1 . Whether in work or study, great people always do things as effectively as possible. Productive (高效的) people have one thing in common: A solid routine made up of small habits that helps them to keep a healthy mindset and lifestyle. Research shows a habit takes about 2l days to become normal behavior.
●Make daily to-do lists.
●
●Have a rest. Whatever you are working on, you do not have to use up every ounce of energy you have.
●Clean up and organize for tomorrow.
| A．Keep a journal. |
| B．Make great progress. |
| C．Making a list of tasks for the day helps you to stay on track. |
| D．After a long day, the last thing you may want to do is clean. |
| E．Take a break at the same time each day, despite just 10 minutes. |
| F．You should be energetic all day and spare no effort to finish your work. |
| G．Here are some habits you can start practicing to become more productive. |
2 . At its core, social media is about advertising, but not just in terms of the products. Users are advertising themselves, making themselves look special and happy, no matter how many filters (滤镜) it takes. This can actually be damaging, especially to younger people. Because they traditionally look to their peers (同龄人) to help them determine what’s normal and who they should desire to be, and they particularly fear the social exclusion that comes from not fitting in with their peer group’s expectations.
With social media, their peers appear light years ahead in terms of wealth, beauty, and access to the kind of overall resources most of us can only dream of. The problem is that most of them achieved their fabulousness (难以置信的美好) through pure luck.
That’s why the core of our advice, for both adults and kids, begins with learning to accept what you can and can’t control, especially during those times when making things better isn’t really possible. And the one thing you can control when life sucks (令人不愉快) is knowing your standards for being a good person and living up to those standards regardless of how you feel or look or what other people think.
Being a good person isn’t about being perfect or ultra-unselfish; you don’t need to work in a soup kitchen or donate a kidney in order to qualify. In part, that’s because helping others must always come second to doing the smaller things required every day to take care of your own responsibilities and live up to your own values.
After explaining these ideas to their kids, parents can ask them to think about what they can and can’t control given how often life is just plain unfair. They can also ask their kids to think about the qualities they admire in people they believe to be good. This way, parents aren’t lecturing their kids about the importance of real values but encouraging them to make up their own minds about the values they find important. After all, people of any age are much more likely to make smart decisions if they’re asked to think through issues carefully and determine the right thing on their own, rather than being pushed in that direction.
1. Why are kids more likely to be harmed by social media according to paragraph 1?| A．They lack self-discipline. |
| B．They cannot distinguish good from bad. |
| C．They often have unhealthy online habits. |
| D．They tend to compare themselves with their peers. |
| A．Accepting reality. |
| B．Finding a role model. |
| C．Ignoring others’ opinions. |
| D．Having an optimistic attitude toward life. |
| A．To suggest how we can be a good person. |
| B．To state that helping others makes us perfect. |
| C．To explain the importance of living up to our values. |
| D．To clear up possible misunderstandings about being a good person. |
| A．Parents should have regular communication with their kids. |
| B．Parents should motivate their kids’ inner drive. |
| C．Children should be taught about real values. |
| D．Children should make clever decisions. |
3 . 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 |
4 . 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. |
5 . 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 |
6 . 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 |
7 . By age 18, many teens are felig a combination of excitement and fear about the future. They tend to be very focused on their friends, social lives, and future. There are a lot of decisions to be made about life after graduation, including potential careers, college plans, or military service paths. Many 18- year- olds spend a lot of time into thinking about what type of life they want once they’re on their own, but they also may just be enjoying the present.
The day your child turns 18, they become a legal adult in most states. This means that they can vote, sign contracts, and join the military. By law, you are no longer required to support them and they are considered fully responsible for their own actions. And while you likely want to continue to help support your child to some level, you are now limited in what you can do. For example, you cannot call up their college professor to see how they are doing in their Calculus class—they have to do that themselves.
Parenting your 18- year- old can be a tricky balance of guiding them towards autonomy(自主) while also keeping them safe and supported. “Teenagers can be all gas and no brakes(刹车), and that’s scary, which is why it’s so important to keep an open, honest dialogue with them,” says Aliza Pressman, PhD, a professor of peditrics and psychologist at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York City.
Teens who have plenty of life skills often feel ready to move out of the home and begin the next chapter. But others may feel less than ready for life as an adult. Those who are less mature (成熟的) or experience self- doubt may step back a bit as they think about entering the next stage of their lives.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly talk about?| A．Characteristics of 18-year -olds. | B．Confusion of 18- year- olds. |
| C．Consideration of18-year- olds. | D．Decisions of 18- year- olds. |
| A．They ask their professor to stop you. | B．They have to manage themselves. |
| C．They no longer need your support. | D．They become a legal adult now. |
| A．It’s scary to let them drive with full gas but no brakes. |
| B．It’s hard to balance their autonomy and your guidance. |
| C．It’s important to have a frank conversation with them. |
| D．It’s necessary to let them go without any of your support. |
| A．They hesitate to begin the new chapter. | B．They feel both excitement and fear. |
| C．They are just enjoying the present life. | D．They get ready to meet the adult life. |
8 . How to Teach Your Child the Value of Money?
Do your teens understand the power of money? Do they know how to stop wasting and begin valuing money?
