With the popularity ofHarry Potter novels, the number of children applying to boarding schools has risen, many of them hoping to find their own version of Hogwarts. However, others have interpreted this trend as a reaction to longer working hours and the break up of more marriages. The boarding schools of fiction are presented as one long midnight feast with pillow fights making firm friendships. However, some people say the reality is children having more homesickness and a lack of individual attention. Modern boarding schools have done much to get rid of the image of the mass dormitories with 40 or more beds in one room, some going as far as providing private rooms with bathrooms. Similarly, they make great announcements for their academic advantage, particularly in light of the increase in exams, homework and university entrance requirements facing children wishing to succeed in the modern world. Alongside these more conventional schools, two types of boarding schools have also become more popular recently. Sports academies and stage schools seek to cater for children with particular interests and talents, while so-called troubled-teens have been able to turn to a range of religious or wilderness schools to solve their problematic behavior. Boarding schools allow children a safe space in which to accomplish greater control and independence over their daily lives. Teachers and staff can look after and support but they are unlikely to be over-protective. This can be a great preparation for university or for working away from home in later life as it provides an intermediate step between childhood and full independence. However, parents are a child's most natural support and best role models to learn from. If they are separated from them for long periods of time, this may damage their relationship and leave the child feeling anxious or alone. Schools are unlikely to be able to copy the detailed knowledge of each individual child that a parent has and therefore cannot be as effective in supporting the... What kind of schools may be the most suitable for the so-called troubled-teens? A) sports academies B) Wilderness schools C) Conventional schools D) Stage schools
B
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I've ever had: Be bold and brave -- and mighty forces will come to your aid. Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again. Boldness means a decision to _ . And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas -- even physical strength greater than most of us realize. Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. "In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line," said Tim. "I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet -- and stopped him cold." Boldness -- a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme--is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds. So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities--and you'll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed. What was especially important for Tim's successful defense in the football game? A) His physical strength. B) His basic skill. C) His real fear. D) His spiritual force.
D
Q: Teachers and parents usually call attention to the pictures when they read storybooks to pre-school children. But a new study suggests that calling attention to the words and letters on the page may lead to better readers. The two-year study compared children who were read in this way in class with children who were not. Those whose teachers most often discussed the print showed clearly higher skills in reading, spelling and understanding. These results were found one year and even two years later. Shayne Piasta, an assistant professor of teaching and learning at Ohio State University, was an author of the study. She says most pre-school teachers would find this method manageable and would need only a small change in the way they teach. They already read story-books in class. The only difference would be increased attention to the printed text. "If you get children to pay attention to letters and words, it makes sense that they will do better at word recognition and spelling." But she says research suggests that very few parents and teachers do this in a systematic way. More than 300 children aged four and five were observed in classrooms. They came from poor families and were below average in their language skills. For thirty weeks, the children took part in a program called Project STAR--- Sit Together and Read. The project is based at Ohio State. It tests the short-term and long-term results of reading regularly to pre-school children in their classrooms. There are different ways that adults can talk to children about print. They can point to a letter and discuss it, and even trace the shape with a finger. They can point out a word and discuss the meaning of the print or how the words tell the story. And they can talk about the organization of the print--- for instance, showing how words are written left to right in English. Which section of a magazine does the passage probably come from? A) Fashion. B) Economy . C) Entertainment. D) Education.
A: D
(Question)
A 15-year-old American has become the youngest person to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, completing the feat by summiting Antarctica's Mount Vinson over the weekend. Jordan Romero, who last year at age 13 became the youngest person to climb the world's tallest peak Mt Everest, was descending to base camp on Sunday after reaching the summit of Vinson Massif with a team that included his father and stepmother, according to his team's website. "We're at the roof of Antarctica," a member of Team Jordan said in a webcast from near the 4897-metre peak on a frigid but "legendary day". Romero beat the record previously held by Britain's George Atkinson, who in May completed the seven ascents at the age of 16. The junior mountaineer from Big Bear Lake, California has been hooked on climbing from an early age. When he was just 10, he became the youngest person to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak at 5895 meters. Before his 11th birthday, he had another world record under his belt, summiting Europe's Mt Elbrus, in Russia's Caucasus mountains, in July 2007. Five months later, it was the 6962-metre Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, followed by Alaska's Mt McKinley at 6194 meters. In September 2009 at age 13, he climbed Indonesia's Carstensz Pyramid, at 6194 meters the tallest island peak in the world, breaking another record. Eight months later in May 2010, he climbed Everest, and ever since he and his team had been preparing for his Antarctic expedition. "Looking forward to tomorrow, and we'll make you guys proud and promise we'll come back home safe and sound," Romero said in a webcast on Saturday, hours before he began the final ascent to Mt Vinson's summit. The team had intended to reach the top on Christmas Day, but ideal weather and good progress allowed them to summit a day ahead of schedule. Which mountain stands in Asia? A) Mt. Vinson. B) Mt. Everest. C) Mt. Kilimajaro. D) Mt. Elbrus.
(Answer)
B