My son was entering Grade 1. He was a bit nervous because he knew his best friend would not be in his new class. I explained to him that even though his best friend would not be in his class, he would still have some of his old classmates.
On the first day of school when the class list was posted, I was shocked! My son had zero former classmates in his class. None. Not one.
How could this happen?
I asked my friend who works with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. She explained , “Many largely populated schools often shuffle(重组) the kids around each year to encourage new friendships.”
If schools are actively trying to place two best friends in different classes simply to shake things up, I think it is a blunder.
I was lucky enough to attend the same primary school all the way through. It was a small class and our group of students moved through each grade together. We felt like brothers and sisters. It was wonderful.
While it may be good to shake things up a bit in the older grades, it seems almost cruel (残忍的) to separate good friends in the younger grades without good cause.
One mom named Karen says that her son is always starting a new grade without any close friends. At first , she thought it was a good idea. Then she realized one thing-her son does not have a “best friend ”, which makes her pretty worried. In fact, she thinks that he does not have any close friends because his classmates are always changing.
Part of a school’s responsibility is to provide a safe and comfortable space for children to learn and grow. If that environment is always changing-causing terrible results- perhaps it is time to rethink this practice.
1. The story in the first two paragraphs is used to ________.| A．offer some reasons | B．introduce the topic |
| C．show the author’s feelings | D．set an example |
| A．Mistake. | B．Reason. |
| C．Advance. | D．Improvement. |
| A．To prove that smaller classes are better. |
| B．To discuss the importance of good friends. |
| C．To explain how friendships are developed at school. |
| D．To show the advantage of having old classmates. |
| A．Objective | B．Surprised | C．Positive | D．Doubtful |
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【推荐1】A few weeks ago, my teenage daughter failed a test. She was embarrassed, angry, anxious and there were tears in her eyes. This grade might prevent her from qualifying for the next key class she wanted to take.
She took some time to complain to me. Then I saw something interesting. She calmed herself down by making a joke. She expressed thankfulness that she didn’t have bigger problems. Then she made a plan to talk to her teacher to improve her skills. This was a great change from the kid I was watching deal with disappointment a few years ago, the one who once was unwilling to take responsibility and blamed others, which shows she has grown up and understood the good in the bad.
We expect our kids to learn and grow, but many of them will also grow through adversity (逆境), and even thrive (茁壮成长) after trauma (创伤). Psychologists call it post-traumatic growth. Trauma, defined as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, attack, natural disaster, or other life-changing happenings, is painful and even can be harmful. Trauma does leave its mark, but the mark may not be all bad and there can also be growth.
In one study, researchers surveyed nearly 385 people who experienced financial adversity during the pandemic lockdown (疫情封锁), even while working full-time. These people are also the parents or primary caregivers or young children who were being homeschooled. And those surveyed had either been sick with COVID-19 or had a loved one with the disease. Despite all of this adversity, 88 percent of the people surveyed said they now have stronger family relationships and a greater appreciation for life. Some said they experienced spiritual growth and 11 percent reported they discovered new opportunities.
Hardship makes us adapt, respond, and find other ways to solve it. When we do, we become not only able to heal the trauma associated with it but also thrive again. We build up confidence and experience that will help us the next time we face adversity.
1. What can we know about the author’s daughter?| A．She lost heart after failing the test. |
| B．She was very anxious about the coming test. |
| C．She changed a lot with the help of the author. |
| D．She may lose the chance of attending an important class. |
| A．She grew up. |
| B．She should learn to handle disappointment. |
| C．She suffered severe trauma. |
| D．She was avoiding responsibility. |
| A．Post-traumatic growth is the result of emotional injuries. |
| B．Traumatic experiences have both advantages and disadvantages. |
| C．Traumatic experiences hold back kids’ psychological growth. |
| D．One will not make a positive change without experiencing trauma. |
| A．They benefited from the adversity. |
| B．They made a good recovery from COVID-19. |
| C．They were good at controlling their emotions. |
| D．They grasped new chances in their career. |
| A．Help children build up confidence | B．Trauma leaves a mark on children |
| C．Uncover the good in the bad | D．Avoid the adversity in a positive way |
【推荐2】When I was little, my dad would let me sit beside him on the porch while he painted. He would tell me how the cow by itself is just a cow, and the meadow by itself is just grass and flowers, and the sun peeking through the trees is just a beam of light, but put them all together and you’ve got magic.
I understood what he was saying, but I’ve never felt what he was saying until one day when I was up in the sycamore tree to rescue a kite stuck in the branches. It was a long way up, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I started climbing. Then I looked down. And suddenly I got dizzy and weak. I was miles off the ground! But the kite was still beyond my reach. I caught my breath and forced myself to concentrate on the kite as I climbed up.
