There has been much discussion recently about reducing the weight of English in
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There has been much discussion recently about reducing the weight of English in China"s high-stake tests such as the national college entrance examination. It is argued by some applauding the recent change to reduce the importance of English in tests so that it will lead students to focus more on learning Chinese. The TV program Writing in Chinese has exposed the problem that students and the general public cannot write in Chinese as they used to do.
Some blame the design of the curriculum for giving English an equal or greater amount of emphasis, which might have contributed to the failure in teaching Chinese. But this is probably not a fair accusation since children in English speaking countries cannot spell either.
I doubt that studying English in itself hurts the study of Chinese. In fact, high achievers in English or another foreign language are more likely to be high achievers in Chinese. It has been proved many times in recent Chinese history that those capable of using a foreign language are also masters in their mother tongue. Qian Zhongshu, Lu Xun and Lin Yutang are just a few examples.
Another trend of thought for curriculum reform is related to the perception of "worth". It is true that English is one of the subjects that students do spend too much time on, with pitiful results. This makes some doubt if it is worth giving it priority. But this is not a sound argument either as students still need to study things that matter more to their future in spite of challenges learning English presents to them.
Improvements in Chinese language education should not be achieved by sacrificing another important subject. There should be a robust(健康的) foreign language education program, as a foreign language improves a student"s future job prospects. Bashing(抨击) English education as a waste of time or using it as a goat for failures in Chinese education are both harmful tendencies.
To be constructive, we ought to start a dialogue on ways to make improvements in learning outcomes so that students" time learning English is spent more effectively. There are a few things that could improve English education, such as assessment design，learner motivation and teaching style，
I am sure there are many other areas where changes can greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of English learning. The public discourse at present is a little oversimplified. People are arguing for or against English having less weight in major tests, when the dialogue should be taken a step further, to the improvement of learning or teaching methods that may benefit the teaching of other subjects as well, Chinese included.
小题1:In paragraph 3 Qian Zhongshu, Lu Xun and Lin Yutang are mentioned to _____.| A．show respect for their capabilities of learning languages | | B．prove English and Chinese are not contradictory | | C．confirm the importance of learning English in China | | D．tell the readers English Education is to blame |
小题2:According to the passage, which of the following statements is right?| A．The TV program Writing in Chinese is very popular at present. | | B．Good results of learning English are not worth so much time. | | C．Some are in favor of attaching less importance to English in exams. | | D．Sacrificing English can improve Chinese language education. |
小题3:In the writer’s opinion, what should be done to solve the argument?| A．Increasing time spent in learning Chinese. | | B．Increasing time spent in learning English. | | C．Reducing the weight of English in examinations. | | D．Improving the learning outcomes effectively. |
小题4:Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?| A．English education is still important in China. | | B．Chinese education is more important in China. | | C．English contributes to the failure in teaching Chinese | | D．Ways to make improvements in learning Chinese. |
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答案
小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:A |
解析
试题分析：文章介绍先在很多地方进行的考试改革，要削弱英语在考试中的地位，因为过分的强调英语让很多学生忽视了母语的学习，但是作者提出了不同的观点，认为不应该简单的减少英语的重要性，而应该从改进教学方法入手，提高学习的效果。
小题1:细节题：从第三段的句子：It has been proved many times in recent Chinese history that those capable of using a foreign language are also masters in their mother tongue.可知文章提到钱钟书，鲁迅和林语堂，是为了证明英语和汉语不是矛盾的，恤B
小题2:细节题：从文章第二段的句子：Some blame the design of the curriculum for giving English an equal or greater amount of emphasis, which might have contributed to the failure in teaching Chinese.可知一些人是赞同不要太重视英语考试的，选C
小题3:细节题：从文章第六段的句子；To be constructive, we ought to start a dialogue on ways to make improvements in learning outcomes so that students" time learning English is spent more effectively.可知作者认为为了解决问题应该有效的提高教学的效果，选D
小题4:标题确定题：文章介绍先在很多地方进行的考试改革，要削弱英语在考试中的地位，因为过分的强调英语让很多学生忽视了母语的学习，但是作者提出了不同的观点，认为不应该简单的减少英语的重要性，而应该从改进教学方法入手，提高学习的效果。所以英语仍然在中国是重要的，选A |
举一反三
Space is where our future is — trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from comets(彗星) and stars, there is little else out there. But, since our space journey started we have left so much trash（垃圾） there that scientists are now concerned that if we don"t clean it up, we may all be in mortal （致命的）danger.
