Science Daily—Kids may roll their eyes when their mothers asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom.
“We knew that children learn well with their moms or with a peer, but we did not know if that was because they were getting feedback and help,” Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, said. “In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance. We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn.”
Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves. Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar persons.
“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” she said. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations. We saw that this simple act of listening by mom made a difference in the quality of the child’s explanations and how well they could solve more difficult problems later on.
【小题1】According to the passage, a mom had better ________.

A．give a kid some help when he is explaining his problem

B．just listen while a kid is explaining his problem

C．work together with a kid toward the solution to a problem

D．leave a kid alone when he meets a problem at school

【小题2】 If she wants to help a child with his schoolwork, a mom ________.

A．should know the answer to a problem first

B．should pay attention to the child’s feedback.

C．may not know the answer herself

D．should not interrupt the child

【小题3】Who will be the least help to a kid when he is explaining, according to Rittle-Johnson?

A．The kid’s mom.

B．The kid’s grandmother.

C．A peer.

D．A relative the kid doesn’t know.

【小题4】Which of the following best gives the main idea of the passage?

A．Children learn better when their mom is hearing their explaining.

B．Children learn better if they find the solution to a problem themselves.

C．Parents should not provide any assistance to their children’s schoolwork.

D．A mom should listen more to their children when they have problems at school.

Dear Dean,
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to improve the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the lab. I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers.
We have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can research in their field using the best tools provided by technology?
As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future, since many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. They are asked to create PowerPoint presentations and research many topics on the Internet. Being able to do projects using the computer also gives students the opportunity to find information that without a computer would be much more difficult to find. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage.
If there are more new and faster computers accessible, students will be able to complete their work more efficiently. No more will they have to wait in line, paper and disk in hand, while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands.
The more computers are used in society, the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more accessible to students facilitates their learning process by making it much easier and more engaging(专注), and eventually improves their quality of life.
【小题1】The purpose of the author in writing the passage is________.

A．to explain why students are in great need of computers

B．to tell us what benefits students can gain from computers

C．to persuade the Dean to purchase more advanced computers

D．to describe the problems caused by lack of computers

【小题2】The author mainly wants to tell us in paragraph four that ________.

A．computers are beneficial to students’ academic success

B．computers are the only access to good grades for students

C．students find it convenient to do homework by computers

D．students wish to use more money to buy more computers

【小题3】The underlined word “facilitates” can be replaced by________.

A．furthers

B．equips

C．predicts

D．troubles

【小题4】Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?

A.	B.
C.	D.

CP: Central point    P: Point    SP: Sub-point(次要点)    C: Conclusion

Where Are We Going, Dad? presents a new generation of men, in a break from Chinese tradition, now take an active role in their children's lives.
Five star fathers and their children travel around China, riding camels through the western deserts, fishing off the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare home in remote southwestern Yunnan province. One dad doesn’t know how to do his daughter’s hair, but give him a couple of days — he’ll figure it out. Another one must survive with his son for three days in the desert, where, because neither can cook, the two only eat instant noodles.
These story lines are part of Where Are We Going, Dad? which, since its first show in October, has become one of China’s most popular television shows, covering more than 600 million viewers each week. And searches for Where Are We Going, Dad? turn up over 40 million hits on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter.
“In traditional Chinese culture, the common conception of parenthood is that the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentler on their kids and more concerned with their upbringing,” said Li Minyi, an associate professor of early childhood education at the leading Beijing Normal University. “An important question arises in this show for modern Chinese society — what is the role of fathers in today’s China?”
“As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time,” said Wang Renping, a popular education expert, in an interview with the Qianjiang Evening News. “They cannot use parenting styles from 20 years ago to guide the development of children born 20 years later.”
The attraction of Where Are We Going, Dad? lies in the chance to have a close look at the lives of popular Chinese stars and their children. Audiences fancy watching the failed attempts of star dads making dinner, braiding hair(编头发), and disciplining children — tasks often left to mothers in a society still influenced by the opinion that “men rule outside and women rule inside.”
【小题1】From the passage, we can draw a conclusion that Where Are We Going, Dad? is         .

A．a TV show

B．a novel

C．a match

D．a news report

【小题2】In Where Are We Going, Dad, we can probably learn about                          .

