1 . Going back to school can be an anxious time for many students. But one institution in Texas is doing its part to make sure middle schoolers are returning refreshed and inspired to learn.

Through a process called the "bathroom inspiration project," teachers and administrators at Warren Middle School, spent their summer beautifying the school's restrooms by painting motivational murals (壁画) on each of the stalls (小隔间).Forming messages like "Your mistakes don't define you" and "Scatter (撒播) kindness," the brightly colored words are exactly what a young student needs to see when having a rough day-or any school day for that matter. And now that classes are officially in session, people are already noticing a positive impact.

Since posting photos of upgrades to the school in July, Principal Joshua Garcia says that the alterations have aroused a great response.

"Students have been talking about the murals from the moment the pictures had been posted. Some even took the time to find a reason to come up to the campus to see the murals," he says."I think what makes this small little action so valuable is that it has set the tone for our campus."

And not only is that important to students, parents, and fellow staff, but it is also vital for the school's new principal, who is trying to gain the trust of the community during a time in which trust is so necessary for schools.

"Being new to the campus, I think the parents were able to see how much I value their children and have their best interest at heart,” Garcia continues. “I have had many parents tell me how they can just feel a difference in the campus climate and how much they are enjoying seeing their children wanting to come here. These murals have put trust back in the campus and its teachers, and by doing so we are able to build a culture in which our students want to be here and learn.”

1. What has happened at Warren Middle School?

A．Painting has become popular among most students.

B．Some students have suffered great anxiety at school.

C．Its toilets have been beautified with inspiring words.

D．Motivational murals have been made in each classroom.

2. What does the underlined word "alterations” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Rules.

B．Arguments.

C．Changes.

D．Opportunities.

3. What's students and parents' attitude toward those murals?

A．Negative.

B．Ambiguous.

C．Uninterested.

D．Supportive.

4. What does Garcia intend to do according to the text?

A．Reduce increasing anxiety.

B．Build an artistic atmosphere.

C．Create a trusting environment.

D．Introduce a new culture to society.

2 . Learn to Cite Sources (引用资料)

During your university education, you’ll be exposed to ideas and scientific theories of scholars and scientists. Unavoidably, your own ideas will be shaped by the ideas you come across.     1     That means you should go beyond what you learn in your textbooks or in the library. Your original work is the basis for your professor’s evaluation of your performance. Thus, academic honesty is fundamental in your university education. It demands that you cite the source materials you base your own work on.     2    

Correctly citing your sources helps you distinguish your own ideas from those of other scholars. On the readers’ side, it permits a reader to determine the depth of your research.     3     On the contrary, lack of citing will only raise your reader’s doubt.

So you need to learn when to cite and how to provide an adequate or accurate reference list. If you fail to cite your sources, whether deliberately or carelessly, you will be found responsible for plagiarism (抄袭) .     4     If you are not sure, ask your professor for guidance before submitting the paper or report. Keep in mind this general rule: when in doubt, cite!

    5     For example, students from East Asia may think that copying directly from sources is the proper way to do research. Students in France, preparing for the final examination, may be encouraged to memorize whole passages and copy them into papers. Those cultural differences can lead to false assumptions about academic expectations in the country you study in.

A．Some university students may cheat in different ways.

B．These include other scholars’ ideas, figures, graphs and so on.

C．The academic challenge you face is to make something original.

D．Often, students want to use others’ opinions to support their own essays.

E．It also allows a reader to appreciate your original contribution to the research.

F．For international students, it is important to know local academic expectations.

G．Not knowing academic regulations is an unacceptable excuse for such behavior.

3 . The end of the school year is in sight - Christmas cards， candy canes and of course， end of year reports．

While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance， they do not expect their own input to be evaluated． But a school in the UK is changing that． As well as assessing their students， they are dishing out grades to mums and dads． Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A， and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D．

The school， Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire， uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade． The school's principal， Donna Chambers， said that the scheme had been well received．

"There were some critics． In spite of it， between 15 percent and 20 percent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent，" she explained．

Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement． "The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one． That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life"， she said．

But while the scheme may be well intentioned， it is likely to be connected with parent shaming． There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments， looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives．

And of course， being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school． There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered． And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute？ Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!

1. What do schools usually do at the end of the school year？ ______

A．Evaluating kids' performances．

B．Making Christmas cards．

C．Dividing candies．

D．Grading parents．

2. What does the school's principal Chambers say about the scheme？ ______

A．It uses a new way to evaluate kids．

B．It has gained much acceptance．

C．It gives parents further education．

D．It improves kids' motivation for learning．

3. What does the author think of parents being involved in kids' education？ ______

A．It adds to parents' burden．

B．It brings shame to parents．

C．It means far more than being graded．

D．It increases parents' commitment to education．

4. What is the passage mainly about？ ______

A．There is too much stress for parents about their children's academic life．

B．Parents as well as their children are on the list of the year school report．

C．Parents should be involved in children's school life．

D．Whether a parent is excellent depends on the grade he gets．

4 . To improve Chinese on our campus, several programs will be organized. Here is some information.

