LONDON, Feb. 18，2014（Xinhua News agency）—Britain will send experts to East China's Shanghai to learn from the city's experience in maths teaching in an attempt to raise the teaching standards.

British Education Minister Elizabeth Truss is to lead a delegation of experts on a fact-finding mission to Shanghai's schools next week to see how children there have become the best in the world at maths, to get a first-hand look at maths classes and teaching methods there, and particularly to investigate why the performance of almost all children in Shanghai is high, regardless of gender or income.

Britain was last year placed 50th out of 148 countries and regions in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness ranking in quality of maths and science education. Two years ago, Shanghai topped the 2012 international PISA tables for maths, while England was ranked in 26th place. The top five were all in Southeast Asia, with 15-year-olds in Shanghai judged to be three years ahead of their peers in maths.

The education department said: "England's performance in maths has lagged behind while other countries have improved and overtaken us, including Poland and Germany." Actually, it is the latest step in the government's drive to raise standards in maths, looking at what has made schools in the far East the most successful in the world in teaching the subject.

"Shanghai is the top-performing part of the world for maths—their children are streets ahead. Shanghai and Singapore have teaching practices and a positive mind that make the difference. They have a belief that diligence makes up for lack of ability," Truss said. "Our new curriculum has borrowed from theirs because we know it works—early learning of key arithmetic, and a focus on times tables and long division（長(zhǎng)除法）, for instance."

She was determined to change the situation as performance in maths is weakening the country's skills base and threatening the productivity and growth. The government is emphasizing maths because of the importance of good grades in the subject to young people competing for good jobs in a global labor market and to the economy more generally.

An education and skills survey released by the Confederation of British Industry last year showed that 30 percent of employers reported dissatisfaction with the standard of school and college leavers' numeracy. More than two-thirds of employers said they wanted both maths and science promoted more in schools.

1.Why does the British government send a delegation of experts to Shanghai?

A. To see how children from rich families have become the best at maths.

B. To investigate why the performance of almost all children in China is high.

C. To get a first-hand look at science classes and teaching methods there.

D. To raise the teaching standards in maths in Britain.

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the two international competition results?

A. British students performed better in 2013 than in 2012.

B. British students did better than the students from Poland in 2013.

C. The students from Singapore did better than the students from Germany.

D. The students from Germany did better than the students from Poland.

3.What has made schools in Shanghai the most successful in teaching maths in the eye of Truss?

A. Curriculum and teaching methods.

B. Teaching practices and a positive mind.

C. Early learning of key arithmetic and times tables.

D. A focus on times tables and long division.

4.How will students’ poor performance in maths affect the country?

A. By threatening the country's competitiveness of economy.

B. By weakening the country's political system.

C. By losing international competitions in education.

D. By failing to find jobs in a global labor market.

5.What can we infer from the news?

A. The students in Britain don’t work hard at Maths.

B. The students in shanghai are the smartest in the world.

C. The education of science in Britain is no better than that of maths.

D. Most British citizens are dissatisfied with teachers’ work.

“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”

“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”

“Why do I have to study so hard?”

“It is what your mother would have wanted!”

She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.

“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”

“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”

“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”

He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.

“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”

She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.

“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”

He listens without uttering a single sound.

“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”

Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”

The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”

“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.

“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”

“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.

“She asked me to take care of you.”

“You promised her, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”

She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.

“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”

He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”

“Mother said you would understand things better.”

“Wise woman, your mother.”

He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.

“I love you.” she looks up at his face.

He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.

“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”

He kisses her head.

“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.

He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.

Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.

Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”

He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.

“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”

“You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.

She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.

The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.

Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”

1.What can we know about the couple’s relationship?

A. They understood each other very well.

B. They quarreled a lot and are separated.

C. They used to have misunderstandings.

D. They were quite sure of each other’s love.

2.What can we learn from the story?

A. The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth.

B. Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone.

C. The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted.

D. Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him.

3.Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?

A. Because he was too busy with his work.

B. Because he didn’t know he was wanted.

C. Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees.

D. Because he didn’t know she was in hospital.

4.What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?

A. You want another cup of water?

B. Are you kidding me?

C. Are you trying to make me cry?

D. Are you thinking about the water factory?

5.Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?

A. RegretfulB. Satisfied

C. ConfusedD. Doubtful

1.It is t_________ of him to come late for school as he is not interested in studies at all.

2.After a drunk driving, he was b________ from driving for six months.

3.He was employed by a local newspaper where he worked very hard and e_________ promoted to an important post.

4.For working mothers, they need to have f_________ working hours so that they can switch from their work to their babies.

5.We must work together, s__________ our unity in the face of powerful enemies.

6. ---Have you got your driving license?

---Yes, I passed my driving test at my first a__________.

7.She was strongly o____________ to the idea of moving abroad for she loved her hometown more than anyone else in the family.

8.People spreading the “China Threat” theory may underestimate(低估) the wisdom and j_________ of people around the world.

9.On a_________, he now works 11 hours per day, six days a week, compared with eight hours a day roughly two years ago.

10.Having been out of work for a long time, Tom, the bread-earner is now d__________ for a job to provide for a large family.

--- I wonder if I could pay the bill by check.

--- ______. The card machine has just broken down.

A. No problem B. Take your time

C. Never mind D.I’m sorry

The driver had to______because the traffic light had turned red.

A. set up B. shut up

C. catch up D. pull up

---I acquired ______ Van Gogh from a businessman from Paris the other day.

---Really? Are you sure it’s ______ real one?

A. /, a B. /, the

C. a, a D. a, the

All the pictures in this book, ______ otherwise stated, come from those taken by Miss Brown.

A. unless B. until C. even if D. as if

Why____you play the piano in the midnight? It ‘s so noisy.

A. do B. will C. must D. shall

It is reported that a storm is on its way, but the weather today is ______ warm and sunny.

A. luckily B. fortunately

C. surprisingly D. hardly