Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach ...

Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure of following that tradition, a US study says.

Boys at single-sex schools are said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that help develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they have to follow the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.

The findings of the study are so against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.

Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warns that boys are being faded by the British education system because it has become too focused on girls. He criticizes teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.

The research argues that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female schoolmates do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys’ learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, writes the study’s author, Abigail James, from the University of Virginia.

Teachers can encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision to learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer what centers on violence and sexism, ” James writes.

Single-sex education also makes it less likely that boys would feel they have to follow the tradition that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys find themselves pushed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reports.

1.The author believes that a single-sex school will _________.

A. force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men”

B. help to develop masculine aggressiveness in boys

C. encourage boys to express their emotions more freely

D. naturally make boys accept the traditional image of a man

2.It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _________.

A. perform relatively better

B. grow up more healthily

C. behave more responsibly

D. receive a better education

3.What does Tony Little say about the British education system?

A. It fails more boys than girls academically.

B. It focuses more on mixed school education.

C. It fails to give boys the attention they need.

D. It places more pressure on boys than on girls.

4.According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _________.

A. teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys

B. boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded

C. boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in

D. teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.

Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (男子气概), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to be consistent to a stereotype, a US study says.Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their abilities to express their emotions, rather than feeling they had to obey to the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.

The findings of the study are against the received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.

Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being ignored by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.

The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.

But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys’learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James of the University of Virginia.

Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes,” James wrote.

Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to give in to a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys feel pressed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reported.

1.The author believes that a single-sex school would ____ .

A．force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men”

B．help to form masculine aggressiveness in boys

C．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely

D．naturally place emphasis on the traditional image of a man to boys

2.It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _____ .

A．perform relatively better                 B．grow up more healthily

C．behave more responsibly                 D．receive a better education

3.What does Tony Little say about the British education system?

A．It fails more boys than girls academically.

B．It focuses more on mixed school education.

C．It fails to give boys the attention they need.

D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls.

4.According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _____.

A．teaching can be adapted to suit the characteristics of boys

B．boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded

C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in

D．teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit

5.Which of the following is the characteristic of boys according to Abigail James’ report?

A．They enjoy being in charge.

B．They act the same to stereotypes.

C．They have sharper vision.

D．They are violent and sexist.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I used to teach 7th grade boys． I often got comments of sympathy， but I loved those young students． When I first started teaching them， I soon realized I need to bring forth some new ideas to keep their attention， so I came up with the idea of doing object lessons． And one of my favourite lessons with them was the "Chocolate Cake Course"．

I took a covered cake carrier one day saying， " I want you to have some chocolate cakes this morning．" Then， I handed out a cup of cocoa powder， a bowl of eggs， and container with flour， oil， sugar and all the other ingredients to each boy． They looked at me in puzzlement and disappointment． I smiled as I told them， "I know it doesn't look like a chocolate cake now， but without adding all those ingredients， you won't end up with a delicious chocolate cake．"

We discussed the way the ingredients were put in a bowl and then beaten by a mixer． We talked about how the batter（糊状物） was put into pans and placed in a hot oven． Then I shared with them how the process mirrors our lives． Sometimes there were sweet times， like the sugar that went into the cake． Sometimes there were bitter times， like the cocoa when eaten alone． And sometimes there were hard times when we felt as if we were being beaten like the batter． Finally， we talked about how it was necessary for the cake batter to go into a hot oven． Sometimes we felt the heat of hot oven as if we were going through some hard circumstances． Just like I need to have a plan for that chocolate cake， we need to know exactly what ingredients to put into our lives and how long we need to stay in the oven of hard times so that we could become stronger and get the sweetness from life． Looking at their faces throughout the room， I could tell the boys had got it， especially when I showed a chocolate cake for them to share．

1.What is the writer's new idea as a teacher ？

A. Teaching children history．

B. Doing object lessons．

C. Going fishing with children．

D. Sharing chocolate cakes in class．

2.How did the writer know the students understood her lessons？

A. From the students' answers．

B. From the students' expressions．

C. According to what the students did．

D. According to the students' comments．

3.Which of the following can describe the teacher properly？

A. Kind， helpful and good﹣tempered．

B. Active， diligent and sympathetic．

C. Positive， good﹣looking and thoughtful．

D. Caring， creative and respectable．

4.The writer not only taught the students how to make cakes but also　　　 ．

A. told them the truth of life

B. taught them good discipline

C. stressed the importance of work

D. spread culture knowledge

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I was young, I left a high-school-teaching job to go graduate school again. In one of my first classes, I studied the poetry of Thomas Eliot. I felt hopeless when my high school Webster’s Dictionary tuned silent each time I tried to look up words like “estaminet” or “juvescence”. I needed a new book the Oxford English Dictionary, whose price was $300.

On a cold night, my husband and I set out for a bookstore in Atlanta. I breathlessly asked the clerk for my book, which was kept far behind the counter, paid quickly so that I would have no time to imagine people’s thoughts that I was mad, and rushed back to our truck, carrying the great weight of Oxford English Dictionary.

Don’t get me wrong: I never turn down a trip to the library, but I know that there is something mysterious and spiritual ---to own your own good books, and to spend your earthly money on a piece of heavenly art to pass it down to future generations.

I have been the recipient of many of these passed-down books. My father worked as a plumber, who was often busy repairing things like water pipes. He never made the extravagant (奢侈的) purchases as I did, but I remember his going to the Aspen Used Book store on the weekends. He would take hundreds of used books and trade them for wonderful sets of classics. He would also go in there and come out with how-to books about fixing the leaks. He would neatly arrange the classics in our basement where I, at the age of nine or ten, would spend all summer there reading Greek and Roman myths.