When I had the kite free, I needed a minute to rest. That’s when the fear of being up so high began to lift, and in its place came the most amazing feeling that I was flying. Just soaring above the earth, sailing among the clouds.
Then I began to notice how wonderful the breeze smelled. It seemed like sunshine and wild grass and rain! I couldn’t stop breathing it in, filling my lungs again and again with the sweetest smell I’d ever known.
I never got over the view. I kept thinking of what it felt like to be up so high in that tree. I wanted to see it, to feel it, again. And again.
It wasn’t long before I wasn’t afraid of being up so high and found the spot that became my spot. I could sit there for hours, just looking out at the world. Sunsets were amazing. Some days they’d be purple and pink, some days they’d be a blazing orange, setting fire to clouds across the horizon.
It was on a day like that when my father’s notion (观念) moved from my head to my heart. The view from my sycamore was more than rooftops and clouds and wind and colors combined.
And I started marveling (惊奇) at how I was feeling both humble and majestic. How was that possible? How could I be so full of peace and full of wonder?
It was magic.
1. Why did the author climb up the sycamore tree?| A．To play in the tree. | B．To get a trapped kite. |
| C．To prove her courage. | D．To practice climbing skills. |
| A．unusual but painful | B．competitive and imaginative |
| C．adventurous but rewarding | D．well-planned and interesting |
| A．Because the tree had the sweetest smell. |
| B．Because it could help her to concentrate. |
| C．Because her father encouraged her to do so. |
| D．Because she could enjoy more than good views. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Positive action leads to happiness. |
| C．Beautiful things don’t ask for attention. |
| D．The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. |
【推荐3】Ever since Donald Trump was elected the president of the US, the entire Trump family has been put under a microscope. In China, the spotlight has been mainly focused on Trump and his daughter Ivanka. She is described on WeChat as an extremely influential role model with stunning beauty, a successful career, and a happy family. She leads a dream life that a million girls would kill for. Yes, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she got where she is by herself.
There are always articles that say people born into wealthy families are better looking and have a better family background than you, but these people do work harder than you. Are you a loser if you were raised in an ordinary family? Should you feel guilty that you sleep eight hours a day because Ivanka sleeps five?
If you just want to keep a stable nine-to-five job, does it mean you are not ambitious? How about if you don’t work out or eat healthy, does that mean you will not find your Mr. or Miss Right? There is a tendency in media nowadays to encourage elitism. They are trying to brainwash young people into thinking that they should invest a huge amount of time and money in bodybuilding and appearance enhancement so as to improve the quality of their life and join the elites. But what’s the disadvantage of being of average quality? Do you really need to go to the gym five days a week unless you are a gym maniac (狂人)? Do you really need to break your neck and sacrifice to earn your first pot of gold only to worry constantly about how to be accepted into high society later?
Don’t let the idea of elitism get to you. Everybody has a right to live the life they want. Human beings should not be judged as a success or failure based on whether they are a part of the elite or not. As long as you lead a happy and comfortable life, why bother to chase after other people’s shadows? Choose your own life path and go for it.
1. The author mentions the example of Ivanka to .| A．stress the importance of family background in one’s growth |
| B．emphasize beauty plays a decisive role in one’s career |
| C．show it is one’s own effort that counts in success |
| D．express sympathy for those less fortunate people |
| A．Have a burning desire for. | B．Show a strong hatred for. |
| C．Feel dissatisfied with out of envy. | D．Attempt to escape from in reality. |
| A．He’d better follow the tendency encouraged by the medium. |
| B．He needs to invest time and money in changing himself. |
| C．He’s fine as long as he lives happily and comfortably. |
| D．He ought to have stronger motivation for success. |
| A．Every man is the architect of his own fortune. |
| B．Follow your own course and let people talk. |
| C．Laziness in youth spells regret in old age. |
| D．He who does not advance loses ground. |
【推荐1】Miss Baugh taught seventh-grade social studies. She taught us to take school seriously. She is the kind of teacher who lets everyone feel scared. When my friends learned that I was in her class, they showed pity on me.
One day I took my trick props (道具) to school. Of all the people I could play tricks on, I chose Miss Baugh. Before she went into the classroom. I approached her desk, opened one of the pages of her book and placed the blob (黑糊糊的一团), which just looked like spilled ink, on it.
When Miss Baugh saw the bolb, she let out a little cry and looked for something to wipe it up. The trick succeeded and was beyond my expectations. But then after careful examination, she discovered that it was just a piece of black puddle (胶泥). She looked up and swept the classroom with a deadly gaze. Then came the unavoidable question. "Who did this?" After a few faster beats in my throat, I couldn't help telling the truth. Besides, I wanted my puddle back.
Miss Baugh fixed me with a stare that struck terror into my heart as well as into the hearts of my classmates. But then, most unexpectedly, the returned the puddle to me and said with a smile, “Well, it certainly fooled me.”
