It is reported that Finland has stopped teaching subjects like Maths and History.
Traditional school subjects such as Maths, Chemistry, History and English will be cancelled. “Topics” such as the European Union will take the place of
Helsinki's education manager says that
2 . We live in a society that labels everything. We like the convenience of neatly packaged words so we can sum up the person, place or thing and know what to expect. However, especially with children, even harmless labels (标签) can play a lasting role in self-respect, behavior and long-term personality.
Children develop and define their sense of self by processing what others tell them about who they are, what they are good at, how they behave and so on. The communication principle of the “Looking-Glass Self” from Charles Cooley can be applied. Cooley believes that by reflecting back to us who we are, other people function as mirrors for us. Every time a teacher says he or she is a “good student” or a coach says “average player”, that helps define the way the child views himself or herself. Typically, that label will follow them for years to come.
However, parents often refer to children with less severe labels that are just as significant. If you notice one child follows musical interests, he becomes “the musician”. Another loves sports, and she becomes “the athlete”. Another excels in school and is the “brainiac”. None of those labels has negative ideas, but can classify children into pre-defined boxes. What if the “brainiac” really wants to try soccer? Unfortunately, there is already an “athlete” in the family, which creates a fight or flight response. The child can either fight to redefine his or her place as a smart child who also plays soccer, or go back to where he or she has already been.
Labels have much more of an impact that we realize, and we need to be mindful of how we talk about our children. If you must define certain things about them to yourself or others, try to choose positive versions of the same quality, i.e. “cautious” rather than “timid” (胆小的). Keeping the focus on the child’s positive qualities, while avoiding labels, can encourage children to become healthy and happy.
1. What can we learn from the principle of “Looking-Glass Self”?| A．One tends to satisfy others’ curiosity. |
| B．One gains the sense of identity by mirror. |
| C．Children will live up to the expectations of their parents. |
| D．People shape self-concepts by understanding how others view them. |
| A．Her family will be in favor of her. |
| B．She must struggle or she must quit. |
| C．Her family will deny her athletic talent. |
| D．She can’t but give in to parental authority. |
| A．Active. | B．Influential. |
| C．Intelligent. | D．Competitive. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Negative. | D．Positive. |
3 . Chinese Ministry of Education (教育部) is changing its traditional policy of encouraging schools to give special admission (入学) opportunities to those students with special talents in sports, music and art, even though their grades didn’t reach the standard.
The policy was flawed because some parents expose their not-so-talented child to plenty of expensive and demanding training courses in order to improve their child’s slim chances of approaching a good school. And then there was the problem of corruption (贪污腐败), which means some local officials selling the talent certificates (证书) and medals to those ambitious parents. According to a press conference held by the Ministry of Education in March, 2018, the “special talent” policy is expected to be completely called off by 2020.
Although the policy is ending, it should not imply that students should give up developing their talents and interests. These extracurricular (课外的) activities may not have a direct effect on academic performance, but they are ways for students to begin building a “talent stack” that will help them in their future careers.
The idea of a “talent stack” comes from the American cartoonist Scott Adams. According to Adams, people shouldn’t focus on the goal of becoming the best at something because very few people are actually the best. There are not many Michael Jordans or Albert Einsteins. Instead, people should cultivate a variety of skills that work well together.
Jack Ma (马云) is a typical example of what Adams is talking about. Ma liked English and became an English teacher. He learned some business skills by operating an English language training school. He also had an interest in computers. On a visit to the United States, he discovered the internet and the way it was being used to buy and sell things. Although Ma wasn’t the best English speaker or a computer expert, he was able to “stack” them —to put them together—to learn about internet trading and then start Alibaba, the world’s largest online trading website.
Although you may not realize it, you have already begun building your talent stack by learning English. If you have other interests like art and sports, you should continue to develop them. They will add to your talent stack and give you an advantage in the job market. Your unique set of skills, even if you may not be the best at any of them, may also lead you into new careers you may not have previously considered. Having a talent may no longer give students a shortcut in getting into a good school, but developing that talent will have long-term benefits as part of your “talent stack.”