One day, I’ll have to leave my library, but I’m pleased to know that my children will have all my books about Southern literature and modern poetry. They might say, “Look, Mama surely loved Flannery O’Connor.” Or “I wonder why she had three copies of T.S. Eliot: Collected Poems?”

1.Why did the author feel hopeless about her high school dictionary?

A. It was out of date and of no use.

B. It failed to cover enough words.

C. It often gave wrong explanations.

D. It couldn’t offer the exact meaning.

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A. The Oxford English Dictionary was very popular.

B. The author felt it an adventure to buy the dictionary.

C. The author regretted buying the dictionary at first.

D. Few people would buy the Oxford English Dictionary.

3.What do we know about the author’s father?

A. He was inspired to read books by his daughter.

B. He loved books despite not being well educated.

C. He improved his professional skills through books.

D. He spent lots of his salary buying wonderful book.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Books at all costs

B. Father’s special bookstore

C. The Oxford English Dictionary

D. Studying the poetry of T.S. Eliot

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test.

Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon（现象）. Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment（评价） to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught.

The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition（习得）of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught.

Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can’t see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary.

1. The author mentions Erica’s performance in her study in order to show_________.

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

3. In the author’s opinion, __________.

4.By “crisis of comprehension” (in Paragraph 4) the author means many students ______.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

In some places women are expected to earn money ________ men work at home and raise their children.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

1.The _________（大多数）were religious men who came to teach the catholic religion to the natives.

2.Here was a chance for me to _________ (显示出差别）myself.

3.They _________ (突然地) disappeared into a ________ （便利的） hole in the wall.

4.In the _________ (预料，预期), the snakes would bite again.

5.Bell was fully aware of the _________ (重要性) of his invention.

高二英语单词拼写困难题查看答案及解析

In some places women are expected to earn money _______ men work at home and raise their children.

A.while B.though

C.because D.but

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

One day two young men are walking in a big forest. One is fat , and the other is thin.” We are good friends. We must help each other. If we meet any beast(野兽), I’ll help you,” the thin man says. “I’ll help you, too,” the fat one says. They walk on. After a while they hear a great noise. It is a big bear. It is coming this way.

The two young men run away quickly. One of them climbs up a tree, and hides among the leaves. He forgets all about his friend. What about the fat one? He is too fat to climb up a tree. So he throws himself on the ground, closes his eyes, and pretends（假装） to be dead. “ The bear will think I’m dead,” he thinks to himself.

Soon the bear comes up to the fat man, and even puts its nose to his mouth and ears. The fat man holds his breath.

The bear thinks he is dead, so it goes away, because bears never touch the dead. The man in the tree comes down. With a smile he asks his friend, “ The bear puts its nose so close to your ears. What does it say to you?”

The friend answers, “ The bear says, ‘ Don’t trust your friend. He runs away from you when you need his help most.”

1.What is the best title of this passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed

B. Two friends in the forest

C. Don’t trust(相信) your friend

D. An unlucky day in a big forest

2.What do you know about the bear according to the passage?

A. The bear is waiting for the two friends.

B. The bear isn’t hungry at all at that time.

C. The bear does tell the fat one something he can understand.

D. The bear doesn’t like to eat something dead.

3.What does the thin man do in this passage?

A. He breaks his promise.

B. He fails to climb up the tree.

C. He cares much about his friend.

D. He also knows what the bear says.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Children, especially boys, tend to idealise their fathers when they are young.Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like his father, and every little girl thinks her father is the smartest man on the earth. It’s not very easy to be a good father, but it’s not that difficult either. Children will truly enjoy spending time with their fathers, not just when they are kids, but even when they are adults.

Not all children communicate well with their fathers. Communication is often left to mothers, while fathers dispense advice as and when necessary. Don’t expect all conversations to centre around the dinner table. Go to your children’s bedrooms and talk to them about school, their teachers or their friends. Remember that the conversation cannot be one-sided. When your children open up to you, you also need to open up to them.

If your children come home from school feeling upset, go up to them and ask them what is the matter. And if it is something which seems to you to be a silly reason to be upset, don’t voice your opinion. It may be silly to you, but to your children it is important enough. So don’t wave the topic away by telling them not to bother about such stupid things. Simply discussing their problems with them will help them feel better.

Don’t shy away from having discussions about your teenage children’s love lives. Generally speaking, your children are definitely not going to discuss intimate details with you. Try to let them know that you are relaxed about topics on love. Tell your children how you met your wife. It is perfectly normal for children to go through feelings for the opposite sex as they grow up, and by keeping the topic closed for discussion, you are only shutting them off from discussing their feelings with you. All they will do is turn to their friends.

1.To children their fathers are usually very ______.

A. important     B.great           C. serious      D. strong

2.From the second paragraph we can know that ______.

A. some children don’t like their fathers at all

B. talking with children around the dinner table is bad

C. it is better for mothers to communicate with their children

D. mothers usually communicate better with their children.

3. Suppose your children are worried about something you should _____.

A. have a talk with them            B.express your option

C. keep silent                     D. let them alone

4.Your children would not like to discuss their love lives with you probably

because they think__________.

A. you are relaxed about topics on love

B. they should ask for help from their friends

C. they have already grown up

D. it is not normal to experience feelings of love

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析