2 . “Without music, life would be a mistake,” famous German philosopher (哲学家) Friedrich Nietzsche said over a century ago. Music is a big part of our lives. But in recent years, some US schools have cut music classes to control budgets (预算).

For example, Chicago Public Schools hurt arts education when it fired (解雇) over 1, 000 teachers. Among them, 10 percent of the teachers taught art or music, according to The Washington Times. In fact, this is not just a problem in the US. In other countries, such as China and the UK, music classes are not thought to be as important as ones like science, math and history. That’s partly because music is not seen as a very important life skill, and it isn’t tested. Many students are busy with schoolwork, so parents and students choose to focus on subjects that are tested more often.

However, learning music is beneficial (有益的) in many ways.

When playing music, you need different abilities to work together. It is not as simple as it looks, according to Kenneth Guilmartin of Musie Together, an early childhood music development program. For example, when playing the piano, people see music notes and decode (解码) them in their brains. They also use their fingers to make sounds. You need to deal with all these things at the same time.

Music has a special connection with science as well. You can see that many scientists are good at playing music:Einstein played the violin, and German physicist Max Planck was talented in playing the piano.

1. Some schools in the US cut music classes, because _________.

A．students in the US weren’t interested in music

B．they were too difficult to learn

C．there weren’t enough music teachers in the US

D．the schools wanted to control budgets

2. In Paragraph 2, what does the underlined word “them” refer to(指代)?

A．Public schools.	B．Fired teachers.
C．Parents in Chicago.	D．Students in Chicago.

3. How many scientists who are good at playing music are mentioned in this passage?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1 个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Habits, whether good or bad, are gradually founded. When a person does a certain thing again, he     1    (drive) by an unseen force to do the same thing     2    (repeat); then   a   habit   is   formed.   Once       3         habit   is   formed,   it   is   difficult,   and   sometimes     4    (possible)   to   get   rid   of.   It   is   therefore   so   important   that   we   should   pay   great attention   to   the   formation   of   habits.   Children   often   form   bad   habits,   some   of       5     remain with them as long as they live.     6    (lazy), lying, stealing and so on are all easily formed bad habits. However, there are many     7     habits formed in early life that are of great help. Many successful men say much of their success has     8       to do with certain habits in early life like early rising and honesty. We should keep away     9       all these bad habits, and try     10           such habits as will be good for ourselves and others.

5 . Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(变化无常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.

Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis. But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.

One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.

Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.

1. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A．the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B．many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C．there is a serious shortage of academic facilities

D．homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

2. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A．350,000

B．1,500,000

C．440,000

D．110,000

3. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A．the homeless children are too young to be counted as children

B．the homeless population is growing rapidly

C．the homeless children usually stay outside school

D．some homeless children are deserted by their families

4. The page mainly deals with ____.

A．the legal problems of the homeless children

B．the educational problems of homeless children

C．the social status of older males

D．estimates on the homeless population

6 . It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering students were talking about the exam that was going to begin in a few ____ On their faces was confidence . This was their last exam — then on to____and jobs.
Some talked of jobs they already had; others talked of jobs they____get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt ready and able to take ____of the world.
The coming exam, they knew, would be a(n) ____task. The professor had said they could bring ____books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not____each other, during the test.
____they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles____on the students’ faces as they noted(注意到) there were only five essay-type questions.
Three hours had passed____the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. Papers in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.
He looked at the ____faces before him, and then asked, “How many completed all five questions?”____a hand was raised.
“How many answered four?” Still no hands.
“Three? Two?” The students moved restlessly （不安地,慌张地）in their seats.
“One, then? Certainly somebody finished____”But the class remained silent.
The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I ____,” he said. “I just want to impress upon you that, ____you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the ____you don’t know. These questions you couldn’t answer are relatively(相对地,相当地) ____in everyday practice. ” Then smiling, he added, “You will all____this course, but remember — even though you are now college graduates, your education has just ____”
The years have ____ the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.1.

A．seconds

B．minutes

C．hours

D．days

2.

A．interview

B．discussion

C．education

D．graduation

3.

A．would

B．must

C．have to

D．used to

4.

A．hold

B．control

C．order

D．place

5.

A．interesting

B．necessary

C．easy

D．unusual

6.

A．no

B．neither

C．any

D．all

7.

A．listen to

B．look at

C．refer to

D．talk to

8.

A．Nervously

B．Joyfully

C．Quickly

D．Curiously

9.

A．appeared

B．changed

C．froze

D．stopped

10.

A．then

B．as

C．before

D．after

11.

A．pleased

B．worried

C．surprised

D．moved

12.

A．Not

B．Once

C．Only

D．Even

13.

A．all

B．none

C．one

D．it

14.

A．wondered

B．enjoyed

C．hated

D．expected

15.

A．as

B．because

C．now that

D．although

16.

A．exam

B．subject

C．question

D．college

17.

A．valuable

B．difficult

C．common

D．strange

18.

A．pass

B．fail

C．take

D．start

19.

A．begun

B．completed

C．failed

D．succeeded

20.

A．forgotten

B．remembered

C．strengthened

D．weakened