1、大学英语四级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 214及答案与解析 Section B 0 Secrets of Grade-A Parents A) When Carey Graham started Grade One, he got a very special teacher. “She recognized my passion for learning,“ says the now 20-year-old. “Every morning wed sit down with workbooks and do writing and math exercises. And any time du
2、ring the day, she could always be counted on to read to me. She always encouraged me to learn all I could about everything.“ This extraordinary teacher was his mom, Jeanne Lambert, who homeschooled Graham until high school. Hes now in his second year in the University of Torontos Peace and Conflict
3、Studies program, having received a provincial “Aiming for the Top“ scholarship. Graham is considering a law degree or a masters in political science down the road. He attributes his academic success to the foundation laid by his parents. B) “You cant be a parent without being a teacher,“ says Bruce
4、Arai, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. “Perhaps the most important teaching in a childs life is done by his parents, not by some professional with certificates,“ he says. Homeschooling isnt about sitting your kids down in
5、 the kitchen and teaching them in the formal sense, says Arai, but about “making sure the resources and opportunities for learning are available to them.“ And that, any parent can do. Here, then, are some methods that parents who would never consider homeschooling can pick up from those who do. Less
6、on 1 Think Outside the Classroom C) When homeschooler Kerri Paquette, a mother of six, was building a house in Lansdowne, she saw it as a learning opportunity. “They learned math as we measured, about soil as we dug the foundation, about water while we did the plumbing, and about electricity when we
7、 did the electrical work. My children make the subjects come alive as much I do,“ says Paquette. Her kids, aged three to 13, continue to view the world as their classroom. They study food and plant growth through their organic garden. They learn about cows by talking to the neighboring farmers. And
8、they learn math, measuring and science while helping Paquette cook. “The other day my nine-year-old, Maddison, started learning a new educational computer program. The section on fractions was all new, but she knew it from when we bake.“ Every activity, says Paquette, can include a lesson. Lesson 2
9、Eliminate Learning Limits D) A teacher with a class of 25 students cant continue a unit on, say, the body just because one child is still keen but you can. “We dont have a time frame that restricts our investigations, and we dont have a daily schedule,“ says Linda Clement, who homeschools her two da
10、ughters in Victoria When her 14-year-old showed an interest in the human body, the curious student read dozens of relevant books and surfed web sites. Janets curiosity took her in all sorts of directions: a dictionary of poisons and antidotes, an encyclopedia of medicine, books about human personali
11、ty and much more. E) The benefit to your child goes beyond a thorough knowledge of a subject. Studying deeply a topic builds independent research skills and a love of learning. “If my children are interested in a subject,“ says Clement, “we can go as far into the subject, answering as many questions
12、 as they have, for as long as is necessary. This freedom encourages their investigations.“ Lesson 3 Teach Your Kids Their Way F) Some children are visual learners (they absorb best when they see something), some are auditory (they need to hear it), some are kinesthetic (they need hands-on experience
13、) and some are a combination. Uncovering how your child learns best will increase your effectiveness in helping him or her with schoolwork. Unsure of your childs learning style? Ask his teacher. G) The way Melissa Cowls six children, aged three to 15, pick up on math highlights the great differences
14、 in learning styles. “Our ten-year-old, Matthew, needs everything in black and white: Tell him what to do and how to do it, and its done,“ says the mother. “He had a math text that was too colorful, with a layout that was difficult to follow. I switched to a text that was more step-by-step, more con
15、crete. Now he does math tests with no trouble. Our eight-year-old, Ryan, however, is very hands-on. For math, he uses a variety of colorful pens to figure out things like addition and fractions. He needs to see it and feel it. Not one of my kids learns the same way as the others.“ Lesson 4 Let Them
16、See You Learn H) One of the best parts of homeschooling is that you can continue your own education and your kids can see you doing it and pick up on your love of learning. The same principle can be applied by any parent “Learning never ends,“ says Julia Goforth, a homeschooling mother of four. “We
17、try new things all the time, whether Im reading something new or were all tasting foods wed never normally eat“ Reversing the roles also has benefits, giving kids a sense of pride in their own newfound knowledge. “Today my 12-year-old daughter, Denise, explained to me how she figured out a math prob
18、lem. Shed wound up with the right answer, but I didnt understand how she managed it,“ says homeschooler Gina Rozon of La Ronge, Sask. “Our kids are teaching us all the time.“ I) Learning doesnt always go smoothly, for kids and adults alike, which is why its important for children to see their parent
19、s struggle with something new. “My children watched me turn my life around by trying new things,“ says Goforth. “I went from being a fearful, stay-at-home mom to an adventurous artists model and public speaker. Learning belly dance and play the violin is on my to-do list this year.“ Lesson 5 “Own“ Y
20、our Childrens Education J) “Helping them isnt about showing your kids how to do the work. Its about being genuinely interested and having regular conversations about what theyre learning,“ says J. Gary Knowles, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Rozon has many suggestions
21、 for how to get more involved. “Get to know the teacher. Discuss ways to design the assignments to your childs learning style. Spend time in the classroom. Ask for outlines of unit studies so you can find additional materials at the library or through videos. Read your childs textbooks: If you work
22、a few pages ahead, youll be able to help them with problems they encounter.“ K) Reading is another must, says Rozon. “Even after your children can read themselves, hearing somebody else read aloud is important. We nearly always bring a book wherever we go; we read for at least a half hour before bed
23、time.“ The more engaged a parent is, the more the child benefits, adds Bruce Arai. “The evidence is clear. Parental involvement is one of the most important factors in school success. The hours children spend in class are but one element of their education.“ 1 Children who learn best from hands-on p
24、articipation can be classified as kinesthetic learners. 2 Seeing their parents struggle with something new can make the children understand that learning doesnt always go smoothly. 3 Matthew had difficulty with math when the math text was too colorful. 4 Graham thinks that his academic success is du
