| Dear headmaster, As president of Sullivan Junior High School’s student council, I have been chosen to write to you on behalf of the eighth grade class. We would like to propose an eighth grade promotion trip to Sea World in San Diego, California. We chose Sea World for several reasons. In science class, we have been studying oceans and the marine life. Going to Sea World would provide us with the opportunity to visit these creatures and to better understand their habitats. This could be a once in a lifetime experience for those of us who have never been outside Arizona. We will have lots of fun and learn at the same time. The close location of San Diego was also a factor in planning this trip. San Diego can be reached by bus in about six hours. If the buses leave Sullivan after school on Friday afternoon, we should arrive in California in time to have a late dinner and get settled into our hotel rooms before midnight. |
You may be asking yourself. “How will this trip be financed?” We are suggesting that the school host an “Oceans of Fun” night for family, friends, and community members for a small fee. The activities would be organized and supervised by eighth grade students. Some of our ideas for the night include a Surfer’s Snack Shop with homemade treats for sale, Pirate Pete’s Treasure hunt, and a short production of “A Whale of a Tale.” This would the best chance to show our ocean animal reports. Many of the eighth grade students have gone to school together since kindergarten. We believe that this trip would be a fantastic way to celebrate friendships. This trip may also be one of the last times we see our friends because students from Sullivan Junior High School attend four different high schools. We invite you to our next student council meeting on December 7, 2013, to discuss your thoughts and work out any concerns you still may have. Thank you for taking the time to consider our request for an eighth-grade promotion trip. Sincerely, Julie Martino |
1. Who has written this letter? What is she?
2. What idea has the author mainly expressed in Paragraph 4?
3. Why has the author written this letter?
4. Why does the author mention that many students have gone to school together since kindergarten in Paragraph 5?
2 . Paul Durietz is a 76-year-old social studies teacher from Illinois. On September 1, he set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest teaching career. He has been teaching for 53 years-since he was 23 years old.
Mr. Durietz became interested in history after hearing stories from his father. He made up his mind about becoming a social studies teacher when he was just 11 years old, mainly because of his love of history.
Mr. Durietz got his first teaching job at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee, Illinois in 1970. Ever since then, he’s been teaching social studies at the same school. For him, teaching is never boring because every day is different. He loves sharing his knowledge of history with students.
Things have changed a lot since he began all those years ago. When he started, he wrote on a blackboard with chalk, and the students used paper textbooks. These days, he and the students use computers and digital whiteboards.
Though technology has changed a lot, in Mr. Durietz’s eyes, the students are still pretty much the same-except that now they have cell phones.
And with or without technology, Mr. Durietz has used creative activities to help his students learn. For example, he has organized virtual field trips, geography contests, and special days about the US Civil War. To help his students learn about politics, he has even organized mock (模拟的) elections at school, which his students enjoyed most.
For much of his 53 years as a teacher, Mr. Durietz has been in charge of the social studies program at Woodland. In that time, he has helped to guide over 20 other social studies teachers at the school. To his extreme pride, he has even had students come back and tell him that they became history teachers because of him.
Mr. Durietz wasn’t really trying to set a record. He was just doing what he loved. He has no plans to retire any time soon. He hopes to break his own record. He also hopes to set another record as the teacher who’s worked the longest at the same school.
“Keep working on what you love to do in life,” he always says.
1. Mr. Durietz received an award from Guinness for ______.| A．being the oldest teacher in Illinois |
| B．being the best social studies teacher |
| C．having the longest years of teaching |
| D．working 53 years at the same school |
| A．Sharing his knowledge of history. |
| B．Students enjoying the mock elections. |
| C．Guiding over 20 other teachers at Woodland. |
| D．Students following his example to be teachers. |
| A．Passionate. | B．Generous. | C．Ambitious. | D．Confident. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. |
| B．Be famous as young as possible. |
| C．You have got to like what you do. |
| D．When work is a pleasure, life is joy. |
3 . Author Kochai tried for years to reconnect with his second grade teacher – a woman whom he credits with all the success he’s had in life. He hadn’t known any English at all, and it was Mrs. Lung who stayed after hours every day in their elementary school to teach Kochai one-on-one how to read and write – something he managed in just a year.
