Essay is optional and no penalties(处罚) for wrong answers. These changes will take place in SAT college exam. The changes include the use of some words more commonly used in school and on the job instead of the words such as “prevaricator” and “sagacious”.
College Board officials said the change is needed to make the exam better representative of what students study in high school and the skills they need to succeed in college and afterward. The new exam will be rolled out in 2016, so this year’s ninth graders will be the first to take it, in their junior year. The new SAT will continue to test reading, writing and math skills, with an emphasis on analysis. Scoring will return to a 1,600-point scale last used in 2004, with a separate score for the optional essay. For the first time, students will have the option of taking the test on computers.
They also said many students who are terrified they will be tested on lots of SAT words currently can ask for help: practicing with flashcards. They know flashcards are not the best way to build real word knowledge that lasts, but when the SAT rolls around they become the royal road. Students stop reading and start flipping.
The essay will be changed in other ways, too. It will measure students’ ability to analyze and explain how an author builds an argument and it will also be up to colleges whether the essay will be required. Each exam will include a passage drawn from “founding documents”: such as the Declaration of Independence or from discussions they’ve inspired. Instead of testing a wide range of math concepts, the new exam will focus on a few areas, like algebra, thought to be most needed for college and life afterward. A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions, instead of on the entire math portion(部分).
Jim Rawlins, the director of admissions at the University of Oregon, said the changes will potentially help the students but it will take a few years to know its influence, after the students go on to college. He said some colleges are still dealing with questions about the changes made in 2005, such as how to consider the essay portion. The criticism of the SAT is that students from wealthier families do better on the exam because they can afford expensive test preparation classes.
The SAT was taken last year by 1.7 million students. It has historically been more popular on the coasts, while the other main standardized college entrance exam, the ACT, dominated the central U.S. The ACT took over the SAT in total use in 2012, partly because it is taken by almost every junior in 13 states as part of those states’ testing scheme(方案).
ACT president Jon Erickson said when hearing of the SAT changes, his reaction was that they could’ve been talking about the ACT now. “I didn’t hear anything new and different, so I was a little left wanting, at least at the end of this first announcement,” Erickson said .
Bob Schaeffer, education director at the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, or FairTest, said it is laudable(值得称道的) that the SAT will provide free test preparation, but it is unlikely to make a dent in the market for such preparation. He also said the new test is unlikely to be better than the current one. His organization has a database with institutions that don't require ACT or SAT scores to make admissions decisions.
1.We can learn from the third paragraph that flashcards_________.
A. will become the only way to test words
B. can help students get ready for SAT words
C. can help students memorize the words forever
D. are the best way for the students to get high scores
2.SAT exams will be less required in 2016 with the purpose of _________.
A. getting more students interested in the entrance exam
B. making it easier for students to be admitted into colleges
C. offering chances for the students to be tested on every subject
D. testing the students better on the knowledge and skills they’ve learnt
3.The change in the 2016’s SAT college entrance exam include the following EXCEPT that _________.
A. students will use calculators if they get stuck in certain math questions
B. some words that are uncommonly used won’t appear in the exam
C. students will be given the chance to take the test on computers
D. students will be tested on a wide range of math concepts
4.According to Jim Rawlins, _________.
A. the changes are mainly aimed at students from the rich family
B. the changes will force students to give up writing essay
C. the changes will probably have some bad influence
D. the changes will be of no benefit to students
5.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the ACT ?
A. It is more popular in the coastal cities.
B. More than 1.7 million students took it last year.
C. Jon Erickson felt worried about the SAT changes.
D. It has been the most popular college entrance exam so far.
As children begin to head back to school, there are several things that you can do to make sure that your child stays healthy and performs at their peak potential during the school year.
1. Make sure your child is up to date on their immunizations(免疫). The summer is a good time to schedule visits to the doctor’s as your child is not in school, and the visit won’t require that your child miss school days.
2. Encourage proper nutrition. America faces childhood obesity(肥胖). This means that the percentage of overweight children is increasing each year, and this will place your child at risk of developing a variety of diseases when they are middle age or even young adults. You can start helping your child to become healthier by offering fruits and vegetables at home instead of calorie heavy potato chips and candy.
3. Get your child involved in sports activities. Activities in high school such as track and cross-country are important for socialization for your child, as well as helping to improve their health. You can get your child interested in wholesome activities by discussing with them how you enjoyed similar activities in high school.
