Imagine a boy from a small village in East Africa. He, since a very early age, has been looking after cattle. At twelve years old he knows more about cattle than most of you. However, he has never been to school. Has this boy had any education?

Education is discovering about ourselves and about the people and things around us. All the people who care about us — our parents, brothers, sisters, friends — are our teachers. In fact, we learn something from everyone we meet. We start learning on the day we were born, not on the first day we go to school. Every day we have new experiences, like finding a bird’s nest, discovering a new street in our neighborhood, making friends with someone we didn’t like before. New experiences are even more fun when we share them with other people.

Encouragement from the people around us enables us to explore things as many as possible. As we grow up, we begin to find out what we are capable of doing. You may be good at cooking, or singing or playing football. You find this out by doing these things. Just thinking about cooking doesn’t tell you whether you are good at it.

We learn so much just living from day to day. So why is school important? Of course you can learn some things better at home than at school, like how to do the shopping, and how to help old or disabled people who can’t do everything for themselves. At school, teachers help us to read and write. With their guidance, we begin to see things in different ways.

1. The writer takes the African boy as an example to show that _______.

A. African children are very poor.             B. some children are unlucky.

C. there are many kinds of education.                   D. schools are of great importance.

2.In the opinion of the writer,       .

A. we have to learn from the people around us.  B. the school is not important at all.

C. only people who care for us can teach us.        D. education takes place everywhere.

3. One can find out what he / she is good at by     _.

A. what people encourage him/ her to do.         B. the teachings of those he / she meets.

C. thinking about it when growing up.           D. trying and practising things.

4. The passage tells us that _     .

A. everyone gets education from the day he or she was born.

B. different classes of people receive different kinds of education.

C. the school is absolutely necessary if one wants to understand the world.

D. everyone will find out what he or she is good at.

5.According to the last paragraph, we know that       .

A. the school is not so important as our living places.

B. the school enables us to understand the world in other ways.

C. the school teaches us things which are useless at home.

D. the school cannot prepare us for our daily lives.

 

Many psychologists in the early twentieth century believed that humans use only 10 percent of their brains, and even the great Albert Einstein once wrote that most people use only a small portion of the grey matter between their ears. It's a theory that has often been put forward in television documentaries; magazines, advertisements and books over the past century.

         But nearly all scientists now agree the 10 percent theory is completely unfounded. In fact, they question how this figure was ever arrived at in the first place and what areas of the brain are supposed to be unneeded. The theory supposes that if 90 percent of the brain were removed, a person would Still be able to function normally, while in reality it is known that damage to even a small area of the brain can result in extremely serious physical injury different activities and that many areas of the brain are used at the same time for some complex activities or thought processes.

         Throughout the course of one day, most .areas of the brain are active at some time, even during sleep. The 10 percent theory suggests that certain areas o' the brain are not used, but scans slow activities throughout the entire brain and not in any separate part. The final argument against the 10 percent theory is the fact that doctors carefully map the brain before removing brain cancers so that they don't affect other essential areas.

         From an evolutionary point of view, it's highly unlikely butt our comparatively larger brains would have evolved from our ancestors if the extra areas were not needed. In fact, there is absolutely no evidence support the 1p percent theory.

1.How did the 10 percent theory get such widespread popularity?

   A. It was promoted in various types of copular media.

   B. Albert Einstein argued strongly in support.

   C. It was proven in scientific research.

   D. Few people could prove it wrong.

2.The underlined word "unfounded" is chest in meaning to _________.

   A. undiscovered         B. unproven        C. unknown        D. unnecessary

3.Which of the following is true according to the writer?

   A. We use less than 10% of our brains.

   B. Most brain disorders affect the same part of the brain.

   C. The brain is less active during times of sleep.

   D. The 10 percent theory does not make evolutionary sense.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

   A. People today use more of their brain than in the past.

   B. Scientific opinion about the topic of brain use is equally divided.

   C. Our understanding of the brain has changed greatly in the past decades.

   D. Modern scientists have a complete picture of how the brain works.

5.What is the main purpose of the passage?

