1 .         I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.

My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.

In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.

With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It’s hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.

At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.

1. Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?

A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service.

B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains.

C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic.

D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness.

2. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．China can make and sell any product all over the world

B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment

C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand

D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination

3. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Look for a New Way of Learning.	B．Reward Creative Thinking.
C．How to Become a Creator.	D．Establish a technical Environment.

2 . We live in a digital world now, and a student's technology needs have changed. For the early years, say when you are in primary school, you can get by with no technology at all. Even if you have a computer, it's a good idea to get children familiar with libraries. At this age, trips to the library are like family outings.
As you get closer to middle school, a computer with Internet access becomes more of a necessity. Teachers will often give assignments that require a student to use the Internet for research. After a computer, technology choices for students become more difficult to make – especially when it comes to cell-phones. Kids will beg their parents for a cell-phone, especially in middle school. For many parents, it's a safety issue: They want to know that their kids can reach them quickly if necessary. For teachers, cell phones can be used to record lessons when students are absent. But many teachers dislike cell-phones. Some kids send messages or have talks in the class. Sending messages also raises the problem of cheating on exams. More and more schools are now forbidding the use of cell-phones.
Many kids see iPods as necessary things to have. iPods are great for music, but do they do anything good for your children’s education? Maybe they do. That’s the opinion of Doug Johnson, an educator for 30 years. Johnson says that educators should accept all new forms of technology in the classroom, including iPods. “Some do more with their cell- phones than we can do with our laptops,” he jokes. “I don’t think we should be afraid. The truth is that it’s easier to change the way we teach than to change the technology habits of an entire generation.”
1. According to author, primary school children should___.

A．use the computer and the Internet regularly	B．ask their parents to buy them cell-phones
C．buy iPods to listen to music	D．go to libraries to read more books

2. Why do parents agree to buy their children cell-phones?

A．They want their children to be cool.

B．They think cell-phones be helpful to their study.

C．They want to keep in touch with their children.

D．They want their children to keep up to date.

3. The following are all reasons why many teachers dislike cell-phones EXCEPT ____.

A．cell-phones can be used to cheat on exams

B．schoolchildren will send messages during class

C．cell-phones can be used to record lessons

D．schoolchildren might talk on them during class

4. What does the underlined word “that” refers to?

A．iPods can be used to listen to music.

B．iPods can be helpful for children’s education.

C．iPods can be used to play games.

D．iPods are necessary for children’s lives.

5. We can infer from what Doug Johnson said that _____.

A．cell-phones are not useful to students

B．teachers should let students use cell-phones

C．it’s better for teachers to change their teaching methods

D．schoolchildren should follow the trends(潮流) of fashion

3 . Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
“I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,’ but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education,” says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators(管理者) expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition（学费）continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,
“If we go on this way for another 25years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education,” says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. “The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt.”
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.
1. How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem?

A．They asked their kids to come home.

B．They borrowed $20,000 from the school.

C．They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs.

D．They got help from the school and the federal government.

2. Financial aid administrators believe that ______________.

A．more families will face the same problem as the Jacobs

B．the government will receive more letters of complaint

C．college tuition fees will double soon

D．America’s unemployment will fall

3. What can we learn about the middle class families from the text?

A．They blamed the government for the tuition increase.

B．Their income remained steady in the last decade.

C．They will try their best to send kids to college.

D．Their debts will be paid off within 25 years.

4. According to the last paragraph, the government will       ____.

A．provide most students will scholarships

B．dismiss some financial aid administrators

C．stop the companies from making student loans

D．go on providing financial support for college students

4 . Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax money just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments             that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to             reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers’ union has just made public the results             of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government’s delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students             performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved             student progress.
1. If a private company wants to operate a charter school, it must                    .

A．try new methods of teaching	B．prove its management ability
C．obey the local and state laws	D．get the government’s permission

2. Charter schools are independent because                      .

A．they make greater progress	B．their class size is smaller
C．they enjoy more freedom	D．they oppose traditional ways

3. What’s the government’s attitude toward charter schools?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Subjective.

