2 . Going from middle school to high school can be difficult, as students are faced with new academic and social challenges. Before the first day of high school, there are things every soon-to-be high school freshman and his family should know.   

People that have a fixed mindset (思维倾向) believe that they are born to be great or weak. On the other hand, people that have a growth mindset believe that their greatness or weakness is because of their own actions. I totally agree that students should have a growth mindset. I don’t expect any student to move from just passing a subject to an A+. It’s going to take time and focused effort; just keep working on it.   

Parents should prepare students to fight the battle “on the pillow” and “in the kitchen”. When I say “pillow”, I mean sleep. Not having enough sleep can have some surprising effects on students, including improper behaviour, anxiety and poor grades. The second weapon is eating healthy and balanced meals. Studies show that students who eat nutritious meals and who exercise 60 minutes a day remain more attentive (专心的) during the school day and experience improved academic achievement and grades. This last “secret” weapon is not to have over-scheduled time. Make sure students know how to set realistic plans and how to say no to tasks and activities that aren’t important to them.   

A lot of students who know each other from primary and middle school are in their “comfort zones”, feeling they have a sense of control over and expectations of their relationships. Then comes the first real day of high school, and that will all change. The reason why I encourage high school freshmen to step out of their comfort zones, though often scary, is that comfort zones get boring and there are many kinds of people to get to know. Let’s encourage them to get involved, have fun and play.

1. Which of the following represents a fixed mindset?

A．I’m at the starting point of my potential.

B．My mother is not good at chemistry either.

C．I should start studying a little earlier next time.

D．It’s okay if I fail; at least I’ve learnt something.

2. What might the author encourage parents to do?

A．To prepare healthy meals for their kids.

B．To praise their kids when they do well in school.

C．To take their kids to visit their grandparents often.

D．To buy soft pillows for their kids to have a good rest.

3. What is the third weapon mainly about?

A．Enjoying good health.	B．Acquiring the ability to say no.
C．Balancing schoolwork and play.	D．Developing time management skills.

4. What does the underlined word “that” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The expectation of future.

B．The value of friendship.

C．The feeling that they have control over relationships.

D．The feeling that they become helplessness.

5 . Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the US 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 US 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 out 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 about____________.

A．350,000

B．1,500,000

C．440,000

D．110,000

3. The passage mainly deals with____________.

A．the legal problems of the homeless children

B．the educational problems of homeless children

C．the social status of older males

D．estimates on the homeless population

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. promotes             B. culturally             C. desires             D. extreme          E. widening        F. identity G. inequality            H. rising                  I. replicated            J. dependency          K. particularly

Megatrends in Education

We all know the importance of education. Everyone     1    to have a good one, but its quality and availability is not the same for all. This situation changes as social, economic and political conditions change and technological development provides new benefits and threats.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which     2    policies that will improve the economic and social well-being (福祉) of people around the world, has been looking at the future of global education. Its head of education, Andreas Schleicher, has been talking to the BBC about some major international trends affecting education systems around the world.

One threat is the    3    gap between rich and poor, with more intense pockets of     4    privilege and deprivation. In OECD countries, the richest 10% have incomes 10 times greater than the poorest 10%. This    5    is a challenge for schools who want to offer equal and fair access to education for everyone.

Another trend is the     6    affluence (富裕) in Asia. It’s suggested that a large rise in the middle-classes in China and India will increase demand for university places. Andreas Schleicher asks the question “What values will these newly wealthy consumers want from their schools?”

Increasing migration will also have an impact on education systems. Mobility results in more    7    diverse students eager to learn and develop a good life for themselves. But that can be a challenge, too, as Andreas Schleicher asks, “How should schools support pupils arriving from around the world? What questions does it raise about    8    and integration? Will schools have a bigger role in teaching about shared values?”

Funding pressure is another issue: as our demand and expectation for education rises and more people go to university, who’s going to pay for it all? The rise in     9    on technology is another concern. What should students learn when many of their talents can be     10    by machines? And how reliant should we be on learning from the Internet?

7 . There is a time when many Americans question whether a college degree is worth its cost. However, a recent study found Americans who completed college or university are more likely to have friends and are less lonely than those who only finished high school.

Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life, said that in general Americans are experiencing a “friend recession”, meaning a decline in their number of friends. Cox noted, “Americans have fewer close friends today than we did in the early 1990s. But men and those without a college degree are particularly affected because they seem to have experienced a much more dramatic decline over that period.”

The Center questioned 5, 054 people this past summer. It found Americans with a college degree feel more socially connected and are more active in their communities than people who didn’t go to college. As a result, those who completed college report feeling less lonely.

Previous research showed that Americans who didn’t go to college are less likely to marry. A 2012 study found that college-educated women are much more likely to get married than women who dropped out of high school. A 2013 study of people born between 1957 and 1964 found that both men and women who didn’t finish high school are less likely to marry than those with more education.

Today, 65 percent of college-educated Americans over age 25 are married. About 50 percent of people with a high school diploma, or who dropped out of high school, are married. Those numbers were different in 1990, when marriage rates among the college graduates were at 69 percent, compared with 63 percent for those who did not go to college, says a Pew research report.

