Rosie Dutton, a teacher from Relax Kids in Tamworth, UK, used two apples to show her students the often unseen but harmful effects of school bullying(校园欺凌). She posted the lesson on Facebook, where it's been shared more than 160,000 times. 

Rosie Dutton explained that during one of her classes she presented the children with two red apples. What the kids didn’t know was that before the lesson, she had repeatedly dropped one of the apples on the floor. And yet, on the outside at least, both apples looked perfect.

“I picked up the apple I’d dropped on the floor and started to tell the children how I disliked this apple,” Dutton wrote. “I told them that because I didn't like it, I didn't want them to like it either, so they should call it names too.”Some of the children looked at her as if she were “crazy”, but the students passed the apple around the circle, calling it names.

     Continuing the exercise, the teacher then passed the second apple around the circle. This apple, however, was showered with words like: “Your skin is beautiful,” and “ what a beautiful colour you have.”

 Dutton then showed the students both apples once again, stressing that “there was no change, and both apples still looked the same.”

 Finally, Dutton cut both apples open. The apple that the class treated kindly looked fresh inside. But the other apple—the one they’d treated poorly —was bruised（瘀伤的) beneath its skin.

“I think there was a light bulb moment for the children immediately,” Dutton said. “When people are bullied, especially children, they feel horrible inside and sometimes don’t show or tell others how they are feeling. If we hadn’t have cut that apple open, we would never have known how much pain we had caused it.”

   Dutton explained how important it is to teach children to stand up for one another, and to stop any form of bullying.

   “Let’s create a generation of kind caring children,” the teacher wrote. “The tongue has no bones, but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.”

21. What had the teacher done to the first apple before the lesson?

   A. She had introduced it to the kids.              B. She had coloured it brightly.

   C. She had made it look perfect.                   D. She had damaged it purposely.

22. What does the underlined part “calling it names” (Para. 3) mean?

   A.Shouting at it.   B. Making fun of it.    C. Cheering for it.    D. Saying rude things.

23. What did the teacher tell the kids to do with the second apple?

   A. Drop it.           B. Praise it.        C. Ignore it.         D. Respect it.

24. What’s the purpose of the teacher’s using two apples in class?

   A. To draw the kids’ attention.                             

   B. To explain her personal preferences.

   C. To help the kids understand the results of bullying.   

   D. To make a comparison between them.       

    As I enter my 40s, I’ve noticed many of my parents’ generation think social networking is something they are simply unable to understand. They fear that, should they try, they will somehow get it wrong; they will say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing or behave in a way that causes embarrassment(尴尬). But here’s the first secret of social media: Everyone feels this way.

I recently met a young actor who was complaining that her work demands that she join Microblog, but she always feels like she doesn’t have anything smart to say. It’s the same resistance (抵制)I hear from the older generation, who, however, have somehow believed that age is the barrier(障碍), rather than the differences of personal taste.

Here’s the second secret of social media: everybody uses it for more or less the same reasons. Older generations often sign up to stay in touch with children and relatives. We talk about this kind of communication like it’s some old-fashioned activity, but it is exactly why younger people use social media. The truth is that most people use social media to gently keep an eye on one another, to see how those they care about are doing without needing to ring them up on the phone every night.

And this is the last secret of social media: everyone gets to use them in their own way. Newcomers—younger and older—who worry about “getting it right” are thinking that there’s a right way to get them. But actually there isn’t. Personally, I talk a lot on Microblog. And some people post nothing and they use social media every day as readers. Social media companies would rather see people decorating their networks with pictures and posts, but there’s no rule against being a fly on the wall. It’s also a fine way to get involved.

We’re quick to forget that the web wasn’t invented by 13-year-olds; it was created by today’s seniors. I’d never try forcing those with no interest in social networks to use Microblog. But don’t let the talk of age divides put you off. There’s nothing to stop the older generation from joining in the network their own generation created.

25. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?  

