Lately, there is a rising trend in families choosing to homeschool their child than send their child to a
traditional educational institution. Let's look at some of the benefits of homeschooling.
     1. Flexible Schedule
     Homeschooling enables a flexible schedule. 1_____ With homeschooling, your child can start homeschooling at 9 am or later depending on your preferred schedule. You can schedule your child's homeschooling education
as you see fit with materials or subjects that may be not available in a traditional school.
     2. Individual attention
     With homeschooling, your child gets all the individual attention. For example, if your child is weak in maths,
you could devote more time and energy to teaching maths.
     Your child's homeschooling schedule can be adjusted for that. For example, if your child is better at science
than at maths, simply devote more homeschooling hours to maths and cut back on science. With
homeschooling, the choice is yours. 2_____
     3. Family Activity
     The schooling of the child can become an extended family activity. Examples are field trips and experiments.
Plus, the child also receives more quality time with his/her parents. 3_____ The child is also free of any negative
peer pressure or influences.
     4. 4_____ 
     With homeschooling, the child does not need to prove his/her abilities to other children. Parents are able to
plan the learning program according to his strengths and weakness.
     Parents can also change the curriculum to suit the learning style of the child. 5_____ Some children even
learn better from experiencing or seeing things in action.

A. No peer pressure
B. Religion Learning
C. Traditional schools can't do that.
D. There is more time for family bonding.
E. For example, the child needn't wake up at 7 every morning.
F. Plus, it is quite impossible to provide individual attention to all students.
G. For example, some children learn better from reading while others need to write.

     In the past, people who graduated from college felt proud of their academic (學(xué)業(yè)的) achievements and
confident that their degree would help them to find a good job. 　　
     However, in the past four years the job market has changed greatly. This year's college graduates are
facing one of the worst job markets. For example, Ryan Stewart, a graduate of San Jose State University,
got a degree in religious studies, but he has not gotten any job offers. He points out that many people already
working are getting laid off and don't have jobs, so it's even harder for new college graduates to find jobs. 　　
     Four years ago, the future looked bright for his class of 2006. There were many high-tech ("dot com")
job opportunities, graduates received many job offers, and they were able to get jobs with high salaries and
benefits such as health insurance and paid vacations. However,"Times have changed. It's a new market,"
according to an officer of the university. 　　
     The officer says students who do find jobs started preparing two years ago. They worked during summer
vacations, they have had several short-time jobs, and they majored in fields that are still paying well, such as
accounting or nursing. 　　
     Even teaching is not a secure profession now. Ryan Stewart wanted to be a teacher. But instead he will
probably go back to school in order to become a college teacher. He thinks college teaching could be a good
career even in a bad economy. 　　
     In conclusion, these days a college degree does not automatically lead to a good job with a high salary.
Some students can only hope that the value of their degree will increase in the future.

1. What did a college degree mean to people in the past? 　　

A. It was a proof of their professional skills.　　
B. It would guarantee their quick promotion (升職). 　　
C. It built up their confidence in the job market.　　
D. It would help them to start an academic career.

2. Why does Ryan Stewart want to be a college teacher? 　　

A. Teaching jobs are well-paid.　　
B. He majored in teaching in the university. 　　
C. College teaching is less challenging than high-tech jobs. 　　
D. College teaching career won't be influenced by economy.

3. It can be concluded from the passage that _____. 　

A. the value of a college degree has decreased now　
B. new college graduates today can't find any job 　
C. a college degree can still lead to a good job　　
D. graduates must prepare early to find jobs

1. Falling objects are pulled down to the ground by _____.

A. gravity
B. resistance
C. speed
D. acceleration (加速度)

2. Why do people make parachutes (降落傘)?

A. To look pretty and colourful in the air.
B. To slow down the falling speed.
C. To push against the air in the sky.
D. To accelerate the falling movement.

3. Which did Galileo discover?

A. A heavy ball falls faster than a light ball.
B. A light ball falls faster than a heavy ball.
C. A light ball and a heavy ball fall at the same speed.
D. A light ball and a heavy ball fall at different speed.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Heavy and light objects fall equally when they are different in size.
B. When air resistance equals gravity, objects fall at terminal speed.
C. Without air; all falling objects get faster and faster at the same rate.
D. Slippers (拖鞋) and boots (靴子) fall at the same speed because they have the same shape

     Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in order to cut the
greenhouse gases they send out, which is thought to be responsible for global warming.
     Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence (腸胃氣脹) contains no methane (甲烷)
and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who produce large quantities of the harmful
gas.
     While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack (煙囪) pushing out carbon
dioxide, farm animals' passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions (排放物) in
some countries. "Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from
cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.
     "And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base,
they're actually up around 50 percent," he said.
     Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially
save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
     But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate (分離) the bacteria, before they can even start to
develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.
     Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and
just eat more kangaroos. And about 20 percent of health-conscious Australians are believed to eat the national
symbol already.
     "It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the free-range
(放養(yǎng)的) animal," said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.