The first piece of space junk was created in 1964, when the American satellite Vanguard I stopped operating and lost its connection with the ground center. However, since it kept orbiting around the Earth without any consequences, scientists became increasingly comfortable abandoning（抛弃） things that no longer served any useful purpose in space.
It is estimated （估计）that there are now over 500,000 pieces of man-made trash orbiting the Earth at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour. The junk varies from tiny pieces of paint chipped off rockets to cameras, huge fuel tanks, and even odd items like the million-dollar tool kit that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn Piper lost during a spacewalk.
The major problem with the space trash is that it may hit working satellites and damage traveling spacecraft(飞船). Moreover, pieces of junk may collide（碰撞） with each other and break into pieces which fall back to the Earth. To avoid this, scientists have invented several ways for clearing the sky. Ground stations have been built to monitor larger pieces of space trash to prevent them from crashing into working satellites or space shuttles. Future plans include a cooperative effort among many nations to stop littering in space and to clean up the trash already there.
小题1:What was the first piece of man-made space trash?| A．A camera. | B．A tool kit. | | C．A fuel tank. | D．A broken satellite. |
小题2:Why were scientists NOT concerned about space trash in the beginning?| A．It no longer served any useful purpose. | | B．It was millions of miles away from the Earth. | | C．It did not cause any problems. | | D．It was regarded as similar to comets and stars. |
小题3:Which of the following statements is true about space junk?| A．It is huge, heavy machines. | | B．It never changes position. | | C．It floats slowly around the Earth. | | D．It may cause problems for space shuttles. |
小题4:What has been done about the space trash problem?
A, Scientists have cleaned up most of the trash.
B. Large pieces of space trash are being closely watched.
C. Many nations have worked together to stop polluting space.
D. Ground stations are built to help store the trash properly in space. |
These days it’s cheaper to throw that broken DVD player, cell-phone or TV out and buy a new one. This “ replace-rather-than-repair” mentality is polluting the planet with electronic waste. According to the UN Environment Program, we are throwing away an estimated 50 million metric tonnes of electronics waste (e-waste) per year. But this is not ordinary garbage. Our electronics leak harmful heavy metals — such as mercury and arsenic — along with equally poisonous chemicals that end up in our soil and eventually our water.
You’ve probably participated in a community recycling event and left feeling good about shipping off that old computer to be recycled. Chances are it was shipped overseas where it’s polluting someone else’community.
Guiyu city in Southeastern China has become known as the e-waste city where low-paid workers use whatever means available to remove electronics in hopes of recovering the copper, microchips, aluminum, gold and silver and plastic that can be resold. Any leftover waste is simply thrown into the nearby river or piled up high in the streets, poisoning the children growing up here.
So what can you do with your e-waste? Robert Houghton, President and founder of Redemtech, an asset management and recovery firm, recommends you vote with your dollar. Buy from companies who have a take-back program that guarantees your discarde electronics are handled proper.
“ Consumers want to do business with companies who are demonstrably good with corporate responsibility and dealing with e-waste, ” said Houghton.
There are plenty of charitable organizations that will take your used electronics and donate them for charitable causes:
• Electronic Recycling Association (Canada) (ERA) collects old computers for donation to libraries and other organizations across Canada.
• eBay’s Rethink Initiative pairs up consumers with businesses that refurbish (再磨光)old computers for donation.
• TechSoup has a thorough listing of resources for thosewho would like to donate or recycle hardware，buy recycled hardware or find a refurbisher.
• The Charitable Recycling Program accepts all cell-phones and has a listing of charities it helps with its program.
