EDGEWOOD—Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.
Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.
By closing time at 9:20 a.m. , the shop usually sells 90 drinks.
“Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good,”Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up the phone with the teacher.
The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.
They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.
Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.
Not that it was easy. Chevalier’s first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?
Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition(营养) guidelines.
The whole school has joined in to help.
Teachers agreed to give up their lounge(休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?

A．A best-selling coffee

B．A special educational program.

C．Government support for schools

D．A new type of teacher-student relationship.

【小题2】The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to       .

A．raise money for school affairs

B．do some research on nutrition

C．develop students’ practical skills

D．supply teachers with drinks

【小题3】How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman’s opinion of the chi tea?

A．She met her in the shop

B．She heard her telling others.

C．She talked to her on the phone

D．She went to her office to deliver the tea.

【小题4】We know from the text that Ginger Gray       .

A．manages the Dixie PIT program in Kenton County

B．sees that the drinks meet health standards

C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School

D．owns the school’s coffee shop

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 external(外部的)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 external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the ideal and the purpose of each teacher.
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them ---- a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents（对手）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.
These people are not just against school organization, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive purposes. There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organized when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole.
【小题1】According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________.

A．changing the standards could mean the end of equality

B．standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality

C．there would be no standards without external examinations

D．we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect

【小题2】In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?

A．There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence.

B．Children from poor families would not be able to change schools.

C．Going to a favored school should be the only way to get a good job.

D．Schools for bright children would lose their fame.

【小题3】The situation at the moment is that ________.

A．many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability

B．a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate.

C．children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates.

D．a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job.

【小题4】Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A．Most students from poor families can't get a good job.

B．Some people are using students to destroy our society.

C．The writer thinks it a good way to choose a job by computer.

D．The opponents of the examination want to reorganize schools.

【小题5】The opponents would agree that _________.

A．computers should be selected to take over many jobs

B．particular people should not be chosen for particular jobs

C．well-respected schools should be got rid of as soon as possible

D．the students are not equally treated if they take external examinations

There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but considering all the positive effective coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat（整洁的）and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style.
Purchasing school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation(犹豫) and consideration. No matter what the school’ s policy is, there are only specific essential(基本的) pieces to the wardrobe（服装） that are necessary, so it won’t break the bank. A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality(个性) with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles.
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students.
【小题1】What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to dress properly.

B．The history of school uniforms.

C．The advantages of school uniforms.

D．How to deal with pressure in school.

【小题2】Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________________.

A．is just a tradition that students should follow

B．makes students feel less pressure in study

C．helps students put more effort into their studies

D．makes students lose their independence and identity

【小题3】The underlined part “it won’t break the bank” in Paragraph 3 probably means “___________”.

A．a school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money

B．a school uniform should be worn every day

C．parents will have to go to the bank many times

D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform

【小题4】We can infer from the text that school uniforms _________.

A．are not popular with fashion designers

B．were not accepted by parents in the past

C．will be designed by students themselves

D．will be more fashionable in the future

【小题5】The author’s attitude towards students’ wearing school uniforms is ___________.

A．negative

B．supportive

C．doubtful

D．unclear

College is a lifetime investment (投资) — the gift of a college education can open the door to a world of opportunity for your child or grandchild. Savings（储蓄）, even not so many at a time, can make a big difference.
With the cost of a college education continuing to rise, the key is to start saving early and regularly. By saving a set amount at set times, your money can grow as your child does. According to the College Board, the average cost for four-year public colleges has increased by nearly 51% over the last 10 years and these costs will almost certainly continue to rise. Saving for college can help with the increasing cost of a college education and help you be well prepared when your child is ready for college.
Saving for your child’s college education is an investment in their future. The savings you make today will pay off in increased earnings in the future. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college graduates earn an average of $1 million more than high school graduates during their careers. The value of your investment in a college education will continue to grow for a lifetime.
Set your college saving goals realistically. You may not be able to save enough for all four years’ fees, but you could save enough to give your child the right start.
More and more families depend on student loans(贷款) to pay for college. By saving for college, families will have less burden of paying off loans and help their children leave school without worrying about paying off loans.
【小题1】From the second paragraph we can learn that_______________.

A．the College Board increased public college costs zxxk

B．public college costs will increase by 51% in the next ten years

C．it’s not too late to start saving when your child is ready for college

D．saving can help deal with the rising cost of college education

【小题2】Savings for college education _____________.

A．will increase in the value in the future	B．make one earn a lot
C．help create good jobs	D．are wise for businessmen to invest

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE about saving for college?

A．You should save to help children get scholarships more easily.

B．It’s better to increase the savings as the child grows.

C．It’s better to save early and regularly.

D．You should set a further and bigger saving goal.

【小题4】Who are the expected readers of the passage?

A．Parents.

B．High school students.

C．Educators

D．Bankers.