1. What does the word “flawed” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．perfect. | B．complicated. | C．imperfect. | D．pointless. |
| A．It was carried out by an American cartoonist. |
| B．Michael Jordan and Albert Einstein has one of the best talent stacks in the world. |
| C．Studying a foreign language is an effective way to build one’s “talent stack”. |
| D．The power of talent stacks may be beyond your imagination. |
| A．To prove that Jack Ma is good at running a business. |
| B．To show that one’s “talent stack” has nothing to do with his academic performance. |
| C．To tell the readers that mastering English is the most efficient means to build one’s “talent stack”. |
| D．To point out that “talent stack” can helps a person take advantage of benefits from different professional fields. |
| A．Students with special talents will have fewer opportunities to study in good schools in two years. |
| B．Having talents and interests doesn’t help a student’s academic performance at all. |
| C．Developing a talent in sports, music or art is certain to cost a lot of money. |
| D．The author holds a negative attitude towards the newly-launched policy. |
4 . Universities have finally promised to end grade inflation(膨胀)after a growing number of first-class degrees led to accusations of dumbing down.The percentage of firsts handed out has doubled in the last decade,with 24 percent of graduates now awarded the top grade,compared with 12 percent in 2008.
Universities UK(UUK)is today promising for the first time to handle the problem and check the endless rise in the number of firsts dealt out.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds welcomed the move and warned any university producing an unreasonable rise in top degrees will face intervention(介入)from the regulator Office for Students.He said artificial grade inflation ust be stopped and warned quality must not be cast aside to build up an institution's reputation.
As part of a package of measures,universities have agreed to follow a new framework specifying what a student must demonstrate(展示）to achieve a certain grade.They have promised to ensure the standards will stretch and challenge all students,and protect the value of qualifications.
It comes after UUK admitted for the first time in November that tutors may be under pressure from both students and their bosses to inflate degree results.Staff may be tempted(诱惑)to hand out more top marks because they fear bad reviews in student feedback surveys,it said,while institutions could be motivated to do so to improve their position in national rankings.
Critics have long warned the trend weakens employers confidence in the system,as they cannot pick out outstanding candidates to hire.
A UUK investigation discovered 43 percent of first-class degrees last year were likely to have been awarded due to factors such as grade inflation.
Professor Dame Janet Beer,president of UUK,said,"The UK higher education sector has a world- leading reputation,so it is critical to protect the value of a university degree." UUK's promise will be in place for the 2019-2020 academic year.
1. What does the underlined phrase"dumbing down"in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Less reputable. |
| B．More difficult. |
| C．Less challenging. |
| D．More accessible. |
| A．To toughen students up. |
| B．To rebuild their reputation. |
| C．To restore employers' confidence. |
| D．To maintain their competitiveness. |
| A．Complicated. |
| B．Valuable. |
| C．Controversial. |
| D．Challenging. |
| A．Universities promise to stop grade inflation |
| B．Universities take measures to win a reputation |
| C．Why does grade inflation appear in universities? |
| D．How does grade inflation in universities affect graduates? |
5 . GOING TO UNIVERSITY is supposed to be a mind-broadening experience. But is it actually true? Jessika Golle of the University of Tubingen, thought she would try to find out. Her result, however, is not quite as expected. She found those who have been to university do seem to leave with broader minds than those who have spent their immediate post--school years in vocational(职业的)training for work. However, it was not the case that university broadened minds. Rather, work seemed to narrow them.
Germany had three tracks in its schools: a low one for pupils who would most probably leave school early and enter vocational training; a high one for those almost certain to enter university; and an intermediate one, from which there was a choice between the academic and vocational routes.
The team used two standardised tests to assess their volunteers. One was of personality qualities. The other was of attitudes. Of the original group, 382 were on the intermediate track. University attracted 212 of them. The remaining 170 chose vocational training and a job.