D．Optimistic.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．More students choose to attend charter schools.

B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools.

C．Students in charter schools are well educated.

D．People have different opinions about charter schools.

5. It can be inferred from the text that               .

A．charter schools are part of the education system

B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students

C．the number of charter schools will be limited

D．charter schools are all privately financed

5 . Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank (打屁股) the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.
One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did that again.
One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.
Many parents are not sure what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion（宗教）tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach can help as well.
1. According to the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to ________.

A．strike them on the bottom	B．try to help them do the right thing
C．teach them what to do	D．take them to court

2. Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?

A．It teaches the child to hit others when they offend him or her.

B．The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard.

C．Sometimes parents may use spanking for everything.

D．It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right.

3. Which of the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?

A．favorable (赞同的)

B．indifferent (不关心)

C．interested

D．unfavorable

4. From this passage, we can conclude that ________.

A．Good children always do the right thing.

B．Parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children.

C．Parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong.

D．Children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked.

6 . 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

7 . 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

8 . Due to the increasing number of violence acts produced in schools all over the world, more and more parents prefer to have their children educated at home rather than at school. This way they can assure their safety and well-being，although teachers and school representatives are trying to improve the situation in schools by increasing the number of the persons in charge of the safety of the students．
The main reason for violence acts are the films and cartoons that fill the children’s time．They want to do everything．they watch on TV and never think at the consequences，and they may hurt a classmate or a teacher．
On the other hand, parents are not fully satisfied with the children’s results obtained in classes and they consider private classes would have better results．
When a teacher has to watch 30 students in class he can’t probably see what each of them is doing，how he is writing，or if he understands the explanations．At home the teacher can explain in details everything the child doesn’t understand as many times as he considers proper．
And many times，the child grows fond of the teacher at home，who becomes his best friend，and who helps him whenever he needs someone to talk to．       
However, the best solution would be a mixture between the education received at school and that at home，because school makes children communicate and socialize．Keeping a child at home for fear that there might be something bad happening to him only makes the child’s character weak and prevents him from knowing what real life is．Staying in a crystal ball only does harm to the child．
All in all，schools have been created to help children，not to harm them，so it’s best to keep children in these special places，where they learn，laugh，have fun and make new friends．
1. The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ________.

A．teach parents the ways to keep theft children safe.

B．show solutions to developing children’s character.

C．explain the main reason for violence acts in schools.

D．analyze an education problem and give opinions.

2. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Classes.

B．Who is to Blame, Parents or Schools?

C．Which is Better, School Study or Home Study.

D．The Relationship between Teachers and Children.

3. Parents prefer to have their children educated at home because the following EXCEPT that ________.

A．more and more violence acts occur in schools.

B．parents want to improve their Children's grades.

C．parents are concerned about their children’s safety.

D．the education system is far from satisfactory.

4. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．violence TV programs have bad effects on children’s behavior.

B．the teacher at home is more patient than the teacher at school.

C．children today are weak from lack of sense of right and wrong.

D．there are too many students in class for a teacher to teach.

9 . When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance，the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list. Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as entertainment, but certainly not an education priority（优先）. This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students

Music tells us who we are. Because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values, as well as the social environment it came from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as does a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.

Music provides a kind of perception(视角) that cannot be acquired any other way. Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore the emotive（情感的）meaning of the same phenomenon. We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason: No one way can get it all.

The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other. They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities our hungers, our discoveries, our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.

So music education is far more necessary than people seem to realize.

1. According to paragraph 1, students ________.

A．regard music as a way of entertainment

B．disagree with their parents on education

C．view music as an overlooked subject

D．prefer the arts to science

2. In Paragraph 2, the author uses jazz as an example to ________.

A．compare it with rock music

B．show music identifies a society

C．introduce American musical traditions

D．prove music influences people’s lifestyles

3. According to the passage, the arts and science ________.

A．approach the world from different angles

B．explore different phenomena of the world

C．express people’s feeling in different ways

D．explain what it means to be human differently

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Music education deserves more attention.

B．Music should be of top education priority.

C．Music is an effective communication tool.

D．Music education makes students more imaginative.