Building Up Your Vocabulary and Grammar

Building Up Your Vocabulary and Grammar1. After she'd overcome her shyness, she became very friendly. [1].A. previousB. formerC. preliminaryD. initial2. Mary's parents frown the idea after going to America, so it remains to be seen whether she will realize her dream. [2].A. forB. againstC. onD. at3. Compared with modern humans, her arms were long relative to her legs. [3].A. somewhatB. somehowC. somethingD. somewhere4. Both sides consider it to further the understanding between the two peoples. [4].A. desiredB. desirableC. reliableD. stable5. At this moment Rivenoak approached, and, by a gesture ofauthority, induced the young man to retire. [5].A. ironicalB. practicalC. criticalD. essential6. Urban problems revolve around meeting the needs of the existing inhabitants and replacing old and obsolete , especially housing.[6].A. utilitiesB. necessitiesC. propertiesD. facilities7. For the development of Western China, technology and education is givena . [7].A. superiorityB. inferiorityC. priorityD. seniority8. We all fears about the future. [8].A. harnessB. concealC. harborD. hoard9. When they talk about something, they tend to it. [9].A. generateB. exaggerateC. tolerateD. penetrate10. Oversleeping is not a excuse for being late for school. [10].A. vividB. feasibleC. validD. durable11. Frequent cultural exchange will certainly help friendly relations between our two universities. [11].A. fosterB. motivateC. registerD. administer12. The technical accomplishment of Renaissance Europe was tothose achieved by any other civilization. [12].A. priorB. inferiorC. seniorD.superior13. He a sum of money in the bank each month. [13].A. posesB. withdrawsC. loansD. deposits14. However, there are instances where people of different socialbackgrounds end _____ getting married and being extremely happy. [14].A. onB. atC. inD. up15. Seen from this , they look rather pointless, don’t they? [15].A. perceptionB. personnelC. perspectiveD. triangle1. Fast ReadingShould You Home-school Your Child?By Paul D. HoustonIn our complex and often unpredictable world, homeschooling allows parents to control the social and academic development of their children. But is homeschooling right for your family? Will homeschooling allow your child to develop the academic and social skills necessary for success and happiness in life?For homeschooling to succeed, you must make extraordinary efforts to assure that the complex needs of your child are met. Even if parents meet the academic needs of the child, they may not be able to provide the crucial social interaction that formal schools provide. Before deciding to homeschool, you need to consider both its risks and potential benefits.Risks to social developmentAlthough one-on-one instruction from a loved one can greatly benefit a student, potential problems exist. Many parents choose to homeschool out of concern for what their children might be taught or exposed to in a formal school setting. Many parents want to ensure that their children learn values that agree with their own and that their children will not be tainted by other views. Some educators regard this type of protection as unrealistic and potentially harmful to the child.Children grow up to live in the real world—a world made up of many different views espoused by many different people. Interaction with peers from diverse backgrounds prepares children to confront these differences with understanding and strength. Formal schools allow young people to learn to navigate the sometimes-troubled waters that social diversity creates.Many educators also believe that the ability to interact with people outside the family is necessary for success and happiness in life. Students naturally gain skills of interaction in the classrooms, playgrounds, and cafeterias of formal schools. Unless parents who homeschool make significant efforts to create social situations for interaction with children outside the family, parents run the risk of stunting their children’s development of the social skills necessary in our increasingly complex society.Risks to academic preparationHomeschooling often produces impressive results in academic performance. The benefits arise from the one-on-one attention it provides the student and from the fact that many parents who presently homeschool have teaching preparation or experience.Problems may potentially arise when parents are unprepared or unable to devote the time, effort, or skills necessary to carry out the teacher’s role. Laws concerning homeschooling vary widely from state to state. Some states require regular testing to assure that homeschooled children are progressing academically or even require that homeschooled children follow the state curriculum. But in other states no requirements such as these exist. Whilesome students progress, others may not, without anyone noticing the difference. Although children who go to formal schools may be tested excessively, testing does provide an efficient and unbiased measure of academic progress.Students may face difficulties in future educational endeavors if the homeschooling curriculum is not aligned with formal school curriculum. Homeschooled students sometimes return to a formal school setting, and many of these students plan to attend college. Preparation for college admission is a significant chore that you should take into account when you consider homeschooling.Societal concernsIn a broad sense, homeschooling may present a danger to the development of democratic values. Contrary to popular belief, schools in America were not established to teach reading, writing and arithmetic. They were invented to teach civic virtues. American democracy requires harmony within a diverse society. In essence, people have to know how to deal with others who might be different from them. When learning takes place in isolation, young people do not get this crucial experience. Democracy only works if people are able to make it work through cooperation and acceptance of differences. Civic engagement allows democracy to flourish.Contemporary society does not offer many avenues for civic engagement. With the advent of new technology it has become easier for people to withdraw into their own worlds and their own interests. Some people have become almost tribalistic in their views. Young people who only associate with those who are like them in background and views might never learn how to disagree respectfully and search for common ground. Democracy cannot survive without that skill. Separation may be good in the short run for the individual student who is not forced to face the dangers and disagreements of a wider world, but it is not good for that wider world. Parents can make efforts to teach skills of dialogue and disagreement, but these skills develop naturally in a formal school setting.Data on homeschoolingThe potential benefits and risks of homeschooling are presently difficult to measure due to the lack of comprehensive studies and research data. Much of what is