Years later, Dr Golle found that the personalities of those who had gone to university had changed not a statistically detectable jot. The same goes for those who had undergone vocational training, except in one crucial respect. They had become more earnest. That sounds good, certainly compared with the common public image of undergraduates as a bunch of spoiled layabouts (懒汉). But changes in attitude were more worrying. In the university group, again, none were detectable. But those who had chosen the vocational route showed marked drops in interest in tasks that are investigative and enterprising in nature. And that might restrict their choice of careers. Some jobs, such as scientific research, are, indeed off limits to the degreeless. But many, particularly in Germany, with its tradition of vocational training, are not. The researchers mention, for example, computer programmers, finance-sector workers, estate agents and entrepreneurs as careers requiring these qualities.
If Dr Golle is correct, and changes in attitude brought about by the very training Germany prides itself on are narrowing people's choices, that is indeed a matter of concern.
1. According to the research, ''university broadened minds'' is not quite right because__________.| A．university narrowed one's mind |
| B．work narrowed one's mind |
| C．university offered no better education than work |
| D．work was more important than university |
| A．they stick to the end and go to university directly |
| B．they leave school early and receive certain professional training |
| C．they choose to drop out and enter workforce |
| D．they make it to the midway and make a choice |
| A．The fact that the university group's changes in attitude were not obvious. |
| B．The fact that the university group's changes in personality were not obvious. |
| C．Those who had chosen the vocational route showed less change in personality |
| D．Those who had chosen the vocational route showed less interest in enterprising tasks. |
| A．Computer programmers and scientific research |
| B．Finance-sector workers and estate agents |
| C．Entrepreneurs and scientific research |
| D．Scientific research and estate agents |
6 . Mothers who angrily tell off their children when they step out of line may be making behavior problems worse, according to a study. The study by the London School of Economics (LSE) found that too much shouting and giving severe punishments were producing an opposite result. Ignoring naughty children also appeared to lead to a decrease in discipline standards.
Researchers said that “reasoning with children” was more likely to have a positive impact on their behavior at a young age. But the study warned that it was difficult to determine a direct link between one parenting style and its outcomes because of the effect of other causes.
The latest study was based on an analysis of almost 19, 000 children. Data was collected from parents just before their children’s first birthdays, and then when they turned three, five and seven. The study, led by Dr Laure De Preux, assessed the impact of various parenting styles on children.
Researchers said,“Particularly excessive (过度的) shouting, punishing or ignoring a naughty child increases his behavior problems, and only reasoning doesn’t negatively impact the child’s behavior.”
But the study also showed that a large number of other things such as economic conditions also impacted on children’s development. The result suggested that wealthier families were able to create a whole environment that clearly benefited the child beyond simple effect of parenting. It said children in poor households in particular were affected by their mother’s parenting styles.
“In this group, behavior problems are reduced when mothers read to the naughty children, and increased when mothers shout at them, take treats away, or ignore them,” it said.
It is the latest in a line of recent studies to assess the link between parenting and children’s behavior.
Two years ago, a report commissioned (委托) by the Department for Education found that severe and inconsistent discipline in the home was bringing up a generation of young children with anger management problems, poor attention and low levels of learning ability.
1. The underlined part “ step out of line” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.| A．lose confidence | B．behave badly |
| C．become excited | D．achieve success |
| A．Punishing them lightly. | B．Talking with them reasonably. |
| C．Ignoring them once in a while. | D．Exercising strict discipline over them. |
| A．How mothers looked at their parenting role. |
| B．Why many children had behavior problems. |
| C．How parenting styles affected children's development. |
| D．Why parents gave their children severe punishments. |
| A．Its findings go against those of the LSE’s study. |
| B．Its subject is similar to that of the LSE’s study. |
| C．It shows the benefits of strict discipline. |
| D．It has discovered new problems of children |
7 . During the high school career, students may begin to question the importance of a college education. They might find themselves asking, “Why is it important to go to college?” The answer is that, more than ever, college graduates enjoy much greater opportunities available to them than those who have not received a college education.
