School Counseling In our grandparents' time, it was unthinkable.In our parents' time, it was unusual and nobody spoke openly about counseling.These days, more and more schools are asking for this service and it is considered a necessity for most.Why is it? What has changed in the last fifty years to have made counseling at schools so important? "One reason is that we expect schools to do more to protect their pupils than we did in the past," says school counselor, Mike Hudson." Also, our society doesn't work as well as it should.Many parents are either under pressure of work or face the economic problems of unemployment, while children are under more and more pressure to do well at school.Many pupils feel they are pushed to their limits by their parents and teachers." Most school children face some kind of relationship problem at some stage with family members, teachers or other pupils, so.it helps to have somebody to talk to. From the pupil' s point of view, it is easier to talk to a counselor in confidence rather than a family member or teacher.This solution is less embarrassing to pupils, who are not forced to face the person that they had problems with in the first place.They can calmly talk things through without arguments. School counselors advise not only students but also their teachers and parents, and offer other services as well, such as deciding learning disabilities or assisting parents and guardians to make the correct decisions about their children' s education. Counselors can help students with problems ranging from the most serious, like a death in the family, to what an adult would consider really trivial, like an argument with a friend. In a society that is becoming more and more stressful, this service is providing children with a supportive way to express their fear and worries. According to the passage, school counselors _ . A) bear high pressure themselves B) are the guarantee of school success C) have more responsibilities than teachers D) are more likely to be accepted when pupils have problems
D
Playing sports is a way for most kids to make friends, get exercise and have a good time. But what happens when kids have a disability preventing them joining in? Challenge Alaska has worked out a national program to give those disabled kids a chance to enjoy the sports they otherwise may not be able to. Alex thought a simple game of bocce ball was out of reach before. Alex was hit by a car when he was 5 years old, an accident that left him with a broken body and a mind full of dreams. "Those dreams are harder to do because you can't move your hands, and you can't move your legs," he said. But today Alex was getting the chance to live his biggest dream. With some help, he can get the bocce ball across the playing field and he said he was getting the biggest joy from his favorite. Today, Challenge Alaska worked together with another organization, the US Paralympics Academy , to give kids with physical disabilities a chance to try some new sports. "They offer a lot of sports for people with disabilities and that's cool," Alex said. But this program is not just about teaching these kids about sports. "It's an opportunity to learn how to work on a team, how to work with other people, how to win graciously and how to lose graciously -- all about the lessons you can use throughout life," said Jeff Dick, leader of Alaska Paralympics Academy. Challenge Alaska also has a program called Blaze Sports, which holds different events throughout the year. Dick says skills learned at these free programs increase kids chances of getting college scholarships to play these sports. What is the biggest dream of Alex? A) To stand up one day. B) To live a normal life. C) To play bocce ball. D) To have a clear mind.
C
Q: The blue eyes that looked at him from outside the door were like the light through a maginifying glass when it is at its brightest and smallest, when paper and leaves begin to smoke. "Hey . " said the man in the door. " Remember me? " " Yes. " the boy said. whispering. "Rick. " He felt so surprised to see Rick. All of Rick seemed to be shown in the eyes. With a strong feeling that ought to have hurt him. " You knew me." Rick said. " You hadn't forgotten. " " You're--just the same. " the boy said. and felt much thankful. He seemed even to be wearing the same clothes, the same blue shirt and grey trousers. He was thin, but he was built to be lean; and he was still, or again. sunburnt. After everything, the slow white smile still showed the slight feeling of happiness. " Let's look at you." Rick said, dropping into a chair. Then slowly he felt more at home, and he became once more just Rick as if nothing had happened. There were lines about his eyes. and deeper lines on his cheeks. but he looked like-just Rick, lined by sunfight and smiling. " When I look at you." he said, " You make me think about me, for we look like each other. " " Yes, " said the boy, eagerly, " they all think we both look like my grandfather. " On his return. Rick _ . A) had not changed much B) looked very old C) was much thinner than before D) was wearing different clothes
A: A
(Question)
I used to think of myself as a fairly open person, but my bookshelves told a different story. Apart from a few Indian novels and the Australian and South African book, my literature collection consisted of British and American titles. Worse still, I hardly ever read anything in translation. My reading was limited to stories by English-speaking authors. So, at the start of 2012, I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country in a year to find out what I was missing. As I was unlikely to find publications from nearly 200 nations on the shelves of my local bookshop, I decided to ask the planet's readers for help. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English. The response was amazing. Before I knew it, people all over the planet were getting in touch with ideas and offers of help. Some posted me books from their home countries. Others did hours of research on my behalf. In addition, several writers sent me unpublished translations of their novels, giving me a rare opportunity to read works otherwise unavailable to the 62% of the British who only speak English. Even so, selecting books was no easy task. With translations making up only around 4.5 percent of literary works published in the UK and Ireland, getting English versions of stories was difficult. But the effort was worth it. I found I was visiting the mental space of the storytellers. These stories not only opened my mind to the real life in other places, but opened my heart to the way people there might feel. And that in turn changed my thinking. Through reading the stories shared with me by bookish strangers around the globe, I realised I was not alone, but part of a network that spread all over the planet. Which of the following words can best describe the author's experience? A) fast and effortless B) challenging but rewarding C) hopeless but beneficial D) meaningful but fruitless
(Answer)
B