  A. To share with us his personal experience using social media.

  B. To free the old generation from fearing using social media.  

  C. To explain why the old generation don’t use social media.

  D. To tell us a few secrets of social media that he discovered.

26.The expression “a fly on the wall” in the 4 ^th paragraph refers to _________.

  A. people who prefer reading online books     B. people who simply observe others’ posts

  C. people who cause trouble to others         D. people who post many fancy pictures

27. According to the author, which is a reason for old people’s fear using social media?

  A. They have no particular interest in social networking.

  B. They prefer staying in touch with relatives in real life.

  C. They believe they may be trapped in embarrassing situations.

  D. They have no idea which contents to post online.

28.Which of the following may best describe the structure of this passage?  

     A.                      B.                           C.                              D.   

I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people kept asking me stories about what it’s like to work in a field under the control of men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the existence of the universe, the shape of space time and the nature of black holes.

 At 19, when I began studying astrophysics(天体物理学), it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the problem started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed from the angle of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures.

 Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would finally become my reply to any and all provocations(挑衅): I don’t talk about that any more. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender problems. Why should removing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.

Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t take no notice of those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the scene of their physics professor heavily pregnant (怀孕）doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.

29.Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

   A. She feels unhappy working in the scientific field.

   B. She finds space research more important. 

   C. She is not good at telling stories of the kind.

   D. She is tired of the sexism in scientific field.

30.From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would think the author’s failures were due to __.

   A. her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist  

   B. her involvement in gender politics

   C. the very fact that she is a woman 

   D. the burden she bears in a male-leading society

31. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?

   A. Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.

   B. Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence.

   C. More female students are going in for science than before.

   D. Her female students can do just as well as male students.

32. What does the image(形象) that the author presents to her students suggest?

       A. Women can balance a career in science and having a family.

       B. Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.

       C. Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation.

       D. Women now have fewer problems going in for a science career.

Four simple ways to stay positive

Trying to stay positive, both in good times and bad, is a great way to improve your quality of life. Try these four methods on a daily basis.

1. Don’t think a lot about negativity.

Of course. Staying positive 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a bit difficult. Letting things get to you is normal, and it’s actually healthy to cry or express frustrations once in a while.

It’s when those negative moments control your life that your emotional balance is at risk.    33    However, don’t give that sadness another second in your day.

2.      34       

What you put into your body directly affects how you feel on the outside. Fill yourself with good, healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and limit snacking. Exercise is equally of great importance. Take a few days out of your week for at least half an hour of activity, and try to stick to it.    35   

3. Be kind to others.

   36   Making someone’s day a bit brighter not only puts a smile on his or her face, but also yours as well. Remember to smile and treat each person with pity and respect. Good deeds are contagious（传染的）, and your positive attitude may spread among others.

4. Take it one day at a time.

Being positive isn’t an instant thing. It’s a steady effort that we follow every hour of every day.   37   Instead, focus on living at the moment and doing what you can to make each moment better.

A. Eat healthy and stay fit.

B. Take your lunch breaks outside.

C. Don’t worry about what the future may bring.

D. Gratefulness helps you appreciate life in bad times.

E. Good feelings come from acts of kindness and selflessness.

F. Take a few minutes to feel sad and accept what happened.

G. Even going outside for a walk and enjoying the sunshine improves your mood.

account for, depend on, team up, settle down, take on, confirm, have a gift for, get away with

1.      As a teacher, she can’t have any students ______________________ cheating in the exam.

2.      China has a population of 1.4 billion, with the aged ________________________ 15.5%.

3.      He wore a puzzled look on his face, ____________________that he didn’t quite follow what she said. .  

4.      To form a music band, they advertised for people __________________singing and performing.

5.      His mind wandered from time to time in class. He should __________________________ to his lessons and taking notes.

6.      Not knowing about each other, they had a hard time in_______________________ to carry out the research at the beginning.

7.      You are promised to get extra pay for extra work, ___________________ your work done.

8.      He_____________ the responsibility for collecting evidence for the trial without giving it a second thought.