For many high school students, being able to immediately generate an income after graduation is an appealing thought. They may also be affected by the rising cost of tuition, and while it is true that a higher education may be one of the largest expenses you will ever face, the importance of a college education has become quite evident in terms of earning potential within today’s economy.
Why should you go to college? One important answer to this question is more opportunity. As opposed to generations of the past, high school graduates today are unable to obtain high-paying jobs that were once available. The U.S. has been transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge, and the importance of a college education today can be compared to that of a high school education forty years ago. It serves as the gateway to better options and more opportunity.
There are additional reasons as to why it is important to go to college. When students experience a post secondary education, they have the opportunity to read books and listen to the lectures of top experts in their fields. This encourages students to think, ask questions, and explore new ideas, which allows for additional growth and development and provides college graduates with more opportunities in the job market over those who have not experienced a higher education.
The importance of a college education is also stressed because of the opportunity to gain valuable resources during the study. The more connections which are collected during your college career, the more options you will have when you begin your job search. Once you have ended your job search and have started your career, however, the importance of a college education has not been exhausted. Having a college degree often provides for greater promotion opportunity.
So, why should you go to college? The reasoning does not begin and end with the job aspect. A good education is beneficial from many different viewpoints, and though the importance of a college education is quite evident for many high school students, what is often not as clear is how they will pay for that education.
1. Why do some high school graduates prefer working to college study?| A．To obtain high-paying jobs. | B．To earn money at an early age. |
| C．To spend less money on tuition. | D．To adapt to the knowledge-based society. |
| A．too much time is spent on lectures in college study |
| B．high school education is a gateway to more opportunity |
| C．college graduates gain more chances over others in job market |
| D．a college degree guarantees promotion in American companies |
| A．Refusing college education. | B．Changing college education. |
| C．Receiving college education. | D．Affording college education. |
| A．Importance of college education. | B．Education means opportunity. |
| C．Which is more important, job or education? | D．How to survive in the college. |
I: Introduction P: Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
A great many parents send their children to pre-schools --- educational programs for children under the age of five. It has been said that this is the time period when the brain does over fifty percent of its growing. This could mean that the learning process should be introduced during these years.
However, the views that different societies hold regarding the purpose of early childhood education are not same. Whereas Chinese parents tend to see preschools primarily as a way of giving children a good start academically, parents in the United States regard the primary purpose of preschools as making children more independent and self-reliant. Preschools can operate under a guiding philosophy of play-based or academic learning. Play-based programs are guided by the central belief that children learn best through play. Play is thought to build children’s interest and love of learning. Academic programs emphasize reading, math and science, and use structured, teacher-directed activities to promote foundational skills in these areas. In the United States, the best-known program designed to promote future academic success is Head Start. The program, which stresses parental involvement, was designed to serve the “whole child”, including children’s physical health, self-confidence, social responsibility, and social and emotional development.
A recent evaluation suggests that preschoolers who participate in Head Start are less likely to repeat grades, and more likely to complete school in future. Furthermore, graduates of Head Start programs show higher academic performance at the end of high school, although the gains are modest. In addition, results from other types of preschool readiness programs indicate that for every dollar spent on the program, taxpayers saved seven dollars by the time the graduates reached the age of 27.
Not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing. In fact, according to developmental psychologist David Elkind, United States society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel stress and pressure at a young age. Elkind argues that academic success is largely dependent upon factors such as inherited abilities and a child’s rate of maturation, which parents can do nothing about. Consequently, children of a particular age cannot be expected to master educational material without taking into account their current level of cognitive(认知的) development. In short, children require development appropriate educational practice, which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.
| Early Childhood Education | |
| Reasons for attending preschools | •The •Parents’ expectations of preschools |
| •Some programs •Parents are | |
| Benefits of attending preschools | •Graduates are more •Graduates may achieve higher grades at high school. •It can be |
| •Children feel pressured at a young age. •Factors determining academic success are beyond parents’ •Early childhood education must be | |
9 . Not long ago I saw the following headline: “An anti-homework trend（趋势）goes global”. The reasoning: It stresses children out and it steals “precious family time”.
