When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance, the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list. Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as entertainment, but certainly not an education priority(优先). This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students.

Music tells us who we are, because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values, as well as the social environment it came from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as does a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.

Music provides a kind of perception (感知) that cannot be acquired any other way. Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore the emotive (情感的) meaning of the same phenomenon. We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason: No one way can get it all.

The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other. They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities, our hungers, our discoveries, our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.

Science and technology do not tell us what it means to be human. The arts do. Music is an important way we express human suffering, celebration, the meaning and value of peace and love.    

    So music education is far more necessary than people seem to realize.

1.According to Paragraph 1, students   ____  .

A. regard music as a way of entertainment 

B. disagree with their parents on education

C. view music as an overlooked subject   

D. prefer the arts to science

2.In Paragraph 2, the author uses jazz an example to_________ .

A. compare it with rock music           

B. show music identifies a society

C. introduce American musical traditions  

D. prove music influences people’s lifestyles

3.According to the passage, the arts and science__________.

A. approach the world from different angles

B. explore different phenomena of the world

C. express people’s feeling in different ways

D. explain what it means to be human

4.What is the main idea of the passage?   

A. Music education deserves more attention.    

B. Music should be of top education priority.

C. Music is an effective communication tool.

D. Music education makes students more imaginative.

 

High school graduation is worth celebrating. It marks a big change in the lives of young adults. However, it ought to mean even more. It ought to mean that the graduate is ready for college or career.
In a report issued last year, we found that almost half of recent Illinois high school graduates required remedial courses(补习课) upon enrolling(注册) a community college. These courses require time and money to complete, yet offer no credits toward a degree. Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college.
Why is the remediation rate so high? A large part of the reason is that we have not set high enough standards for what our students need to learn from kindergarten to high school. They simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
The same is true for careers. In Illinois, good jobs continue to go vacant(空缺) even while we are trying hard to go through tough economic times. This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know.
The good news is that in Illinois we have a plan to help get our students ready for life in the real world. We have already taken an important first step by becoming one of the 45 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards and have begun introducing them to classrooms this year. The new standards provide fewer, clearer and higher benchmarks(标准) for academic progress. They focus on deeper knowledge required at each grade level, give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they’ve learned.
Research shows that when expectations are raised, students rise to meet them. Adapting to higher standards and raising expectations may prove challenging, but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers. Readiness is worth a celebration.
【小题1】According to the passage, in most cases, students taking part in remedial courses ___.

A．come from wealthy families

B．leave college before finishing their courses

C．are offered credits toward a degree

D．are likely to develop their academic interest

【小题2】The author uses the third and fourth paragraphs to __.

A．provide solutions to the rising remediation rate

B．show the present situation of unemployment in Illinois

C．suggest knowledge learned in school be put into practice

D．explain why students aren’t prepared for college and a career

【小题3】Which of the following statements about the Common Core State Standards is TRUE?

A．They were first adopted in Illinois.

B．More benchmarks are required.

C．They benefit teachers as well as students.

D．They ensure students’ success in college.

【小题4】Based on the last paragraph, what is the author’s attitude to raising expectations of students?

A．Supportive	B．Critical
C．Doubtful	D．Worried

—Is everybody here?

—Not yet.... Look, there _____ the rest of my students!

 A. comes          B. come              C. is coming           D. are coming

 

Being a teacher, you must observe your behavior, for ________ you say and do has a life-long effect on your students.

A. that                                   B. which                       C. what                         D. as

 

This Teaching Assistant Level 3 course is designed for people who either are, or wish to become a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants carry out their tasks under the direction of the class teacher. This is a fully supported home study course, and the help is available whenever you need it --- either online or over the phone. There is a huge demand for teaching assistants around the country but also many thousands of applicants for these positions. Having this Teaching Assistant Level 3 qualification will help you stand out from other applicants. Our Level 3 Teaching Assistant course is similar to the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 3 because it is an equivalent (同等的) level of learning.
The teaching assistant is able to contribute in four main areas:
Supporting the teacher
Supporting the pupil
Supporting the school
Supporting the curriculum
The salary a teaching assistant is expected to earn a year:
London fringe (外围):￡16,856 - ￡26,052
Outer London: ￡18,789 - ￡27,992
Inner London: ￡19,893 - ￡29,088
Rest of England and Wales: ￡15,817 - ￡25,016
The fee and the time of enrolment (入学)
Enroll for only a ￡35 deposit. Teaching Assistant Level 3 is only ￡345. To help you on your way towards achieving your qualification, we are offering all of our potential students a ￡115 reduction in their enrolment fees for June. The normal fee for this course is ￡460 but for this month it has been reduced to only ￡345. There has never been a better time to start learning and take that first step towards a brighter future!
100% money back guarantee, if you are not satisfied. That’s why we’ll happily give you your money back on any course returned within 7 days. It’s easy for you to enroll now by telephone 01223 923 913. You can get free friendly help and advice from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, on Monday to Friday. Call 01223 923 915.
【小题1】How can people study this Teaching Assistant Level 3 course?

A．Go to the night school.	B．Go to the full-time school.
C．Study at home at any time.	D．Study at weekends or vacations.

【小题2】What’s the teaching assistant’s task?

A．Listening to the teacher’s lecture all the time.

B．Only helping teachers prepare their lessons.

C．Helping promote effective learning and teaching.

D．Often giving lessons in place of the formal teacher.

【小题3】If a teacher assistant earns ￡28,000 a year , he probably works in ______.

A．downtown Wales	B．the fringe of London
C．outer London	D．downtown London

【小题4】How much should you pay in June if you have paid the deposit?

A．￡35

B．￡310

C．￡345

D．￡460