A. Choose the word you hear in each group.

• 1.

2.

• A. cook

• B. cock

• C. caught

• D. cool

3.

• A. foot

• B. fog

• C. fought

• D. food

4.

• A. room

• B. rock

• C. raw

• D. roof

5.

• A. pull

• B. pop

• C. Paul

• D. pool

6.

• A. good

• B. god

• C. gone

• D. goose

7.

• A. look

• B. lock

• C. lord

• D. loud

8.

• A. pea

• B. pin

• C. pen

• D. pan

9.

• A. keep

• B. kid

• C. kept

• D. cat

10.

• A. he

• B. him

• C. hem

• D. ham

B. Fill in the blanks of the following passage according to what you have just heard.

Text A

Education Does Count
1 Hundreds of students send me e-mail each year for advice about education. They want to know what to study, or whether it’s OK to drop out of college since that’s what I did. A smaller number of parents send messages asking for suggestions for their sons or daughters. “How can we guide our child toward success?” they ask. My advice is simple: “Get the best education you can. Take advantage of high school and college. Learn how to learn.”
2 It’s true that I dropped out of college to start Microsoft, but I was at Harvard for three years before dropping out. As I’ve said before, nobody should drop out of college unless they believe they face the chance of a lifetime. And even then they should consider carefully.
3 In my company’s early years, we had a bright part-time programmer who planned to drop out of high school to work. We told him no. Quite a few of our people didn’t finish college, but we discourage dropping out. Having a diploma certainly helps somebody who is looking to us for a job.
4 High school and college offer you the best chance to learn many things and to do projects with others that teach you about team spirit. In high school there was a time when I was highly focused on writing software, but for most of my high school years I had many interests. In college, I read about all kinds of things and attended different kinds of classes. For me, classroom is not the only place where you can learn. You can also learn in a library. But somebody handing you a book doesn’t automatically start your learning. You should learn with other people, ask questions, try out ideas and have a way to test your ability.
5 In short, it’s a real mistake not to take the chance to study a wide range of subjects and to learn to work with other people because education does count.

---

译文：
教育真的很重要
1 每年都会有数以百计的学生发电子邮件给我，请我就教育问题提些建议。他们想知道该学些什么，是不是可以在大学阶段中途辍学，因为我就是没读完大学就辍学的。还有部分家长给我发手机短信，征求对他们子女教育的建议。他们会问：“我们怎样才能指引我们的孩子走向成功？”我的建议很简单，那就是：“尽可能接受最好的教育，重视中学和大学的教育，学会怎样学习。”
2 不错，我是大学没读完就辍学开创了微软公司，但是在此之前我在哈佛念了三年的书。正如我以前所说的那样，任何人都不应中途辍学，除非他确定已经遇到了一生中最好的机遇。即便如此，他还是应慎重考虑。
3 在我的公司刚起步的那几年，有一位很聪明的兼职编程员，他打算中学不读完就辍学，我们都劝阻他。我们公司里有很多人都没有大学毕业，但是我们并不鼓励这样做。对于那些想来微软工作的人来说，有张文凭肯定还是会有帮助的。
4 中学和大学提供了最好的机会，你可以学习不同的知识，可以与他人合作做项目从而培养你的团队精神。我读中学时，有一段时间非常专注于编写软件，但是在绝大部分时间里，我有着许多兴趣爱好。在大学里我读各种各样的书，听各式各样的课。对我来说，学习不是只能在教室里进行的，你也可以在图书馆里学习，但是并不是有人递给你一本书就意味着你自动地开始学习了。你应该找其他人跟你一起学习，提出问题，验证想法，找到检验你才能的途径。
5 简而言之，如果不抓住机会去学习多个领域的课程，不学会与他人共同工作，那真的是个极大的错误，因为教育真的很重要。

Text A / Comprehension
A. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Every year many ________ ask Bill Gates for advice about education.
A. students
B. students or their parents
C. parents
D. teachers
2. Gates is asked many questions, except ________.
A. what to study
B. whether it’s OK to drop out of school
C. where to get information
D. how to guide children toward success
3. Gates advises young people to ________.
A. get the best education they can
B. learn how to learn
C. take advantage of high school and college education
D. all of the above
4. When Gates was in high school, he ________.
A. was always highly focused on writing software
B. attended different kinds of classes
C. had many interests
D. read about all kinds of things
5. What did Gates value most in high school and college?
A. Visiting the library.
B. Writing software.
C. Developing broad interests and team spirit.
D. Asking questions.
Key: 1. B 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. C

