1 . It is true that people with better education are usually able to get better paying jobs. In other words, they have more chances to choose a good job while people with little or no education don’t. It seems that the purpose of education is to make people get jobs. But this isn’t accepted by all people.
Some people may think that a person should spend the best years of his life to get education only for a way of living. This was probably one of the earliest reasons of education. In fact, if education is just a way of making a living, people don’t need to spend so much time in school. People can get education for a living in a short time. Subjects like history and geography need not be taught to everyone. Even languages and mathematics need not be taught in detail, either. Here it is clear that education is much more than teaching a man to get a way of living.
Education is well-rounded and it is mainly for improving a man. It is not only to teach him to speak, read and write, but also to develop his creative thinking and other abilities. After that, it is to make him a wise man and thankfully enjoy the achievements of humans. Education is to make a man lead a better life. Educated people are expected to be able to listen to good music, read good books, watch plays, and most of all, take an interest in the world.
I would agree that making a good living is an important reason for education, but certainly not the most important or the main reason.
1. People with little education usually ________ .| A．spend a long time in school |
| B．have a good chance to get a job |
| C．spend the best years to choose jobs |
| D．have fewer chances to get a good job |
| A．make a man lead a better life |
| B．teach a man to write and think |
| C．make people get a way of living |
| D．teach people to read good books |
| A．accept education as a way of living |
| B．take an interest in the whole world |
| C．develop their abilities to make plays |
| D．learn subjects like languages and maths |
| A．education should make a man improve |
| B．people can get education in a short time |
| C．people should be able to get better paying jobs |
| D．all subjects are so important for a way of living |
2 . “Can we eat this one, Dad?” my four-year-old daughter, Alicia, asks. We’re on one of our Thursday adventures, searching the nearby woods for eatable mushrooms. She’s pointing at a bright-red cap covered with white dots. I pull out my handy mushroom-identification app, which notes that Amanita muscaria, while eatable if prepared properly, is also a known hallucinogen (致幻剂). I have a firm “tell them the truth and be as precise as possible” philosophy and explain what the app says, and that I don’t think our Thursday adventures are ready to get quite that adventurous yet.
Watching your kids learn new skills is extraordinarily rewarding, but I’ve experienced more personal growth than I have at any other point in my life.
Last year, after a winter of practicing skiing on the green tracks for beginners each week, Alicia was french-frying her way down blues and even attempted her first black. That month also witnessed me visiting the mountain more times than in the 15 years combined and I’ve got myself a partner for life.
It’s not all easy — but sometimes that’s the point. Alicia practices the violin every day, and although she enjoys it, even 15 minutes of practice can upset her. The trick, I’ve found, is to let her watch me try to get better at something, too. I start taking piano lessons at 41 years old with the idea that if she sees me struggling as I practice and then improve, she’ll understand that things don’t come easy, even for grown-ups. I know there’s going to be a time when I’ll end up on the sideline cheering her on as she finds her own passions. I’m okay with this, and I’m hoping that by then she’ll carry the joy of practice and skills through life.
1. What does the father want to do with the app?| A．To indicate that Amanita muscaria is uneatable. |
| B．To show his daughter the accurate risk of eating Amanita muscaria. |
| C．To encourage his daughter to have a wonderful adventure. |
| D．To compare Amanita muscaria with other mushrooms. |
| A．To prove it is never too old to learn. |
| B．To set a good example for his daughter. |
| C．To experience the joy of piano practice. |
| D．To share with his daughter musical knowledge. |
| A．Determined and humorous. | B．Cautious and inspiring. |
| C．Creative and thoughtful. | D．Ambitious and patient. |
| A．A Good Father’s Company | B．Practice Makes Perfect |
| C．The Thrill of the Skills | D．The Power of Knowledge |
3 . Recently I had the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend, Chris Besse. One of the things I always admired about Chris was the way that he saw education as a mission, not a job. Chris called me last week to tell me he is CEO of a company called EdgeMakers, which is a new company that is bringing one of the missing ingredients(要素)to education: innovation.
I am always calling for changes in the way we educate our children. It is important that we prepare our children for a different economy and a different world. Employers of the future will demand creativity from their employees.