• Call2 Recycle has set up drop off points across Canada in a number of stores. You can drop off your cell-phone and also your rechargeable batteries from handheld electronic products.
小题1:When there is something wrong with electronics, what is a popular trend among people nowadays?| A．To keep a DIY way. | B．To put them away themselves. | | C．To purchase what they like. | D．To donate them to charities. |
小题2:Guiyu city in Southeastern China is mentioned here to show us ____.| A．there is an ideal place in the world for e-waste | | B．there is a good example in the world for recycling | | C．the recycling events in Canada benefit people overseas | | D．people should find ascientific andthorough way torecycle |
小题3:In the writer’s opinion, who can first shoulder the great responsibility to guarantee e-waste is handled proper in the future?| A．The UN Environment Program. | | B．Consumers who buy electronics. | | C．President and founder of Redemtech. | | D．Guiyu city in Southeastern China. |
小题4:InCanada, which charity organization will most possibly take all your unwanted electronics?| A．Call2 Recycle. | B．TechSoup. | | C．eBay’s Rethink Initiative. | D．Electronic Recycling Association. |
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Going Green
For career（职业） changers thinking about growth and advancement potential, forget the blue-collar and white-collar categories: Green is the way to go. According to Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Progress, careers that promote environmental responsibility will become main stream within a decade. “The growth in green careers will be like the Internet boom, which not only created new jobs, but also had an influence on the overall economy（经济）,” he says.
The increasing environmental problems and need for eco-friendly products and services are creating a new job section of green-collar jobs. Many countries of the world have realized the importance and need for energy-saving products and services. It is expected that by 2025 about 25% of the jobs in developed countries will be of green-collar jobs. Doesn’t the data look promising for the future?
Green-collar jobs have become a bright career chances for all. And jobs will pop up at every income level, from environmental manager to gardener. For example, many countries including the United States have understood that fossil fuels have negative effect on the environment which can later become a serious danger to mankind. As a result, possibilities are being explored to find alternatives to satisfy demands in a better way. The increasing demand of newer resources（资源） has creating the need for experts and researchers who can find better ways to deal with the ongoing needs. In addition, in order to meet the increasing demands of environment-friendly equipment, both green product designer and educated and trained workers are needed. Management of environmental organizations also demands a large number of environmental managers.
Where can you find green-collar jobs? Internet is undoubtedly the best way to find information on almost any matter. Nowadays, different kinds of jobs are being posted online. Search through a couple of job websites to look for a bright future in energy conversion and recycling of waste management. Check regularly and find the right work for yourself. People who read newspapers can also find different kinds of green-collar jobs.
小题1:Why does Bracken Hendricks mention the Internet Boom in Paragraph One?| A．To explain the importance of technology. | | B．To provide evidence of his recent research. | | C．To indicate the bright future of green careers. | | D．To inform us of the way of finding green-collar jobs. |
小题2:Which of the following probably creates green-collar jobs? | A．Promoting services. | | B．Training employees. | | C．Consuming fossil fuels. | | D．Developing new resources. |
小题3:What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3? | A．The requirements for green employees. | | B．The development of the green industry. | | C．The economic influence of green careers. | | D．The job chances in the environmental industry. |
小题4:The passage is written to _______. | A．discuss eco-friendly services | | B．introduce promising career chances | | C．suggest ways of saving energy at work | | D．explain the best method of finding jobs |
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Boredom and Creativity
Most of us think of being bored at work as a negative experience, but a new study suggests it can have positive results including an increase in creativity because it gives us time to daydream.
That is the finding of Dr. Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire. Dr. Mann conducted two studies. In the first experiment, 40 people were asked to carry out a boring task. They were told to copy numbers out of a telephone directory for 15 minutes. After that they were asked to complete another task. A pair of cups were given to each of them. Everyone tried to come up with different uses of the cups, and was given a chance to display their creativity. Meanwhile, another group of 40 people were just asked to come up with uses for the cups without doing any boring tasks before. It turned out that the 40 people who had first copied out the telephone numbers were more creative than the control group(对照组).