It was something Kochai never forgot, but after moving to new schools and districts, he lost track of her. The more Kochai’s career grew with success, the more he felt he had to reconnect with the special teacher who kick-started his life as an author.
It was over ten years that Kochai had been looking for his former teacher. Ten years’ calling school districts, searching names on social media, and visiting schoolhouses all proved fruitless. He said he felt like “running into another dead end,” as he explained in a Twitter thread.
“A few years earlier, after 99 Nights in Logar came out, someone reached out to me, out of the blue, on Facebook. It was Mrs. Lung’s husband!” he continued, “Clearly, Allen Lung heard about an article I wrote where I mentioned Mrs. Lung.”
That moment finally came when, after years of anxiety and joyful events both in Kochai’s life, he was doing a book signing event for his new book. “Mrs. Lung’s husband, Allen, rushed up to me, introduced himself, and brought me over to Mrs. Lung, and seven-year-old-me finally got to hug my 2nd grade teacher again.” he said.
He signed her copy with all the words he couldn’t say, but which had been in his head and heart for a decade and more.
1. How did Mrs. Lung help Kochai?| A．By guiding his career planning. |
| B．By supporting him economically. |
| C．By teaching him English dutifully. |
| D．By keeping him company all the time. |
| A．Kochai made efforts to find Mrs. Lung. |
| B．Kochai showed on various social media. |
| C．Kochai failed to get in touch with Mrs. Lung. |
| D．Kochai sensed it hopeful to connect Mrs. Lung. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Overjoyed. | C．Embarrassed. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．Mrs Lung made a difference to Kochai’s life. |
| B．Kochai is satisfied with his success as an author. |
| C．Mrs. Lung influenced Kochai’s decision. |
| D．Author Kochai is grateful to Mrs. Lung. |
I was sitting in math class; my teacher, Mrs. Gratz, was trying to get the attention of everyone arriving before the bell that would start the fourth period. As most of my classmates sat down and waited for our teacher to begin the lesson, a student walked in right after the bell rang. He was a real troublemaker. It was painfully obvious to anyone who knew him that he didn’t care much about school or authority. He continued walking through the classroom, sat down next to one of his friends and began talking loudly with him. At this point our teacher had attempted to quiet everyone down several times, succeeding with just about everyone except for him. By him arguing with a teacher for seemingly no reason and causing a scene, I could see on my teacher’s face that she was getting more and more upset as time went on, because her class time was being wasted.
It’s important to present yourself in a positive way to people that can have an effect on your life. Parents, police officers, teachers. Those in positions such as these are the ones who should be respected most, even if you don’t think so. Watching a young man argue back and forth with a teacher, a person of authority, taught me a valuable lesson about how to act when in a situation like this. If you disagree with someone, you should find the proper time and place to deal with it. Truly, the time for wasting time is not during school hours and the place for disrupting (扰乱) a teacher’s lesson is not in school itself.
I try to respect all figures of authority, especially when they treat the people under them fairly and with equal respect. Back in this 7th grade, this event changed my life, and that’s the reason why I still remember and learn from it to this day. Sitting in class and listening to the teacher every day can get boring, but it is also worth quieting down for, because of what you can take away from the class, and what you can gain from just showing some respect.
1. Use one word to describe the student who walked in right after the bell rang? (不多于 1 个单词)2. What examples does the writer give to show who should be respected most? (不多于 4 个单词)
3. When should a student deal with a problem he/she has with a teacher? (不多于 4 个单词)
4. What is the main idea of the passage? (单词数不限)
5 . Tyler was a troublesome student, who sat in the back row of the classroom. Every time I called him to answer questions, he'd reply with a flip (轻率的) answer. If he got it wrong, he would get very angry.
Usually kids could sit quietly in class. However Tyler was just loud. One day, Tyler was talking while I was teaching. I said to him, “Tyler, why not join in our discussion instead of having one of your own?” He got up from his chair, pushed it over, and shouted something I can't remember. I sent him to the office and he received a week's out-of-school punishment.