A tech company owned by a friend of mine has grown from a handful of employees to over 100 in the last seven years, and he still has 90 percent of all the employees he hired. He doesn’t pay more than other tech firms. He doesn’t have a Disney-like campus. What he does is pose interesting problems, not get involved in the solutions and allow employees to get to the solution in any way they want. His employees stay because they are motivated and interested.
This is the definition of modern industry and in many ways, the future of education. Successful employers now encourage innovation. Schools should create an innovative environment. But it appears that our current education system has a long way to go to achieve this.
The good news is that some schools are making changes. California and Texas just approved EdgeMakers’ courses for use in their high schools. According to John Kao, founder of EdgeMakers, “Creativity is inside every student, waiting to be freed. But without intentional programs in our schools, creativity is underdeveloped. We cannot allow this to continue, as our society is faced with problems that appear unsolvable unless we innovate to find solutions. Our goal with these courses is to combine students’ natural creativity with purpose, helping them develop as innovators whose work is truly meaningful and makes a difference to issues that matter.”
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To remember a friend. | B．To bring up a topic. |
| C．To recommend a course. | D．To explain a phenomenon. |
| A．The future of job searching. | B．The major mission of their company. |
| C．The role of parents in kids’ development. | D．The importance of innovation in education. |
| A．By offering high salaries. | B．By providing a comfortable workplace. |
| C．By creating an environment of innovation. | D．By helping them solve problems. |
| A．Natural creativity can be enhanced. |
| B．Intentional teaching should be avoided in schools. |
| C．EdgeMakers’ courses have proved to be efficient. |
| D．We should pay less attention to unsolvable problems. |
4 . I have spent my entire life either at the schoolhouse, on the way to the schoolhouse, or talking about what happens in the schoolhouse. Both my parents and my grandparents were educators. For the past 40 years I’ve done the same thing. Needless to say, over those years I’ve had a chance to look at education reform from a lot of aspects. And we know why kids drop out. We know why kids don’t learn. It’s either poverty, low attendance or negative peer influences. But one of the things that we never discuss or we barely discuss is the value—the importance of human connection and relationships.
James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship and all learning is understanding relationships. Everyone has been affected by a teacher or an adult. I have looked at the best and I’ve looked at some of the worst.
A colleague said to me once, “My duty isn’t to like the kids, but to teach a lesson. The kids should learn it. I should teach it. This is the case.” Well, I said to her, “You know, kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”
I have had classes that were so low that I cried. I wondered, how was I going to take this group in nine months from where they were to where they needed to be? And it was awfully hard. How did I raise the self-confidence of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?
One year I came up with a bright idea. I told all my students, “You were chosen to be in my class because I am the best teacher and you are the best students. They put us all together so we could show everybody else how to do it.” And I gave them a saying: “I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I’ll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful , and I am strong. I deserve the education that I get here.”
Teaching and learning should bring joy. How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think, and who had a champion! Every child deserves a champion. An adult who will never give up on them, and who understands the power of connection, insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.
1. Why do kids drop out of school?| A．They have a bad association with teachers. |
| B．They may come from low-income families. |
| C．They aren’t enthusiastic about school subjects. |
| D．They are influenced in an optimistic way by peers. |
| A．Teachers should lay stress on the personal traits. |
| B．Students might learn a lot from teachers’ varied advice. |
| C．Understanding relationships leads to successful learning. |
| D．Education plays an important role in the kids’ childhood. |
| A．He motivated them to build self-confidence. |
| B．He trained them to be committed and focused. |
| C．He awarded them many prizes during his class. |
| D．He was devoted to improving their self-discipline. |
| A．Every Kid Needs a Champion |
| B．True Love for My Own Career |
| C．How to Deal With Bad Students |
| D．My Joy of Being a Teacher |
5 . What time does your school start? Do you wish you could get up later every morning? You are not alone if your answer is “Yes.” In the US, many middle school students have the same wish.
In America, many schools start before 7:30 a.m.. But that may change soon. A new law has been passed in California. According to the law, middle schools should not start before 8:00 a.m.. The government hopes school children will have longer time in bed.
