Pupils work harder in lessons if they are taught by a man, a study has claimed. Male teachers are more likely to improve pupils' self-esteem and are judged by pupils to be more fair, according to a study published by the Department for Education. But there is a significant shortage of male teachers, especially in primary schools, with reports last month indicating that almost one in three primaries has an all-female teaching staff. The latest figures heightened fears that schools are becoming dominated by women and children are being denied access to male role models in the classroom. Researchers at the London School of Economics and Westminster University conducted an experiment in which each of 1,200 pupils in 29 schools was given PS2. They could use the money to "buy" up to 10 questions at a cost of 20p each, which they then had to answer. If they were right they were given an extra 20p, but if they were wrong they lost 20p. Boys and girls who had a male teacher chose on average almost half a question more than those taught by women, indicating that they had a more positive outlook on the rewards of effort, the the study said. Researchers wrote: "One of the most significant results featured in this experiment is the positive effect of male teachers on effort. The experiment suggests that higher ability pupils either believed that the teacher would reward them more favorably or had a preference for working hard to please the teacher." According to the Good Teacher Training Guide, 86 per cent of new teachers entering primary schools are female, along with 62 per cent of those entering secondary schools. Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: "This is an interesting and somewhat surprising finding, but it does underline the importance of having a good mix of male and female teachers in classes." Where can we find the passage? A) It is from a PE section on the Internet. B) It is from an educational magazine. C) It comes from the social section of a newspaper. D) It comes from an English teaching book.
B
There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. Sadly, she went to the holy man and asked, "What magical things do you have to bring my son back to life?" Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sadness. We will use it to drive the sadness out of your life." The woman happily went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed. She first came to a splendid house, knocked at the door and said, "I am looking for a home that has never known sadness. Is it such a place? It is very important to me." They told her "You've certainly come to the wrong place" and began to describe all the tragic things that had happened to them recently. The woman said to herself, "I have had misfortune of my own. Who is able to help these poor, unfortunate people?" She stayed to comfort them, and then went on in search of a home that had never known sadness. But wherever she went, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so involved in other people's sorrow that finally she forgot about her search for the magical mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in fact, driven the sadness out of her life. The best title for the text would be " _ ". A) A woman's misfortune B) A nice surprise C) The holy man's faith D) Cure for sadness
D
Q: Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today. Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship . There, figure dancing was popular, and each dance was sealed with a kiss. The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to imitate the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip locks couples into sweet matrimony. The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to pay _ to another. Early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they thought to be dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet. In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) It was France that made the custom of kissing go to the whole world. B) Early Africans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another. C) One Roman emperor allowed important nobles to kiss his nose. D) Russian nobility followed the custom of kissing from the French.
A: D
(Q).
October 21 was a very dark day in Texas.Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes,it caused the largest business damage in Texas's history.The worst thing is Hanna's destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines.According to Center Point Energy,Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers.Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark.Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents. Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal.Schools,restaurants,retail stores and gas stations are open.Smiles are back.But harder-hit places,including Galveston,will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing,and coastal towns are a mess.Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas.Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage.Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13.Many school supplies were destroyed. Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston,Texas.This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying.Believe it or not,Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing.When Paula was a girl,she was an orphan,but was taken in by her stepmom,Antonia Flores.Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years.Before the hurricane,Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter.There,she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed. It can be inferred that the residents in Houston _ . A) have fully recovered from the disaster B) were the most unlucky people in the disaster C) need a long time to bring their life back to normal D) suffered less from Hanna than people in Galveston
(A).
D