Children's education is changing very rapidly today. In the past, teachers made children sit still for hours,  They
made  students memorize all sorts of things.    In other words,   the children had to go on repeating the things until
they know them "by heart".
     Today many teachers wonder if it is possible to make children learn at all. They say you can only help them learn.
They say you must let children learn and discover things by themselves.
     But for some of the children, school is a kind of prison.  They are there only because their parents make them go.
They get out of the classroom as soon as their teacher let them leave.    Many of them want to find jobs but the law
will not let them work until they reach a certain age.   And so,   they have to stay in school. Often they do not learn
anything at all and hate every moment.

1. The passage tells us something about_________ in the past and today.           

A. different sort of children      
B. children's education
C. different sort of schools      
D.  teachers in some schools

2. Why did children have to go on repeating the things until they memorize them in the past?      

A. Because they enjoyed doing so.
B. Because their parents asked them to do so,
C. Because they were asked to do so.
D. Because they were good at repeating things.

3.  For some of the children, school is a kind of prison because

A. they don't like schools
B. their parents like schools
C. there are many school rulers
D. they have to stay in school

4. What does the underline word "discover " mean in the passage?       

A.制作      
B.评价      
C.分析      
D.发现

5. Which sentence is TRUE?           

A. The teachers don't like students.
B. Schools are like prisons for all students.
C. Parents made their children leave schools.
D.  When they don't reach a certain age, they can't find jobs.

1. When are American students busy?

A. On weekdays.                    
B. At the weekend.
C. During the holidays (假期).        
D. Every day.

2. Jenifer is _____.

A. a middle school girl in New York      
B. a middle school girl in China
C. a happy student                    
D. a bad student  

3. After school, some students still (仍然) _____.

A. have piano lessons                  
B. have dancing classes
C. learn drawing                      
D. all of the above  

4. What does "fall behind" mean in the passage?

A. 失败          
B. 掉落          
C.落后          
D. 超越

5. Which is the best title (标题) for this passage?

A. The Busy Parents.  
B. The Busy Children.  
C. The Happy Children.  
D. Study Easy

     We are already familiar with computers-computers work for us at home, in offices and in factories.
But it is also true that many children today are using computers at schools before they can write. What
does this mean for the future? Are these children lucky or not?
     Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with.
They worry that children do not learn from experience but just from pressing a button and that this is not
good for them. They think that children are growing not knowing about the real world.
     But people who understand more about computers say that computers can be very good for children. A computer can help them to learn about the real world more quickly, to learn what they want to learn
and think for themselves. And for the future, don't we need people who can think clearly, who know
how to get information quickly and use it well? What do you think?

1."to be familiar with" means to _______.  

A. know nothing   
B. know about  
C. dislike  
D. like

2. Does everyone think computers are good for children?

A. Yes, they do.
B.  No, not everyone thinks do  
C. They don't know.      
D. They are not sure.

3. What can computers help children to do?

A. To think clearly, to do homework and to write.  
B. To play games, to do math and to copy.
C. To think clearly, to get information and to use it well.
D. To count, to clean the house and to get information.

4. Does the writer think computer is a good thing?

A. It isn't mentioned.
B. No, he doesn't think so.
C. He doesn't know.        
D. Yes, he does.

5.Does almost every child today use computers very often?

A. Yes, he does  
B. No, he doesn't  
C. Sorry, I don't know.  
D. That's wrong.

                                                                   Foreign funny school rules
     Every school has its own set of rules to keep students disciplined (守纪律的). The rules change from
  one school to another. Some schools are much stricter than others. There are also some rules that look
 strange or funny to us. Here are some funny school rules:
     In Japan, most schools demand that students wear uniforms, such as sports suits or skirts. But many
 Japanese schools even regulate (规定)the colour of underwear!
     They also demand (要求) that girls' white socks be folded in a certain way and boys' heads be shaved.
 And Japanese schools also tell students that they may not date, go to movies, leave home after sunset or
 play video games without permission from the school.
     In America, for safely at some schools, students must have a pair of indoor shoes to change into at
 school every day. This makes sure students won't fall over on the wet floors and keeps the schools clean
 Gum chewing (口香糖) is not allowed in many US school buildings, as it is difficult to clean up. And if
 students chew gum in class, _____.
     In Britain, strange hairstyles are not allowed in some schools. But they might allow students to wear
 certain hairstyles during the World Cup years. Two students had a special design shaved into their hair
 during 2006 World Cup. But they were not accepted by their school after that because the school said the
  rules changed since then.              

1. The text mainly talks about _____.

    A. how foreign students keep themselves disciplined
    B. how important school rules become
    C. how strange some foreign school rules are
    D. how foreign students get used to their school rules

2. Which is the best one to be put into the blank in the sixth paragraph? _____.

    A. it is hard to clean up as well                        
    B. they will make too much noise
    C. it is unfair for the others who don't              
    D. they may not focus on their study      

3. In Japan, many school don't allow their students to _____.

    A. share their heads                                        
    B. date without permission
    C. wear sports suits                                        
    D. play video games at home

4. From the text we can infer _____.

    A. different countries may have different school rules
    B. some funny school rules are of real use
    C. school rules in UK are not very strict
    D. school rules in Japan are better than those in US

     Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today. People didn't have modern machines.
There was no modern medicine, either.
     Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Water pollution has made our
rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk
louder and become angry more easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution. It's bad to all
living things in the world.
     Cars, planes and factories all pollute our air every day. Sometimes the polluted air is so thick that it is
like a quilt over a city. This kind of quilt is called smog (烟雾).
     Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. Factories must now clean their water before it is
thrown away, and they mustn't blow dirty smoke into the air.
     We need to do many other things. We can put waste things in the dustbin and do not throw it on the
ground. We can to go work by bus or with our friends in the same car. If there are fewer people driving,
there will be less pollution.
     Rules are not enough. Every person must help to fight pollution.
1. Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today because ______.
A. there were not any modern machines
B. there was no modern medicine
C. both A and B
D. there were not many people
2. What is the biggest problem in today's life?
A. Water pollution
B. Air pollution
C. Noise
D. Pollution
3. The most serious kind of pollution is ______.
A. noise pollution
B. air pollution
C. water pollution
D. A, B and C
4. Factories must clean their water ______.
A. before they are thrown away
B. when they are thrown away
C. after it is thrown away
D. before it is thrown away
5. From the passage we know that ______.
A. a few years ago, there was no smog at all
B. today people don't have to talk to each other in a loud voice
C. we can drink water from the polluted rivers and lakes
D. people are making rules in order to fight pollution

     Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have
 banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
     Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have
  got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
     Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction to students during school hours and it
 also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes
 students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
     She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they
 couldn't get in touch with their children.
     Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason,
 they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students
 should not have mobile phones at school; they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
     Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they
  think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.

1. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones _____.

    A. because they are students
    B. when they are free
    C. when they are at school
    D. because they are children

2. We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from _____.

    A. the makers and sellers
    B. the passers-by and strangers
    C. their parents and friends
    D. some mobile phone users

3. What does the underlined word "cheat" mean in the passage?

    A. 聊天
    B. 核对
    C. 查询
    D. 作弊

4. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn't _____ during school hours.

    A. use their mobile phones
    B. leave their mobile phones at school office
    C. help the teachers with their work
    D. get in touch with their children