Looking past tests (P2)
I. Pre-reading
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
The National College Entrance Exam is drawing near. How do you feel about it?
What do you think of the standardized testing system?
Do you think the present admissions process should be changed? If so, how should it be changed?

II. Reading
Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
1. What should be valued more in American college admissions according to the report mentioned in the text?
A. Students’ essays.
B. Students’ test scores in standardized entry tests.
C. Students’ contributions to public service.
D. Extracurricular activities students have joined.
2. The underlined word “endorsed” in the third paragraph probably means ____.
A. supported   B. criticized   C. provided    D. questioned
3. How could test-optional policies influence students according to the text?
A. High school students could be faced with more stress and pressure.
B. An increasing number of students could be admitted into universities.
C. Students could be encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities more often.
D. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds could have more chances to receive further education.
4. According to the report, those ____ in their applications are more likely to stand out in American college admissions.
A. who mention a lot of extracurricular activities they have joined
B. who show they have devoted themselves to community-service projects
C. who boast of the community work they have done to make them look good
D. who talk about their interests with energy and enthusiasm

Key:
1. C。根据第二段的“Standardized testing could become optional, or at least less important, in US college admissions, according to recommendations from a report released last month. Meanwhile, students’ commitment (奉献) to public service should be promoted, the report suggests.”可知答案为C。
2. A。由第六段的“In fact, a growing number of colleges have made the SAT or ACT optional. More than 850 four-year colleges and universities have test-optional policies”可推知哈佛大学教育研究生院推出的这一报告得到了美国其它大学的支持，所以endorsed 在这里的意思应该是“赞同，支持”，故A为正确答案。
3. D。由第七段可推知D为正确答案。这一新报告主张减少对分数的重视，这从某种意义上能够减少学生的压力，所以A不对，B文中没有提及；由倒数第二段的“The report suggests that colleges discourage long “brag (吹嘘) sheets” by asking students to mention only a limited number of extracurricular activities in their applications”可知，使标准化考试变成可选择的政策并非鼓励学生多参与课外活动，所以C也不对。
4. B。由最后两段可推知B为正确答案。

III. Language study
Study the following sentences.
1. Focused on these standards, the admissions process draws students into “a competitive frenzy”, making students suffer from high pressure, …
句中Focused on …用作状语，修饰主语the admissions process；动词-ing短语making …用作结果状语，表示注重标准化考试成绩的招生过程所导致的结果。 

2. The report suggests that colleges discourage long “brag sheets” by asking students to mention only a limited number of extracurricular activities in their applications, and that colleges better use essays and references to figure out which students’ community-service projects are heartfelt and which are just there to make them look good.
本句中两个that引导的从句都是作suggests的宾语，第一个that引导的宾语从句中by asking … 用作方式状语；在第二个that引导的从句中，两个which引导的从句都作figure out的宾语，to figure out … 用作目的状语。

IV. Post-reading
Further thinking:
What do you think of the test-optional policies mentioned in the article?
Do you think it is necessary for students to be committed to public service? Why or why not?

Social change (P3)
I. Pre-reading
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
For many teenagers around the world, social media has now become a big part of their lives.
Which social media websites or apps do you use most often?
What do you usually do over social media?
How has the use of social media changed your life?

II. Reading
Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
1. What is the article mainly about?
A. The major problems with social media.
B. The impact of social media on teenagers.
C. How teenagers benefit from social media.
D. Why social media appeals so much to teenagers.
2. How does social media change relationships, according to the article?
A. It pushes people to meet their friends more often offline.
B. It encourages people to pay more attention to those around them.
C. It enables users to understand accurately what others are talking about online.
D. It allows people to keep in touch with their friends who live far away more easily.
3. Essena O’Neill decided to disconnect herself from social media because ____.
A. she couldn’t put up with cyberbullying on social media
B. she wanted to spend more time with her friends in reality
C. she was bothered by her desire to look faultless on social media
D. she wanted to reduce her exposure to negative information online
4. Which statement about the use of social media would Armin Korsos probably agree with?
A. The use of social media taught him to turn negative comments into motivations.
B. Social media can easily become an addiction, despite its benefits.
C. Social media is mostly a distraction to teenagers, so it is unnecessary for it to exist.
D. If used well, social media can create opportunities for teenagers to develop themselves.

