Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决) stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, name-calling, and accusation only add fuel to the emotional fir On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy for conflict resolution; listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker’s position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need f. consider what they are hearing. This doesn’t mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid off As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn’t mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.
1.This article is mainly about _______.
A.the lives of school children B.the cause of arguments in schools
C.how to analyze youth violence D.how to deal with school conflicts
2.From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ________.
A.violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime
B.a small conflict can lead to violence
C.students tend to lose their temper easily
D.the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight
3.Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
A.To find out who to blame.
B.To get ready to buy new things.
C.To make clear what the real issue is.
D.To figure out how to stop the shouting match.
4.After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that ______.
A.there was a decrease in classroom violence
B.there was less student cooperation in the classroom
C.more teachers fell better about themselves in schools
D.the teacher-student relationship greatly improved
5.The writer’s purpose for writing this article is to _______.
A.complain about problems in school education
B.teach students different strategies for school life
C.advocate teaching conflict management in schools
D.inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence
George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.
Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him worldfamous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.
In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the wellknown musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazzinfluenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.
George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirtynine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.
1.Many of Gershwin's musical works were ________．
A.written about New Yorkers B.composed for Paul Whiteman
C.performed in various ways D.played mainly in the countryside
2.What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?
A.It proved jazz could be serious music.
B.It attracted more people to theatres.
C.It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.
D.It caused a debate among jazz musicians.
3.What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?
A.He studied with Nadia Boulanger. B.He created one of his best works.
C.He argued with French critics. D.He changed his music style.
4.What do we learn from the last paragraph?
A.The death of Gershwin was widely reported.
B.Many of Gershwin's works were lost.
C.A concert was held in memory of Gershwin.
D.Brain cancer research started after Gershwin's death.
5.Which of the following best describes Gershwin?
A.Serious and boring. B.Talented and productive.
C.Popular and unhappy. D.Friendly and honest.
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.
1.What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?
A.To seek help for Nauru's problems.
B.To give a warning to other countries.
C.To show the importance of money.
D.To tell a heartbreaking story of a war.
2.What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
A.Rich and powerful. B.Modern and open.
C.Peaceful and attractive. D.Greedy and aggressive.
3.The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______.
A.soil pollution B.phosphate overmining
C.farming activity D.whale hunting
4.Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?
A.Its leaders misused the money.
B.It spent too much repairing the island.
C.Its phosphate mining cost much money.
D.It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.
5.What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
A.The ecological damage is difficult to repair.
B.The leaders will take the experts'words seriously.
C.The island was abandoned by the Nauruans.
D.The phosphate mines were destroyed.
My car and my best friend
For most, getting your first car opens up a new world of freedom and allows you to go wherever you want, whenever you want. Getting a car did____this for me, and it also brought my best friend and me____But then it tore us apart (分开).
My best friend lives three minutes from my____Since her____is in late summer, seven months behind mine, I basically became her____when I turned 16 in December.
And so I____her up for school and took her home. We made ice-cream____, went shopping and to the movies―all in my car. I would drive to her house just to sit on her bed, read magazines and have a good laugh. I went to her house so____that she gave me a key____her house.
A week after I got my license (驾照), she was with me____I had my first accident. She was there and____me and we kept it a____, since I didn’t want people to____From then on, through thick and thin (共患难), it was just me , my car and my best friend.
High school is a time of____, but I couldn’t____for a long time____we became so distant (疏远) after being so close. My friend waited three months after her birthday to get her dream car：a green 2004 Beetle. With its____, the passenger seat of my car became____Our car trips became less frequent (频繁的)____I didn’t even drive down her street.
It’s funny how a car can change a relationship so much. I had wanted her to get a car, but once she did, I____it. I wanted her friendship back, even if it couldn’t be the same.
1.A.some B.any C.none D.all
2.A.closer B.farther C.luckier D.happier
3.A.neighbor B.school C.home D.family
4.A.holiday B.birthday C.course D.job
5.A.guide B.follower C.partner D.driver
6.A.picked B.woke C.called D.hurried
7.A.parties B.trips C.plans D.classes
8.A.happily B.frequently C.hardly D.seldom
9.A.to B.on C.of D.for
10.A.while B.but C.when D.after
11.A.saved B.suggested C.advised D.comforted
12.A.favorite B.secret C.pride D.joke
13.A.help B.see C.know D.laugh
14.A.change B.disappointment C.friendship D.excitement
15.A.believe B.answer C.imagine D.understand
16.A.when B.where C.how D.what
17.A.arrival B.dream C.return D.beauty
18.A.broken B.crowded C.empty D.different
19.A.however B.until C.as D.before
20.A.lost B.received C.enjoyed D.regretted
---What do you think of the house?
---_____.It is everything we have been looking for.
A.Perfect B.Good idea C.Not bad D.So-so
The girl, ___ was frightened at the sight of the snake, shut her eyes and dared not have a second look at it.
A.that B.whom C.which D.who