A few seconds later, I found a sweet lady appeared right where Miss Baugh stood. That may be the most valuable lesson I learned in seventh-grade social studies—tolerance.
1. How did the author’s friends feel when learning the author was in Miss Baugh’s class?| A．Sympathetic. | B．Joyful | C．Curious | D．Envious |
| A．Warm-hearted but conservative | B．Generous but serious |
| C．Strict and frightening | D．Humorous and kind |
| A．Destroy her book using spilled ink | B．Play tricks on her by some trick props |
| C．Pour out her only ink on the ground | D．Tear some pages out of her book |
| A．To show another teacher came in after Miss Baugh left. |
| B．To describe his successful deed in fooling Miss Baugh. |
| C．To declare the most valuable lesson he had learned |
| D．To express the change of his attitude towards Miss Baugh. |
【推荐2】Many kids would likely argue that their lunchtime is too short. While the precious breaks after class are used to relax and chat with friends, students also need to scarf down a full meal to “fuel” them through the rest of the day.
But it is found that students need more than a few minutes to consume the much-needed nutrition. Longer lunchtime is healthier. The study compared food choices with the amount of time students were given to eat. Students with less than 20 minutes for lunch ate less, including nutritional fruit and vegetables.
Nationwide, the average lunchtime is about 30 minutes. But researchers found that the real lunchtime could be cut down to less than 10 minutes. Researchers researched 1,001 students in low-income neighborhoods in Massachusetts that had lunchtime between 20 and 30 minutes. Students with shorter lunchtime were less likely to even choose a fruit in their lunch: 44 per cent of students with 20-minute time picked up an apple or orange.
More than 30 million children, half of all public-school children nationwide, according to the Southern Education Foundation, eat low-cost or free lunches every day under the National School Lunch Program. With the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, school lunches have seen an overhaul(改革) in their nutritional guidelines, with an increase in wholegrain foods (全谷物食品), low-fat choices, fruit and vegetables.
However, increasing lunchtime and cutting class time may not be a possible choice for many schools, whose funding depends on the results of tests. Researchers suggested simplifying the lunch lines so that students can make the most of the time they have.
1. The underlined phrase “scarf down” in the first paragraph is closest to “________” in the meaning.| A．discuss | B．cook |
| C．eat | D．improve |
| A．have healthier lunches |
| B．eat more vegetables |
| C．have fewer choices |
| D．be short of proper nutrition |
| A．The vegetables. | B．The milk. |
| C．The meat. | D．The fruit. |
| A．Because the students will not have enough healthy choices. |
| B．Because the bad result of the test will influence the school funding. |
| C．Because the school will have to improve the lunch quality. |
| D．Because the students will waste their lunchtime playing. |
【推荐3】How to enioy school
School is a great place where you are always occupied in expanding your knowledge and further improving yourself. But School doesn't have to be a prison.
Cheer yourself up each day. You could wake up each morning with a bad attitude and each Corning will turn into a bad day. Or you could listen to some energetic tunes, eat a breakfast to your taste and make your school day pleasant.
Join an afterschool club. Ifs a great way to make friends by joining a formal club or group at your school.
Avoid distractions.
| A．Purchase things to make you feel happy. |
| B．Personalize your school belongings. |
| C．It might seem fun hiding an iPhone in your sweatshirt at school. |
| D．For instance, you could join the music lovers or chess players. |
| E．If you decide that your day will be fun, it likely will be. |
| F．Join a club that you have little interest in to meet someone you might not meet normally. |
| G．Whether you find school difficult, boring, or stressful, you can try to make it easier. |
【推荐1】The grocery store might not be your favorite place to visit when you're at home, but is it ever fun when you're in another country? Honestly speaking, they're one of those strange little destinations that I like to sniff out everywhere I go, much as other travelers head toward clothing stores, libraries, coffee shops or galleries.
The greatest beauty of the grocery store –– whether it's a supermarket or a tiny shop –– is that it gives you a glimpse into what local people buy to cook their own meals. This offers clues into their lifestyles and preferences, and into the agricultural and cooking practices of the country. I stare at the strange fruits and vegetables, the seafood, the cheese, the spices, the bread, and oh, the chocolate...always the chocolate!
Being the environmental nerd（呆子）I am, I like paying attention to packaging, which can reflect people's attitudes towards environmental protection. Italy, for example, has a habit of requiring customers to bag their fruits and vegetables in plastic for weighing, while Sri Lanka leaves everything loose in bins. In Brazil, everything is prepackaged in a layer of plastic.
People in grocery stores tend to be friendlier. They smile, say hello, and sometimes ask questions, which can lead to great conversations. I had a further discussion with a teenaged cashier in Sri Lanka, over which bag of crunchy（松脆的）mix to buy. He insisted that the one labeled “spicy” would be too hot for me, but I told him I was willing to risk it. He laughed and we ended up talking about my favorite Sri Lankan foods for ten minutes.
