Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master t

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Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover ch

anges in pitch(音调)．
One of the study’s authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”．This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr.Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllabl

e word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study，the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings：squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study，Patrick C．M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
小题1:When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.

A．he has a difficult time learning music at the same time

B．he has an easier time learning music at the same time

C．it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand

D．it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch

小题2:Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?

A．Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music.

B．Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain.

C．Because music training might help people with language study.

D．Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music.

小题3:The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”．

A．created	B．spelled
C．seemed	D．pronounced

小题4:What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers

B．Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study

C．Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning

D．Schools Need to Develop Music Programs

答案

小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:D
小题1:B

解析

略

举一反三

Teaching children to read well from the start is the most important task of elementary schools．But relying on educators to approach this task correctly can be a great mistake．Many schools continue to employ instructional methods that have been proven ineffective．The staying power of the “look-say” or “whole-word” method of teaching beginning reading is perhaps the most flagrant example of this failure to instruct effectively．
The whole-word approach to reading stresses the meaning of words over the meaning of letters, thinking over decoding, developing a sight vocabulary of familiar words over developing the ability to unlock the pronunciation of unfamiliar words．It fits in with the self-directed, “learning how to learn” activities recommended by advocates of “open” classrooms and with the concept that children have to be developmentally ready to begin reading．Before 1963, no major publisher put out anything but these “Run-Spot-Run” readers．
However, in 1955, Rudolf Flesch touched off what has been called “the great debate” in beginning reading．In his best-seller Why Joh

nny Can’t Read, Flesch indicted（控诉）the nation’s public schools for miseducating students by using the look-say method．He said – and more scholarly studies by Jeane Chall and Rovert Dykstra later confirmed – that another approach to beginning reading, founded on phonics, is far superior．
Systematic phonics first teaches children to associate letters and letter combinations with sounds; it then teaches them how to blend these sounds together to make words．Rather than building up a relatively limited vocabulary of memorized words, it imparts a code by which the pronunciations of the vast majority of the most common words in the English language can be learned．Phonics does not devalue the importance of thinking about the meaning of words and sentences; it simply recognizes that decoding is the logical and necessary first step．
小题1:The author indicts the look-say reading approach because ________．

A．it overlooks decoding

B．Rudolf Flesch agrees with him

C．he says it is boring

D．many schools continue to use this method

小题2:One major difference between the look-say method of learning reading and the phonics method is _________．

A．look-say is simpler

B．Phonics takes longer to learn

C．look-say is easier to teach

D．phonics gives readers access to far more words

小题3:The phrase “touch-off”（Para 3, Line 1） most probably means _________．

A．talk about shortly	B．start or cause
C．compare with	D．oppose

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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.
小题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

小题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

小题3:What’s the government’s attitude toward charter schools?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Subjective.

D．Optimistic.

小题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.

小题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

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From a very early age, some children show better self-control than others. Now, a new study that began with about 1,000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.
Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now. They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measures like “acting before thinking” and “Persistence in reaching goals.”
The study led by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1,000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten, later on had the most health problems in their 30s,” Moffitt said，“and they had the worst financial situation. They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.” Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed, and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.
Moffitt said it’s still unclear why some children have better self-control than others, though she said other researchers have found that it’s mostly a learned behavior, with relatively little genetic influence. But good self-control can be set to run in families because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents. But the good news, Moffitt said, is that self-control can be taught by parents, and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective.
小题1:From the first two paragraphs we learn that .

A．the research has been carried out for five years

B．self-control in kids tends to determine their future

C．self-control was assessed by children’s intelligence

D．children’s self-control is almost the same at early age

小题2:Children with low self-control are more likely to .

A．become wealthy in later life	B．get good school performance
C．have better financial planning	D．adopt negative behaviors

小题3:According to Moffitt， .

A．only good genetic factors can shape their lives in the future

B．scientists know well why some children have better self-control

C．self-control in childhood has nothing to do with criminal activity

D．willpower as a child really influences people’s chances of adulthood

小题4:What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Self-control cannot be taught in schools.

B．The study is restricted within few participants.

C．It’s never too late to deal with self-control problems.

D．Good parenting can improve self-control and life success.

小题5:Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？

A．Child’s self-control predicts future health and success

B．Kids are encouraged to take risks at an early age

C．Children’s development cannot be changed by teachers

D．How to teach the kids a bit of self-control in schools

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Ever wondered how one person could save the planet from the effects of climate change?
A British-made computer game on trial release on Monday creates different ways of doing just that．
“Fate of the World”puts the Earth’s future in players’ hands, placing them in charge of an international environmental body which could save the world from the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions（排放）or let it destroyed by more emissions．
Through different scenes, players can explore options such as geoengineering（地球工程） and alternative energy sources to save the planet from rising temperatures, decreasing natural resources and a growing population over the next 200 years．
An improved version of the game will be followed by a three-month feedback period from players, with final release due in February next year．
Created by Oxford-based games developer Red Redemption, the game is different from other mainstream action games mainly by using data from real climate models and advice from scientists and economists．
“Science data is often inaccessible and we are trying to put players in a position of power and connected with the issues,” Gobion Rowlands, Red Redemption’s founder and chairman said．
This year, a series of apparent errors in climate science and the failure of UN talks to reach an international deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions appeared to weaken the public’s interest in climate change．
However, games centered on sustainability（持续性）and human rights have been growing in popularity and are welcomed by green groups as a way of raising awareness．
Using climate change as inspiration for entertainment shows the issue has affected global culture, which can only be a good thing．Friends of the Earth’s head of climate Mike Childs said.“We need creative industries to work with these big issues as the results can be extremely powerful and can help us to understand what a sustainable future looks and feels like,”he added．
小题1:“Fate of the World” in the passage refers to ．

A．a book on computer games	B．a company developing computer games
C．a computer game on climate change	D．a player in charge of computer games

小题2:What makes the climate computer game different from the other games?

A．It uses data from real climate models and advice from experts．

B．It is the only computer game about climate．

C．It can save the planet from the effect of climate change．

D．It aims to affect the global culture．

小题3:It can be concluded from the passage that ．

A．games on sustainability and human rights are very popular among young players

B．the game increases players’ awareness of environmental protection

C．only computer experts can play the new climate computer game

D．after a three-month feedback period from players, the new game is on sale now

小题4:Which of the following can NOT the players experience while playing the new game?

A．Challenging the climate change in an unreal world

B．Understanding what a sustainable future looks and feels like

C．Enjoying the power to decide the earth’s fate

D．Predicting what will happen in 200 years

小题5:In which column of a newspaper can you probably read this article?

A．Weather & Climate	B．Science & Technology
C．Life & Entertainment	D．Sports & Culture

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Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest you may lose your friends’ trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money on your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interest. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better.
Sooner or later every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practise honesty, generosity, and understanding.
小题1:Some friendships don’t last very long because ____.

A．there are too many people who want to make friends.

B．those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others.

C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others.

D．they don’t know friendship is something serious.

小题2:According to the passage honesty is _____.

A．something good	B．the base of friendship
C．as important as money	D．more important than anything else

小题3:The underlined word “generosity” means ___.

A．大度

B．节约

C．吝啬

D．和气

小题4:Which of the following isn’t mentioned (提及)in the passage?

A．Always tell your friend the truth.

B．Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value.

C．Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem.

D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend.

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