Today, in many high schools, teaching is now a technical miracle of computer labs, digital cameras, DVD players and laptops. Teachers can e-mail parents, post messages for students on online bulletin(公告，告示) boards, and take attendance with a quick movement of a mouse.
Even though we are now living in the digital age, the basic and most important element of education has not changed. Most students still need that one-on-one, teacher-student relationship to learn and to succeed. Teenagers need instruction in English, math or history, but they also want personal advice and encouragement. Kids talk with me about their families, their weekend plans, their favorite TV shows and their relationship problems. In my English and journalism classes, we talk about Shakespeare and persuasive(富有哲理的) essays, but we also discuss college basketball, the war in Iraq and career choices. Students show me pictures of their rebuilt cars, their family vacations, and their newborn baby brothers. This personal connection is the necessary link between teachers and students that no amount of technology can improve upon or replace.
A few years ago I had a student in sophomore English who was struggling with my class and with school in general. Although he was a humorous young man who liked to joke around, I knew his family life was far from ideal. Whenever I approached him about missing homework or low test grades, he always had the same reply, “It doesn't matter because I'm quitting school anyway.” Even though he always said this in a half-teasing way, I knew he needed to hear my different opinion and my “value of a high school education” lecture. He needed to hear this speech from me. After he left my class, he struggled through the next two years of school. But, he did finally graduate because we kept telling him to hang in there. We’d cared about him finishing school.
Recently, I saw this former student working at a local Italian restaurant. I told him again how proud I was of him. He said that he was hoping to go back to school to become a certified electrician. I encouraged him to get that training.
Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process—the human one.
1.The first paragraph mainly talks about _____________.
A. the variety of modern teaching methods.
B. the wide use of modern technology in education
C. the importance of teacher-parent relationship.
D. the importance of using modern technology.
2.The underlined word “ compassionate” in Para 5 means ____________.
A. ambitious B. knowledgeable C. sympathetic D. generous
3. According to the text, the most important element in education is _________.
A. teachers’ good instruction B. advanced technology
C. teachers’ encouragement D. personal connection
4.The author states his view of education by __________.
A. example B. description C. figure D. comparison
My friend John always has something to tell me. He knows so much that 21 men have to have older and more worldly wise men to tell them, 22 , who to trust, how to care for others and how to live life 23 the fullest.
Recently, John lost his 24 Janet. For eight years she fought against cancer, but in the end her sickness had the last 25 . One day John took out a folded piece of 26 from his wallet. He had found it, so he told me, when he 27 up some drawers at home.
It was a 28 love letter Janet had written. The note could look like a school girl’s scrawls(潦草地写，乱涂) about her dream guy. 29 the letter was written by a woman who had had seven children, a woman who fought for her life and who 30 only had a few months left to live.
It was 31 a beautiful recipe (处方，食谱) for how to keep a marriage together. Janet’s 32 of her husband begins like this, “Loved me. Took care of me. Worried about me.”
“Helped me when I was ill.” The next 33 reads. After that she turned 34 the paper and added “Warmth. Humor. Kindness. Thoughtfulness.” And then she writes about the husband she has 35 with and loved most in her life. “ 36 there when I needed you.” The last words she wrote 37 all the others. I can see her for me when she added thoughtfully “Good friend.”
I stand beside John now, and cannot pretend to know how it feels to lose someone who is as close to 38 as Janet was to him. I need to 39 what he has to say much more than he needs to talk.
“John,” I ask. “How do you stick together with someone through 38 years—not to mention the sickness? How do I know 40 I can bear to stand by my wife’s side if she becomes sick one day?”
“You can.” he says quietly, “ If you love her enough, you can.”
1.A. old B. wise C. young D. foolish
2.A. for instance B. at no time C. in that case D. as a matter of fact
3.A. in B. to C. at D. for
4.A. friend B. colleague C. wife D. sister
5.A. possibility B. chance C. hope D. word
6.A. handkerchief B. cloth C. leather D. paper
7.A. fixed B. looked C. tidied D. put
8.A. small B. long C. descriptive D. talkative
9.A. So B. But C. And D. While
10.A. probably B. surely C. certainly D. definitely
11.A. only B. firstly C. lastly D. also
12.A. imagination B. description C. dream D. expectation
13.A. letter B. note C. line D. paragraph
14.A. away B. down C. off D. over
15. A. lived B. dealt C. quarreled D. argued
16.A. Constantly B. Always C. Never D. Seldom
17.A. take the place of B. get rid of C. take away D. sum up
18.A. me B. Janet C. John D. you
19.A. speak up B. repeat C. discuss D. hear
20.A. why B. where C. if D. when
What a pity. If I had caught that flight, I ____ over the Pacific Ocean now.
A. would fly B. would have flown
C. would be flying D. were flying
I don’t think it easy, even if we work hard, _____ the South Korea and the North Korea to sit down to talk at present.
A. persuaded B. to persuade C. persuade D. persuading
He is considered to be a gifted manager, ____ with a quick mind and good humor.
A. one B. each C. that D. who
____ what I had previously thought, my new deskmate turned out to be a very interesting guy.
A. Instead of B. In spite of C. Contrary to D. Because of
