Passage3
Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
TheideaofaspecialdaytohonormotherswasfirstputforwardinAmericain1907.twoyearslaterawoman,Mrs.JohnBruceDodd,inthestateofWashingtonproposedasimilardaytohonortheheadofthefamily—thefather.Hermotherdiedwhenshewasveryyoung,andherfatherbroughtherup.Shelovedherfatherverymuch.
InresponsetoMrs.Dodd’sideathatsameyear—1909,thestategovernorofWashingtonproclaimed(宣布)thethirdSundayinJuneFather’sDay.TheideawasofficiallyapprovedbyPresidentWoodrowWilsonin1916.in1924,PresidentCalvinCoolidgerecommendednationalobservanceoftheoccasion“toestablishmoreintimate(亲密)relationsbetweenfathersandtheirchildren,andtoimpressuponfathersthefullmeasureoftheirobligations.”TheredorwhiteroseisrecognizedastheofficialFather’sDayflower.
Father’sDaytooklongertoestablishonanationalscalethanMother’sDay,butastheideagrainedpopularity,tradesmenandmanufacturersbegantoseethecommercialpossibilities.Theyencouragedsonsanddaughterstohonortheirfatherswithsmallthank-youpresents,suchasatieorpairofsocks,aswellasbysendinggreetingcards.
DuringtheSecondWorldWar,AmericanservicemenstationedinBritainbegantorequestFather’sDaygreetingcardstosendhome.ThisgeneratedaresponsewithBritishcardpublishers.ThoughatfirsttheBritishpublicwasslowtoacceptthisratherartificialday,it’snowwellcelebratedinBritainonthethirdSundayinJuneinmuchthesamewayasinAmerica.
Father’sDayseemstobemuchlessimportantasoccasionthantheMother’sDay.Notmanyofthechildrenoffertheirfatherssomepresents.ButtheAmericanfathersstillthinktheyaremuchbetterfatedthanthefathersofmanyothercountries,whohavenotevenadayfortheirsakeinnameonly.
11.WhendidFather’sDayofficiallybegintohavenationalpopularity?
A.1907B.1909C.1916D.1924
12.WhofirststartedtheideaofholdingtheFather’sDay?
A.Mrs.JohnBruceDoddB.Mrs.JohnBruce’sMother
C.ThegovernmentofWashington.D.Somebusinessmen.
13.WhatflowerwillbepopularonFather’sDay?
A.LilyB.WaterLilyC.RedroseorwhiteroseD.Sunflower.
14.Whichstatementistrue,aaccordingtothispassage?
A.IttookevenlongerforMother’sDaytogainnationalpopularity.
B.ThebusinessmenhelpedtomakeFather’sDaypopular.
C.Father’sDayisonlycelebratedinAmerica.
D.Father’sDayisonlyatrickofthebusinessmentomakemoney.
15.WhatwasthefirstreactionoftheBritishpublishingtowardsFather’sDay?
A.Theythoughthighlyofitandaccepteditatonce.
B.Theyjustaccepteditatoncewithoutanyhesitation.
C.Theyjustthoughtitajoke.
D.Theythoughtitwastooartificialandtookalongtimetoaccept.
Whatdoesthefutureholdfortheproblemofhousing?Agooddealdepends,ofcourse,onthemeaningof“future”.Ifoneisthinkingintermsofsciencefictionandthespaceage,itisatleastpossibletoassumethatmanwillhavesolvedsuchtrivialandearthlyproblemsashousing.Writersofsciencefiction,fromH.G.Wellsonwards,havehadlittletosayonthesubject.Theyhaveconveyedthesuggestionthatmenwillliveingreatcomfort,witheveryconceivableapparatustomakelifesmooth,healthyandeasy,ifnothappy.Buttheyhavenotsaidwhathishousewillbemadeof.Perhapssomenewbuildingmaterial,asyetunimagined,willhavebeendiscoveredorinventedatleast.Onemaybecertainthatbricksandmortar(泥灰，灰浆)willlonghavegoneoutoffashion.
Buttheproblemsofthenextgenerationortwocanmorereadilybeimagined.Scientistshavealreadypointedoutthatunlesssomethingisdoneeithertorestricttheworld’srapidgrowthinpopulationortodiscoveranddevelopnewsourcesoffood(orboth),millionsofpeoplewillbedyingofstarvationoratthebestsufferingfromunderfeedingbeforethiscenturyisout.Butnobodyhasyetworkedoutanyplanforhousingthesegrowingpopulations.Admittedlytheworstsituationswilloccurinthehottestpartsoftheworld,wherehousingcanbelightstructureorinbackwardareaswherestandardsaretraditionallylow.Buteventheminimumshelterrequiresmaterialsofsomekindandintheteeming,bulgingtownsthelow-standard“housing”offlattenedpetrolcansanddirtycanvasisfarmorewastefulofgroundspacethancanbetolerated.
Sincethewar,HongKonghassufferedthekindofcrisiswhichislikelytoariseinmanyotherplacesduringthenextgeneration.Literallymillionsofrefugeesarrivedtoswellthealreadygrowingpopulationandemergencystepshadtobetakenrapidlytopreventsqualor(肮脏)anddiseaseandthespreadcrime.Thecityistacklingthesituationenergeticallyandenormousblocksoftenements(贫民住宅)arerisingatanastonishingaped.ButHongKongisonlyonesmallpartofwhatwillcertainlybecomeavastproblemandnotmerelyahousingproblem,becausewhenpopulationgrowsatthisratethereareaccompanyingproblemsofeducation,transport,hospitalservices,drainage,watersupplyandsoon.NoteveryareamaygivethesameresourcesasHongKongtodrawuponandthesearchforquickerandcheapermethodsofconstructionmustnevercease.
