At the beginning of every school year, I feared coming home with the heavy homework of the first day after a summer of fun.  And I feared getting another teacher who had a long list of rules and a stare that could kill a cat.

But there was always one part of beginning a new school year that I enjoyed.  I always liked going to the store to arm myself with new school supplies-even if I didn’t need them.

Sure, my pencils, erasers and notebooks from the previous school year may have had some life left in them.  But this didn’t matter.  Every year, Dad would pile us into the car, take us to Wal-Mart and let us buy the newest and coolest pencils, rainbow-colored erasers and spiral notebooks.

Besides school supplies, many parents also take their kids on annual shopping spree for new clothes and book bags just in time for school.  During the whole process, children are in high spirits, buying a lot of stuff and are back home exhausted.

Every year, most of my classmates and I show up to school on the first day with something smelling like a new car.  We’d put our new stationery on top of the desks, just to make sure others see them.

Leftover supplies from past years were always stuffed into the living room desk.  Used clothes that had lost their appeal were sent to second-hand shops, where they would be sold for 50 cents a piece.

However, all of the new stuff could only make us excited about going to school for one week, after which the usual boredom and fear come back.

65. What is NOT TRUE about the author at the beginning of a new school year in the passage?

       A. He often has to face a new teacher. 

       B. He doesn’t enjoy the load of work from school.

       C. He doesn’t appreciate strict teachers

       D. He obtains new school supplies from the school.

66. Why do the students look forward to getting new pencils every year?

       A. Because the old ones are used up.

       B. Because new pencils help them to study better.

       C. Because they want to show their new stuff off.

       D. Because it’s required by the school.

67. The underlined word “spree” in the passage probably means ______.

       A. competition              B. considerable embarrassment

       C. wild celebration        D. emotional pain

68. How are the old supplies dealt with?

       A. They are put aside and forgotten.     B. They are given to poorer children.

       C. They are sold online. D. They are treasured by the students.

.

 Section B

Directions: Read the following three passages.  Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements.  For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D.  Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

At the beginning of every school year, I feared coming home with the heavy homework of the first day after a summer of fun.  And I feared getting another teacher who had a long list of rules and a stare that could kill a cat.

But there was always one part of beginning a new school year that I enjoyed.  I always liked going to the store to arm myself with new school supplies-even if I didn’t need them.

Sure, my pencils, erasers and notebooks from the previous school year may have had some life left in them.  But this didn’t matter.  Every year, Dad would pile us into the car, take us to Wal-Mart and let us buy the newest and coolest pencils, rainbow-colored erasers and spiral notebooks.

Besides school supplies, many parents also take their kids on annual shopping spree for new clothes and book bags just in time for school.  During the whole process, children are in high spirits, buying a lot of stuff and are back home exhausted.

Every year, most of my classmates and I show up to school on the first day with something smelling like a new car.  We’d put our new stationery on top of the desks, just to make sure others see them.

Leftover supplies from past years were always stuffed into the living room desk.  Used clothes that had lost their appeal were sent to second-hand shops, where they would be sold for 50 cents a piece.

However, all of the new stuff could only make us excited about going to school for one week, after which the usual boredom and fear come back.

65. What is NOT TRUE about the author at the beginning of a new school year in the passage?

       A. He often has to face a new teacher. 

       B. He doesn’t enjoy the load of work from school.

       C. He doesn’t appreciate strict teachers

       D. He obtains new school supplies from the school.

66. Why do the students look forward to getting new pencils every year?

       A. Because the old ones are used up.

       B. Because new pencils help them to study better.

       C. Because they want to show their new stuff off.

       D. Because it’s required by the school.

67. The underlined word “spree” in the passage probably means ______.

       A. competition              B. considerable embarrassment

       C. wild celebration        D. emotional pain

68. How are the old supplies dealt with?

       A. They are put aside and forgotten.     B. They are given to poorer children.

       C. They are sold online. D. They are treasured by the students.

Speaking in his first National Day Rally speech on 15 August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien said Singapore’s education system was set for more reforms in the years ahead, particularly for the primary and secondary education. Read the summary of his thoughts on education below.

For a start, the Government is prepared to send and additional 3,000 teachers to Singapore schools, cut the courses of study even further and change the way the mother tongue, especially Chinese, is taught. But, for the changes to be successful, parents need to help.

Singapore has a devoted group of teachers and principals and quite a few of them are outstanding, but the Republic’s schools can be even better. To help the schools make a jump in quality, the Government plans that within the next 6 years, it will send 1,000 more teachers to primary schools, 1,400 to secondary schools and 550 more to junior colleges. Each school would decide how to use its extra teachers. Some may want to make classes smaller so students get more individual attentions while others may have new teachers assist more senior teachers, but the overall goal is to give teachers the time and space to come up with ways to bring out the best in their students.

More teachers must not mean more homework, however. In fact, the Prime Minister wants to see the courses cut down so that there is less pressure on the students. Good grades are important but they should not be the only goal students have. PM Lee is convinced that “we must teach less so that our children can learn more.”

