Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical（批判性的）thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes（过程）. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word "critical" here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen—beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning (错误的推理).
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker; if you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today's world, fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banish Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein, Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, "Please go slowly, I don't understand things quickly."
1.Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically,__________.
A.it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast
B.we will follow the ideas of others naturally
C.we might be controlled by other people's ideas
D.we might be fooled by other people's ideas
2.If you are a critical thinker, you will________.
A.criticize other people for their mistakes B.trust the reports in the newspapers
C.take one view against another view D.think deeply about different ideas
3.In the last paragraph, "something new" suggests that________.
A.the smarter you are, the faster you do things
B.intelligence is not decided by speed
C.speed can improve intelligence
D.the faster you do things, the smarter you become
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Understanding Critical Thinking B.Thinking and Critical Thinking
C.Thinking Natural and Human D.Thinking Fast Means Intelligence
I grew up in a home with a mother who believes that vaccines (疫苗) cause brain damage, and do not contribute to the health and safety of a society. The only shot I received was for tetanus (破伤风) when I was two months old. After that, nothing.
At the beginning of each school year, I was very nervous. Delayed term paper? Mischievous (捣蛋的) behavior? Late for school? None of them. I’d be pulled out of class and brought to the headmaster’s office. The school doctor would tell me I hadn’t received any of the necessary shots to attend school. But the same thing occurred each time: my mom would free me from the shots and nothing would happen.
After doing a lot of research, I found although people who don’t vaccinate their children make up only a relatively small group, they can cause major consequences. People who, for health or age reasons, cannot receive vaccines are at a higher risk of catching a preventable disease.
Eventually, I turned 18. In Ohio, where I live, I had to wait until I became a legal adult to make the decision to receive vaccine shots. A huge factor in taking the step to ensure my health was the message board website Reddit. Last November, I asked Reddit users for advice about what vaccines to ask for and how to go about getting them from a doctor. After my post received more than 1,000 comments, I made an appointment with my family physician. Despite how strongly my mother felt, I went through with it anyway.
I did something every person should do. It wasn’t special in any way. Vaccines protect the health and safety of not only yourself but also other people. Vaccination is important because someone could die if you don’t get vaccinated. This was the biggest reason I got vaccines despite the opposition.
1.Why was the author called to the headmaster’s office at the beginning of each school year?
A.He was late for school.
B.He didn’t behave himself at school.
C.He couldn’t hand in his term paper on time.
D.He was hardly ever vaccinated.
2.How might the author’s mother have felt about his appointment with the family physician?
A.Annoyed. B.Grateful.
C.Thrilled. D.Guilty.
3.What does the author mainly want to tell us through his story?
A.Listening to your mother pays off.
B.Doing the right thing matters.
C.Keeping fit is the best policy.
D.Asking for advice helps.
假定你是班长李华，计划春节前全班同学到孔子博物馆参观。请你给外教Mr. Henry写封邮件，邀请他参加，内容包括：
1. 发出邀请；
2. 活动安排；
3. 注意事项。
注意: 1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇:孔子博物馆 Confucius Museum
Dear Mr. Henry,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours，
Li Hua
阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。将答案填写在答题纸的相应位置。
In order to encourage literacy (读写能力) among kids who are more used to playing on their smart devices. LA County 1.(library) are no longer charging library late fees for young readers. To make it even 2.(easy) for the kids, their schools have also signed up for library cards for them.
For those 3. already have a late fee balance, the library offers a unique way to pay it back by reading it away.
Kids can now go to their local library and tell the librarian that they would like 4.(pay) off their balance. In turn, the Librarian will start a timer and for every hour kids spends reading $5 5.(take) off of their debt. At least 100 students every week 6.(read) away their debt and a total of 3, 500 blocked accounts have been cleared. This debt relief can also be used for paying off lost or 7.(damage) books as well.
The program has already had a major effect 8. readership in the county. 15,000 kids have used their new library cards and parents said they allowed their children to check out books due to the 9.(decide).
10. seems that the smell of old books can still have a place in the younger generation’s hearts — they just need a bit of encouragement.
My teacher Mr. Bush is the most positive person I’ve ever met. He has the ability to _____positiveness to young students.
He always smiles and never gets ____ at students. Once I met some ____ because I felt overshadowed by my brother, who seemed to be doing great in every way. Hopelessness ___ me whenever I was in a classroom. But that all ____ when I met my teacher for life, Mr. Bush. Having found out about my problems, he just kept ____ me. Because of Mr. Bush, my world was filled with ____ and power.
A few weeks ago, everyone in my class was feeling a bit ____ because of a bad day at school. But things got ____ after a close of Mr. Bush’s class. He drew a picture on the whiteboard that ____ a half-full glass of water. He then said, “Class, the point of view in which you look at things will ____ your feelings. Like this glass of water; some people see it and think ‘What! Only half a glass of water. How ____ I am.’ Whereas other people think ‘Wow, I’m so thirsty. Great! Half a glass of water for me!’ It all is in the ____ you think.”
Mr. Bush’s ____ way of thinking always makes me feel glad and ____. I will always remember him.
1.A.pass on B.apply for C.consist of D.give up
2.A.strict B.patient C.mad D.curious
3.A.friends B.needs C.realities D.difficulties
4.A.drowned B.resisted C.cured D.relaxed
5.A.happened B.changed C.solved D.included
6.A.forgiving B.calming C.encouraging D.calling
7.A.sunshine B.fear C.surprise D.disappointment
8.A.cheerful B.down C.eager D.afraid
9.A.warmer B.higher C.better D.happier
10.A.served B.filled C.bought D.showed
11.A.hurt B.care about C.give away D.affect
12.A.pleased B.unfortunate C.bright D.perfect
13.A.way B.direction C.end D.past
14.A.different B.optimistic C.special D.important
15.A.proud B.careful C.lonely D.hopeful
Which do you like better: breakfast or lunch? 1. Brunch gets its name from the first two letters of breakfast (br-) and the last four letters of lunch (-unch).
2.. They liked to go hunting. During the hunting break, they would enjoy a mid-morning meal that included meat, eggs and many other things.
Today, it is a meal eaten around late morning to early afternoon, usually on weekends. It might seem like a simple meal, but sometimes it raises breakfast to an artistic level. For example, ordinary pancakes might be changed to blueberry pancakes.
In Melbourne, brunch culture is also being welcomed. I decided to try it with my friend. We visited a cafe that is famous for its flower theme. 3.
This theme is also shown in its food and drinks. The pink rose tea latte (拿铁) had real rose petals (花瓣) on top. 4. For the main course (主菜), I chose the soft-shell crab. The crab was placed in a bread bowl with some fried crab claws (爪) on the top.
The brunch greatly satisfied my appetite (食欲). 5.
A. It tasted as sweet as it looked.
B. Lack of food is the main cause of brunch.
C. Well, with brunch you don’t have to choose!
D. Though I was full, I still wanted to have another one.
E. Rich British people are believed to have invented brunch.
F. Even if I was busy with work, I still spent enough time having breakfast.
G. There was a wall full of various types of fresh and colorful flowers.
