Many schools have established successful home visit programs. Home visits by teachers let parents and children know how much teachers care. Also, it is a way for teachers to learn more about their students , get the parents to pay more attention to their children's education and bridge cultural gaps that might exist between students and teachers. Most teachers report that their home visits have a lasting effect on the child, the parents and on parent--teacher communication. The Head Start program has used home visits for many years. Head Start teachers are required to make at least two home visits for each student, regardless of their ability, during each school year in addition to regular parent-teacher conferences at school. Many U.S. kindergartens also require home visits by teachers before school starts. The visit approach varies from school to school and usually depends on the funding the source. In some schools, teachers prefer to visit in pairs. They feel more comfortable that way and sometimes need a translator in order to communicate with a child's parents. Other teachers visit one-on-one with parents. Some interact with both the child and the parent. Many teachers may bring along learning activities for the child that also involve the parents participation. Normally, visits can last from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the teacher and the activities. When teachers get to know their students and their students' families, the parents become more active in their children's education. Home visits, not unnecessary as some people think, can give teachers the ideas they need to help all students succeed. The effect of home visits is that _ . A) parents have more opportunities to play with children. B) students can succeed more easily through their own efforts. C) teachers can learn more about how to help students. D) parents play a decisive role in children's education.
C
(Question)
Many years ago,a French naturalist,the Count de Buffon,wrote some books about natural history.The books were a great success even though some critics did not like them.Some critics said,"Count Buffon is more of a poet than a scientist." Thomas Jefferson did not like what the Count had said about the natural wonders of the New World.It seemed to Jefferson that the Count had spoken of natural wonders in America as if they were unimportant. This troubled Thomas Jefferson.He too was a naturalist,as well as a farmer,inventor,historian,writer and politician.He had seen the natural wonders of Europe.To him,they were no more important than those of the New World. In 1788,Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state,Virginia.While writing,he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of the Count de Buffon.At that moment.Jefferson created a new word--belittle.He said."The Count de Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic." Noah Webster,the American word expert,liked this word.He put it in this English language dictionary in 1806,"Belittle--to make small,unimportant." Americans had already accepted Jefferson's word and started to use it.In 1797,the Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported."He is an honorable man,"the paper wrote,"so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please." In 1872,a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word.He said,"Belittle has no chance of becoming English.And as more critical writers of America,like those of Britain,feel no need of it,the sooner it is forgotten,the better." This expert failed to kill the word.Today.belittle is used where the English language is spoken. We can infer that Jefferson created the word"belittle"out of his . A) anger B) excitement C) kindness D) responsibility
(Answer)
A
Ques: Elephants are the only species on the earth known to have death ritual besides man. They show a strong interest in the bones of their own kind.They are often seen gently touching the bones with their trunks and feet while remaining very quiet.Sometimes elephants completely unrelated to the dead will still visit their graves. Elephant researcher Meredith recalls something in his book about a typical elephant death ritual.The entire family of a dead elephant,including her young baby,were all gently touching her body with their trunks,trying to lift her. The elephant herd were all rumbling :The baby elephant was even observed to be weeping and made sounds that sounded like a scream,but then the entire herd fell incredibly silent.Then they began to throw leaves and dirt over the body and broke off tree branches to cover her.They spent the next two days quietly standing over her body.They sometimes had to leave to get water or food,but they would always return. Events of elephants behaving this way around human beings are common throughout Africa. On many occasions,they have buried dead or sleeping humans or helped them when they are hurt. An old woman fell asleep under a tree.When she woke up,there was an elephant standing over her,gently touching her.She kept very still because she was frightened.As other elephants arrived,they began to scream loudly and buried her under branches.She was found the next morning by the local people,unharmed. George Adamson also recalls when he shot all elephant from a herd that kept breaking into the farmers'gardens.George gave the:elephant's meat to 1ocal men and then dragged the rest of the body miles away.That night,the other elephants found the body,took the leg bones,returned them to the exact spot the elephant was killed,and made the death ritual. The elephant watched the woman because _ . A) it thought she was sleeping B) it thought she was dead C) it tried to protect her D) it wanted to wake her up
Ans: B
There was a sweet smell of incense in the air as the wellmuscled man moved his legs into a position well behind his head.It was something that the human body really should not be able to do.But what else would you expect at the First World Yoga Championships? On September 25,the world's leading yoga experts arrived in the US to find out who was the best.But the real prize was to turn yoga into a proper Olympic event. "Yoga is a combination of bodybuilding,Miss World,Mr Universe and gymnastics," said championship organizer Bikram Choudhury."There are some 70 people from more than 20 countries competing in this event.Why not have yoga at the Olympics?" The public cannot decide whether or not Choudhury's dream will come true.But he is right about one thing:yoga has become popular with young and old people all over the world.In the US alone,15 million people practise yoga.Everyone is at it,including Madonna and Ricky Martin. Yoga started in India more than 5,000 years ago.The name means "to join together".That is to bring the body and mind together into one pleasing experience.The whole system of yoga is built on three things:exercise,breathing and meditation . The yoga that we know today is mostly physical yoga.It's seen as a type of exercise,but is different from sports like football or running.When we do yoga,we move our body into positions that stretch the muscles and joints,making them stronger. One of the best things about yoga is the fact that everyone can do it.To women,it means a flat stomach,more shapely legs and a graceful body.To men,it is a way of becoming stronger and more athletic. There are also speciallydesigned yoga classes for pregnant women or children suffering from mental disabilities,such as autism .As for teenagers,meditation and simple breathing exercises can help them learn to calm down,relax and concentrate better.But teenagers under 16 are not supposed to do the body exercises as it could have a bad effect on their natural growth. According to the passage,who does not need to pay special attention in practising yoga? A) Women to be mothers. B) Teenagers under 16. C) Adult men. D) Children with autism.
C