1. Scientists intend to put bacteria into cattle and sheep _____.

A. to prevent them from sending out harmful gases
B. to help Australian farmers to earn more money
C. so that they can protect Australian ecosystem
D. so that they can make full use of special bacteria

2. Athol Klieve seems to believe that _____.

A. cattle and sheep produce more carbon dioxide
B. less cattle and sheep are raised in New Zealand
C. farm animals are to blame for greenhouse gases
D. New Zealand has the most animals in the world

3. The main idea of the text is to _____.

A. discuss a better way to protect the earth
B. warn farmers of the danger of animal waste
C. illustrate the possible solutions to pollution
D. present a recent study on global warming

4. The advantages Peter Ampt lists about kangaroos don't include _____.

A. it is rich in protein
B. is low in fat
C. it is cheaper than beef
D. it is cleaner than sheep

     Mead Vale Community Primary School opened in new buildings and spacious grounds in September 1977,
within a fairly small mature estate community. Times have changed, and we now cover a far greater area and
children travel to the school from as far a field as Benwell. Parents now have the choice of selecting schools
for their children's education and many parents choose Mead Vale.
     We are a Community Primary School administered by the School Governing Board which is responsible to
the North Somerset Council Education Board. Present school roll is around 415 with space for 420 in total. We
are delighted that we were awarded "Beacon Status" in 2002 and are pleased to share our expertise with other
schools. Last year we had visits from as far away as South Africa and Spain. We are a primary school covering
ages 4-11 and on transfer from here parents usually choose Word Comprehensive, Priory Comprehensive or
Wyvern Comprehensive. We feel the advantage of a Primary School is the continuity of education from 4-11
and the greatly reduced trauma involved in moving schools from Infant to Junior or First to Middle at the age
of 7. We are convinced of the benefit of this and deliberately structure the school in phases at four levels:
     Foundation: the reception year-a separate special early years curriculum;
     Years l & 2: the first two years of the national curriculum- previously infants;
     Years 3 & 4: the third and fourth year of the national curriculum-previously lower juniors;
     Years 5 & 6: the fifth and sixth years of the national curriculum-previously upper juniors.
     In each phase the children stay with the same teacher. It is likely that they will have only 4 different class
teachers during their seven years with us.

1. According to the author, ____.

A. he will open a new school covering a far greater area
B. he is proud of the achievements the school has gained
C. he will let the children have four teachers each year
D. he thinks these seven years will reduce trauma involved in the transfer

2. What does the underlined word "phase" mean in the last paragraph?

A. Year.
B. Term.
C. Part.
D. Stage.

3. The relationship among the following is ____.
    Mead Vale-M; Community Primary School-C; the School Governing Board-S;
    North Somerset Council Education Board- N; UK-U

A. U-N-C-S-M
B. U-N-S-C-M
C. N-U-C-S-M
D. N-U-S-C-M

4. What shall a primary school do with the education according to the passage?

A. Open in new buildings and spacious grounds; get a "Beacon Status" award.
B. Have a "Beacon Status" award; carry on the continuity of education.
C. Carry on the continuity of education; reduce trauma involved in transferring schools.
D. Reduce trauma involved in transferring schools; divide the students into different phases.

     What is a dream? For centuries, people have wondered about the strange places that they seem to visit
in their sleep. 1.____ However, they have been valued as necessary to a person's health and happiness.
     Historically people thought dreams contained messages from God. It was only in the twentieth century
that people started to study dreams scientifically believing that they tell about a person's character. 2.____
He believed that dreams allow a person to express fantasies or fears, which would be socially unacceptable
in real life.
     The second theory to become popular was Carl Jung's compensation theory. Jung, a former student of
Freud, said that the purpose of a dream is not to hide something, but rather to communicate it to the dreamer.
3.____Thus, people who think too highly of themselves may dream about falling; those who think too little
of themselves dream of being heroes.
     Using more recent research, William Domhoff from the University of California found that dreaming is a
mental skill that needs time to develop in humans. 4.____ Until they reach age five, they cannot express very
well what their dreams are about. Once people become adults, there is little or no change in their dreams. The
dreams of men and women differ. For instance.
     The characters that appear in the dreams of men are often other men, and often involve physical aggression. 
     The meaning of dreams continues to be difficult to understand. 5.____ If you dream that a loved one is
going to die, do not panic. The dream may have meaning, but it does not mean that your loved one is going to
die.