Many scientific studies show that teenagers are more active in the afternoon and in the evening. Simply telling them to go to bed earlier doesn’t work well. Most of them don’t get enough sleep because of bad sleeping habits and early school starting time. They need more sleep in the morning. Scientists suggest middle schools should start at 8:00 a.m. or later. Students can get well ready to learn and they won’t fall asleep in class. ________________ The change can help improve students’ grades.
While scientists are happy with the new law, many parents disagree with it. They won’t be able to send their children to school before they go to work. They also fear that later school starting time will lead to later ending time. As a result, their children will have less time to take part in after-school activities.
It’s good news that Chinese education experts have noticed the problem and made some rules about that. So what’s your opinion? Do you expect China to pass a similar law?
1. The schools shouldn’t start ________ according to the new law in California.
| A．before 7:30 a.m. | B．after 7:30 a.m. |
| C．after 8:00 a.m. | D．before 8:00 a.m. |
| A．Because their parents need them to do housework. |
| B．Because their sleeping habits are bad and schools start early. |
| C．Because they play computer games till late. |
| D．Because they have too much homework. |
| A．They can put on weight. | B．They will like their teachers. |
| C．They will join more clubs. | D．They will pay more attention to classes. |
| A．students should have enough sleeping time in the writer’s opinion |
| B．students in California will have less sleeping time |
| C．Chinese experts aren’t worried about students’ sleeping time |
| D．China has already passed a similar law |
6 . Education is a self-enlightening process. It is an important part of life.
Education is important also because it equips us with all that is needed to make our dreams come true. It opens doors to brilliant career opportunities.
For the progress of a nation, for the enrichment of society in general, education is necessary and important. A country’s literate population is its asset(有利条件). The number of institutes offering vocational courses and colleges offering online education is increasing by the day.
Well, schools, colleges and other such educational institutes define the basic framework of education. But education does not end here.
| A．Education is essential as it paves the path leading to disillusionment(醒悟). |
| B．Why is education so important? |
| C．It is a lifelong process. |
| D．How can people get education? |
| E．It brings better prospects in career and growth. |
| F．It is about the lessons of life. |
| G．It ends when our career begins. |
7 . Education isn’t simply about achieving a “higher state of knowledge”; it’s about equipping students with the tools they need to go out into the world and shape it for themselves. Here is a list of how education could improve the world.
Education brings up many environmental topics to students and encourages them to think about the ecosystems around them. Today it is becoming important to be aware of this and education allows us to consume more responsibly and take action for the care of our planet.
Education helps people develop skills.
Schools cover many topics, and as you continue through schools’ programs, more and more subjects open up to you.
Getting an education not only means learning skills like reading and writing, but also means knowing abstract concepts like teamwork, critical thinking and creativity.
Education is a step toward world peace.
Education is a pretty investment. If one extra year of school can produce such benefits, what will the world be like when universal education becomes a reality?
| A．Education lets people take on responsibility |
| B．When you combine these two knowledge areas |
| C．With all the possible topics available for students to learn |
| D．Education helps people keep up with our fast-moving world |
| E．Education’s role in promoting world peace is very important |
| F．Uneducated people, on the other hand, are more likely to be violent toward others |
| G．Students can do a lot to improve their environmental impact at their schools and in their lives |
8 . Whether your kid can count on a sizable inheritance (遗产) or your family is living pay period to pay period, a college degree is a must. Along with the invisible life skills you get from those formative years on campus, college comes with a bankable payout: A Georgetown University study found that, on average, college graduates make a million dollars more over a lifetime than people who stop at high school.
Recently, a Bronx nonprofit asked me to speak to a group of high schoolers whose families were struggling financially. The participants were (rightly) worried about taking on too much college debt. Here’s what I told them: Even when you subtract (扣除) tuition, lost earnings during the college years, and other factors, an average college grad will still take in $300,000 more than those without a college degree.
And while rising tuition fees are a serious worry, free college programs of one kind or another have sprung up in more than 20 states. My own home state, New York, boasts one of the most comprehensive efforts. The Excelsior Scholarship program guarantees that students at public institutions attend tuition-free if their family earns under $110,000 a year.
Even in Silicon Valley, where there are many successful people who don’t own a college degree, I asked a group of parents there if it’s true that kids are giving up a college degree because they’re sure they’ll be rich people. The answer was a resounding, unapologetic no.