1.Whatistheauthor’sopinionofhousingproblemsinthefirstparagraph?
A.Theymaybecompletelysolvedatsometimeinthefuture.
B.Theyareunimportantandeasilydealtwith.
C.Theywillnotbesolveduntilanewbuildingmaterialhasbeendiscovered.
D.Theyhavebeendealtwithinspecificdetailinbooksdescribingthefuture.
2.Thewriterissurethatinthedistantfuture___.
A.bricksandmortarwillbereplacedbysomeotherbuildingmaterial.
B.anewbuildingmaterialwillhavebeeninvented.
C.bricksandmortarwillnotbeusedbypeoplewhowanttheirhousetobefashionable.
D.anewwayofusingbricksandmortarwillhavebeendiscovered.
3.Thewriterbelievesthatthebiggestproblemlikelytoconfronttheworldbeforetheendofthecentury___.
A.isdifficulttoforesee.
B.willbehowtofeedtheevergrowingpopulation.
C.willbehowtoprovideenoughhousesinthehottestpartsoftheworld.
D.isthequestionoffindingenoughgroundspace.
4.Whenthewritersaysthattheworstsituationswilloccurinthehottestpartsoftheworldorinbackwardareas,heisreferringtothefactthatintheseparts___.
A.standardsofbuildingarelow.
B.onlyminimumshelterwillbepossible.
C.thereisnotenoughgroundspace.
D.thepopulationgrowthwillbethegreatest.
5.WhichofthefollowingsentencesbestsummarizesParagraph3?
A.HongKonghasfacedaseriouscrisiscausedbymillionsofrefugees.
B.HongKonghassuccessfullydealtwiththeemergencycausedbymillionsofrefugees.
C.HongKong’scrisiswasnotonlyamatterofhousingbutincludedanumberofotherproblemsofpopulationgrowth.
D.ManypartsoftheworldmayhavetofacethekindofproblemsencounteredbyHongKongandmayfinditmuchhardertodealwiththem.
Letchildrenlearntojudgetheirownwork.Achildlearningtotalkdoesnotlearnbybeingcorrectedallthetime;ifcorrectedtoomuch,hewillstoptalking.Henoticesathousandtimesadaythedifferencebetweenthelanguagesheusesandthelanguagethosearoundhimuse.Bitbybit,hemakesthenecessarychangestomakehislanguagelikeotherpeople.Inthesameway,whenchildrenlearntodoalltheotherthingstheylearntodowithoutbeingtaught-towalk,run,climb,whistle,rideabicycle-comparethoseperformanceswiththoseofmoreskilledpeople,andslowlymaketheneededchanges.Butinschoolwenevergiveachildachancetofindouthisownmistakesforhimself,letalonecorrectthem.Wedoitallforhim.Weactasifwethoughtthathewouldnevernoticeamistakeunlessitwaspointedouttohim,orcorrectitunlesshewasmadeto.Soonhebecomesdependentontheteacher.Lethimdoithimself.Lethimworkout,withthehelpofotherchildrenifhewantsit,whatthiswordsays,whatansweristothatproblem,whetherthisisagoodwayofsayingordoingthisornot.
Ifitisamatterofrightanswers,asitmaybeinmathematicsorscience,givehimtheanswerbook.Lethimcorrecthisownpapers.Whyshouldweteacherswastetimeonsuchroutinework?Ourjobshouldbetohelpthechildwhenhetellsusthathecan’tfindthewaytogettherightanswer.Let’sendthisnonsenseofgrades,exams,marks,Letusthrowthemallout,andletthechildrenlearnwhatalleducatedpersonsmustsomedaylearn,howtomeasuretheirownunderstanding,howtoknowwhattheyknowordonotknow.
Letthemgetonwiththisjobinthewaythatseemssensibletothem.Withourhelpasschoolteachersiftheyaskforit.Theideathatthereisabodyofknowledgetobelearntatschoolandusedfortherestofone’slifeisnonsenseinaworldascomplicatedandrapidlychangingasours.Anxiousparentsandteacherssay,“Butsupposetheyfailtolearnsomethingessentialtheywillneedtogetintheworld?”Don’tworry!Ifitisessential,theywillgooutintotheworldandlearnit.
1.Whatdoestheauthorthinkisthebestwayforchildrentolearnthings?
A.bycopyingwhatotherpeopledo.
B.bymakingmistakesandhavingthemcorrected.
C.bylisteningtoexplanationsfromskilledpeople.
D.byaskingagreatmanyquestions.
2.Whatdoestheauthorthinkteachersdowhichtheyshouldnotdo?
A.Theygivechildrencorrectanswers.
B.Theypointoutchildren’smistakestothem.
C.Theyallowchildrentomarktheirownwork.
D.Theyencouragechildrentomarktocopyfromoneanother.
3.Thepassagesuggeststhatlearningtospeakandlearningtorideabicycleare___.
A.notreallyimportantskills.
B.moreimportantthanotherskills.
C.basicallydifferentfromlearningadultskills.
D.basicallythesameaslearningotherskills.
4.Exams,grades,andmarksshouldbeabolishedbecausechildren’sprogressshouldonlybeestimatedby___.
A.educatedpersons.
B.thechildrenthemselves.
C.teachers.
D.parents.
5.Theauthorfearsthatchildrenwillgrowupintoadultswhilebeing___.
A.tooindependentofothers.
B.toocriticalofthemselves.
C.incapabletothinkforthemselves.
D.incapabletousebasicskills.
GriffithworkedforafirmthatspecializedineconomicdevelopmentinWashingtonD.C.becausesheneededmoneytopayforherdebt.