known seems quite positive for homeschoolers at first glance, but careful consideration of the facts tends to weaken the findings. A recent study by the Homeschool Legal Defense Association in Purcellville, Virginia, showed that homeschooled children tend to achieve higher scores on standardized tests than students in formal schools. Homeschoolers tend to fall into the 70th and 80th percentile, well above the performance by students in both public and private schools. However, because the organization thatconducted the test favors homeschooling, interest in the outcome could potentially skew findings. Evidence from neutral sources remains limited.The same study showed that parents who homeschool tend to have above-average education and income levels, indicating that these students might have been high achievers in any setting. Parents who homeschool have more formal education than do parents in the general population—88 percent of these parents continued their education beyond high school compared with 50 percent of the nation as a whole. The median annual income for parents who homeschool is $52,000, an amount that far exceeds the United States median for all families, $36,000. In addition, almost all (98 percent) of homeschoolers live in homes where both parents are present and where three-quarters of the mothers are not in the work force. Because students from wealthier, more educated, and intact households tend to perform at a high level in any educational setting, it seems unlikely that homeschooling makes a significant difference in these students’ performance. An intact family with high incom e and advanced education is the exception in today’s environment. Potential benefitsSeveral valid arguments support homeschooling under ideal circumstances. Learning at home allows one-on-one instruction that is not possible in formal schools. Although professional educators devote their careers to students, they cannot equal the kind of unconditional commitment to the long-term development of a child provided by most parents. Parents who are willing to invest great personal effort in their children’s educ ation can be quite effective in homeschooling their children.Many parents who presently homeschool have sufficient time and training to benefit their children. Their children might benefit academically. Currently, some 20 percent of the homeschooling parents are trained teachers and this, too, seems to offer advantages. It is also quite possible that flexible approaches to learning, which are a part of homeschooling, might hold some lessons for formal schools in how to make learning more meaningful to children. But these benefits also reveal limitations. Most parents do not fit the profile of today’s typical homeschoolers.The decision to homeschoolSome educators in formal schools worry that the rising popularity of homeschooling poses the danger that many students will be pulled out of formal schools, but this seems unlikely. Most parents do not possess the necessary time, skills, and resources to meet the complex developmental needs of children on their own. If you consider homeschooling, you should make an honest assessment of the necessary sacrifices. Even if you do possess the resources, consider whether you could provide adequate opportunity for social interaction outside the family.While the debate over homeschooling remains clouded, one thing is very clear—homeschooling is not for everyone. It is a personal choice that must be backed by deep personal commitment on the part of parents and children.And when that commitment is made, the rest of society must hope that it includes a commitment to teaching children to live in the bigger world. (1336 words)16. The difficulty in the implementation of homeschooling lies in .[16].A. meeting the academic needs of the childB. providing the essential social interactionC. striking a better balance between the academic and social skillsD. reducing the risks17. Many parents choose to homeschool for the reason that . [17].A. they want to train their children according to their own values and ideasB. they are unwilling to be involved in a formal school settingC. they regard the school setting as dangerousD. they cannot afford the high tuition fees18. The author views regular testing for homeschooled children as .[18].A. unbiasedB. indispensableC. excessiveD. unnecessary19. To adapt to the wider world, the individual student should learn to. [19].A. communicate with others and tolerate disagreementsB. be engaged in maintaining democracyC. live in tribesD. keep informed about the development of technology20. According to the author, a recent study by the Homeschool Legal Defense Associationwas . [20].A. confined to t families with high incomeB. confined to families with advanced educationC. conducted on a biased basisD. conducted on a limited basis21. All the following statements represent the potential benefits ofhomeschooling except _______. [21].A. one-to-one attentionB. unconditional commitmentC. flexibilityD. diversity22. The author thinks it is unlikely that many students will be pulledout of formal schools because . [22].A. not all the parents can make the necessary sacrificesB. the government will make laws to forbid students to get out of schoolsC. the society will reject students who come out of formal schoolsD. students and their parents cannot live in harmony2. Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.Children's readiness to learn about money management depends on many 23 [23].—interest, ability, needs and understanding—rather than on age. They learn by experience and by being 24 [24].involved, as well as through reading or observation. Children usually learn better from praise and encouragement than from criticism and scolding.The management process 25 [25].planning the use of money or other resources to meet goals, carrying out the plan and 26 [26].the results.Adults may have goals and behaviors related to the use of money that are not related to the 27 [27].money management process. Some individuals use money for 28 [28].and power, for revenge, to allay feelings of guilt, or to "buy some peace and quiet." Most children can see these attitudes and actions are in 29 [29].with what adults are saying.Children's attitudes and values about money are influenced by how adults spend, borrow, save, share and invest. So, adults need to examine their own feelings, behaviors and values 30 [30].money before they begin to plan money management experiences for children. For example, if you 31 [31].spend money before it is earned, it will be difficult to teach your children about limited resources and the value of saving. Conversely, if you save every cent except what is needed for bare essentials, your children may never learn that money is 32 [32].a useful tool, not an object to be sought for itself. Children also are affected by how their friends and other families spend money. Thoughtful discussion can promote understanding of differences in money handling practices. ((256 words)。