Another change will be in the teaching of the mother tongue so that students can become more fluent. The key is to teach Chinese as a living language not just an academic subject like Latin. Therefore, the focus should be on speaking and reading the language. To do this, there must be an environment outside the classroom that is contributing to strengthening the Chinese lessons.

1．The text is mainly about         in Singapore.

      A．the education reform                            B．adding more teachers

       C．the mother tongue                                                               D．ways of teaching

2．The general goal of using extra teachers is to          .

       A．make classes smaller                            B．assist more senior teachers

       C．teach more                                          D．help teachers improve teaching quality

3．PM Lee holds that the students should         .

       A．do more homework                             B．give up higher grades

       C．study more courses                             D．be given more time to learn more

4．The key to teaching Chinese well is to          .

      A．make it academic                                 B．have a creative environment

       C．give more Chinese lessons                    D．encourage speaking and reading a lot

5．The measures to be carried out will have pressure taken off          .

       A．teachers              B．students              C．parents                D．the Government

Speaking in his first National Day Rally speech on 15 August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien said Singapore’s education system was set for more reforms in the years ahead, particularly for the primary and secondary education．Read the summary of his thoughts on education below．

For a start, the Government is prepared to send and additional 3,000 teachers to Singapore schools, cut the courses of study even further and change the way the mother tongue, especially Chinese, is taught．But, for the changes to be successful, parents need to help．

Singapore has a devoted group of teachers and principals and quite a few of them are outstanding, but the Republic’s schools can be even better．To help the schools make a jump in quality, the Government plans that within the next 6 years, it will send 1,000 more teachers to primary schools, 1,400 to secondary schools and 550 more to junior colleges．Each school would decide how to use its extra teachers．Some may want to make classes smaller so students get more individual attentions while others may have new teachers assist more senior teachers, but the overall goal is to give teachers the time and space to come up with ways to bring out the best in their students．

More teachers must not mean more homework, however．In fact, the Prime Minister wants to see the courses cut down so that there is less pressure on the students．Good grades are important but they should not be the only goal students have．PM Lee is convinced that “we must teach less so that our children can learn more．”

Another change will be in the teaching of the mother tongue so that students can become more fluent．The key is to teach Chinese as a living language not just an academic subject like Latin．Therefore, the focus should be on speaking and reading the language．To do this, there must be an environment outside the classroom that is contributing to strengthening the Chinese lessons．

The text is mainly about         in Singapore．

      A．the education reform       B．adding more teachers

       C．the mother tongue           D．ways of teaching

The general goal of using extra teachers is to          ．

       A．make classes smaller       B．assist more senior teachers

       C．teach more              D．help teachers improve teaching quality

PM Lee holds that the students should         ．

       A．do more homework        B．give up higher grades

       C．study more courses      D．be given more time to learn more

The key to teaching Chinese well is to          ．

      A．make it academic                B．have a creative environment

       C．give more Chinese lessons      D．encourage speaking and reading a lot

Speaking in his first National Day Rally speech on 15 August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien said Singapore’s education system was set for more reforms in the years ahead, particularly for the primary and secondary education．Read the summary of his thoughts on education below．
For a start, the Government is prepared to send and additional 3,000 teachers to Singapore schools, cut the courses of study even further and change the way the mother tongue, especially Chinese, is taught．But, for the changes to be successful, parents need to help．
Singapore has a devoted group of teachers and principals and quite a few of them are outstanding, but the Republic’s schools can be even better．To help the schools make a jump in quality, the Government plans that within the next 6 years, it will send 1,000 more teachers to primary schools, 1,400 to secondary schools and 550 more to junior colleges．Each school would decide how to use its extra teachers．Some may want to make classes smaller so students get more individual attentions while others may have new teachers assist more senior teachers, but the overall goal is to give teachers the time and space to come up with ways to bring out the best in their students．
More teachers must not mean more homework, however．In fact, the Prime Minister wants to see the courses cut down so that there is less pressure on the students．Good grades are important but they should not be the only goal students have．PM Lee is convinced that “we must teach less so that our children can learn more．”
Another change will be in the teaching of the mother tongue so that students can become more fluent．The key is to teach Chinese as a living language not just an academic subject like Latin．Therefore, the focus should be on speaking and reading the language．To do this, there must be an environment outside the classroom that is contributing to strengthening the Chinese lessons．
【小题1】The text is mainly about         in Singapore．

A．the education reform	B．adding more teachers
C．the mother tongue	D．ways of teaching

【小题2】The general goal of using extra teachers is to          ．

A．make classes smaller	B．assist more senior teachers
C．teach more	D．help teachers improve teaching quality

【小题3】PM Lee holds that the students should         ．

A．do more homework	B．give up higher grades
C．study more courses	D．be given more time to learn more

【小题4】The key to teaching Chinese well is to          ．

A．make it academic	B．have a creative environment
C．give more Chinese lessons	D．encourage speaking and reading a lot