   A. To present two sides of brain theory.

   B. To criticize the 10 percent theory.

   C. To explain how brain works.

   D. To describe the history of brain research.

 

Many years ago my student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide.

"Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were cra zy and walked away looking confused . I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.

Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输) in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.

Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too.

Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.

1.. Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?

  A. Because he thought her answer was unbelievable.

  B. Because the writer was insincere.

  C. Because the student was naughty.

  D. Because the answer was difficult to understand.

2.. What do you think of the writer?

  A. Stupid.                B. Honest.          C. Insincere.       D. Polite.

3.. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?

  A. The writer’s mother has the greatest influence on her.

  B. The writer’s answer made the student confused.

  C. In the writer’s opinion, some people in the world are unfit to teach.

  D. The writer annoyed the student who asked the question.

4.. We can infer from the text that _________.

  A. the writer was also a good teacher in school

  B. the writer often plays with her students beside a pond

  C. the writer devotes herself to teaching and her students.

  D. the writer often accompanies the students on their way home

5.. What’s the main idea of the text?

  A. A student’s silly question.               B. A good teacher who likes students.

  C. A confused student.                        D. The reason why I teach.

 

Perhaps the most wonderful building put up in the 19th century was the Crystal Palace（水晶宫）which was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all the other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all the time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. Plenty of goods were sent to the exhibition from all parts of the world. There was also a great deal of machinery on show. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steamboats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the money from the exhibition was used to build museums and colleges. Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to the South London. It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was burnt down in 1936.

1.The Crystal Palace was built up_________.

A. in the 1950s     B. in the 1990s    C. shortly before 1851   D. after 1851

2. People from many countries came to the Crystal Palace mainly to______.

   A. buy goods                            B. visit an exhibition    

C. travel                               D. enjoy the Crystal Palace itself

3. What happened to the Crystal Palace in 1936?

   A. It caught a terrible fire.

   B. It disappeared suddenly.

   C. It was moved away to the south of London

   D. It was rebuilt.

4.The writer__________.

   A. thought the Crystal Palace very useful

   B. thought highly of the Crystal Palace.

    C. wanted the Crystal Palace to be rebuilt

   D. was one of the visitors who had visited the Crystal Palace.

5. The Crystal Palace was famous to all because__________.

   A. it was the biggest building in the world then.

   B. it was made of iron and glass.

   C. so many visitors had been there.

   D. it was burnt down at last.

 

 

Depend on yourself. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. But all these only help you to help yourself.

There have been many great men in history. But many of them were very poor when they were young, and had no uncles, aunts or friends to help them. Schools were few and not very good.

They could not depend upon them for education. They saw how it was, and set to work with all their strength to know something. They worked their own way till they became well-known. One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, “I cannot make worthy men of you, but I can help make men of yourselves.”

Some young men do not try their best to make themselves valuable to society. They can never gain achievements unless they see their weak points and keep improving themselves. They are nothing now and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of their parents and teachers, and depend on their own efforts.

1.Which of the following titles fits this passage best?

A. How to Become Famous                           B. What Helps to Make a Good Teacher

C. Men Must Help Each Other                       D. Depend on Your Own Efforts

2. Many great men succeeded because_________.

A. they were anxious to become rich 

B. they had received good education

C. they had made great efforts to learn and work                                          

D. they wanted very much to become well-known

3.If young people depend on their own efforts, _________.

A. they are more likely to succeed in their lives                                      

B. they are sure to be famous in the world

C. they will need no advice from their parents and teachers              

D. they will be nothing as long as they live

4.From this passage we can see that the writer_________.

A. is a man with a strong will                                                                       

B. shows great respect for teachers

C. is in favour of those who struggle for success                                             

D. feels it important to accept the advice of others