【小题5】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．When to Save for Children’s College Costs

B．How to Make a Good Investment

C．Why We Should Save for Children’s College Costs

D．How Much Four-Year College Costs

This brief book is aimed at high school students, but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life．
Its formal, serious style closely matches its content, a school-masterly book on schooling．The author, W．H．Armstrong, starts with the basics: reading and writing．In his opinion, reading doesn’t just mean recognizing each word on the page; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as one digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself．The goal is to bring the information back to life, not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees．Reading and writing cannot be completely separated from each other; in fact, the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text．I’ve seen it again and again：some-one who can’t express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn’t read it at all．
Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history．He generally handles these topics thoroughly and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion regarding history to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across．To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts．As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind．Although it’s commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired, actually, learning the arts is no more natural than learning French or mathematics．
My other comment is that the text aged．The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s—none of the references seem newer than the late 1950s．As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age．
These are small points, though, and don’t affect the main discussion．I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student．
【小题1】According to Armstrong, the goal of reading is to________

A．gain knowledge and expand one’s view

B．understand the meaning between the lines

C．express ideas based on what one has read

D．get information and keep it alive in memory

【小题2】What is a shortcoming of Armstrong’s work according to the author?

A．Some ideas are slightly contradictory

B．There is too much discussion on studying science

C．The style is too serious

D．It lacks new information

【小题3】This Passage can be classified as________．

A．an advertisement	B．a book review
C．a feature story	D．A news report

【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe the author’s attitude towards the book________

A．positive

B．neutral

C．negative

D．objective

Bicycle Safety

Operation　Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus. Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.
Theft Prevention　Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack—even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It’s fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen.
Equipment
Brakes　Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly.
Helmet　A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fits properly.
Lights　Always have a front headlight—visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea.
Rules of the Road
Riding on Campus　As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15 mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of way to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go.
Bicycle Parking　
Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such spots can result in a fine.
If Things Go Wrong
If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:
×No bicycle registration…$25      ×Bicycle parking banned…$30
×Blocking path with bicycle…$40   ×Violation of bicycle equipment requirement…$35
【小题1】Registration of your bicycle may help you 　　　.

A．find your stolen bicycle	B．get your serial number
C．receive free repair services	D．settle conflicts with walkers

【小题2】According to the passage, what bike equipment is a free choice for bicycle riders?

A．Brakes.

B．A helmet.

C．A headlight.

D．A taillight.

【小题3】If you lock your bicycle to a tree on the campus, you could be fined 　　　.

A．$25

B．$30

C．$35

D．$40

【小题4】 What is the passage mainly about?

A．A guide for safe bicycling on campus

B．Directions for bicycle tour on campus

C．Regulations of bicycle race on campus

D．Rules for riding motor vehicles on campus

Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures(压力) from their parents. Most students are always told by their parents to study harder and better so that they can have a wonderful life in the future. Though this may be a good idea for those very bright students, it can have terrible results for many students who are not gifted(有天赋的) enough. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have their parents lose hope. Such students felt that they are hated by everyone else they meet and they don’t want to go to school any longer. They become dropouts.
It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers’ work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents serif their children to those schools opening in the evenings and on weekends — they only help the students to pass the exams and never teach them any real sense of the world.
Many Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists(心理学家) now think that such strict rules are harmful to the feelings of the students. Almost 40% of the students said that no one had taught them how to get on with others, how to tell right from wrong and how to show love and care for others, even for their parents.
【小题1】“Dropouts” are those who _______.

A．make troubles in and out of schools

B．go about or stay home instead of being at school

C．try hard but always fails in the exams

D．lose hope and give up some of their subjects

【小题2】According to the passage, it’s necessary to teach students _______.

A．how to study well	B．how to get on with others
C．to show love and care for others	D．All above

【小题3】Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．The Trouble in Japanese Schools

B．The Problems of Japanese Students

C．Education in Japan

D．The Pressures on the Students in Japan

Students in many countries are learning English. Some of these students are small children. Others are teen-agers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others by themselves. A few learn English by learning the language over the radio, on TV, or in film. One must work hard to learn another language.
Why do all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to answer this question. Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects required for study. They study their own language and maths and English: Some people learn it because it is useful for their work. Many people learn English for their work. Many people learn English for their higher studies, because at college or university some of their books are in English. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English.
【小题1】People learn English _______.

A．at school	B．over the radio
C．on TV	D．not all in the same way

【小题2】Different kinds of people want to learn English _______.

A．together with other subjects	B．for different reasons
C．for their work	D．for higher studies at colleges

【小题3】From this passage we know that _______.

A．we can learn English easily

B．English is very difficult to learn

C．English is learned by most people in the world

D．English is a useful language but one must work hard to learn

【小题4】Which of the following is right?

A．We don’t need to learn any foreign languages.

B．We can do well in all our work without English.

C．English is the most important subject in schools.

D．We should learn English because we need to face the world.