The American Community Life Survey found around 1 in 10 college graduates say they have no close social connections. That number rises among Americans without a degree, where almost 1 in 4 say they have no close friends.

1. When was the study carried out according to the passage?

A．When psychological problems arose sharply.

B．When the number of college graduates declined.

C．When Americans experienced a friend recession.

D．When concerns about college costs appeared.

2. Why are some studies mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To provide evidence for the research.	B．To analyze the reasons for loneliness.
C．To show the importance of marriage.	D．To compare differences in generations.

3. In which column of a magazine may this passage appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．Education.

C．Technology.

D．Health.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Social problems in the American society.

B．Reasons for Americans’ low marriage rates.

C．Links between education and social interaction.

D．Discussions about whether to get a college degree.

9 . For many years the school system in Finland has been very successful. In the PISA’s survey, which compares reading, math and science knowledge of 15⁃year⁃olds around the world, Finland not only is the top European country but also competes with Asian giants (巨头) like China, Singapore and South Korea. But what makes the education system in this small country so different from others in the western world?

Until the 1960s Finland’s school system had been influenced largely by its neighbor, the Soviet Union. Most students left school after six years; some went on to private schools. Only the wealthy ones got a better education. In the middle of the 1960s the Finnish government saw the need to change and modernize their education system if they wanted to be internationally competitive. Lawmakers made a simple decision: a basic school for all the 7-16⁃year⁃olds. Compulsory education (义务教育) begins at 7. The government makes it possible for all children to attend preschool (幼儿园) as well.

Teachers work with their pupils in school as much as possible. When teachers are not with the pupils, they spend a lot of time in schools working on the curriculum and new projects. Schools in Finland are small, at least for international standards. So teachers know every pupil in their school and try everything to succeed with their pupils. That is why dropout rates are low compared to other countries. In contrast to other nations, teachers in Finland are highly respected. Finland selects its teachers very carefully: only talented students go on to university and receive a master’s degree in education. Finland only takes the best to educate its youth.

All Finnish children, whether they come from the city or the country, whether from a rich or poor family, have the same chances of education. There are not so many differences between the wealthy and the poor, as in America or other Western European countries. Education experts say that there is very little difference between very good and very bad students. Two thirds of Finnish pupils move on to higher education, the highest rate in the European Union.

1. What does the author want to show by mentioning China, Singapore and South Korea in the first paragraph?

A．Asian countries are successful in school education.

B．The school system in Finland has been very successful.

C．Students in these countries are better than those in European countries.

D．The education system in Asia is different from that in the western world.

2. What did the Finnish government do in the middle of the 1960s?

A．They changed the school system.

B．They lengthened (延长) preschool education.

C．They encouraged students to go to private schools.

D．They learned modern education from neighboring countries.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．The children in Finland are educated equally.

B．The children in Finland get compulsory education at the age of six.

C．The school system in Finland is better than that in Singapore.

D．The schools in Finland don’t meet international standards.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．What Differences European Schools Have	B．What Good Schools Provide Students with
C．Why Finland’s School System Is Successful	D．Why Finland’s School System Has Changed

10 . Starting this fall, primary and middle school students in China will have at least one weekly course on labor education, according to a new curriculum (课程) standard released by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Labor education ranges from household chores to on-campus labor and community volunteer services, generally 3 types according to the new standards: the first refers to everyday chores, including cleaning, organizing, cooking, and using and maintaining home appliances (家电); next is productive labor, including agriculture, making traditional handicrafts (手工艺品), and applying new technologies such as 3D printing; the third type is service work, including volunteer work. The new curriculum also calls for a week of extracurricular and off-campus activities designed for labor education once every school year.

A recent study showed that primary and middle school students in China only spend an average of 12 minutes a day on chores, compared to 72 minutes in the US, 42 minutes in South Korea and 30 minutes in France. Many countries start students’ labor education at a young age. Finland begins to develop students’ life skills in primary school. Spinning, woodworking, cooking and other craftsmanship classes are offered. In Germany, pupils have two labor classes per week. Electronics, office technology, sewing, housekeeping, and career guidance are all taught there.

Adding labor education was out of concern that the country’s youngsters do too little housework and look down on physical labor jobs. Due to great academic pressure, schools tend to put their academic curricula on the top, and parents sometimes see household chores as distractions (分心). But, according to the MOE, labor education must be strengthened to help students develop social values, an interest in labor and finally an all-around development.

1. Which of the following belongs to productive labour?

A．Maintaining home appliances.	B．Doing some cooking.
C．Selling traditional handicrafts.	D．Planting crops.

2. How much time do primary and middle school students in France spend on chores daily?

A．Twelve minutes.	B．Forty-two minutes.
C．Thirty minutes.	D．Seventy-two minutes.

3. What is the fact about labour education in Finland?

A．It is considered more important than academic learning.

B．The country starts labour education in primary school.

C．There are only a couple of labor education courses.

D．Students have two labour classes every month.

4. Why does the MOE demand labour education should be strengthened according to the last paragraph?

A．It can help with their development of social values.

B．It can improve students’ performance on learning.

C．It can help exercise their special talents.

D．It can enrich students’ off-campus life.