Set up the family’s money values
Since there is a lot of money decisions we have to make in a lifetime, it makes sense to set up foundational money values. Have you ever sat down to figure out your family’s money values?
Help them make calculations
This calculation is going to help your teenagers see how many hours they need to work in order to buy what they want. Let’s say their hourly pay is $5. If they want to spend $70 buying a pair of shoes, they have to work 14 hours to pay for them. That will tell them how many hours this item or event will cost them.
Hopefully, these will help your teenagers become a financially aware person — the actual end-goal of money education.
| A．Help them develop a saving goal |
| B．Let’s start by following the paths below |
| C．Calculate the cost in terms of hours worked |
| D．It is necessary to communicate them with your kids |
| E．So, ask them what else they could buy with that money |
| F．Sometimes it is no use talking about what you want them to learn |
| G．If they still want to spend 14 hours of their life for the shoes, then they should |
9 . In the United States and other countries, schoolchildren have long learned from one kind of world map. It is called the Mercator projection. This version of map is more than 450 years old. Gerardus Mercator, a European mapmaker, designed it for the purpose of helping sailors and ships on the high seas.
But map experts say the Mercator projection should not be used in schools. They say it does not correctly show the sizes of countries and continents. For example, Mercator maps make Greenland appear bigger than China. In fact, China is about four times larger than Greenland.
Now, school officials in Massachusetts are replacing the Mercator map with the Peters projection. German historian Arno Peters worked on the projection in the 1970s. Peters’ aim was to fix Mercator’s problems with sizes.
Seeing a Peters map for the first time can be a strange experience. Land masses may look stretched (拉伸的) compared to how they look on the Mercator s and some other world maps.
Every map has its purpose. At first, the main purpose of Gerardus Mercator’s map was to help sailors get across the open seas without getting lost. When the Mercator map is used for other purposes than navigating (航行), such as on classroom walls as a representation of the real world, that’s like using a telephone to brush your teeth. The aim of the Peters projection was to show all countries, all regions, all continents, at their own actual sizes.
The Mercator and Peters projections are just two of many kinds of world maps that may hang in school classrooms. Many public schools in China, for example, use a map that shows East Asia near the center. It is human nature to view one’s own place near the center of the world. Mercator himself put Germany—his adopted homeland—near the middle of his map.
Maps are powerful tools. And the map from which students learn about the world can make a big difference in their understanding of others.
1. Why is the Mercator projection said to be unfit for school use?| A．It was designed too long ago. | B．It can’t provide exact information. |
| C．It doesn’t suit the changing world. | D．It only shows the position of the seas. |
| A．To correct the mistakes in the Mercator map. | B．To help students learn about geography. |
| C．To take the place of the Mercator map. | D．To compete with the Mercator map. |
| A．Different characters of their makers. | B．Different realization of the world. |
| C．Their different purposes. | D．Their different times. |
| A．They should put one’s country in the center. | B．They should be the most advanced ones. |
| C．They are the most important materials. | D．They have a great effect on students. |
10 . Currently, one of the biggest problems in Laos is underfunded education-the government lacks money to build and maintain schools and pay teachers, which, of course, holds back teaching and learning. Despite this, Laos still produces quite a few graduates with valuable skills such as knowing Chinese, English, Korean, or Japanese. The problem is not the students.
Nor does the problem stem from a lack of financial means: Laos has enormous wealth. The problem is that this wealth is not financing a proper system of education. Local corruption(腐败)means that the wealthy do not pay taxes. Laos needs a transparent tax system that functions normally, as in more developed countries such as Malaysia. Laos can learn several lessons from Malaysia’s successful taxation strategies.
Last year, Malaysian students scored exceptionally well on standardized tests in a wide variety of subjects. However, Lao students scored very poorly, especially in math. The 2022 standardized test scores for Laos were the lowest in Asia. Such a terrible result constitutes an emergency. Young people are not adequately educated in Laos, and the main cause is a catastrophic lack of funding due to tax avoidance.
Therefore, I propose that a total change be made in the tax system of Laos. This step is crucial because Laos is a member of ASEANN, and the basic support for education needs to be comparable among the member nations. Laos has always lagged behind other ASEAN member states on this issue of support for education as a percentage of GDP. Experts estimate that Laos will only spend 3.2% of its GDP on education in 2023.
To conclude, I must emphasize that Lao education is in crisis. For many years, their education system has been underfunded as a percentage of GDP compared with other ASEAN countries, and standardized test scores are upsetting. If Lao education can become adequately funded, Lao students will step up and compete with their peers across Asia.
1. What is the best title of this passage?| A．Education in Laos:Challenges and Opportunities. |
| B．Students in Laos:Valuable skills and Poor scores. |
| C．ASEAN Membership in Laos: Emergency and Hope. |
| D．Problems in Laos: Misbehaving students and Low-tax system. |
| A．Students’ low intelligence. | B．The improper tax system. |
| C．Unqualified math teachers. | D．Unfair academic competitions. |
| A．In 2023, only 3. 2% of the Laos’ GDP will be used on education. |
| B．Rich people in Laos pay much more taxes than the poor people. |
| C．The Lao government doesn’t pay enough attention to education. |
| D．ASEAN member states support Laos to promote its education. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Concerned | C．Sympathetic | D．Neutral |
