In 1974, after filling out fifty applications, going through four interviews, and winning one offer, I took what I could get ----- a teaching job at what I considered a distant wild area: western New Jersey. My characteristic optimism was alive only when I reminded myself that I would be doing what I had wanted to do since I was fourteen ------- teaching English.

School started, but I felt more and more as if I were in a foreign country. Was this rural area really New Jersey? My students took a week off when hunting season began. I was told they were also frequently absent in late October to help their fathers make hay on the farms. I was a young woman from New York City, who thought that “Make hay while the sun shines” just meant to have a good time.

But, still, I was teaching English. I worked hard, taking time off only to eat and sleep. And then there was my sixth-grade class ---- seventeen boys and five girls who were only six years younger than me. I had a problem long before I knew it. I was struggling in my work as a young idealistic teacher. I wanted to make literature come alive and to promote a love of the written word. The students wanted to throw spitballs and whisper dirty words in the back of the room.

In college I had been taught that a successful educator should ignore bad behavior. So I did, confident that, as the textbook had said, the bad behavior would disappear as I gave my students positive attention. It sounds reasonable, but the text evidently ignored the fact that humans, particularly teenagers, rarely seems reasonable. By the time my boss, who was also my taskmaster, known to be the strictest, most demanding, most quick to fire inexperienced teachers, came into the classroom to observe me, the students exhibited very little good behavior to praise.

My boss sat in the back of the room. The boys in the class were making animal noises, hitting each other while the girls filed their nails or read magazines. I just pretended it all wasn’t happening, and went on lecturing and tried to ask some inspiring questions. My boss, sitting in the back of the classroom, seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. After twenty minutes he left, silently. Visions of unemployment marched before my eyes.

I felt mildly victorious that I got through the rest of class without crying, but at my next free period I had to face him. I wondered if he would let me finish out the day. I walked to his office, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

He was sitting in his chair, and he looked at me long and hard. I said nothing. All I could think of was that I was not an English teacher; I had been lying to myself, pretending that everything was fine.

When he spoke, he said simply, without accusation, “You had nothing to say to them.”

“You had nothing to say to them”. he repeated.” No wonder they are bored. Why not get to the meat of literature and stop talking about symbolism. Talk with them, not at them. And more important, why do you ignore their bad behavior”? We talked. He named my problems and offered solutions. We role-played. He was the bad student, and I was the forceful, yet, warm, teacher

As the year progressed, we spent many hours discussing literature and ideas about human beings and their motivations. He helped me identify my weaknesses and strengths. In short, he made a teacher of me by teaching me the reality of Emerson’s words: “The secret to education lies in respecting the pupil.”

Fifteen years later I still drive that same winding road to the same school. Thanks to the help I received that difficult first year, the school is my home now.

1. It can be inferred from the story that in 1974 ________________.

A．the writer became an optimistic person

B．the writer was very happy about her new job

C．it was rather difficult to get a job in the USA

D．it was easy to get a teaching job in New Jersey

2.According to the passage, which of the following is most probably the writer’s problem as a new teacher?

A．She had blind trust in what she learnt at college.

B．She didn’t ask experienced teachers for advice.

C．She took too much time off to eat and sleep.

D．She didn’t like teaching English literature.

3.What is the writer’s biggest worry after her taskmaster’s observation of her class?

A．She might lose her teaching job.

B．She might lose her students’ respect.

C．She couldn’t teach the same class any more.

D．She couldn’t ignore her students’ bad behavior any more.

4.Which of the following gives the writer a sense of mild victory?

A．Her talk about symbolism sounded convincing.

B．Her students behaved a little better than usual.

C．She managed to finish the class without crying.

D．She was invited for a talk by her boss after class.

5.The students behaved badly in the writer’s classes because

A．They were eager to embarrass her.

B．She didn’t really understand them.

C．They didn’t regard her as a good teacher.

D．She didn’t have a good command of English.

6.The taskmaster’s attitude towards the writer after his observation of her class can be described as________________.

A．cruel but encouraging                    B．fierce but forgiving

C．sincere and supportive                   D．angry and aggressive

 

The US government has started a website, Admongo, to help children think critically about the advertising aimed at them. It claims to provide visitors with an “aducation” through games and other entertainment.
A cartoon man dressed in old time pilot clothing greets visitors to Admongo. "Call me Haiz", he says upon arrival in a rocket ship that opens up with a crazy world inside it. Spacey dance music plays in the background as Haiz tells visitors that they need to learn about advertising.
Its inventors say eight to twelve years old is the age kids develop their critical thinking abilities. Kids that age are also a big market for advertisers.
The idea behind Admongo is to teach children three things: To identify the advertiser. To know what the advertiser is really saying. And to know what the advertisement is trying to get the child to do.
Children learn these things through a video game. They create their own game character. They can choose different skin colors, hair styles, eye and mouth shapes. Then they begin a trip through ad-land, where there are ads on buses and billboards. The players have to find all the marketing in the neighborhood before they can move on to the next level.
The Admongo game takes players inside a home, to the advertising studio and everywhere else ads can be found. It is a complete exploration of the world of marketing.
One such area is food marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it is a big business. The FTC estimates that food, drink and fast-food restaurants spent more than one and a half billion dollars on advertising to young people in 2009.
The FTC says children are important for three reasons. They buy products. They influence parents and caregivers to buy. And they are the future adult buyers of the products.
A recent study says most advertising aimed at children is for foods of the lowest nutritional value. First Lady Michelle Obama has said she would like to see advertisers marketing healthy foods for children.
【小题1】What is the best title of the text?