The truth is that in this STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-centric age, any form of home-schooling or social education can’t replace the formal school education. Especially in an age when many low-end careers are being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), a college degree can give your kid an edge.
1. In writing paragraph 1, the author aims to ________.| A．propose a definition | B．make a comparison |
| C．give an example | D．present an argument |
| A．Free college programs are available all over the USA. |
| B．In the STEM-centric age, a college degree is essential. |
| C．In New York, all public school students are tuition-free. |
| D．Children from rich families don’t need a college degree. |
| A．They are developing very rapidly. |
| B．They are all being engaged by AI. |
| C．They are all depending on a degree. |
| D．They are disappearing because of AI. |
| A．Why do you need a college degree? |
| B．Where can you enjoy free education? |
| C．What is a must in the STEM-centric age? |
| D．How much do people with a degree earn in US? |
9 . It’s important for you teenagers to know how to save money. You know that the money you save can be for rainy days and be used to pay through your college education. If you think it’s a difficult task and don’t know how to do it, please do as the followings.
My dad always tells me that if one doesn’t respect money, it will never respect you. Hence, it’s important that you keep a record of your daily expenses. Make it a habit to write down all that you have spent. And when you find out the total expenses at the end of the month, you will realize what you have spent more money in doing.
Open a savings account
Opening a savings account is a better way to save money. You can set a goal; say (for example), the money is for a new notebook or for college, and then save, until you have enough money to buy a notebook or until you go to college.
Do not carry much cash
Do you have the habit of not leaving a store without buying anything? The only way to stop that is carrying less money around with you. Go to the store with the minimum amount of money, which will not even help you buy a drink.
Save the changes
Save the changes that you get back. If you have gone to a shop to buy something and get back some changes, then do not spend them.
Follow these tips above, and thus you can save a lot of money. And surely, they’ll help you to be more responsible in your life.
| A．Keep a record of your daily expenses |
| B．In a few days, you’ll get rid of this habit |
| C．Instead, you can save them in your piggy bank |
| D．By that time, you will realize the importance of saving money |
| E．Saving money builds your financial power and personal freedom |
| F．Next month, you will automatically try and save more in that part |
| G．Nowadays in the developed and developing countries, people are all working for the sake of earning money |
10 . Art and science may seem like opposite things. One means the creative flow of ideas, and the other means cold, hard data — some people believe. In fact, the two have much in common. Now, a study finds art can help students remember better what they learned in science class.
Mariale Hardiman, an education specialist, noticed that students who used art in the class listened more carefully. They might ask more questions. They might volunteer more ideas. What’s more, students seemed to remember more of what they had been taught when their science lessons had involved art. To prove that, Hardiman teamed up with some researchers and six local schools.
In the experiment, the researchers worked with teachers in 16 fifth-grade classrooms. They provided traditional science lessons and art-focused ones. In a traditional science class, for example, students might read the information from a book aloud. In the art-focused one, they might sing the information instead.
The team randomly assigned(分配) each of the 350 students to either a traditional science class or an art-focused one. Students then learned science using that way for the whole unit — about three weeks. When they changed to a new topic, they also changed to the other type of class. This way, each student had both an art-focused class and a traditional one. Every unit was taught in both ways, to different groups of students. This enabled the researchers to see how students did in both types of classes.
The team found that students who started off in traditional classes performed better after they moved into an art-focused class. But those who started in an art-focused class did well even when they went back to a traditional science class. These students appeared to use some of the art techniques after going back to a traditional class. Classroom teachers reported that many students continued to sketch(画速写) or sing to help remember the information. “It suggests that the arts may help students apply creative ways of learning on their own,” Hardiman said.
1. How does the first paragraph develop?| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By following space order. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Students take an active part when their class involves art. |
| B．Students are more creative in art class than in science class. |
| C．Students’ learning ability depends greatly on class involvement. |
| D．Students remember things for a longer time if using art in class. |
| A．Learn three units in total. |
| B．Take two types of classes. |
| C．Learn two topics for three weeks. |
| D．Choose between a traditional class and an art-focused one. |
| A．It is not easy to use art in science class. |
| B．Science plays an important role in creative thinking. |
| C．Art contributes to science learning. |
| D．Art-focused classes encourage teamwork. |
