Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask. But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history. Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history.

The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past. I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures. However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don't seem to learn from history." Perhaps at least in teaching history, to my children I can do a small part in changing this.

A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context. We can not even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less (更不必说) try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be.

I teach my children history, for one more reason. I purchased a set of historical audio (录音机) tapes for our children. My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over. It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself. I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr. if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished. I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for.

1.The main purpose of this passage is to __________.

A．instruct the parents how to teach their children history

B．show the importance of history in politics

C．explain the reasons why children study history

D．introduce the writer’s own way of teaching history

2.Which of the following is not the reason for studying history according to the author?

A．One can learn from history in order not to make the same mistakes.

B．It can help us to understand the current political climate.

C．Without history, one can be nothing but a fool in every aspect.

D．One can know the principle of doing something and not doing something.

3. Some positive historical figures are mentioned in the last paragraph to show __________.

A．people can be inspired to do good, while also learning to fight against evil

B．people may also learn from bad historical figures

C．more celebrations should be held to honor their achievements

D．today’s people can also achieve what they achieved

4. What would be talked about in the following paragraph?

A．How to teach history effectively.

B．Some negative reasons for studying history.

C．How to get more people to study history.

D．Some bad historical figures.

 

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示。2）首字母提示，3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确

Dear friends,

    I’m awfully sorry to hear that a horrible and severe earthquake

unexpectedly hit your hometown.     (面对) with such a rarely-seen 86.________

disaster, you remain so calm and strong-willed  _____ we are all     87. ________

moved to tears. A friend in _____ is a friend indeed. Thinking          88. ________

about your _____（目前）situation, we can not wait a minute          99. ________

to _____ every effort to help you. On behalf of all my classmates,    90. ________

I, as the _____ (主席) of the students’ union, express our                 91. ________

most sincere pity and care for you. B     , we make a                    92. ________

donation of 120 thousand yuan to you,      (希望) that it can        93. ________

help you go through the _____ (困难). A better hometown               94. ________

can be r     . Therefore, never give up whatever happens.                     95. ________

  Remember we won’t be far away when you need any help!

                                       Yours sincerely,

Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask. But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history. Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history.

The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past. I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures. However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don't seem to learn from history." Perhaps at least in teaching history, to my children I can do a small part in changing this.

A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context. We can- not even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less (更不必说) try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be.

I teach my children history, for one more reason. I purchased a set of historical audio (录音机) tapes for our children. My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over. It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself. I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr. if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplishe    D．I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for.

1.What message can we get from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 ?

     A．Many people fail to make good use of history and make the same mistakes.

     B．Many people aren't clever enough to learn well from the past.

     C．Many people feel it hard to understand history.

     D．Many people have no interest in studying history.

2.Some historical figures are mentioned in the last paragraph to show ______________.

     A．people can be inspired to do good, while also learning to fight against evil

     B．people may also learn from bad historical figures

     C．more celebrations should be held to honor their achievements

     D．today’s people can also achieve what they achieved

3.What would be talked about in the following paragraph?

     A．How to teach history effectively.

     B．How to get more people to study history.

     C．Some negative reasons for studying history.

     D．Some bad historical figures.

4.The main purpose of this passage is to ____________.

     A．inspire the parents to teach their children history

     B．show the importance of history in politics

     C．explain the reasons why children study history

     D．introduce the writer' s own way of teaching history

 

Plants are very important living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.

If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants.

Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit.

Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores(胚芽). Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.

1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.

A．plants are important for life               B．plants cannot grow without air

C．there are many plants in the world          D．we can not live without water

2.Plants can make food from______.

A．flower, water and air                     B．water, sunlight and air

C．air, water and soil                       D．air, sun and light

3.What can we infer(推断) from the passage ?

A．Of all living things animals are most important  B．Spores are seeds

C．All fruits of flowering plants have seeds       D．Without plants, man will die out

4.This passage may be taken from______.

A．a medicine book                        B．a novel

C．a science magazine                      D．an experiment report

5.The underlined word “protected” in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______. 

A．damaged          B．polluted           C．prevented         D．guarded

 

If you don’t have a college degree, you’re at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆). Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it's well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive（认知的） advantage over those less educated in middle and old age.

       Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures.

       “The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile (敏捷地).

       But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.

       The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal (言语的)memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting.

       As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman.

       “The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman. “Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity (可塑性), and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle.”

What is the text mainly about?

       A. Higher education has a better cognitive advantage.

       B. Better memories result from college degree.

       C. Cognitive activity does good to one’s mind.

       D. Poor education has more risk of memory declines.

According to the result of Margie Lachman’s study, we can conclude that ________.

 A. education is responsible for the lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder

 B. education early in adulthood can be the only route to maintain your memory

 C. those with higher education did better on the memory tests than those with lower education

 D. an intellectually active lifestyle does help to maintain your memory

What do we know about the study called Midlife?

     A. Participants each were given a battery to test their memory.

     B. The average age of the participants are 56 years old.

     C. Participants had to perform in one of the two cognitive areas.

     D. One in four of the participants had a 4-year college degree.

Why are the findings of the Lachman’s study promising?

     A. The lower educated may have the same opportunities to keep up memory.

     B. We may have ways to cure the people who have memory declines.

     C. Adopting a different lifestyle can control cognitive functioning.

     D. We can find out the possibility to have better memories.