A．how the fathers do housework at home

B．how the children study in their spare time

C．how the fathers look after and guide their children

D．how the children help their father with their travel around China

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

A．In modern society, men should not care too much about their kids.

B．Where Are We Going, Dad has the most number of viewers in China.

C．In Chinese tradition, fathers always play an active part in their children’s lives.

D．While they bring up their children, parents are improving their parenting styles.

【小题4】The reason why Where Are We Going, Dad is so popular in China may include the following EXCEPT that          .

A．audiences enjoy laughing at others’ failure in life

B．it can make people laugh and think at the same time

C．people love watching the stars and their children’s lives closely

D．it presents a new generation of men’s role in their children’s lives

Boys need friends, suffer when they don't believe they have any, and worry over the ups and downs of relationships. Many adults believe that somehow boys need friends less than girls do, in truth, though, no boy is an island; boys value their friends throughout childhood and adolescence and are happier and healthier when they have solid relationships with peers.
Despite the common belief that girls are better at relationships, most boys consider their friends a very important part of their lives, and boys may actually be better at keeping friendships than girls are. A recent study of 10 to 15­year­old boys and girls found that girls' friendships are actually more fragile. Girls tend to say and do hurtful things to each other more frequently than boys, and girls are more hurt by the end of a friendship.
Boys are the living definition of the phrase “peer group”; they love games with rules, competition, and doing things together. Boys seem to enjoy, even need the opportunity to test themselves against others, and many lasting friendships begin in karate (空手道) class or on the basketball court. Competence and skill are widely respected; being picked last for a team or left out altogether is an experience that can haunt (萦绕心头) a boy for years.
As boys mature, the friendship becomes even more important, and it frequently widens to include girls. During the teen years, friends can become the most important part of a boy's life—and a part in which his parents are not included. The confusion of being a teenager leads boys to form close bonds with friends. There is the sense for many boys that a friend is someone who is “always there for me”， someone he can trust. They may be partners in crime or partners in study, but the friendship of adolescent boys can run surprisingly deep.
【小题1】According to the text, boys' friendship________.

A．is usually built around active play

B．tends to be in small groups

C．can bear mutual hurt between friends

D．doesn't suffer from failure

【小题2】The author mentions the study in the second paragraph to prove ________.

A．many people believe girls are better at relationships

B．most boys consider their friends very important

C．boys may be better at keeping friendships than girls

D．boys may be more active in a friendship

【小题3】As a boy gets older, he tends to________.

A．widen his circle of friends to include different kinds of people

B．shift his focus from his friends to himself

C．leave his parents out of his friendship

D．be confused about what a friendship is

【小题4】What's the best title for the text?

A．Friendships between Boys and Girls

B．Boys and Their Friendship

C．Childhood and Adolescent Friendship

D．Tips on Making Friends with Boys

A kitchen that gives step-by-step cooking instructions in French could inspire a revolution in language learning in the UK. By using a new technology, it speaks to you as you prepare a French dish. The kitchen breaks new ground by taking language learning out of the classroom and linking it with an enjoyable and rewarding real-life activity.
The new kitchen is designed to be used in schools, universities and even people’s homes. It could also be an existing kitchen. The first version of the technology was tested in the kitchens of project partner Newcastle University. The kitchen could be available for schools and universities, and for the UK market by the June of 2014.
The Newcastle University team is now working on ways to put it on the market. And the European Union has given money to begin programs in six other languages, including English Italian and Spanish. Finally, versions could be developed for any language cuisine（烹饪法）in the world.
Professor Paul says, “By international standards, the UK students are now poor when it comes to learning languages—a problem that certainly has an economic influence. We believe that developing skills in a country’s language and its cuisine will help change the trend.”
On a computer fixed into the kitchen, the user first selects the French recipe（菜谱）they want to follow. Digital sensors built into dishes, containers and other equipment then communicate with the computer to make sure the right instructions are given at the right time, the user can ask the computer to repeat an instruction, or translate it into English, simply by pressing the touch screen. After cooking, the user can test what they have learned by carrying out a short test on the computer.
All grammar and vocabulary has been carefully selected to make sure that using the kitchen adds to basic proficiency（熟练）in understanding French.
Now three easy-carrying versions of the kitchen are being prepared. They’re to be fixed in Newcastle University and at Institute Francais, a London-based charity devoted to teaching the French language.
【小题1】The new kitchen is designed mainly to __________.

