Is early childhood education really necessary? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child's physical, sensory, communicational and social development.Early childhood education has become a concern of the government, who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for Kindergarten. There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education.Studies have shown that orphaned children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school, and even in life.Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school, less likely to end up in Special Education classes, and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail. There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early.Time Magazine online explains that "the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work." I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school.Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school, the better off he or she is, so they push to start children earlier. Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years, studies also show that this head start is really a "false start", as the gains are lost in middle and high school years.It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life's success than early education.Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children.Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap. The author's attitude toward the early childhood education is _ . A) puzzling B) objective C) indifferent D) approving
B
(Question)
Big Ben, one of London's best-known landmarks, which is famous for its accuracy and chimes ,stopped ticking for 90 minutes, an engineer said Saturday. Officials do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It continued keeping time, but stopped again at 10:20 p.m. and remained still for about 90 minutes before starting up again, a spokeswoman for the House of Commons said. A recent period of hot weather may have been to blame. Temperatures in London reached 90 Saturday, and forecasters called it England's hottest day in May in the past fifty three years, since 1953. Big Ben, which is operated by the Palace of Westminster, survived attack by German Luftwaffe bombers during World WarII,continued to mark the time within11/2 seconds of Greenwich Mean Time. However, the clock has experienced occasional problems. In 1962, snow caused the clock to ring in the New Year 10 minutes late. In 1976, the clock stopped when a piece of its machinery broke. Big Ben also stopped on April 30, 1997, and once more three weeks later. Big Ben is actually the clock's 13-ton bell, which was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the British commissioner of works at the time the clock was built. The official name for the Gothic tower holding Big Ben is St. Stephen's Tower. Standing 315 feet tall, it was completed in 1859 after an 1834 fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster. How many times has Big Ben gone wrong up to now? A) Three. B) Five. C) Six. D) Eight.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were sitting on the sand, reading their magazines. Mr. Gordon was too stingy to rent a chair. Their twelve-year-old daughter,Sandra, was playing at the water's edge. Suddenly a huge wave lifted Sandra up and carried her out to sea. Fortunately, a lifeguard was on duty and he saw the wave carry Sandra away. He ran along the beach and dived into the sea. He swam quickly to where the girl, with her head only just above the water, was shouting for help. She was very frightened. When the lifeguard reached her, she struggled with him, as drowning people often do. However, he was a skilful lifeguard and quickly took hold of her and swam with her back to the beach. By the time he reached it, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon had realized what had happened. They had run down to the water's edge. Neither of them could swim. They just stood in the shallow water, and worried about their daughter. Had the lifeguard reached her in time? Fortunately, he had. "That was quick work,young man,"Mr. Gordon said. He turned to his wife, "Give the lifeguard a dollar." "A dollar!" Sandra cried. "Dad,how can you give him a dollar! He saved my life. I was half dead." "Quite right, girl" Mr. Gordon said, pleased by his daughter's awareness of the value of money. He turned to his wife again and said, "She's right. She was only half dead. Give him fifty cents. " Why was Mr. Gordon pleased with her daughter? A) She was safe again. B) She was polite to the lifeguard. C) He thought she did not want him to give the life-guard too much money. D) She gave the lifeguard fifty cents.
Ans: C
Ques:On 17 March 2003, Robin Cook, Leader of the House of Commons and former Foreign Secretary, resigned from the Cabinet in protest against the coming war in Iraq. His resignation speech inspired the first long applause in the history of the House and marked the end of the ministerial career of one of Labor's most brilliant politicians. For the previous two years, Robin Cook kept a diary, a personal record of the life of Labor's second term, a diary that forms the center of the narrative . The Point of Departureis Robin Cook's plain account of this extraordinary period in our political history, the most important political publication of the decade. Though surprised by his abrupt dismissal as Foreign Secretary, he became determined to bring about some changes in Parliamentary democracy that he believed was essential if Parliament was to move into the 21stcentury. As Tony Blair told him, "This is the job for you." Drawing on first-hand experiences in the Commons and the Cabinet, of encounters in conferences, and late night conversations, we follow his gathering disillusionment as the political compass of the government changes to directions which he believes to be completely mistaken: from its failure about Lords reform and its unwillingness to provide leadership for social change, to a foreign policy which has led us away from our responsibility in Europe, into closer relationship with the most right-wing government in American history, and participation in Bush's war on Iraq. This is the story of a government in power and the tensions between those who govern. But above all it is a story of a politician who truly wanted to bring democracy closer to the people, but who saw a government increasingly separated from the values of himself and his party, and who developed a growing belief that on Iraq, its position was morally, diplomatically and politically wrong. Robin Cook first entered Parliament as MP for Edinburgh Central in 1974. He held a number of senior positions in Opposition -- Shadow Foreign... Robin Cook resigned from his post because he _ . A) couldn't accept the government's decision to join in the coming war in Iraq B) wanted to have more time to keep his diary C) was not allowed to make any changes to Parliamentary democracy D) was not satisfied with the job Tony Blair gave him

Ans:
A