Key:
1. B。本文的中心句为“The wide spread of social media has changed nearly all parts of teenagers’ life.”下文从三个方面展开阐述社交媒体对青少年生活的影响，所以答案为B。
2. D。从关于“Changing relationships”这一部分的内容可知，社交媒体的使用使得人们面对面交流减少，同时人们在网上交流时，因为不能亲眼看到对方的所做出的反应，所表达的话语涵义可能会有些丢失，所以A、B、C都不对。由文中的“Yet, some people believe social media has made it easier to start relationships with anyone from anywhere.”可推知D为正确答案。
3. C。由文中的“The 19-year-old Essena O’Neill announced on the social networking service Instagram that she was quitting social media because it made her obsessed (痴迷) with appearing perfect online.”可知C为正确答案。
4. D。有最后四段可知，Armin Korsos认为社交媒体是一个很好的平台，可以让青少年更好地向世人展示他们的才华，让人们之间更好地建立联系，但是它也容易让人分心，同时他认为虽然社交媒体也不是一个必不可少的事物，所以选项中只有D为正确答案。

III. Language study
Translate the following sentences.
1. 社交媒体的广泛传播几乎改变了青少年生活的方方面面。
The wide spread of social media has changed nearly all parts of teenagers’ life.
2. 有些人认为社交媒体使得我们可以更容易地与任何地方的任何人建立起联系。
Some people believe social media has made it easier to start relationships with anyone from anywhere.
3. 社交媒体的兴起改变了青少年看待自己的方式。
The rise of social media has changed the way teenagers see themselves.
4. 负面评价也会严重损害青少年的自尊。
Negative comments also can do great damage to a teenager’s self-esteem.
5. 在这些网站上收到负面评价的青少年不能不感到受伤。
Teenagers who get negative comments on these sites can’t help but feel hurt.
6. 社交媒体能够帮助人们展示自己，让他们以一种前所未有的方式向世人展示自己的才华。
Social media can help people show themselves and their talents to the world in a way that has never been possible before.

Proving my coach wrong (P6)
I. Pre-reading
Discuss the following questions with your partner.
Suppose your parents, friends or teachers told you that the goal you had been fighting for was not within your reach and you had no chance of succeeding. What would you do? Would you change your dreams or goals or prove them wrong?

II. Reading
Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions.
1. When she told her coach about her dream, Ginny ____.
A. cared a lot about his opinion
B. expected him to give her his full support
C. was already an experienced rower
D. was overconfident in her ability to fulfill it
2. From Paragraphs 2-3, it can be concluded that ____.
A. Ginny was rather tall for a rowing athlete
B. Ginny won a place on the national team in 1977
C. Ginny couldn’t accept the way the coach put his opinion to her
D. Ginny was aware of the factors that would work against her realizing her dream
3. It can be inferred from the text that ____.
A. Ginny competed in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics
B. Ginny refused to let her coach’s decision stand in her way
C. being cut by different coaches left Ginny in doubt of her ability
D. complete disgust at the coach’s judgment pushed Ginny to follow her dream
4. Ginny’s experience shows that ____.
A. a coach’s opinion does play a key role in an athlete’s growth
B. the less an athlete’s coach supports him or her, the more successful the athlete will become
C. it is not anyone else but you and your efforts that can decide your fate
D. as long as you have faith and stick with your goal, you can fulfill your dream effortlessly

Key:
1. A。根据第一段的I had just confessed …, to somebody whose opinion not only mattered, but whose emotional support could play a key role.可知A正确。
2. D。根据第二段中Maybe my dream wasn’t based on reality.以及后面的具体解释可知作者对自己实现梦想的不利因素很了解。
3. B。本题为推理判断题，根据第五段可知作者认为不能因为教练对她没信心就立刻放弃，所以B正确。
4. C。本题考查主旨推断能力，Ginny的经历告诉我们：只有我们自己和自己的努力而非他人决定我们的命运。A项不符合文中作者的情况；B项为教练越不支持运动员越成功，显然不对；D项说只有有信念和坚持梦想就可以轻易成功，显然不符。

III. Language study
Study the following sentences.
1. A small inner voice had joined forces with the coach’s.
释义：内心一个小小的声音开始附和教练的说法。
分析：Join forces with …意思是“与……会师、联合”，在这里引申为“赞同、附和”。

2. Nothing came easy when it came to fulfilling that dream.
释义：要实现那个梦想并不容易。
分析：习语when it comes to …是固定搭配，意思是“一谈到……，就……而论”。例如：
1) The British aren’t exactly the best in the world when it comes to cooking.
2) He’s a bit of an expert when it comes to computers.

找出文中和dream搭配的动词和形容词，并说出它们的意思。
I had just confessed my dream.
Confess: 表白，承认。
Maybe my dream wasn’t based on reality.
也许我的梦想并不现实。
… pushing my dream aside into a dark corner.
把我的梦想推到一个黑暗的角落
… my dream was back on center stage.
我的梦想重新回到中心舞台。
Nothing came easy when it came to fulfilling that dream.
要实现那个梦想并不容易。
Everything I have today is a result of sticking with that dream.
我今天所拥有的一切，都是坚持那一梦想的结果。
If I’m not going to be my own champion for my dreams, no one else will.
如果我都不能捍卫我的梦想，其他任何人更不会。Champion捍卫者，拥护者。

IV. Post-reading
Further thinking:
Are you inspired by Ginny’s story of success? Why or why not? What do you think you should do to fulfill your dream?