A．increase people’s interest in cooking

B．teach people how to cook French dishes

C．offer people a new way to learn languages

D．help cooks learn spoken French in the kitchen

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE about the kitchen?

A．It has versions in six languages now.

B．It is already available for sale in the UK.

C．It has received strong support from the EU.

D．It can be used only in schools and university.

【小题3】When a person is using the kitchen, ___________.

A．it will give him a test on his cooking skills

B．it can translate French into another language

C．the cooking process will stop if he goes wrong

D．he must be careful so as not to make mistakes

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．UK students have problems in language learning.

B．New technology helps students learning cooking.

C．An enjoyable and rewarding real-life activity.

D．A Talking Kitchen That Teaches You French.

The Internet can provide a wealth of educational resources for small children, if you know where to look. This article will offer some educational websites to small children. You may need to assist your children in navigating(导航) the pages until they understand where their favorite activities are.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted learning is a great website for children, and I know several teachers who rely on it for materials for their classrooms. Most of the information is free, but for $20.00 per year, you can purchase a membership that allows you to have access to the site without the advertising. The pages here are great. There are colored pages and worksheets for toddlers(学步儿童) and school-age children. They focus on learning language, science, animals, geography, astronomy, explorers, music, art and nursery rhymes.
Starfall
Starfall is another good educational website for small children. Teachers often use this website in classrooms. It emphasizes reading skills for early learners. The website is aimed at first grade level learners, but it has tools that can help all children from pre-K to second grade. The website has reading activities, worksheets to download, and a store where you can purchase educational materials for your children.
Sesame Street Workshop
Kids love Sesame Street, and it is always educational. This is one of the funniest websites online for children because it is very well animated and has great sound effects. The website has games and stories for small kids, and they can create letters at the post office and mail them to their favorite characters.
Sprout Online
Sprout has features on its television network, which are just for children. There are games, colored pages, recipes, music, videos, sign language activities and exercise videos for children. There are also online activities based on Sprout television shows. These include Roary the Race Car, the Wiggles, the Mighty Jungle and many others.
These are just a few of many educational websites for children. Small children love to use computers, so help them find some websites that contain fun and learning at the same time.
【小题1】What’s the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

A．To introduce some educational websites to parents for their kids.

B．To let parents distinguish between good and bad websites.

C．To attract the readers to download some useful information.

D．To enrich young children’s spare time with some Internet games.

【小题2】What’s the difference between people who have memberships and those who don’t?

A．With a membership, you can get the information for free.

B．You can download materials you want for free with a membership.

C．With a membership, you can have access to the site without the ads.

D．You can look through more pages with a membership.

【小题3】If you want to buy educational materials for your children, you should choose _________ .

A．Enchanted Learning.	B．Starfall
C．Sesame Street Workshop.	D．Sprout Online.

【小题4】Why does the Sesame Street Workshop have more fun than others?

A．Because it has games and stories for young kids．

B．Because children can mail letters to their favorite characters.

C．Because it is always educational, and children love it..

D．Because it has great sound effects and animation.

【小题5】It can be learnt from the passage that ______ .

A．Enchanted Learning has reading activities and worksheets to download.

B．Starfall is designed for learners from pre-K to second grade

C．the Wiggles and the MightyJungle are not based on television shows.

D．websites that involve joy and learning are beneficial to kids.

You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.
【小题1】Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.

A．are more flexible mentally

B．are slow in the development of talking

C．have a poorer working memory

D．are smarter in understanding abstract concept

【小题2】It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans

B．British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age

C．21% of US children study a foreign language in the school

D．not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages

【小题3】What does the underlined phrase”give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Attach importance to

B．Have talent for

C．Invest money in

D．Have demand for

【小题4】Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?

A．Mandarin and Greek

B．English, German and French

C．Chinese, French and Spanish

D．Chinese, German and Greek

【小题5】What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.
B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.
C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.
D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA.