4. Have the birds and the bees conversation with your child. Many children become sexually active in junior school and senior high school, and the sooner you discuss sex with your child the sooner they will be prepared. Tell your child that there is always the possibility of infecting a sexual disease when two people have sex; and discuss with your child the use of condoms. The sooner you start having this embarrassing situation the better.
5. Know your child’s friends. You can do this by inviting your child to bring their friends over to your house for a pizza night, or by chatting with them when they stop by your house. If you find your child’s friend has a bad reputation, then you could consider introducing your child to a different network of people, such as through the girl/boy scouts. Forbidding your child from seeing a certain person may only lead them to rebel and become closer to that person.
6. Discuss with your child the seriousness of drug use and abuse. Your child may not realize that using drugs can have serious consequences. Your child may get the false impression that drug use is his right. Explain to a child that saying no to drugs is their right, and that anybody offering them drugs is not their friend.
7. Help your child to avoid a life long smoking addiction by discussing with them the consequences of smoking. The sad fact is that most smokers became addicted when they were in their teenage years, and are unable to quit for long periods of time and often die many years earlier due to their smoking habit which increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and a variety of medical conditions. Even if you are a smoker yourself, you can discuss with your child about how damaging smoking can be on a person’s health.
8. Impress upon your child the importance of traffic rules. Tell them that it is OK to wear a seat belt in anyone’s car, because it may save their life one day. If your child rides a bicycle or a skateboard, then discuss with them the importance of always wearing a helmet. As you child becomes qualified for driver’s permit, you should discuss with them the importance of prevention from drinking and driving.
9. Be cautious about signs of depression in childhood. A surprisingly large number of children may become depressed, and a small number of teenagers and children commit suicide(自杀) each year. Realize that any signs of unusual depressed mood, angry outbursts, suicidal comments, feelings of hopelessness, and loss of enjoyment of activities with friends may be signs of depression.
1.What topic is NOT discussed in this passage?
A. Traffic B. Smoking
C. Depression D. Study
2.The first three tips focus on children’s .
A. medical care B. nutritious food
C. physical health D. sports activities
3.“Have the birds and the bees conversation with your child” means “ ” .
A. have a humorous talk to children about sex
B. tell children stories about the animal world
C. give a formal expert education to children
D. deliver lectures to children on sex diseases
4.This passage is meant for parents to .
A. teach their children to behave well
B. prepare their children for a new term
C. educate their children after school
D. train their children for special ability
Sometimes successful health campaigns can have quite unexpected reactions. The years of warnings about skin cancer mean that Britons are happy to cover themselves in sunscreen or stay out of the sun altogether, but it also means that most of us are not getting enough vitamin D.
Scientists announced yesterday that Britons need to increase to three times the amount of vitamin D they get per day. They called on food producers to fortify(强化)their products with more of the vitamin and suggested people should consider taking supplements(补充物) to keep levels up. They also suggested getting out in the sun for short periods more often, but they warned against “sun bingeing”.
The government does not publish official advice on the amount of vitamin D people should take due to a lack of research, says Dr Birgit Teucher of the Institute for Food Research. But in the US, the government recommends 5 micrograms a day. By that count, Dr Birgit Teucher said that around 90% of Britons between 19 and 64 would be lacking in the vitamin because they only took around 3 micrograms a day.
Vitamin D is important for absorption of calcium(钙)by the body, which is needed for healthy teeth and bones. A lack of it can lead to serious diseases in both children and adults. The vitamin can be found in some foods but it can also be obtained from chemicals in the skin reacting to sunlight. Dr Barbara Boucher said adults should get 5 to 25 micrograms a day. Shortage of vitamin D may be linked to diseases such as muscle weakness, high blood pressure and rickets(佝偻病).
Dr Birgit Teucher gave several reasons for the lack among Britons. Increasing numbers of office-based jobs mean a lack of exposure to the sun; and the rise of becoming overweight means that vitamin D—which is fat soluble(可溶解的)一is increasingly stored in body fat, where it cannot be accessed readily.
Professor Brian Wharton of the Institute of Child Health said that children in particular needed to have enough vitamin D to prevent rickets.
Professor Graham Bentham, an environmental scientist at the University of East Anglia, added that babies who were only breast-fed probably need to take supplements in case their mother was vitamin D lacking. Those drinking milk were likely to be OK, thanks to the fortification of the drink.