Hmm… I wonder. As a teacher, one of the problems I often come across is that students attach far too little importance to their studies, resulting in bad or incomplete work. I also wonder about the “precious family time”. If homework were abolished（废除）, would the time freed up be used for reading poetry aloud at the dinner table or having heart-to-heart discussion about the social and political landscape（局面）? In the age of the Internet and games such as Candy Crush Saga, which have absorbed the time and interest of otherwise intelligent adults, I am doubtful.
When I was a kid, homework actually created precious family time. I still remember, after supper, clearing the table and replacing the dishes with my schoolbooks. And then, in swing shifts, my working-class parents would sit down with me and, to the best of their abilities, help me when and where they could.
I have often thought that the homework question could be dealt with if one thought of homework in terms of learning to play a musical instrument. For me, this was the clarinet（单簧管）, which I began learning to play at age 9. Every week I took a 30-minute lesson from an old Polish man, Mr. Markiewicz. “Practice an hour a day, and you’ll be playing the clarinet before you know it.” Because my motivation was strong, I did practice an hour a day, and I did learn it in a reasonable amount of time.
Let’s get rid of homework, but only the word “homework”, and replace it with “practice”. As a teacher, it’s all I ask: that my students listen up in the class and then go home to practice, so that when they return to me to show how much they understand, I—and their parents—can be proud of them.
1. What might happen in the house with no homework according to the author?| A．Students will play games. |
| B．Students will develop new interest. |
| C．There will be more precious family time. |
| D．There will be more arguments among the family. |
| A．Mourn his precious family time’s passing. |
| B．Show the powerful parental forces. |
| C．Prove the advantage of homework. |
| D．Describe his uneasy life as a student. |
| A．Get rid of it. | B．Don’t see it as a load（负担）. |
| C．Take great pride in it. | D．Improve their motivation（动机）for it. |
| A．Why to value the family time. |
| B．An anti-homework trend begins. |
| C．How to solve the homework problem. |
| D．Developing hobbies can replace homework. |
10 . According to a survey, in Washington, DC, only 69 percent of public school students graduate from high school on time. Many factors influence that low rate. One of the most important ones is whether the people around the students expect them to succeed.
So, for the past 40 years,a DC organization has stepped in to give around 10,000 students the support and positive environment they need to thrive. This organization, called Higher Achievement, provides students with a welcoming space, help with class work, and caring teachers. More than 95 percent of students who complete Higher Achievement graduate from high school on time.
Katherine Roboff is the group's executive director in the DC area. She gives several reasons for the group’s success. One is timing. Higher Achievement does not work with students who are already in high school. It works with students in middle school. They start High Achievement at fifth or sixth grade-in the US, that is usually age 11 or 12.
Robolf says research shows that if students are doing well academically in eighth grade---around age 13---they will have a greater chance of graduating from high school and going to college. In other words, what happens in middle school has a huge effect.The years between ages 10 and 13 may affect a student's future more than anything that happens academically in high school.
Roboff explains that students participate in Higher Achievement after school and during the summer，when public schools take a break of about two months.High Achievement students do homework, have community meetings, and work one-on-one with a mentor（导师）.
The purpose of the programme is to help them use those after school and summer hours to become better prepared academically and to develop their leadership skills and confidence so that by the time they get into eighth grade they are ready to get into some of the top high school.”
1. What can we infer from the second paragraph?| A．Higher Achievement works with college students. |
| B．Many students have doubts about the organization. |
| C．Higher Achievement has spread throughout the Us. |
| D．Higher Achievement has helped many high school students. |
| A．they are certain to go to college |
| B．they are to succeed when they grow up |
| C．they are more likely to finish high school on time |
| D．they don't need any help in their studies |
| A．become naughty | B．improve themselves |
| C．earn more money | D．help others |
| A．public schools never offer positive environment |
| B．Higher Achievement only helps the students in the eighth grade |
| C．how Higher Achievement helps those students |
| D．Higher Achievement only helps those who have good skills. |