Language Partner Program

The aim of this program is to promote Chinese language study for American students, through this program, native speakers of Chinese can help our Chinese language students, who can help students or scholars from China with their English in exchange. If interested, please contact Yuan Lu, yuan-lu-2@uiowa.edu

The Chinese Corner

The Chinese Corner is a non-threatening, pleasant place for faculty and students who want to practice their oral Chinese. Learners of all levels are welcome to join, since we have topics suitable for each level. At the Chinese Corner, you can make friends with Chinese students and exchange opinions on cultural issues. You will surely learn something new every time you come! We welcome whoever wants to speak Chinese.

Contact person: Bo Sun, bo-sun@uiowa.edu

The Chinese Host Family Program

The purpose of this program is to help our American students to gain first-hand experience of Chinese culture, lifestyle, customs, and conventions through establishing friendship relations with Chinese families. Students who join this program will be invited by their Chinese host family to join their family activities on a regular basis. Please sign up for this program.

Cross-University Chinese Language Performance Competition

This competition gives students in and outside of Iowa a great opportunity to show their oral Chinese proficiency as well as their talent in performing. As many as four universities have participated in the competition, including The University of Iowa. Each university presents a set of programs, and then participants are awarded prizes at an awards ceremony.

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

The Chinese Program hosts an annual celebration for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We invite all students and faculty members to join our party. You will meet Chang’e, the goddess of the Moon, learn a beautiful Chinese legendary story and taste moon cakes as well as other Chinese food. If you know some Chinese characters, you may win a prize! Come and join us!

For more, please see the Flyer.

1. If you have difficulty with English, what will you probably do?

A．Attend the Mid-autumn Festival celebration.

B．Go to the Chinese Corner.

C．Participate in Language Partner Program.

D．Contact a Chinese host family.

2. If you would like to display your spoken Chinese, which will you sign up for?

A．Chinese Language Performance Competition.	B．The Chinese Corner.
C．The Chinese Host Family Program.	D．Language Partner Program.

3. The passage is intended for ________.

A．American senior high students	B．American university students
C．Chinese senior high students	D．Chinese university Students

5 . Lockers(储物柜)have been the symbol of American high school for decades. But walk down any hallway of the new Germantown High School in Madison County, Mississippi, and you won’t spot a single locker.

New technology such as e-books, interactive(互动的)assignments and Web-based learning is making lockers in

American high school a thing of the past.

Officials from schools that have listed several benefits: less noise, less delay and an increased sense of safety.

“It’s all to create an environment that’s student-friendly”, said Ronnie McGehee, chief official of the Madison County School District.

Getting rid of lockers can also cut hundreds of thousands in construction costs. Madison County saved $200,000 by not including lockers in the new high school, McGehee said.

It is also believed that removing lockers could help prevent school violence. ”Lockers give kids a place to hide things”, said Mike Nelson, founder of a safety- training group. Nelson believes that some school shootings and other incidents could have been prevented if there had been no lockers.

However, Andrew Booth, a 10th-grader at Gemantown High, said there are some disadvantages of not having a locker. “It can make your book bag really heavy”, he said. The 16-year-old has four textbooks “plus notebooks and a binder(活页夹)” to carry to school each day.

He said some teachers have shelves at the back of the classroom on which students can leave their bags. Others provide an extra set of textbooks in the classroom, so students don’t have to carry books from home.

New York architect Peter Lippman said schools will have to address such concerns and find ways to give students a “sense of space” “If you are carrying books around, it does limit your flexibility in the classrooms,” he said.

Lippman said he would like to see schools starting to use the new free space to provide less structured learning opportunities for students, including gathering areas and learning centers. “If you think about a school with just rows of lockers-there’s nowhere for learning opportunities in that”, he said.

1. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The trend of getting rid of lockers in US high schools.

B．The influence of new technology on some US high schools.

C．The history and development of lockers in US high schools.

D．The advantages and disadvantages of lockers in US high schools.

2. What is not the advantage of getting rid of lockers?

A．Saving money.

B．Making less noise.

C．Preventing school violence.

D．Making book bags heavy.

3. What is Andrew Booth’s attitude to removing lockers?

A．Complaining

B．Approving.

C．Ignorant.

D．Favorable.

4. What does Lippman suggest schools that have removed lockers should do?

A．Give students as much freedom as possible in the classroom.

B．Provide students with an extra set of textbooks in the classroom.

C．Make more learning opportunities for students in the new free space.

D．Put shelves at the back of the classroom for students to leave their bags.

6 . Homework is a good thing. It helps you practice what you’ve learned during the day and establish study habits that will be important in college.     1     What you need to do is take control of your homework.

Set a good mood for studying.

Create a good study area with all the things you will need (for example, a dictionary, pens and textbooks).