A. Dreams make up for what is lacking in waking life.
B. However, people should not take their dreams as reality.
C. They have been considered as meaningless nighttime journeys.
D. It gives scientists chances to better understand human mind.
E. Children do not dream as much as adults.
F. They think their mind is trying to tell them something.
G. First, there was Sigmund Freud's theory.

     We redheads are well known for our bad tempers. Now it seems there is scientific backing for our particular
complaining as well.
     Scientists in the United States studied a group of 144 dental patients almost half of whom had red hair. They
found that the red-haired group were more sensitive to pain and as a result were twice as likely to avoid visiting
the dentist.
     Previous research had shown that redheads were more resistant to the effects of local anaesthesia (局部麻
醉) than people with other hair colours.
     The scientists say that this red-haired sensitivity to pain stems from the actions of a gene called MCIR. This
is responsible for the production of melanin which gives skin and hair its colour. In about five percent of white
people the gene is mutated (突變) leading to fair skin and red hair. 
     Researchers say there are some people with the gene in the brain and that this could affect pain sensitivity.
     Professor Daniel Sessler from the Cleveland Clinic in the United States is one of the authors of the study. He
says the research is a considerable scientific breakthrough.
     "Red hair is the first phenotype (表現(xiàn)某顯性特征的生物個(gè)體或群體) of anaesthetic requirement in humans. And what I mean by phenotype is an external (外部的) characteristic."
     "So suppose you are walking down the street and you see someone who's a little older and a little younger-
that tells you nothing about their anaesthetic requirement. You see a man and a woman-that tells you nothing
about their anaesthetic requirement. But you see a redhead-aha! You know that person is going to require 20
percent more general anaesthesia."
     From my own personal experience I would say that there is some merit to this idea. I have found that I have
had to ask dentists for extra anaesthetic in the middle of procedures.
     Some dentists argue that a greater sensitivity to pain might actually benefit redheads and drive them to see
the dentist more quickly. In my own case I can prove that is definitely not true.

1. We learn from the text that red-haired group are ____.

A. easily influenced by the sense of pain and need more anaesthetic requirement
B. usually more sensitive to some painful things
C. just well-known for their good temper and strong pain sensitivity
D. good-looking with fair skin and red hair

2. What do the scientists think this red-haired sensitivity to pain results from?

A. Melanin which is responsible for the production which gives skin and hair its colour.
B. The mutated gene leading to fair skin and red hair.
C. Some persons with this gene in the brain.
D. An external characteristic of a person.

3. According to Professor Daniel Sessler, the most amazing thing about the anaesthetic requirement in humans which can be judged by ____.

A. someone's age and hair
B. someone's gender and figure
C. someone's teeth and the skills of the dentist
D. someone's external characteristic

4. We can infer from the last two paragraphs that ____.

A. redheads need less anaesthetic in the operation
B. the results of this red-haired sensitivity to pain will be the same
C. the writer is a red-haired person
D. redheads have many benefits of being red-haired

     Instead of hitting the beach, fourteen high school students traded swimming suits for lab coats last summer
and turned their attention to scientific experiments.
     The High School Research Program offers high school students guidance with researchers in Texas A &
M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Jennifer Funkhouser, academic adviser for the Department
Ecology and Management, directs this four-week summer program designed to increase the understanding of
research and its career potential.
     Several considerations go into selecting students, including grades, school involvement and interest in science
and agriculture. And many students come from poorer school districts. Funkhouser says, "This is their chance
to learn techniques and do experiments they would never have a chance to do in high school."
     Warner Erin of Houston is interested in animal science and learned how to tell male from female mosquitoes.
His adviser, Craig Coates, studies the genes of mosquitoes that allow them to fight against malaria (瘧疾) and
yellow fever. Coates thought this experience would be fun and helpful to the high school students.
     The agricultural research at A & M differs from stereotypes. "It's molecular (分子) science on the cutting
edge," Funkhouser says. The program broadened the students' knowledge. Victor Garcia of Rio Grande City
hopes to become a biology teacher and says he learned a lot about chemistry from the program.
     At the end of the program, the students presented papers on their research. They're also paid $ 600 for their
work-another way this program differs from others, which often charge a fee.
     Fourteen students got paid to learn that science is fun, that agriculture is a lot more than milking and plowing
and that research can open many doors.