The scientists called on food producers to fortify milk, bread and breakfast nutrient to enable people to get their daily amount of the vitamin. Prof Graham Bentham added that 30 minutes of sun exposure to the face and forearms between April and October would be sufficient. Outside these months, the sun is not strong enough in Britain for the body to produce its own vitamin D.
But Prof Graham Bentham warned against spending too long in the sun. “Sun bingeing is well known to be dangerous,” he said. “In any case, vitamin D transformation in the skin switches off after a while so short frequent amounts are better for vitamin D formation.”
1.From Paragraphs l&2 we can infer that_________.
A. some health campaigns are very successful
B. people are lacking in various vitamins
C. Britons are advised not to get out in the sun
D. vitamin D can be obtained by staying in the sun
2.The word “sufficient” (Paragraph 8) is the closest in meaning to _________.
A. enough B. proper
C. familiar D. available
3.From the passage, we can conclude_________.
A. the babies who were only breast—fed certainly need to take vitamin D supplements
B. a large quantity of vitamin D stored in body fat is the primary reason for being overweight
C. the sunlight can produce adequate vitamin D that the body needs all year round
D. vitamin D is vital for the body to absorb calcium needed for healthy teeth and bones
4.The government doesn’t give official advice on the amount of vitamin D because_________.
A. they think it is harmful for health
B. they don’t want to be blamed
C. they aren’t confident of its function
D. they haven’t concrete proof
5.Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?
A. Humorous. B. Objective.
C. Pessimistic. D. One-sided.
My friend BJ Gallagher once worked as a training manager for a large newspaper, which was more than a hundred years old. The company’s past had blinded the authorities to the need for change, and they new ideas and would say “This is the way we’ve always done it.”. As the years went by, BJ grew more and more with their short-sightedness. Finally, she left the company. But she found that she hadn’t left her behind when she resigned. She carried it with her, like “rocks in the stomach”.
“I finally decided to about my experiences and my feelings. I it would be a good mental health . I wanted to be rid of that company and those people, once and for all. So I wrote and wrote. It wasn’t just a story that poured out — it was a whole ! My resentment (怨恨) my writing. The whole world would know how they were!”
“What when the book came out?” I asked BJ.
“Not much,” she replied, “The newspaper kept doing what it had done. My feelings didn’t them one bit, but it took me several more years to finally my negative emotions. Finally, the time came when I decided to make amends (修正) for the angry things I had said about the company. I my former boss to dinner and made my . I told him I was sorry for being so resentful. It was a great healing process for me.”
“What was the outcome?” I asked her.
“Gratitude,” she replied, “Not only wasn’t I resentful any more, but I was grateful to the company. If I hadn’t had those experiences, I never would have written a book. And the book became hugely successful — now in 21 languages. In short, my resentment gave way to gratitude.”
She smiled, “I owe them a debt of thanks for giving me such a great tale to tell.”
Trading resentments for gratitude isn’t always easy. But it’s worth it, gratitude is a far happier feeling than resentment.
1.A. skill B. management C. success D. business
2.A. resisted B. got C. broke D. shaped
3.A. moved B. frustrated C. excited D. surprised
4.A. sadness B. worry C. doubt D. anger
5.A. think B. care C. write D. talk
6.A. proved B. figured C. concluded D. agreed
7.A. exercise B. suggestion C. lecture D. theory
8.A. diary B. lesson C. accident D. book
9.A. prevented B. delayed C. fueled D. corrected
10.A. sensitive B. successful C. greedy D. stupid
11.A. happened B. reported C. received D. resulted
12.A. sometimes B. always C. recently D. already
13.A. forgive B. reward C. bother D. cheat
14.A. think of B. get over C. pass on D. look through
15.A. invited B. called C. persuaded D. followed
16.A. promise B. apology C. plan D. decision
17.A. only B. natural C. direct D. final
18.A. useful B. funny C. painful D. shameful
19.A. finished B. edited C. read D. published
20.A. for B. though C. but D. and
---Hi, Mike! We’re going biking along the beach this weekend.
---_______. I love being bathed in the sunshine.
A. By all means B. Count me in
C. Go ahead D. With pleasure
At the end of the holiday, traffic_______ on the freeway as people headed home.
A. put up B. picked up
C. took up D. built up