B. Complete the following sentences orally with your partner.

1. How long did Bill Gates study at Harvard before dropping out?
He studied at Harvard .
Key: for three years.
2. What can high school and college offer, according to Bill Gates?
They can offer the best chance to .
Key: learn many things and to do projects with others that teach you about team spirit.
3. What did Bill Gates like to do in college?
He liked to read and attended .
Key: about all kinds of things; different kinds of classes
4. Where can students learn things?
They can learn things both in and in .
Key: the classroom; the library
5. How should we learn things according to Bill Gates?
We should learn with , , , and have a way to test our ability.
Key: other people; ask questions; try out ideas

C. Make a dialogue with your partner according to the situation described below.

Suppose Bill Gates has just come to China. Here is an imagined conversation between him and a student reporter from a vocational school. Fill in the blanks with your partner and then read the dialogue aloud in class. You may depend on the text if necessary. (“B” stands for Bill Gates and “S” for the student.)
S: It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gates. I am a reporter from XXX School and I’d like to ask you a few questions if I may.
B: The pleasure is mine. Go ahead.
S: Do you think it’s all right for us to drop out of school ?
B: No, definitely not . As I’ve said, nobody should drop out of school unless they believe they face the chance of a lifetime . In fact, having a diploma certainly helps somebody who is looking to us for a job .
S: Then what do you think high school and college can do for us?
B: They give you the best chance to learn many things and to do projects with others that teach you about team spirit .
S: Can you tell us something about your own learning experience in college?
B: Yes, of course . In college, I used to read about all kinds of things and attend different kinds of classes. For me, the classroom is not the only place where you can learn. You can also learn in a library. But somebody handing you a book doesn’t automatically start your learning. You should learn with other people, ask questions, try out ideas and have a way to test your ability .
S: I see. Finally, what advice do you want to give to us young people?
B: It’s a real mistake not to take the chance to study a wide range of subjects and to learn to work with other people because education does count .
S: Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement. We wish you a pleasant time in China.
B: Thank you and wish you good luck! .

Word Building / Exercises
A. Match each word with their proper Chinese meaning.

B. Fill in each blank with a given word or expression in their right form.

1. Don’t let the failure discourage you. Try again.
2. He dropped out of college after only two weeks.
3. He spoke very highly of her.
4. Peter took advantage of his visit to London to improve his English.
5. The chairman agreed to consider my suggestion.
6. The idea needs to be tried out .
7. The new road is a major government project .
8. This is our greatest and most encouraging progress; in short , a triumph (胜利).

Grammar Tips / Exercises
A. Give the plural form for each of the following nouns.

1. baby babies 2. nurse nurses
3. wish wishes 4. half halves
5. way ways 6. fox foxes
7. child children 8. Chinese Chinese
9. knife knives 10. sheep sheep

B. Match the phrases in the left-hand column with the proper nouns in the right-hand column.

C. Study the tips in the table, then write the nouns using your dictionary to help you.

1. teach — teacher
2. build — builder
3. wait — waiter
4. farm — farmer
5. manage — manager
6. sail — sailor
7. bake — baker
8. dance — dancer
9. art — artist
10. politics — politician

Text B / Comprehension
A. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. How long have the vocational schools in Germany been in existence?
A. A century.
B. Since the 19th century.
C. Two centuries.
D. A century and a half.
2. What is the dual system of German vocational education?
A. It combines apprenticeship in a company and vocational training in a school.
B. It generally takes place in a secondary public school.
C. It takes place over the same period of time on different days of the week or in blocks of several weeks.
D. It does not charge tuition fees.
3. How long does the whole course of vocational education last?
A. One week.
B. Eight to twelve weeks.
C. Three years.
D. Two to three years and a half.
4. What makes full-time secondary vocational schools different from others?
A. They don’t charge any tuition fees.
B. They prepare students for job training.
C. They are designed for special job training.
D. They admit full-time students.
5. What kind of students can attend technical college?
A. Part-time students.
B. Full-time students.
C. Graduates of a vocational school.
D. Graduates of a vocational school with a minimum of one-year work experience after graduation.
Key: 1. B 2. A 3. D 4. C 5. D

B. Read the sentences below and decide if they are true or false according to the text. Write T for true or F for false.

1. None of the vocational schools in Germany charge tuition fees.
2. Students can receive vocational training in schools in blocks of several weeks.
3. The whole course of vocational training lasts from one to three years.
4. According to the text, there are three types of vocational schools in Germany.
5. Technical college is an advanced level of vocational school.
Key: 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F

Comprehensive Exercises
A. Choose the best answer.

