Tre’S mom,Christina Thompson, cannot believe how much her son already learned this year in his full-day, free pre-school class in Oklahoma City. “Since he’s been in school his vocabulary has increased surprisingly,” Thompson says. “The other day he came home and said, ‘You know what ,mom? You are being ridiculous,” Thompson laughs quietly. “And then he asked, ‘Do you know what ‘ridiculous’ means, mom?’” Tre knows the entire alphabet, his numbers to 100,and he’s starting to read. And letters and numbers aside, Thompson is most struck by how fast Tre is absorbing vocabulary and language.
Of course, not all pre-school is created equal. High quality pre-schools have well-trained, well-educated teachers in the classroom (much like Tre Thompson’s teacher Mrs. Wallace, who uses play-based learning to teach both academics and social skills and can rattle off (飞快说出) a battery of data on how well her students are progressing towards their year-end goals). Texas can also offer a model for educator development: its Texas School Ready! Campaign has proven to increase the quality of participating pre-schools by providing early childhood teachers with coaching, professional development, research-based curriculum (课程),and progress monitoring. States and districts should also combine pre-school with the K-12 system, as Oklahoma does ,so that children enter kindergarten smoothly.
Oklahoma is one of the leading states in providing students like Tre with free ,full-day pre-school. And the results are already paying off: According to a 2012 study, Oklahoma kids that went through pre-school showed vocabulary gains 28% higher than those of children without pre-school, and math gains 44% higher than non-pre-school kids. And we know that high-quality pre-school doesn’t just mean higher scores in elementary school. They were more likely to have graduated from high school and less likely to have committed a violent crime. They also earned more money and were more likely to be employed.
We know pre-school works, so let’s stop talking and start building a system where all children have access to excellent early childhood education. As any well-educated four year old could tell us, not doing so would be ridiculous.
1.The case of Tre in the first paragraph serves as the evidence of______.
A.children’s disrespect towards parents
B.the bad performance of students at school
C.the positive effect of pre-school on children
D.Thompson’s doubt about her son’s education
2.At high quality pre-schools, children may learn by______
A. playing B. modelling C. researching D. monitoring
3.It can be inferred that______.
A.children can not enter kindergarten without pre-school
B.Oklahoma is the best state offering full-day pre-school
C.all pre-schools have well-trained, well-educated teachers
D.kids with pre-school may be better equipped for their future
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Not all pre-school works
B.All pre-school is created equal
C.We owe our kids universal pre-school
D.Pre-school goes well with K-12 system
Standing in the driveway, I watched my grown children drive off into the distance. I looked down the road until I could no longer see their 36 _____ .
“They live too far away from me,” I said to myself. “When did they 37 _____ and become parents of small children? 38 _____ that be me?”
I slipped back inside the house and just walked through the rooms for no reason 39 _____.1 was just missing them already and looking for 40 _____ of their having been here. There were pillows on the floor and a few stuffed (填充)animals 41 _____ around where the children had been playing.
I walked into the 42 _____ and there on the back of the sink was a bottle brush that had been left behind. “Ah,even Tessa left something behind,” I 43 _____ Well, I suppose she had help 44 _____ she was just four months old.
As I walked around the house, I picked up a few more 45 _____ on the floor — Tegan’S tooth, a pie pan, and the inside of a turkey fryer.
ttHmmm, things left behind ...’’I thought to myself. It seems there is one thing left behind on every 46 _____ . Memories are always left behind, I reasoned, and what a(n) 47 _____ thing good memories are to us. I thought how each item left behind 48 _____ me of the person it belonged to and the story 49 _____ it.
Memories happen even if we aren’t 50 _____ of it. The stressful and difficult moments often become memories that we 51 _____ later with laughter and joy. The memories of past hurts, bitterness, and anger, 52 . should be left behind 53 _____These are the things that we should never 54 _____ until the next time they come, mail back, or bring with us to 55_____next visit.
As Elizabeth Stone said, “To have a child is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
1.A. smiles B. vehicles C. pains D. bicycles
2.A. drop out B. break away C. set off D. grow up
3.A. Wouldn’t B. Shouldn’t C. Can’t D. Needn’t
4.A. in particular B. with anger C. with joy D. in return
5.A. signals B. atmosphere C. signs D. information
6.A. lying B. jumping C. moving D. looking
7.A. house B. distance C. kitchen D. driveway
8.A. announced B. explained C. complained D. replied
9.A. when B. unless C. until D. since
10.A. toys B. items C. memories D. treasures
11.A. table B. course C. occasion D. comer
12.A. funny B. private C. ordinary D. precious
13.A. reminded B. informed C. warned D. convinced
14.A. promoting B. surrounding C. acknowledging D. exposing
15.A. proud B.ashamed C. aware D. afraid
16.A. attach importance to B. throw doubt on C. look forward to D. look back upon
17.A. besides B.therefore C. otherwise D. though
18.A. partly B. sometimes C. forever D. unwillingly
19.A. present B. keep C. overlook D. experience
20.A. our B. their C. its D. your
—Do you understand the film Cloud Atlas, the most amazing one this year?
—_____, but I am confused at many scenes.
A. Not a little B. Yes, no problem
C. No,not at all D. Just sort of
Mistakes are a natural part of learning, and it is important not to let them our life.
A.spoil B.abuse C.overcome D.reflect
—_____bargaining is so interesting?
—Sometimes it is a test to see who stand their ground for the longest.
A. What is it that B. Why is it that
C. What it is that D. Why it is that
It is recommended by the representatives that traditional cultures _____
A.should preserve B.have been preserved
C.be preserved D.must be preserved