1. The research program is chiefly designed for ____.

A. high school advisers from Houston
B. high school students from different places
C. college students majoring in agriculture
D. researchers at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

2. It can be inferred from the text that the students in poorer areas ____.

A. had little chance to go to college
B. could often take part in the program
C. found the program useful to their future
D. showed much interest in their high school experiments

3. When the program was over, the students ____.

A. wrote research papers
B. entered that college
C. paid for their research
D. found a way to make money

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A. A Program for Agricultural Science Students
B. A Program for Animal Science Students
C. A Program for Medical Science Lovers
D. A Program for Future Science Lovers

     Boys' English grades are up to a tenth worse when high numbers of girls are in the class with them, though
girls' grades are unaffected. Boys do worse in English when there are girls in their class, researchers will say
today, contradicting the widely held belief that girls are always a good influence on boys in school.
     Boys do best with "as few girls as possible" in English lessons at primary and secondary school, Steven
Proud, a research student at Bristol University, will tell the Royal Economic Society's conference. But when it
comes to maths and science, both boys and girls at primary school achieve up to a tenth of a grade more when
there is a high proportion (比率) of girls in the class, Proud found.
     Proud tracked boys' and girls' test results at the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16 in 16,000 schools in England
between 2002 and 2004 for his PhD. Boys consistently perform up to a tenth of a grade worse when they study
English with high numbers of girls as opposed to few or no girls, Proud found. The more girls there are in an
English class, the worse boys perform. This is particularly the case in primary schools, he discovered.
     Proud said boys may do worse in English when there is a high proportion of girls in their class because they
realize that the girls are better than them. It could also be that teachers use teaching styles more appropriate to
girls when there are more girls than boys in the class. Both genders perform better in maths and science at
primary school when there are more girls in the class because boys tend to disrupt the class more, he said.
     Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University
of Buckingham, said girls started school with slightly better verbal skills, while boys started with a slightly
greater aptitude for maths.

1. What people widely believed is that ____.

A. boys can do well at school under the influence of girls
B. boys can have good influence on girls in terms of English learning
C. boys and girls can make progress in English learning together
D. boys always fall behind girls in English learning

2. When there is a high proportion of girls in the class, ____.

A. boys can have a good influence on girls in learning science
B. boys can do much better in science
C. both boys and girls do better in science
D. girls still do better than boys in science

3. We can learn from the last paragraph that Professor Alan Smithers ____.

A. doesn't think boys do worse in English with girls in their class
B. provides further proof to Steven Proud's study
C. agrees with Steven Proud exactly
D. gives a different explanation for girls' advantage at English

4. The underlined word "aptitude" in the last paragraph is similar in meaning to ____.

A. sense
B. gift
C. chance
D. interest

     Locations along the southern and eastern shores of the Great Lakes are famous for the tremendous
amounts of snow they receive. When the snow starts to fall, people start tossing out the phrase "lake-
effect snow".
     Primarily a late-autumn and early-winter phenomena, lake- effect snowstorms are instigated by the
movement of cold, arctic air over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. Ideally, the temperature
difference between the lake water and the overrunning air should be at least 20 degrees in order for cloud
and subsequent snow to form.
     As the cool air crosses the waters of the Great Lakes, the lowest levels of the atmosphere begin to
warm and pick up moisture. This newly warmed layer is lighter than the cold air above it, so it starts to
rise. As the modified air continues to climb higher into the atmosphere, it encounters much colder
temperatures.
     This cooler air forces the moisture to condense into water droplets and ice crystals, forming cloud.
After this process repeats itself a number of times, the cloud becomes weighed down and is forced to
precipitate (凝結(jié)而下降) in the form of snow.
     Out of all the meteorological factors (氣象因素) that determine snowfall intensity, the most important
might be the direction of the wind. If the wind direction is running perpendicular (垂直的) across the lake,
there won't be ample time for cloud to develop.
     However, if the wind runs parallel to the length of the lake, cloud should form without a hitch. The
longer the cold air travels over the lake, the more moisture it is able to accumulate, which in turn leads to
greater snowfall totals.
     The highest annual lake-effect snowfall totals are found across the U. P. of Michigan, northwestern
Pennsylvania and the far southwestern and upstate sections of New York. In these locations, which are
all located along the southern or eastern shores of the Great Lakes, recording over 100 inches of snow in
a winter season is a common occurrence.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A. To tell how much snow the Great Lakes have.
B. To introduce the topic of the text.
C. To show when the lake-effect snow appears.
D. To tell what the Great Lakes are famous for.

2. What's the first important factor in the intensity of snowfall?

A. The length of the lake.
B. The direction of the wind.
C. The relatively warm waters of the lake.
D. The strength of the wind.

3. Why can northwestern Pennsylvania see heavy snowfall?

A. It's far from the sea. 
B. It's far from the north.
C. It's near the Great Lakes.
D. It has many mountains.