If you planning to study in the United States, you need to consider several factors （因素）. Everyone has different opinions about where is the best place to live in. Also, the best places to live in are not always home to the best schools. What’s more, many schools specialize in different areas of study. They Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, is a great school for computer science. And if you want to study oceanography, your interests may be better served by attending school in a place which is near the ocean.
Now I will tell you about which states I believe are the best to live in. California is a nice state. Northern California especially has very good weather. As for me, I enjoyed the time I spent in Massachusetts, Virginia and Mary land. These states have a lot of history and culture. The weather is not so perfect as that in California, but is still quite nice. My favourite of America is the Midwest. Middle America, I think, is home to the true American sense of values. Besides, there are many good universities, too.
Also you need to think about your likes and dislikes and then research the different areas. You like sunshine and hate snow? Then you probably won’t like the Midwest or even the Northeast. Open space, nature, peace and quiet? Then you’d better stay away from America’s larger cities. Are you interested in government? Then Washington D.C. is the only place for you. Whatever you decide, put some thought into it.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we can infer that in the USA          .

A．all colleges and universities lie in big cities

B．all colleges and universities lie in beautiful places

C．famous colleges and universities lie in nice places

D．famous colleges and universities may not lie in nice places

【小题2】____should be considered first if you want to study in the USA.
A. The climate 
B. The scenery 
C. The study condition    
D. The living condition
【小题3】The writer likes Middle America best because           .

A．he feels the real character of the nation here

B．the weather is fine here

C．the life is full of excitement

D．he likes sunshine and hates snow

【小题4】The passage mainly              .

A．tells us something about American universities

B．gives us some advice on studying in America

C．lets us know about America

D．describes the scenery of America

Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to 16 received a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up’. An application is calling on the next government to bring it back.
At school the children are taught to add up and subtract(减法) but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account — let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England. Children from five to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say. And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month — the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed. Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.
As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits of young children do not last long. Over 75% of seven- to 11-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends. By this age, 26% see a credit card or overdraft(透支) as a way of extending their spending power. Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school.”
The UK has been in the worst financial recession(衰退)for generations. It does seem odd that — unless parents step in — young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university. In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about _____________.

A．how to manage school lessons

B．how to deal with the financial crisis

C．teaching young people about money

D．teaching students how to study effectively

【小题2】It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that __________.

A．the author complains about the school education

B．pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract

C．students have been taught to manage their finances

D．laws on financial education have been effectively carried out

【小题3】 The website and the consumer campaigner joined to _________.

A．instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money

B．promote the connection of schools and families

C．ask the government to dismiss the parliament

D．appeal for the curriculum of financial education

【小题4】According to Pfeg, ___________.

A．it is easy to keep good habits long

B．teenagers spend their money as planned

C．parents are willing to pay the debt for their kids

D．it will be in trouble if the teenagers are left alone

【小题5】A poll is mentioned to ___________.

A．stress the necessity of the curriculum reform

B．show the seriousness of the financial recession

C．make the readers aware of burden of the parents

D．illustrate some people are strongly against the proposal

Is early childhood education really necessary? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child’s physical, sensory, communicational and social development．Early childhood education has become a concern of the government, who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for Kindergarten．
There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education．Studies have shown that orphaned children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school, and even in life．Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school, less likely to end up in Special Education classes, and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail．
There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early．Time Magazine online explains that “the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work．” I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school．Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school, the better off he or she is, so they push to start children earlier．
Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years, studies also show that this head start is really a “false start”, as the gains are lost in middle and high school years．It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life’s success than early education．Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children．Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap．
【小题1】The purpose of the government valuing the early childhood education is ________．

A．to develop the children’s communication

B．to give orphaned children good care and education

C．to get the children prepared for the kindergarten

D．to train the children formally and regularly

【小题2】According to the studies, which of the following is True?

A．Children with good early education may have a rich life．

B．The orphaned children are usually unhappy in their life．

C．Children without early education can do well at school．

D．Head Start programs are helpful to the poor children．

【小题3】“the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work．” suggests that _________．

A．the early childhood education is helpless to the child’s grade

B．it is good for the young children to receive early education

C．the early education can help the children follow the grade

D．the younger the children are, the cleverer they will be

【小题4】The author’s attitude toward the early childhood education is _________．

A．puzzling

B．objective

C．indifferent

D．approving

【小题5】The main idea of the last passage is that __________．

A．the early childhood education is very necessary

B．Head Start programs have helped the children a lot

C．environment is the most important to life’s success

D．better ways should be found to help the poor children