The week was a wonderful time for me without the noisy Tyler, but when it came to an end, I began to feel worried. So I came up with a plan. On the day of his return, I told him I wanted to start over with him. If he felt like he was going to lose control in class, he could step outside the door for a moment.
From then on, Tyler was a changed student in my classroom. In fact he was a smart child and he even stopped a fight between two students one day. And he never used the privilege (特权) to leave the class for a moment. I believe that just letting him decide for himself made all the difference.
When the school year was over, he wrote me a thank-you note about how good the year had been for him. I still have it today and find it very moving to reread when I get stressed about teaching.
1. When Tyler was talking in class, what did the teacher advise him to do?| A．Join in their discussion. | B．Have his own discussion. |
| C．Get up from his chair. | D．Go out of school |
| A．sitting in the back row. | B．leaving the class for a moment. |
| C．stopping a fight between two students. | D．not listening to teachers in class. |
| A．Stressed. | B．Worried. | C．Satisfied. | D．Moved |
| A．How Tyler got the punishment. |
| B．How Tyler changed to be a good student. |
| C．How the teacher dealt with Tyler's return. |
| D．How the teacher felt about Tyler's thank-you note. |
6 . “Teenager Therapy”, hosted by five rising seniors at Loara High School in Anaheim, Calif., has become a breakout hit. The podcast show features five teens having loose, sincere conversations about mental health, school and family, friendships, and more. Sometimes they interview big names, including Loren Gray. But typically, the show is more of a free-form discussion.
“There are episodes where we offer advice about teenage life, and there are episodes where we simply talk about our experiences,” said Gael Aitor, 17.
He got the idea for “Teenager Therapy” in 2018 after hearing “Couples Therapy”, a podcast by the YouTuber Casey Neistat and his wife. The then 15-year-old rounded up four friends to record the first episode of “Teenager Therapy”. “The first two tries were terrible,” Mr. Aitor said. “The third time we were happy with it, so we posted it online.”
Building a podcast audience is no easy job, especially since the group of high schoolers had no marketing budget. To attract listeners, Mr. Aitor repurposed an old Instagram account, which had 20, 000 followers.
Within a few months of posting their first episode, “Teenager Therapy” had over 100, 000 downloads — a number it can take years for self-governing podcasts to hit. From there, the show kept growing. But part of the great popularity of the show is that it’s produced for teenagers by several hosts from the same age group. “People often say, ‘I don’t know who to tell but you guys,’” said Mr. Aitor. “We never really scripted (写脚本) anything or planned it out.”
Maya Gabay, 16, a rising high school junior, said the podcast was now her favorite show. “The podcast never holds back on anything,” said Ms. Gabay, who, like many other young listeners, considers it as their lifeline. The podcast has helped her process things going on in her life, including problems with friendships. “It’s really great to see kids my age doing something like this,” she said.
1. What does “Teenager Therapy” usually do for its listeners?| A．It connects teenage patients with doctors. |
| B．It holds discussions about teenage topics. |
| C．It helps develop teens’ communication skills. |
| D．It allows teens to make friends with big names. |
| A．Why Gael brought together his four friends. | B．Why Gael continued his podcast. |
| C．How the listeners were attracted. | D．How the podcast show started. |
| A．It is made for teens by teens. | B．Its hosts are good at marketing. |
| C．Its programs are all carefully planned. | D．It won support from “Couples Therapy”. |
| A．It needed to make improvements. | B．It would train more kids like her. |
| C．It was an important part of her life. | D．It should pay more attention to friendships. |
7 . For most of us teaching seventh-grader English would be similar to teaching flying monkeys to sit. Just thinking about it, we might feel frustrated. But it was not for Miss Smith. For 40 years, she stood in front of her classroom, tapping the blackboard where an inspirational quote was drawn neatly. “Open your notebook and write,” she would instruct. If a student was late, she would simply say, “Write about why you are late today.” The content and style didn’t matter. It was the connection of thought to paper that was the aim.
If you write long enough, these thoughts will turn into feelings and feelings on paper become visible, clear enough to examine. The anxiety of seventh-graders, the puberty (青春期) crisis and the mixture of emotions need a way out. Miss Smith knew that. She knew her teenage students needed to develop their own guidance systems, or they needed to deal with the forces that surrounded them.