1. Here is my card. Let’s keep in ________.
A. touch√ B. relation
C. connection D. friendship
2. — Don’t forget to come to my birthday party tomorrow.
— ________.
A. I don’t B. I won’t
C. I can’t √ D. I haven’t
3. The number of people invited ________ fifty, but a number of them ________absent for different reasons.
A. were; was B. was; was
C. was; were√ D. were; were
4. Lisa has three ________.
A. brother-in-law B. brothers-in-law√
C. brother-in-laws D. brothers-in-laws
5. This is not your shirt, but ________.
A. yours brother B. your brothers’
C. your brother’s √ D. your brother
6. How beautifully she sings! I have never heard ________.
A. the better voice B. a good voice
C . the best voice D. a better voice√
7. The boy wanted to ride his bicycle in the street, but his mother told him ________.
A. not to B. not to do√
C. not do it D. do not to
8. Next to the table ________ two old chairs and some books.
A. was B. were√
C. was lay D. were laying
9. If by any chance anyone comes to see me, ask them to leave a ________.
A. message√ B. letter
C. sentence D. notice
10. There ________ a lot of sugar in the jar.
A. has B. are
C. is √ D. were

B. Fill in the blanks with the words given below.
train market wrong attend less benefit

Although many high school students hold the idea that to have a bright and successful future you must attend a university, this is not necessarily true. Not everyone is suited for or even wants to go to college. There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving up a four-year degree to learn a trade or skill at vocational schools.
In many cases, high school graduates can actually benefit more from vocational schools than from universities. Vocational schools cost less than most universities. Programs offered at vocational schools train students to become auto mechanics, nurses, plumbers, and computer technicians, and their job market is stable.

C. Translate the following sentences into English, using the given words or phrases.

1. 你们要集中精力学习。(be focused on)
You should be focused on study.
2. 对于年轻人来说，教育很重要。(count)
Education does count to young people.
3. 我们在这所职业学校里学习许多课程。(vocational school; subject)
We study many subjects in this vocational school.
4. 你要好好利用这次千载难逢的机会。(take advantage of)
You should take advantage of this chance of a lifetime.
5. 德国绝大多数职业学校不收学费。(majority; charge)

The majority of vocational schools in Germany do not charge tuition fees.
D. Translate the following passage from Text A into Chinese.

It’s true that I dropped out of college to start Microsoft, but I was at Harvard for three years before dropping out. As I’ve said before, nobody should drop out of college unless they believe they face the chance of a lifetime. And even then they should consider carefully.
不错，我是大学没读完就中途辍学开创了微软公司，但是在此之前我在哈佛念了三年的书。正如我以前所说的那样，任何人都不应中途辍学，除非他确定已经遇到了一生中最好的机遇。即便如此，他还是应慎重考虑。

Practical Reading and Writing / Exercises
A. Read the self-introductions above and complete the answers to the questions.

1. Where does Nancy Joyce come from?
She comes from the United States . Actually she was born in England .
2. How does she look according to the account she gives of her appearance?
She has curly brown hair and blue eyes, is 165cm tall and perhaps a little bit overweight.
3. How is Li Jun’s relationship with his family?
He is the only son of his parents and they love him very much .
4. What does he often do on weekends?
He often goes out to have fun with his friends .
5. What are his hopes for the future?
He hopes that he can become a good engineer and make enough money to travel around the world .

B. Write a short passage to introduce yourself. What you write should include your name, hometown, family, appearance, hobbies and your expectations of yourself.
My name is Lily and I am from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. I am a girl but I am strong. I am tall and thin, with rather short hair. I have a sweet smile and am willing to help others, which makes me quite popular among my friends. In my spare time I like reading books, especially detective stories and cartoons. I also like sports, including volleyball, basketball, tennis, and table tennis, which is my favorite. I like making friends and I hope all my new classmates will be my friends in the future.