【推荐1】EDGEWOOD - Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.
Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks."Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good," Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.
The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school. They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia. Not that it was easy. Chevalier's first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?
Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (营养) guidelines.The whole school has joined in to help.
Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.
1. What is the text mainly about?

A．A best-selling coffee.

B．A special educational program.

C．Government support for schools.

D．A new type of teacher-student relationship.

2. The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to_ _．

A．raise money for school affairs

B．do some research on nutrition

C．develop students' practical skills

D．supply teachers with drinks

3. How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman's opinion of the chi tea?

A．She met her in the shop.

B．She heard her telling others.

C．She talked to her on the phone.

D．She went to her office to deliver the tea.

4. We know from the text that Ginger Gray      ．

A．manages the Dixie P1T program in Kenton County

B．sees that the drinks meet health standards

C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School

D．owns the school’s coffee shop

【推荐2】Margie wrote about it that night in her diary, “Today Tommy found a real book!”

It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly (皱巴巴的), and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to-on a screen.

“What’s it about?”

“School.”

Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write about school?” Margie was always fed up with school. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography. So she said to Tommy, “ Why would anyone write about school?” Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes, “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had centuries ago.”

She read the book over his shoulder for a while, and then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher.”

“Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

“A man isn’t smart enough.”   She added, “I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”

Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. They had a special building and all the kids of the same age went there, learning the same thing from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. on weekdays.”

They weren’t even half-finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!” Margie looked up. “Not yet, Mamma.” “Now!” said Mrs. Jones.

Actually the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular time.

The large screen was lit up. “Today’s math lesson is on the addition of proper fractions (分数). Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot (插槽).” Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. And the teachers were people. She was thinking about the fun they had.

1. Where is Margie’s schoolroom?

A．Inside her house.	B．In a special building.
C．On a large screen.	D．Around her neighborhood.

2. What is the similarity between the school in the book and the one Margie attended?

A．Teachers of great wisdom.	B．Classmates of the same age.
C．Regular schooling hours.	D．Advanced learning equipment.

3. Which of the following may Margie agree with?

A．Doing math homework is more than funny.

B．The school life in the old days is much more appealing.

C．Mechanical teachers are more suitable in teaching for her.

D．Reading on a screen is more convenient than reading a real book.

【推荐2】I took a journey to New York,US several months ago.It was the first time I had been abroad.It was also the first time I had taken a trip by myself.I had great enthusiasm and high hopes,and I wasn't let down.

It’s hard to describe how I felt when I arrived at the airport in New York.Looking at people of different races and nationalities passing by and hearing different languages all around me,I couldn’t say anything for a long time.I had never understood the cultural diversity of the US so clearly and closely before.

The following days were even more impressive.We integrated（融入）into the forest of concrete and cement（混凝土和水泥）.We waved to the Statue of Liberty;we looked down at the busy island of Manhattan;we looked at well-known universities—Harvard of ancient Egypt.

Then we visited some well-known university—Harvard,Yale,Princeton and Columbia—each with its own appealing and time-honored history.But what all these universities have in common is their peaceful academic atmospheres witch you could feel everywhere.I was impressed by the libraries,decorated just like cathedrals（教堂）, and the laboratories just next to the classroom.My dream is to return to those places as an international student.

Finally came our destinations—the Model United Nations conference at the University of Chicago.Students from various countries arrived to act as United Nations delegations and share their opinions about global issues.

As a non-native speaker,I felt that competing against native speakers was a very tough task.But it was also a rare change to improve my English and I couldn’t throw it away.With perseverance and devotion.I got used to talking to other delegations naturally.Although I didn't win any awards,the chairman praised me at the closing ceremony for my excellent performance.That made me feel really proud.

This trip brought me unforgettable and valuable experiences that will benefit me forever.

1. What is the main purpose of the author's going to America?

A．To see some places of interest.	B．To visit some well-known universities.
C．To attend a competition at a university.	D．To learn about the cultural diversity there.

2. How did the author feel when he/she saw the cultural diversity of the US?

A．Regretful.

B．Amazed.

C．Peaceful.

D．Confident.

3. What is the author's wish in the future?

A．To work for the United Nations.	B．To tour more countries in the world.
C．To have a job in the United States.	D．To study in the famous universities in America.

4. Why did the author feel proud?

A．He won an award in the competition.	B．He was praised by the chairman.
C．He could persuade others to accept his opinions.	D．He could speak English well at the conference.

【推荐3】For many years, school children in the US have been taken on “field trips” to cultural institutions such as museums of art. Educators arrange them in the belief that schools exist not only to teach economically useful skills, but also to produce civilized young people who appreciate the art and culture. While there are parents who will take their children to cultural places in their free time, there are plenty of other children who will never have this kind of opportunity unless schools offer it. So you could say that taking school students on field trips is a means of giving everyone equal access to their cultural heritage.