The quotes Miss Smith carefully wrote on the chalkboard were inspirational, and could encourage self-reflection. Most of the notebooks were filled with silly nonsense, like looking forward to pancakes for lunch, or worse, line after line stating that they didn’t know what to write then. Regardless of those, Miss Smith read every entry and in neat red handwriting, wrote notes of encouragement and praise.
She would read Shakespeare and ask how Romeo must have felt about being rejected by his friends and family. The characters in the literature gave students permission to get emotional growth in a safe way, and the words inside those notebooks became more and more personal as time went on. Those who used to be problem students and need saving later became journalists and fiction writers.
No one would disagree that she made every student feel they are not only what they are now but they are more. That point drove them to work hard and see what that “more” was going to be. This is the greatest charm of Miss Smith.
1. What can be learned about Miss Smith?| A．She was easy to get frustrated with her job. |
| B．She always got students to express feelings by writing. |
| C．She was assigned to teach the worst class in the school. |
| D．She had taught the English writing course for forty years. |
| A．The advantages of recording life on paper. |
| B．The importance of puberty for a child’s development. |
| C．The difficulty of understanding and guarding children’s rights. |
| D．The characteristics of teenage children and the coping methods. |
| A．They’re nearly meaningless. |
| B．They’re quotes from famous people. |
| C．They’ re a great encouragement to students. |
| D．They’ re inspirational and set people thinking. |
| A．Miss Smith treats her students equally. |
| B．Miss Smith has a wide knowledge of literature. |
| C．Miss Smith’s teaching methods turn out successful. |
| D．Miss Smith teaches students according to their potential. |
8 . An excerpt from Shoes Were for Sunday by Molly Weir
One of the phrases which greatly puzzled me was “entertaining angels unaware”. How could anybody be unaware of entertaining an angel, I thought? It never occurred to me that angelic qualities could hide under very ordinary voices and in everyday bodies.
My angel, as it turned out, hid inside the little figure of my school-teacher, Miss McKenzie. To me she was always a little old lady, with her grey hair framing a round rosy face and caught up in an old-fashioned bun (发髻) on top of her head.
Although I enjoyed Miss McKenzie’s approval, I never really felt very close to her. It never dawned on me to ask her advice as to what I should do when I left school. Surely there was only one thing to do:get a job and earn money as quickly as possible. But Miss McKenzie had other ideas. We in our house knew nothing of scholarships for fatherless children. The idea of a child from a working-class household going to college was the very stuff of story-books.
Unknown to us, she forced the headmaster to put my name forward for a special scholarship open to children who showed some promise, and who would benefit from further education. He agreed, although he was a bit worried about the expense of keeping me at college for a whole year. No earnings from me, and fares and clothes to be covered, for, of course, only the fees would be paid if I won.
Miss McKenzie brushed all argument aside. To this day I can remember my complete astonishment when, on being asked if she felt I had any particular qualities, this elderly teacher banged the desk with her fist, and declared in an American idiom I never suspected she knew, ‘I’d stake my bottom dollar on this girl!’
I trembled at the passion in her voice, and at her faith in me. “What if I fail her?” I gasped to myself. “What if she has to pay all the money back if I let her down?” I knew we hadn’t a spare dollar to repay anybody, and I was sick with a sense of responsibility in case I messed up.
The time at college went by quickly. At the end of my year at college I was able to lay before her the college gold medal as the year’s top student and a whole pile of certificates.
And suddenly as I gazed at her, and saw her eyes shining with pride behind the gold-rimmed glasses, I realized how widely she had thrown open the door of opportunity for me. And I knew for the first time what the phrase “entertaining angels unaware” meant. For there, standing before me in class, was my very own angel, Miss McKenzie.