Know where to start in your study.
   Make a list of everything you need to do in order so you cannot use “I don’t know where to start.” as an excuse. Don’t over-schedule yourself.     2     Study at the same time every day.

Even if you don’t have homework, use the time to review your notes.     3     What’s more, you’ll become good at using time in this way.

    4    

Do you ever feel like you cannot stay awake to read something? Keep your mind from wandering by taking notes, underlining sentences, discussing topics with others.

Celebrate your achievements.
    5     However, if you have some problems about the amount or type of the homework, you should talk to your teachers.

A．Take advantage of your time.

B．Get more involved in your study.

C．Try to find the best methods that work for you.

D．If you do that, it will be easy for you to fail to stick to your study plan.

E．Once you achieve your goal, offer yourself some reward for it.

F．It can also help you prepare for your classes and get a sense of progress.

G．If you accept homework as part of your day, you’ll deal with in more easily.

7 . From: terri wombat. Com. Au
To: (happylizijun) yaboo. com. cn
Subject: My school
Hi, Li Zijun,

Thanks very much for your email. I really enjoyed reading it. I think we have a lot in common. I wonder if our school life is similar too.

I go to a big high school in Sydney called Maylands High School. There are about 1000 students and 80 or so teachers. My class has 25 students in it, which is normal for a Year 11 class. In the junior school there are about 30 students in a class.

In the senior high school we have lots of subjects to choose from, like maths, physics, chemistry, biology, history, German, law, geography, software design, graphic arts and media studies. (Different schools sometime have different optional subjects.) English is a must for everyone and we have to do least three other subjects in Year 11 and 12. At the end of Year 12 we sit for a public exam called the High School Certificate.

As well as school subjects, most of us do other activities at school such as playing a sport, singing in the choir or playing in the school band. We can also belong to clubs, such as the drama club, the chess club and the debating society.

We have a lot of homework to do in senior school to prepare for our exam, so unless I have basketball practice, I usually go straight home and start studying. I arrive home about 4 pm, make myself a snack and work till 6. Then I help the family to make dinner and we all eat together. I’m usually back in my room studying by 8 pm. I stop at about 10 o'clock and watch TV or read a book for half an hour to relax. On Saturdays, I usually go out with my family or with friends and I sleep in till late on Sunday morning. Then it’s back to the books on Sunday afternoon.

How about you? What’s your school life like? Do you have a lot of homework? What do you do to relax when you’re not studying? I’m looking forward to finding out.

Your Australian friend

Terrie

1. How many subjects do the students have to do at least in Year 11 and 12?

A．11	B．3
C．4	D．6

2. What does the underlined phrase “sit for” in Para3 mean?

A．pass	B．take
C．go for	D．hold

3. On Sunday afternoon, Terri usually______.

A．read books	B．play in the school band
C．play basketball	D．helps her family to prepare dinner

8 . What is the hottest topic at your school recently? In Taiyuan No. 55 Middle School, it’s money.
The school held an activity called “making money” last weekend. About 200 Junior 1 and Junior 2 students were divided into 30 teams. They went out to make money by selling things.
What did they choose to sell? Some sold newspapers; some chose bottled water; some sold environmentally friendly shopping bags and bamboo baskets.
Hu Qing’s team decided to sell some useful books in front of the Children Activity Center. They thought parents would like to buy the books for their children. But unfortunately, they met urban management officers (城管). The officers asked them to leave. “We played hide-and-seek (捉迷藏) with the officers for the whole morning” said Hu. “Finally we had to give up.”
Wang Bing and her team sold ice cream in a square. They didn’t meet any officers. But few people were interested in what they were selling. The team then put up a board saying “For Country Kids”. It worked. More people came to their stall (小摊). A foreigner even gave them 100 yuan. “He didn’t want any change. He said he wanted to help the children,” said Wang. “We were touched.” Later that day they gave the 100 yuan and more to the “Project Hope” office.
MengZhaoxiang and his team were luckier. They sold all their cakes in four hours, spending 39.5 yuan and getting back 80 yuan. They made 40.5 yuan. “It was not easy to make the money,” said Meng. “Some people just looked. Others just tasted but didn’t buy. Now I know how hard it is for our parents to make the money we need to lead happy lives.”
1. ______ took part in the activity.

A．Some teachers

B．About 200 of Junior 1 and Junior 2 students

C．About 200 students of the three grades

D．About200 Junior 1 students

2. Hu Qing’s team finally gave up because ______.

A．the parents didn’t like to buy the books

B．the Children Activity Center was too crowded

C．the officers didn’t allow them to sell anything there

D．the team played the game of the hide-and-seek the whole morning

3. Why did more people come to Wang Bing’s stall at last?

A．The people were willing to help country kids.

B．A foreigner came up and helped them.

C．The team put up a magic board.

D．The people were interested in their ice cream.

4. According to the passage the students learn ______.

A．it’s impossible for them to make money

B．it’s very important for them to make a living

C．it’s not easy for their parents to make money

D．it’s difficult for them to make money.