To see if daydreaming was a factor in this effect, a second boring task was introduced that allowed even more daydreaming than the boring writing task. This second study saw 30 people copying out the numbers as before, but also included a second group of 30 reading rather than writing them.
Again the researchers found that the people in the control group were least creative, but the people who had just read the names were more creative than those who had to write them out. This suggests that more passive boring activities, like reading or perhaps attending meetings, can lead to more creativity. Compared with reading, writing reduced the scope（范围） for daydreaming. As a result, it reduces the effects of boredom on creativity.
Dr. Mann says: “Boredom at work has always been seen as something to be avoided, but perhaps we should accept it in order to promote our creativity. What we want to do next is to see what the practical implications of this finding are. Do people who are bored at work become more creative in other areas of their work -- or do they go home and write novels?”
小题1:Who proved to be the most creative in the two studies?| A．The people who attended meetings. | | B．The people who did the reading task. | | C．The people who invented uses for cups. | | D．The people who copied telephone numbers. |
小题2:The studies conducted by Dr. Mann indicate that creativity results from _______. | A．creative tasks | | B．controlled activities | | C．the range of daydreaming | | D．reading and writing ability |
小题3:What is Dr. Mann’s attitude towards boredom at work? | A．Positive. | | B．Skeptical. | | C．Subjective. | | D．Disapproving. |
小题4:What will Dr. Mann probably continue to research in their study? | A．The real causes of creativity. | | B．The actual use of boredom. | | C．The practical reasons of boredom. | | D．The writing ability improved by boredom. |
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Even while in a deep sleep, people can still learn brand new information. Sleepers soak in new associations between smells and sounds, knowledge that lingers(逗留）into the next waking day, researchers report online August 26 in Nature Neuroscience.
The new study is the first to show that entirely new information can get into the sleeping mind, says Anat Arzi of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. "The brain is not passive while you sleep. It"s quite active. You can do quite a lot of things while you are asleep."
But the results don"t mean that Spanish vocabulary tapes now have a place on the nightstand. L, Researchers have tried but largely failed to find evidence that complicated information, such as new pairs of words, can make its way into the brain during sleep.
Instead of trying to teach people something complicated like a new language, Arzi and her colleagues relied on the sense of smell and hearing. As anyone who has walked by a dumpster（垃圾车）in July knows, smells can cause a nose-jerk reaction. Catching a bad smell automatically makes people inhale(吸气)less, reducing the size of the inhale. But scent of fresh bread causes a long, deep inhale.、rzi and her team took advantage of this reaction for their experiment.
As people slept in the laboratory, the researchers delivered pleasant scent, such as shampoo. As this nice smell got into the sleepers" noses, the researchers played a particular music. Later, a disgusting smell, such as rotten fish or meat, was paired with a different music. Neither the smell nor the sound woke people up. After just four exposures to the smell-music pair during a single night, the sleepers started to automatically respond to the tones without the accompanying smells, taking in bigger breaths when the shampoo-associated tone played and smaller breaths when played the sound linked to the rotten fish smell.
This new learned association lingered into the next waking day, too. Even though the sleepers had no idea they had been exposed to smells or sounds, their behavior proved that their brain had actually learned something during sleep. As before, the shampoo sound stimulated a long, deep inhale, while the rotten fish tone caused more shallow breaths.
小题1:We can infer from the passage that| A．while sleeping, we can learn whatever we want to learn | | B．we will increase the size of inhale if we catch a pleasant smell | | C．the knowledge we learned while sleeping will be forgotten in the next waken day | | D．when walking by a bakery, the fresh bread will cause a nose-jerk reaction |
小题2:What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．One can’t acquire complicated knowledge during the sleeping hours. | | B．Spanish vocabulary tapes now have a place on the nightstand | | C．Researchers have tried to find evidence that the new words can be learned during sleep. | | D．Complicated information can make its way into the brain during sleep |
小题3:How do Arzi and her team do their research? By| A．giving instructions | B．analyzing human brains | | C．following the guides of others | D．doing experiments |
小题4:In which part of a website may this passage most likely appear?| A．Culture. | B．Science. | C．History. | D．Economy. |
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