A school in North Carolina has banned skinny jeans and other excessively (过度地) tight-fitting trousers unless worn with a top or dress that must cover the bottom in its entirety. The school board introduced the ban because it says some girls were bullied (欺凌) when wearing tight-fitting trousers. Some parents think the ban is ridiculous and that more time should be spent on monitoring student behavior instead of banning clothing choices.
As a former teacher and a current parent of two girls, I have my opinion on the issue. Non-educators often seem to think “monitoring student behavior” is something as easy as putting on a pair of shoes, and that if teachers “just did their jobs better,” 99-100% of student discipline issues would never happen. The truth is that teachers can’t possibly monitor and control every single moment of a student’s life during the school day.
This is where my view as a parent of girls comes in. Girls of middle-high school age are dealing with their own bodily development, what TV and movies tell them a girl should dress and look like “to be pretty”, and what other girls at their age say they should look like and wear “to be pretty.” This means there isn’t a flawless outfit (套装) that some other girl won’t find “something wrong with” and then make fun of. Assuming we’re talking about girls in public schools, what they wear should be comfortable but also follow common sense. Wearing something that’s too tight probably isn’t that comfortable, but if it is, having some way to cover up certain areas accented (突出) by the tight clothing is a good idea.
Modern fashions might disagree, but psychology tells us tight clothes only cause a distraction.
School isn’t a fashion show. It’s a place of learning with some social interaction, and for those things to happen and also succeed, everyone needs to work together.
1.Why are some parents against the school ban?
A.It is not the proper time to introduce it. B.It will influence student behavior.
C.It is none of the school’s business. D.It will put girls at a disadvantage.
2.Which of the following about “monitoring student behavior” would the author agree with?
A.It is unfair to students. B.It’s a difficult job for teachers.
C.It can solve most student discipline issues. D.Teachers shouldn’t devote much time to it.
3.What does the underline word “flawless” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.tight B.perfect
C.casual D.comfortable
4.What should be the principle of dressing for school girls in the author’s opinion?
A.Modesty. B.Fashion.
C.Neatness. D.Prettiness.
5.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.How to monitor students’ behavior?
B.How to prevent campus bullying?
C.Should parents require their children what to wear?
D.Should “skinny jeans” be banned in school?
If there is any such thing as a sea monster, chances are that it looks much like a frilled shark (皱鳃鲨)! This fearsome but interesting creature is one of the most rarely sighted species on earth. Let’s take a closer look at the habitat, appearance and feeding behavior of the frilled shark.
While very little is known about the frilled shark, it is thought to live in the deepest, darkest parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and only come to the surface when sick or injured. It is believed that they are able to survive at a depth of about 5,150 feet but are more commonly found in waters 50-200 feet deep. There is a small but convincing body of research that suggests the frilled shark is a vertical migrator, moving from deep to deeper waters on a regular basis.
While this mysterious beast is called a shark, many believe it looks more like an eel with a long, slim body about five to six feet in length. It has a head that’s triangular in shape similar to that of a poisonous snake and large oval eyes giving off a strange and frightening green light. The unusual creature has six pairs of gills (鳃), each with the frilled edges for which the sea monster was named.
The feeding behavior of the frilled shark has never been studied or even observed by human eyes. However, it is almost certainly a predator (食肉动物). After all, researchers believe, why else would it need 300 sharp teeth?! Scientists theorize that these dangerous teeth make it possible for a slow moving fish like the frilled shark to catch squid and other deep-sea creatures.
As research into the habitat, appearance and feeding behavior of this strange creature continues, there’s a good chance that we will gain a full understanding of this unusual species one day. Until then, the frilled shark remains one of the great mysteries of the deep.
1.What can we infer about the frilled shark from Paragraph 2?
A.It is hard to see them in a healthy state on the ocean surface.
B.They migrate from ocean to ocean in the deepest waters.
C.They usually live in oceans at a depth of over 5,150 feet.
D.It is a rare species threatened by human activities.
2.Where can you find the information about the shark’s appearance?
A.In Paragraph 2. B.In Paragraph 3.
C.In Paragraph 4. D.In Paragraph 5.
3.The frilled shark got its name because of______.
A.the place where it was found B.the place where it was born
C.its appearance D.its character
4.How do scientists know the frilled shark is a predator?
A.From its behavior. B.From its habitat.
C.From its teeth. D.From its gills.
5.What is the author’s attitude to solving the mystery of the frilled shark?
A.Doubtful. B.Cautious.
C.Disapproving. D.Optimistic.
In 2010，my mother-in-law gave me her rather simple but graceful, antique “secretary desk.” The desk easily fit into the tiny room at the top of the stairs. I felt so secure, and confident when I sat down and began each writing session. Despite the desk’s appeal, its limited storage capacity meant that I often put file folders and books on the small floor space around me. After each writing session, I painstakingly gathered the tools of the trade and placed them on a nearby shelf until the next session.
A few years into my writing journey, we moved into a bigger home and I acquired my own office. My husband, Bill offered on more than one occasion to buy me a new desk for my office, but I ignored his offer.
One day, we stopped at the local office supply store. Bill found what he thought was the perfect desk for me. “ I want to buy this for you, sweetie. My writer needs a bigger desk.” He hugged me.
“Thanks, but I don’t want a bigger desk!” I said.
“Why don’t you want a bigger desk?” he said. “You must be afraid of something.”
“I’m not afraid of anything,” I said. “ Like I said, I really like my little desk. So don’t ask me again”.
He didn’t.
A few weeks later, while working in my new office, I looked around at the folders , books and papers lying all over my office floor but couldn’t find what needed to meet a contest deadline. My heart raced. I looked around my office. The room basically swallowed the tiny desk, making it look slightly out of place. Maybe I did need a bigger desk. Was Bill right? Was I afraid of something?
