Many university students dislike studying history because there is little to get excited about when historical events are presented in a boring manner. However, I'll never forget my American History professor, Dr. Williamson. Each event leaped from the pages of our text and became as real as the daily news report on the radio. My favorite lecture concerned the American Revolution. Dr. Williamson set the mood for the study by imitating Pall Revere, a well-known silversmith, working in his shop. The American colonists were angry because of the British control over their lives. Revere felt that war between the British and the colonists was inevitable. Then, Dr Williamson told us about Revere rowing across the Charles River from Boston on April 18,1775. I could see the professor row as he raised his hand to his forehead as if he were looking across the Charles River to the old North Church in Boston. Suddenly, Revere spotted two lanterns, a signal which meant that the British would attack by sea. He jumped on his horse to warn the villagers of the attack. Professor Williamson reminded us that the first battles of the American Revolution were fought at Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts, the year before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Never before had history seemed so alive to me. And all because a professor cared enough to put his heart into his teaching. The writer will never forget his American History professor because he _ . A) would record all historical events onto the radio B) would get very excited when giving lessons C) would always teach the students the American Revolution D) would make his class lively and interesting
D
(Question)
China was to reform school curriculum to ease the burden put on children by pushy teachers and parents eager to see them succeed in an increasingly competitive society. Chinese pupils were suffering from poor eyesight in increasing numbers and at a younger age. Tiring homework and increasing exam pressure were to blame. The primary reason is the traditional East Asian culture in which all parents want their kids to become dragons or and phoenixes. Too much emphasis is placed on "diplomas" and exam scores. That was _ by the fact thatprefix = st1 /Chinais a developing nation with 1.3 billion people and its one-child policy. Yuan, a government staff, said, "The competition in employment is fierce and that pressure has been cascaded back to schools. Every parent expects his child to outperform peers. " The Education Ministry would cut the difficulty of the textbooks, reduce homework, make classes more interesting and limit the number of tests. Another problem the government had to deal with was the education of 13 million rural children who swarmed into the cities with their parents working as migrant workers. More than 100 million peasants across the country migrate to the booming cities every year for manual labor and small-time businesses. But policy hurdles for them to settle in the cities abound, including those that prevent their children from receiving a good education. An estimated 23 million "left-behind children" of migrant workers stay in the countryside "The government has ordered urban public schools to open up to the 7. 88 million migrant children of school age," Yuan said, adding private schools are also allowed to accommodate some of them. What's the main idea of this passage? A) China will reduce burden on school children. B) Left-behind children in the countryside receive no education. C) Children of migrant workers will have a better education. D) The education of the migrant children receives attention.
(Answer)
A
Ques: Parents fear they are putting too much pressure on their daughters to reach their academic potential, the president of a girls' school body has said. Incoming Girls School Association head Jill Berry said parents were worried about achieving a balance between school achievement and happiness. Mrs. Berry also said that girls could put themselves under a lot of pressure. A poll of 1000 parents surveyed for the association said their top concern was their daughter's education. Girls tend to outperform boys in all stages of their education, and this can lead schools to assume all girls will do well. Mrs. Berry said, "There is no doubt that many mothers and fathers are worried about getting the balance right between their daughters realizing their academic potential while at the same time being happy and safe." Mrs. Berry said in her experience girls had very high expectations of themselves. "That's a positive thing and we want them to aim high. But sometimes we do find a girl is being unrealistic in her aspirations or putting herself under unreasonable pressure. It's not necessarily pushy parents--it can come from the girls themselves." But parents, too, wanted support to get the balance right between caring and being involved in their children's lives and not being "helicopter parents", she added. Women could be perfectionists and it was important to encourage girls to listen to their body, which could give warning signs of too much stress, she added. "Bright motivated high achieving girls with high expectations of themselves are more susceptible to eating disorders," Mrs. Berry said, "But girls' schools are usually very good at dealing with these things." It was a teacher's job to help girls "to have it all", but to help them deal with inevitable disappointments as well, she said. According to the poll, parents' top concern was their daughter's _ . A) happiness B) safety C) education D) health
Ans: C
Ques: How did a ban on smoking in public places come into place? In 1998 the Smoking Kills White Paper set out a national strategy to reduce smoking prevalence and passive smoking, including in public places. The measures were voluntary and poorly carried out. After a public conference in England in 2004, the Government decided to choose for lawmaking. Scotland went first, with a ban in 2006, followed by the other nations a year later. What is the current law? Any person who smokes in enclosed public places, including pubs, offices, on public transport and work vehicles, is breaking the law. It does not extend to private houses. It is also an offence for people in charge of premises to permit others to smoke in them. How was it received? It was welcomed by most organizations except for some pub owners and restaurateurs. Many workplaces in the UK had already introduced smoke-free policies consistent with the legislation (,) before it was carried out, while others have gone beyond its basic requirements. All railway facilities, including platforms, footbridges and other areas--whether or not fitting the definition of an enclosed public space--are covered, as are all football grounds and some cricket and athletics stadiums. School grounds are not required to be smoke-free under the legislation, but the majority now are. How has it been forced? Compliance in public premises has been high, with inspections suggesting that 99 per cent of places were sticking to the rules. The number of people charged for smoking in cars has been very low, which was due to the problems defining and identifying "work" vehicles. They said that a total ban on smoking in vehicles would end this confusion. Has it improved health? Studies in early adopters of the law, including in Scotland, suggest a reduction in hospital admissions for heart disease, which has been shown to be linked to passive smoking. There is also strong evidence of improved rates of smoking end and a drop in the number of cigarettes consumed by those who continue... What can you infer from the article? A) Most heart diseases have been proved to be linked to passive smoking. B) A new law will soon come out with a total ban on smoking in vehicles C) Cigarette-making factories will disappear soon. D) Most of the school grounds are not smoke-free, as it is not banned in the law.
Ans:
B