25、e to the foundation laid by his parents. 5 Parental engagement plays an important role in childrens academic success. 6 As for taking up homeschooling, it is suggested that the resources and chances for learning should be provided in homeschooling. 7 While providing homeschooling for children, paren
26、ts can also continue their own education. 8 According to Rozons suggestion, reading a few pages ahead of your childrens textbooks enables you to help them with problems better. 9 Getting a thorough knowledge of a particular subject can bring a lot of benefits to your child. 10 Julia Goforth believes
27、 that learning never ends, so she is going to learn belly dance and play the violin this year. 10 A Nice Cup of Tea The Legendary Origins of Tea A) The story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, Shen Nung, an early emperor was a skilled ruler, creative scientist a
28、nd lover of the arts. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. The servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from the nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a scientist,
29、the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created. B) Tea consumption spread throughout the Chinese culture reaching into every aspect of the society. In 800 AD. Lu Yu wrote the first definitive book on tea, the Cha C
30、hing. This amazing man was an orphan and raised by scholarly Buddhist monks in one of Chinas finest monasteries. However, as a young man, he rebelled against the discipline of priestly training which had made him a skilled observer. His fame as a performer increased with each year, but he felt his l
31、ife lacked meaning. Finally, in mid-life, he retired for five years into seclusion. Drawing from his vast memory of observed events and places, he codified (编撰 ) the various methods of tea cultivation and preparation in ancient China. The vast definitive nature of his work, projected him into near s
32、ainthood within his own lifetime. Patronized by the Emperor himself, his work clearly showed the Zen Buddhist philosophy to which he was exposed as a child. It was this form of tea service that Zen Buddhist missionaries would later introduce to imperial Japan. Europe Learns of Tea C) While tea was a
33、t this high level of development in both Japan and China, information concerning this then unknown beverage began to filter back to Europe. Earlier caravan leaders had mentioned it, but were unclear as to its service format or appearance. (One reference suggests the leaves be boiled, salted, buttere
34、d, and eaten! ) The first European to personally encounter tea and write about it was the Portuguese Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz in 1560. Portugal, with her technologically advanced navy, had been successful in gaining the first right of trade with China. It was as a missionary on that first commer
35、cial mission that Father de Cruz had tasted tea four years before. D) The Portuguese developed a trade route by which they shipped their tea to Lisbon, and then Dutch ships transported it to France, Holland, and the Baltic countries. (At that time Holland was politically affiliated with Portugal. Wh
36、en this alliance was altered in 1602, Holland, with her excellent navy, entered into full Pacific trade in her own right.) Great Britain was the last of the three great sea-faring nations to break into the Chinese and East Indian trade routes. This was due in part to the unsteady ascension to the th
37、rone of the Stuarts and the Cromwellian Civil War. The first samples of tea reached England between 1652 and 1654. Tea quickly proved popular enough to replace ale as the national drink of England. E) As in Holland, it was the nobility that provided the necessary stamp of approval and so insured its
38、 acceptance. King Charles II had married, while in exile, the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza (1662). Charles himself had grown up in the Dutch capital. As a result, both he and his Portuguese bride were confirmed tea drinkers. When the monarchy was re-established, the two rulers brought th
39、is foreign tea tradition to England with them. As early as 1600 Elizabeth I had founded the John Company for the purpose of promoting Asian trade. When Catherine de Braganza married Charles she brought as part of her dowry the territories of Tangier and Bombay. Suddenly, the John Company had a base
40、of operations. F) Tea mania swept across England as it had earlier spread throughout France and Holland. Tea importation rose from 40,000 pounds in 1699 to an annual average of 240,000 pounds by 1708. Tea was drunk by all levels of society. G) Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the Engli
41、sh had two main mealsbreakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) experienced a “sinking feeling“ in the late afternoon. Adopting the European tea service format, she inv
42、ited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five oclock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to Lond
43、on, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for “tea and a walking the fields.“ (London at that time still contained large open meadows within the city.) The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern o
44、f service soon merged. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Fo
45、od and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation. Tea Cuisine H) Tea cuisine quickly expanded in range to quickly include wafer thin crustless sandwiches, shrimp or fish paste, toasted breads with jams, and regional British pastries such as scones (Sco
46、ttish) and crumpets (English). At this time two distinct forms of tea services evolved: “High“ and “Low“. “Low“ Tea (served in the low part of the afternoon) was served in aristocratic homes of the wealthy and featured small delicious food rather than solid meals. The emphasis was on presentation an
47、d conversation. “High“ Tea or “Meat Tea“ was the main or “High“ meal of the day. It was the major meal of the middle and lower classes and consisted of mostly full dinner items such as roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas, and of course, tea, I) Tea was the major beverage served in the coffee houses, b
48、ut they were so named because coffee arrived in England some years before tea Exclusively for men, they were called “Penny Universities“ because for a penny any man could obtain a pot of tea, a copy of the newspaper, and engage in conversation with the sharpest wits of the day. The various houses sp
49、ecialized in selected areas of interest, some serving attorneys, some authors, others the military. They were the forerunner of the English gentlemens private club. One such beverage house was owned by Edward Lloyd and was favored by shipowners, merchants and marine insurers. That simple shop was the origin of Lloyds, the worldwide insurance firm. Attempts to close the coffee houses were made throughout the eighteenth century because of the free speech they encouraged, but such measures proved so unpopular they were always quickly revoked. J) Experi
