Where does this conversation take place?

A．In a classroom.                   B．In a hospital.                      C．In a museum.

What does Jack want to do?

A．Take fitness classes.

B．Buy a pair of gym shoes.

C．Change his work schedule.

What are the speakers talking about?

A．What to drink.                    B．Where to meet.                   C．When to leave.

    For Canaan Elementary’s second grade in Patchogue, N.Y., today is speech day, and right now it’s Chris Palaez’s turn. The 8-year-old is the joker of the class. With shining dark eyes, he seems like the kind of kid who would enjoy public speaking.

But he’s nervous. “I’m here to tell you today why you should … should…” Chris trips on the “-ld,” a pronunciation difficulty for many non-native English speakers. His teacher, Thomas Whaley, is next to him, whispering support. “…Vote for …me …” Except for some stumbles, Chris is doing amazingly well. When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion, Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him.

A son of immigrants, Chris stared learning English a little over three years ago. Whaley recalls(回想起) how at the beginning of the year, when called upon to read, Chris would excuse himself to go to the bathroom.

Learning English as a second language can be a painful experience. What you need is a great teacher who lets you make mistakes. “It takes a lot for any student,” Whaley explains, “especially for a student who is learning English as their new language, to feel confident enough to say, ‘I don’t know, but I want to know.’”

Whaley got the idea of this second-grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children one day to raise their hands if they thought they could never be a president. The answer broke his heart. Whaley says the project is about more than just learning to read and speak in public. He wants these kids to learn to boast(夸耀) about themselves.

“Boasting about yourself, and your best qualities,” Whaley says, “is very difficult for a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident.”

24．What made Chris nervous?

A．Telling a story.                                          B．Making a speech.

C．Taking a test.                                             D．Answering a question.

25．What does the underlined word “stumbles” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Improper pauses.    B．Bad manners.          C．Spelling mistakes.   D．Silly jokes.

26．We can infer that the purpose of Whaley’s project is to _________.

A．help students see their own strengths

B．assess students’ public speaking skills

C．prepare students for their future jobs

D．inspire students’ love for politics

27．Which of the following best describes Whaley as a teacher?

A．Humorous.             B．Ambitious.             C．Caring.                  D．Demanding.

  During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.

Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.

Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”

In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status                        has just the opposite effect on us.”

Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.

In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, ” he said.

32．What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?

A．Unkind.                 B．Lonely.                   C．Generous.               D．Cool.

33．What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The classification of the popular.

B．The characteristics of adolescents.

C．The importance of interpersonal skills.

D．The causes of dishonorable behavior.

34．What did Dr. Prinstein’s study find about the most liked kids?

A．They appeared to be aggressive.

B．They tended to be more adaptable.

C．They enjoyed the highest status.

D．They performed well academically.

35．What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Nice—You Won’t Finish Last

B．The Higher the Status, the Better

C．Be the Best—You Can Make It

D．More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness