens outside the classroom, even from birth and people continue to learn throughout their lives.
Even before they enter school, young children learn to walk, to talk, and to use their hands to use toys, food, and other objects. They use all of their senses to learn about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells in their environments. They learn how to communicate with their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other people important to their world. When they enter school, children learn subjects like reading, writing, and maths. They also continue to learn a lot outside the classroom. They learn which behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished. They learn social skills for communicating with other children. After they finish school, people must learn to deal with many changes that affect their lives, such as getting married, raising children, and finding and keeping a job.
Because learning continues throughout our lives and influences almost everything we do, the study of learning is important in many different fields. Teachers need to understand the best ways to educate children. Scientists, social workers and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people’s behaviors.
Learning is closely related (相关的) to memory, which is the storage(储存) of information in the brain (大脑). Scientists who study memory are interested in how the brain stores knowledge, where this storage takes place, and how the brain later offers knowledge when we need it. However, scientists who study learning are more interested in behavior and how behavior changes as a result of a person’s experiences. ?
【小题1】The underlined word “siblings” in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.