However, the attitude towards field trips in recent years is changing, with the number of tours organized for school groups falling significantly in museums all around the country. The most obvious reason is the issue of finance. Because there are increasing demands on their funds, after all, computers and sports facilities aren’t cheap, schools are forced to make a difficult choice about how to spend the limited money they have. Faced with this dilemma, field trips are an obvious thing to cut since they are seen by many as too expensive.

Additionally, the nature of these field days is also changing. Schools increasingly use trips to amusement parks or sporting events as a treat for students rather than an opportunity for cultural learning. This shift could have a basis in generational differences between teachers’ reasons for organizing days out of school. A recent survey conducted among 500 Arkansas teachers showed that older teachers were significantly more likely to take the primary purpose of a field trip as a learning experience than younger teachers, who view it as fun.

Some evidence shows the trend of fewer trips may have a negative effect on children’s development. A research led by Jay Greene at Arkansas University found that students who received a tour of an art museum greatly improved their knowledge of art and the ability to think critically about art. They also display stronger historical interest and were more likely to visit cultural places in the future. The researchers warn that if schools cut field trips or switch to less educational destinations, valuable opportunities to broaden and enrich children’s learning experiences are lost.

1. What is the original purpose of field trips to cultural institutions?

A．To teach students useful skills in economics.

B．To make art culture accessible to every student.

C．To educate students to preserve cultural heritage.

D．To encourage parents to take their children there.

2. Which factor most probably leads to the trend of fewer field trips?

A．The decrease in school funds.

B．Teachers’ generational differences.

C．Students’ demand for fun.

D．The lack of school funds.

3. What does the underlined phrase “This shift” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The change from an opportunity for learning to a treat for entertainment.

B．The switch from sporting events to cultural experiences.

C．The switch from old generations to young generations.

D．The change from educational destinations to unique attractions.

4. What can be inferred about field trips from the research by Jay Greene?

A．Field trips ensure better future academic performance.

B．Amusement parks enrich children’s learning experiences.

C．Cutting field trips is critical to the future of the museum.

D．Students are rewarded with more cultural awareness.

【推荐1】1. We'll have ape driver

In 1994, the RAND Corporation, a global think tank that's contributed to the space program and the development of the Internet, said they expected us to have animal employees by the year 2020.

"The RAND panel mentioned that by the year 2020 it may be possible to breed intelligent species of animals, such as apes, that will be capable of performing manual labor," Glenn T Seaborg wrote of the corporation's prediction in his book Scientist Speaks Out.

During the 21st century, those houses that don't have a robot in the broom closet could have a live-in ape to do the cleaning and gardening chores. Also, the use of well-trained apes as family drivers may decrease the number of automobile accidents," Yikes, who's going to tell them?

2. We’ll have both telepathy and teleportation

Michael O’Farrell, founder of The Mobile Institute, has been an expert in the technology industry since 1985. But even the experts can make mistakes. In the 2014 book Shift 2020, O’Farrell predicted that 2020 would be the dawn of the "nanomobility era."

In the nanomomoblity era I predict telepathy（心灵感应)and teleportation (心灵传动) will become possible by the year 2020- with both commonplace by 2040," he said. Well, we’ll believe it when we see it.

3. Nobody will work and everybody will be rich.

In 1966, Time magazine reported that the 21st century would be a pretty awesome economic era for just about everybody. In an essay called "The Futurists," they predicted that "machines will be producing so much that everyone in the US will, in effect, be independently wealthy." Without even lifting a finger, the average no-working family could expect to earn an average salary of between $ 30,000 and $ 40,000 according to Time That’s in 1966 dollars, mind you; in 2020, that'd be about $300,000- -for doing nothing. We wish!

4. We'll wear antenna hats and disposable socks.

For a 1939 issue of British Vogue, product designer Gilbert Rhode was asked what he believed people in the 2Ist century would be wearing -and he had lots of thoughts He imagined that, by2020，we would have banished(摒弃) buttons, pockets, collars, and ties. "His hat will be an antenna(天线) snatching radio out of the ether. His socks- disposable(一次性的). His suit minus tie, collar, and buttons," Rhode declared. He almost described a modern-day hipster(溯人)living in Brooklyn, but we suspect even the antenna hat might be pushing it a little too far.

1. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Glenn T. Seaborg: Well-trained apes will be used as family drivers.

B．Gilbert Rhode: Telepathy and teleportation will become possible.

C．Michael J. O'Farrell: We'll wear antenna hats and disposable socks.

D．Glenn T. Seaborg: Nobody will work and everybody will be rich.

2. According to the_________ prediction ,no pains no gains will possibly be a past.

A．1st	B．2nd
C．3rd	D．4th

3. In the author's opinion, the predictions about the year 2020 are___________.

A．scientifically based

B．likely to come true in 2020

C．impossible to be a reality in 2020

D．promoting the development of science and technology