It had been a difficult move. I’d left my family and friends in Indiana, the beloved state where I’d lived most of my life. My new home in Florida was thousands of miles away from anything I knew. It was hot—all the time. Jobs were hard to come by, but I was up for almost any challenge.
At last, I taught in a special school where students have severe learning and behavioral difficulties.
Another teacher and I had spent weeks teaching the children appropriate behavior for public outings. Unexpectedly, only a few students, including Kyle, had not earned the privilege of going. He was determined to make his disappointment known.
In the corridor(走廊) between classrooms, he began screaming, cursing, spitting, and swinging at anything within striking distance. Once his outburst died down, he did what he’d done when he was angry at all his other schools, at home, even once at a juvenile detention(拘留)center. He ran.
People watched in disbelief as Kyle dashed straight into the heavy morning traffic in front of the school.
I heard someone shout, “Call the police!”
But I ran after him.
Kyle was at least a foot taller than me. And he was fast. His older brothers were track stars at the nearby high school. But I could run long distances without tiring. I would at least be able to keep him in my sight and know he was alive.
After several blocks of running directly into oncoming traffic, Kyle slowed his pace.
He took a sharp left. Standing next to a trash bin, Kyle bent over with his hands on his knees. I must have looked ridiculous. But his was not a look of fear. I saw his body relax. He did not attempt to run again. Kyle stood still and watched me approach. I had no idea what I was going to say or do, but I kept walking closer.
He opened his mouth to speak when a police car pulled up, abruptly filling the space between Kyle and me. The school principal and an officer got out. They spoke calmly to Kyle, who willingly climbed into the back of the vehicle. I couldn’t hear what was said, but I didn’t take my eyes off Kyle’s face, even as they drove away.
I couldn’t help but feel that I had failed him, that I should have done or said more, that I should have fixed the situation.
I shared my feelings with a speech therapist who was familiar with Kyle’s history. “No one ever ran after him before, Rachel,” she said. “No one. They just let him go.”
Things changed the day he ran and I ran after him, even though I didn’t have the right words, even though I wasn’t able to save him from the mess he was in. It was the day I didn’t throw my hands in the air and decide he was too fast, a waste of time and effort , a lost cause. It was the day my mere presence was enough to make a profound difference.
【小题1】From the passage we know that _____.

A．the author left her family to Florida because jobs were hard to come by in Indiana.

B．students were allowed to go out after they passed some specific tests.

C．the author worked in a school where students were excellent.

D．no teacher had ever run after Kyle before except the author .

【小题2】Which of the following description about Kyle is not true?

A．He had some behavioral difficulties and once moved from one detention to another.

B．He used to run out to let out his anger when he was in school,home or juvenile detention.

C．Different from his brothers, he learned in a special school while not a normal high school.

D．He was moved by his teacher who treated him with more patience and understanding.

【小题3】Which is the correct order of the trace?
①He burst out when he knew he couldn’t go out.      ②I decided to run after him.
③Kyle stoppped beside a trash bin.                      ④A police car came and Kyle left with it.
⑤He rushed into the heavy morning traffic.       ⑥Kyle slowed his pace.
⑦I walked toward Kyle.

A．①⑤②⑥③⑦④	B．①⑤②④⑥⑦③
C．⑤④②⑥③⑦①	D．①②⑥⑦③④⑤

【小题4】What is the best title of the passage?

A．Kyle, a Boy with Learning and Behavior Difficulties.

B．The Teacher Who Ran.

C．A School with Special Students.

D．A Terrible Conflict.

An Ofsted (英国教育标准办公室）study reports that teachers are discouraging students who want to leave school and work as apprentices (学徒）in beauty salons (美容中心）or hair dressers.
　　Inspectors questioned 105 young people for a report on apprenticeships published on Wednesday. They found several examples of young people who felt they had been laughed at by their teachers for wanting to progress to work-based learning, particularly in care or hairdressing, rather than stay on at school.
　　Right or wrong, is it any surprise that this is happening? From 2014，the government will measure schools according to the rate of their pupils who go to university. Brian Lightman , general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says the government has already put teachers under “very great pressure to focus on academic subjects”
　　On the other hand, the Education Act 2011，which came into force in November, places schools under a duty to give fair career advice to pupils. This advice must include information on all post-16 education and training choices, including apprenticeships. This doesn’t appear to be happening in several schools, according to Ofsted9S report. Many of the young people the inspectors talked to said the advice they had received on apprenticeships was “unsatisfactory”.
　　Schools were also blamed for lack of work experience courses, which are particularly important for teenagers considering an apprenticeship. They help students decide whether they enjoy a line of work and enable employers to see whether those on work experience have the potential to be hired as apprentices in future years.
　　But there is a good reason why they can’t do this: they’d be unable to adapt to GCSE (英国齊通中等教育证书）exams if they did. Sometimes, it seems, schools just can’t win.
【小题1】Why do teachers oppose the students’ leaving school and working as apprentices?

A．The government urges teachers to concentrate on academic subjects.

B．The students are only wasting time working as apprentices.

C．Employers are under great pressure of taking GCSE exams.

D．Employers don’t give students chances to work as apprentices

【小题2】Pressure for schools to provide pupils with career advice comes from ______. 

A．Association of School and College Leaders

B．Education Act 2011

C．GCSE exams

D．OFSTED

【小题3】The underlined word “They” in Paragraph 5 refers to _____.

A．schools

B．employers

C．work experience courses

D．teenagers considering an apprenticeship

【小题4】What does the author think of teachers’ discouraging students working as apprentices?

A．Surprising	B．Understandable
C．Wrong	D．Right