A．A website aimed at children’s food

B．The cartoon guide named “Haiz”

C．An “aducation” website for children

D．A popular online video game

【小题2】Why did the government start the website?

A．To advertise the video game for children.

B．To help children know about advertising.

C．To attract the biggest market of buyers.

D．To sell the products of its company.

【小题3】What can players do in the website game?

A．Play video games during the trip

B．Travel to a supermarket.

C．Eat in a fast-food restaurant.

D．Choose appearance for their character.

【小题4】Children are important for advertising because they are ______.

A．important for the society

B．the most potential buyers

C．easily influenced by ads

D．easily affected by poor products

【小题5】According to Michelle Obama, lots of foods advertised for children are ________.

A．of low quality

B．yummy

C．of high nutrition

D．healthy

One day I took a bus with my girlfriend. It was so _6_ that we stood for several stops until a vacant seat was _7_ for her.

Then a pretty girl rushed towards me，saying，“Hi，where are you going？”I was so struck by the stranger that I had a hard time trying to _8_ her. Clearly she had taken me for somebody else. I returned her greeting with politeness，_9_ to give explanation to my girlfriend later.

Noticing my dialogue with somebody else，my girlfriend raised her eyes and found she was pretty. She asked jealously，“who’s she？” The pretty girl，quite _10_ of the situation，spoke out first，“Hi，let me _11_ myself. I’m Nancy，used to be _12_.Very glad to meet you.” She behaved very _13_.

But I was at a loss to search in my memory for someone called Nancy among my neighbors. I was worrying how to explain this to my girlfriend _14_ the pretty girl again turned to me，“Will you give me your cellphone number so that we can keep contact(联系) later？” I had to submit to her _15_.

Then the girl got off the bus at the next stop. A minute later I got a short _16_ on my phone from a stranger. My girlfriend _17_ my phone and read the note. It was from the girl，who said，“Just now，two thieves tried to pick your pocket. I had to act as an acquaintance to draw your attention. I should have left at the _18_ stop but gave up as I noticed these two thieves also _19_ to leave at the same stop. Because of the _20_ I delayed my departure. Now you’ll understand all I have done to you. Wish you luck.”

1.                A．tiring          B．slow           C．crowded D．messy

 

2.                A．ready          B．available        C．special   D．suitable

 

3.                A．identify         B．realize          C．remind   D．judge

 

4.                A．preferring      B．planning        C．managing D．promising

 

5.                A．proud          B．careful         C．afraid    D．aware

 

6.                A．explain         B．enjoy          C．introduce D．help

 

7.                A．partners        B．neighbors       C．friends   D．colleagues

 

8.                A．naturally        B．generously      C．cautiously D．normally

 

9.                A．while          B．before         C．when D．until

 

10.               A．request        B．question        C．command  D．opinion

 

11.               A．suggestion      B．warning        C．notice D．message

 

12.               A．removed       B．seized          C．found D．caught

 

13.               A．terminal        B．former         C．previous   D．latter

 

14.               A．pretending      B．intending       C．demanding D．announcing

 

15.               A．incident        B．matter         C．accident   D．affair

 

 

A. Set a Good Example for Your Kids B. Build Your Kids’ Work Skills C. Place Time Limits on Leisure Activities D. Talk about the Future on a Regular Basis E. Help Kids Develop Strategies of dealing with different things F. Help Your Kids Figure Out Who They Are G. Build Your Kids’ Sense of Responsibility

How Can a Parent Help?
Mothers and fathers can do a lot to ensure a safe landing in early adulthood for their kids. Even if a job’s starting salary seems too small to satisfy an emerging adult’s need for rapid content, the transition from school to work can be less of a setback if the start-up adult is ready for the move. Here are a few measures, drawn from my book Ready or Not, Here Life Comes, which parents can take to prevent what I call “work-life unreadiness.”
【小题1】_________You can start this process when they are 11 or 12. Regularly review their emerging strengths and weaknesses with them and work together on any shortcomings, like difficulty in communicating well or cooperating. Also, identify the kinds of interests they keep coming back to, as these offer clues to the careers that will fit them best.
【小题2】________Kids need a range of real role models. Have regular dinner-table discussions about people the family knows and how they got where they are. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of your own career and encourage your kids to form some ideas about their own future. When asked what they want to do, they should be discouraged from saying “I have no idea.” They can change their minds 200 times, but having only a foggy view of the future is of little good.
【小题3】_______Teachers are responsible for teaching kids how to learn; parents should be responsible for teaching them how to work. Assign responsibilities around the house and make sure homework deadlines are met. Encourage teenagers to take a part-time job. Kids need plenty of practice developing effective organizational skills, such as managing time and setting priorities(优先).
【小题4】_________Playing video games encourages immediate content（满足）. And hours of watching TV shows with canned laughter only teaches kids to process information in a passive way. At the same time, listening through earphones to the songs for a long time encourages kids to stay inside instead of participating in other outdoor activities. All these activities can prevent the growth of children’s communication and thinking skills and make it difficult for kids to develop the kind of sustained (持续的) concentration they will need for most jobs.
【小题5】_________They should know how to deal with setbacks, stresses and feelings of inadequacy. They should also learn how to solve problems and resolve conflicts, ways to brainstorm and think critically. Discussions at home can help kids practice doing these things and help them apply these skills to everyday life situations.
What about the son or daughter who is grown but seems to be struggling and wandering aimlessly through early adulthood? Parents still have a major role to play, but now it is more delicate. Most of all, these new adults must feel that they are respected and supported by a family that appreciates them.