1. The author’s description of Miss McKenzie in paragraphs 2 and 5 aims to ______.| A．explain why she always kept a safe distance from Miss McKenzie |
| B．contrast the inner qualities of McKenzie with her humble appearance |
| C．emphasize that she and Miss McKenzie both came from an ordinary family |
| D．illustrate the influence of the strong faith Miss McKenzie had in her |
| A．it is unlikely for children from an ordinary family to further their study in college |
| B．going to university can help those from working-class climb up the social ladder |
| C．those who can only read stories do not meet the minimum requirement of college |
| D．the author had the idea of going to college because she was inspired by some stories |
| A．shocked and encouraged | B．embarrassed and reluctant |
| C．uncertain and stressed | D．worried and purposeful |
| A．recall her schooldays and her past achievements |
| B．express her gratitude to one of her school teachers |
| C．stress the importance of equal access to education |
| D．encourage readers to find the angels around them |
9 . We outline how you can realize your teaching dream in California.
Have a Bachelor’s degree from a qualified institution.
This is the minimum academic requirements before landing a teaching job in California.
Complete a teacher certification program in California.
The Commission for Teacher Credentialing (CTC) sets the main teaching conditions that you must complete before landing a teaching job in California. This is normally a preparation program on your preferred subject as well as general qualification tests for educators. Your math, reading, and writing skills will be assessed via the California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST). For multi-course teachers, you’ll need to pass the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) Multiple Subjects Exam. Moreover, all candidates should go through the U. S. constitution and pass an accompanying test.
Fulfill the student teaching requirements and necessary teaching hours.
A regular teaching program is approved by the CTC, and candidates must complete at least 600 hours’ worth of field experience. You will be guided by a licensed practitioner (专业人员) when taking part in co-teaching or teaching residency (实习). Normally, there are different requirements depending on your program.
The background check.
This is mostly an administrative matter. Requirements must go through a Live Scan. The aim of this check is to figure out whether applicants have prior run-ins with the law.
Send in your application.
After going through the procedure, you can then apply to be a certified teacher in California. Normally, you’ll need to provide relevant performance reports of teacher certification programs and prove that you have the required skills to handle students. The application process is through the CTC online entrance.
Pay the fees.
Potential teachers should expect a $100 fee when applying and a further $2.50 to facilitate the online process. Candidates from a different state submitting fingerprint cards normally part with $49.
1. Who are required to pass the CSET Multiple Subjects Exam?| A．All candidates. |
| B．Multi-course teachers. |
| C．Teachers of a specific subject. |
| D．Candidates without a Bachelor’s degree. |
| A．By making a call. |
| B．By sending an envelope. |
| C．By entering the website. |
| D．By visiting the office in person. |
| A．$49. | B．$53.5. | C．$102.5. | D．$151.5. |
10 . Do you ever suffer from bad-tempered (脾气差的) teachers who try to boss you around? Is your classroom never tidy enough? Do you too leave waste paper on the floor or write untidily? If so, then these instructions will be ideal for you. Read on and discover the simple steps to keep a bad-tempered teacher happy.
What you need: an apple
1. Wait until the teacher is out of the room.
2. Place an apple upon her desk.
3. Place beside it a note on which you have written, ‘To the best teacher in the world’.
4. Sit back and wait for the desired effect to take place.
Tip: Make sure that she likes apples-as some teachers may prefer chocolate.
Five more simple things that you can do:
1. Offer to clean the blackboard at the end of each lesson.
2. Work in silence.
3. Raise hand and answer questions-without calling out.
4. Thank the teacher for such an exciting and interesting lesson.
5. Tell your friends in other classes that you have the most amazing teacher and make sure that you do this as she is walking behind you!
Other useful tips
1. Tell your teacher that you have never been taught by a more creative, intelligent, challenging Grade 1 teacher before.
2. Offer to carry her bags to the car.
3. Smile and nod appreciatively even when she is being boring.
1. Why do the students put an apple with a note on the teacher’s desk?| A．To encourage the teacher. |
| B．To express their preference for apples. |
| C．To offer the introduction of the apple. |
| D．To tell the teacher eating apples is good for health. |
| A．You always work in silence. |
| B．She is the best teacher you meet. |
| C．She is less intelligent and challenging. |
| D．You always carry her bags to her car. |
| A．Study peacefully. |
| B．Express your thanks to her. |
| C．Call out without raising hand. |
| D．Clean the blackboard when class is over. |