Unable to write, I pulled C.JoyBell C.’s book of poetry, All Things Dance Like Dragonflies, from the bookshelf. I flipped through its pages, and her words about faith jumped off the page into my heart. She talked about how she had trained herself to love the feeling of not knowing where she was going, and just trusting that as she opened up her wings and flew off in an unknown direction, things would work out.
At that moment, I recognized that a bigger desk symbolized bigger possibilities, stepping out in faith, and leaving my comfort zone.
1.What was the limitation of the “secretary desk”?
A.It was a bit small in size. B.It was too old to be functional
C.It competed with the shelf for room D.It prevented the author focusing on writing.
2.What happened to the author at the local office supply store?
A.She talked her husband into buying a desk. B.She had a quarrel with the salesperson.
C.She managed to overcome her fear. D.She declined her husband’s offer.
3.When did the author want to buy a new desk?
A.After she was stuck in a mess B.When she finished writing a book.
C.When she moved into a bigger house. D.After she missed an important contest.
4.What was the author afraid of before?
A.Unemployment B.Uncertainty
C.Loss of friendship D.Lack of trust
5.What would be the best title of the passage?
A.My writing journey. B.On the wings of change.
C.Why I love writing. D.A quarrel between my husband and I.
We have all imagined what it might be like to go into space and to land on Mars. Now at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida you and your family can live it. There are two parts to the new program, the Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) and Mars Base 1.
The Astronaut Training Experience
The virtual reality (虚拟现实) Walk-on-Mars, Land-and-Drive-on-Mars full-motion simulator (全动态模拟器) and Spacewalk Training are all parts of the ATX. If you or your children already love science and have a deep interest in space, this will bring that love to life. Prepare for your mission to Mars by training like a real NASA astronaut headed to space. Ever wanted to take a spacewalk? How about a zero-gravity experience, where you fix space equipment like a real astronaut would?
You can do any of these as “mini missions” if you don’t have time to do them all at once. Each stage takes about 30-45 minutes.
Mars Base 1
What could be cooler than a day actually spent on Mars? Not an hour or a walk through a display, but a real day working and surviving on the planet’s surface doing real science? Become a “rookie (新手) astronaut” participating in simulations and scientific research to grow and analyze crops in the Mars Botany Lab, or use robots to accomplish tasks. Yes, you actually take part in these activities, and grow real food that is really used and consumed.
Both the ATX and Mars Base 1 offer the magic of space travel without leaving the ground.
1.Who are the intended readers of the text?
A.Students. B.Educators.
C.Astronauts. D.Parents.
2.Which of the following is NOT the part of the ATX?
A.The virtual reality Walk-on-Mars
B.The Land and-Drive on-Mars full-motion simulator
C.The Rookie Astronaut
D.The Spacewalk Training
3.What can participants do at the ATX?
A.Grow space plants. B.Use robots to do tasks.
C.Get trained like a real astronaut. D.See space equipment exhibitions.
4.How long does each stage last in the Astronaut Training Experience?
A.About 20-45 minutes. B.About 30-45 minutes.
C.About 30-40 minutes. D.About 40-50 minutes.
5.What do the two programs have in common?
A.Both offer real food to taste. B.Both take less than an hour.
C.Both provide hands-on activities. D.Both recommend mini missions.
Have you seen people who take pictures of food for more than 10 minutes before eating? How about those who beautify their selfie (自拍) so much that they can't be_______? There must be one or more who_______ in your social media. No matter_______they choose to share, they share the best but the most unreal.
Take my friend Chen. Every time we went to a restaurant, she would not take a_______ until all the dishes we _______were on the table.Then, she would spend five minutes on_______the dishes in a seemingly random but in fact _______order.Then the most important part: taking pictures.After that, she would choose one of the_______and click in the filter(滤镜) app.The food eventually looked 10 times more delicious than it really was,but we had no _______to really enjoy it— it all went cold.Actually Chen's real life is much less elegant. For example, she hates to wash the dishes,so she leaves them in the sink for________.
Many people care too much about others' opinions and try too hard to ________ others. They find it hard to be ________ and to accept themselves, and thus they are afraid to show their ________ life on social media.What they are trying to prove is________what they lack in reality.But this will not bring any________ to reality,as they still________ the same old pattern of life.
If they really want an elegant life,they should put more________ into achieving it________fabricating(伪造) it. Being more confident,________themselves and trying their best to be better is much more meaningful than________ their life on social media.
1.A.envied B.admired C.recognized D.defeated
2.A.exist B.survive C.flood D.spot
3.A.how B.what C.where D.whom
4.A.bow B.break C.breath D.bite
5.A.ordered B.served C.offered D.prepared
6.A.cooking B.washing C.setting D.collecting
7.A.messy B.arranged C.casual D.correct
8.A.dishes B.restaurants C.pictures D.tables
9.A.chance B.choice C.excuse D.reason
10.A.months B.years C.hours D.days
11.A.comfort B.please C.inspire D.discourage
12.A.independent B.generous C.responsible D.confident
13.A.secret B.real C.peaceful D.healthy
14.A.rarely B.hardly C.exactly D.nearly
15.A.difficulty B.change C.guidance D.harm
16.A.question B.dislike C.doubt D.follow
17.A.effort B.ambitions C.feelings D.money
18.A.other than B.more than C.rather than D.less than
19.A.identifying B.accepting C.persuading D.amusing
20.A.simplifying B.ruining C.beautifying D.worsening
—Would you mind if I used your car tomorrow?
— _______. Be my guest.
A.I’m sorry B.Never mind C.Forget it D.Of course not