It's interesting then to come home and look at one's own local grocery store through new eyes. What would a visitor think? What stands out, and what do the food displays say about us as a culture? You might be surprised by what you realize.
1. According to the author, what is the key benefit of visiting foreign grocery stores?| A．Learning to cook foreign dishes. | B．Making friends with local people. |
| C．Buying cheaper food and souvenirs. | D．Knowing local people and the country. |
| A．People's special lifestyles. | B．People's shopping habits. |
| C．People's environmental awareness. | D．People's packaging methods. |
| A．Sri Lankans know a lot about food. |
| B．Grocery stores are good social places. |
| C．Grocery stores vary in different countries. |
| D．Sri Lankans like to give strangers suggestions. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
【推荐2】Attention from strangers is nothing new to me. Questions about my height is the center of almost every public interaction. My friends say my height !s just a physical quality and not a personality aspect. However, when I reflect on my life, I realize that, my height has shaped my character in many ways and has helped to make me who I am.
I learned how to be kind. When I was younger, some parents in my neighborhood regarded me kind of dangerous because I was so much larger than other children my age. I had to be extra welcoming and gentle simply to play with other children. Of course. now my coaches wish I weren’t quite so kind on the basketball court.
I learned the quality of not being too proud about myself. At 7 feet tall, everyone expects me to be an amazing basketball player. They come expecting to see Dirk Nowitzki, and instead they might see a performance more like Will Ferrell(successfully starred a professional basketball player). I have learned to be modest and to work even harder than my fellows to meet their (and my) expectations.
I developed a sense of lightheartedness. When people playfully make fun of my height, 1laugh at myself too. On my first day of high school, a girl dropped her books in a busy hallway. I got down to her level and gathered some of her notebooks. As we both stood up, her eyes widened as I kept rising over her. Astonished, she dropped her books again. Embarrassed, we both laughed and picked up the books a second time.
All of these lessons have defined me. Looking back, I realize that through years of such experiences, I have become a confident, expressive person. Being a 7-footer is both a blessing and a curse, but in the end, accepting who you are is the first step to happiness.
1. Why does the author often draw attention from strangers?| A．He is interested in public interaction. |
| B．He has a unique personality. |
| C．He is physically strong. |
| D．He is extremely tall. |
| A．gain extra favor |
| B．play with other children |
| C．prove his kindness |
| D．please his coach |
| A．Dirk Nowitzki was an awful basketball player |
| B．the author seldom disappointed his basketball fans |
| C．the author expected to make something better of himself |
| D．Will Ferrell was better at playing basketball than Dirk Nowitzki |
| A．The height has shaped the author’s personality and life. |
| B．The height has brought the author a lot of trouble. |
| C．Some funny experiences the author ever had |
| D．Being tall benefits the author in many ways |
【推荐3】I woke up with drool (口水) on my pillow this morning. I wouldn’t have minded except it wasn’t mine. The alarm clock rang, and I reached over to turn it off. As I laid my face back down on the pillow, I felt the wet drool on my pillow case. I opened my eyes and saw a smiling, furry face gazing down at me. I tried to get up, but she was too fast. My face was suddenly covered in kisses with one going straight up my nose and another right in my ear. I laughed, reached out and picked up the eight-pound love machine and held her away from my wet face. It was just another morning in a life with dogs.
Why do we welcome them into our homes and our hearts? We know that we are most likely going to outlive them and have our hearts broken when they age quickly and pass away after ten to fifteen years. We know that there will be vet (兽医) bills, flea baths and enough fur to make a vacuum(真空的) cleaner cry. We know that our ears will ring from the barking, that we will be picking up poop (大便) every single day and that we will never get to finish a full sandwich again.
Yet, when we are feeling down or blue, there will always be a soft head on our lap needing to be pet. When we get home after a long day’s work, there will be a happy face at the door waiting for us. Our lives will be full of balls to throw and love and loyalty that will warm our hearts and uplift our souls.
For thousands of years, dogs have been our best friends. They remain one of the greatest gifts life has ever given us. Even if they can’t love us for the rest of our lives, they will always love us for all of theirs.
1. How does the author probably feel about his dog every morning?| A．Awful. | B．Impatient. |
| C．Delighted. | D．Thrilled. |
| A．Irony(反语). | B．Contrast. |
| C．Repetition. | D．Personification(拟人). |
| A．Exploring why we love dogs. |
| B．Showing how dogs can be a burden. |
| C．Giving examples of dogs’ bad behavior. |
| D．Describing how dogs can be charming. |
| A．To give the good and bad points of raising dogs. |
| B．To share how much joy his dog has brought him. |
| C．To say that having a dog is worth all the trouble. |
| D．To tell the importance of a dog’s company. |
