“Sign (签名) this paper if you don’t like Ms. Strom,” the note said. My classmates’1were all on me. I glanced at my teacher as she pleasantly taught the afternoon class. I knew what the right2 was, but the negative (不好的) feelings I had toward her,3my classmates’ insisting stares, made my decision more difficult.
I 4why my friends disliked her. She was very
strict. If I signed it, my friends would be pleas ed, but I didn’t want to see Ms. Strom's face 5she realized what the note said.
My friends began to get6, wanting me to sign the paper and7it alon g, but I didn’t know what to do. I quickly 8my decision—I would not sign. I passed it to another person and tried to 9my attention to Ms. Strom.
Soon Ms. Strom 10what was happening. She put the paper into her pocket and continued teaching.
The day was over at last. I couldn’t11 to get home. As I was leaving, Ms. Strom called my name. My12started to race as I walked to he r. “Yes?” I asked as 13as I could. She handed an envelop to me and said “Thank you.”I stood there blankly (茫然地)，not knowing what to do.
I opened the14：
Dear Amy,
Thank you for not signing the paper. It truly shows your 15. It must have 16 much courage to choose not to sign it. It means a great deal to me.
Thank you.
Ms. Strom
I was shocked that Ms. Strom17me for not signing the paper. I know how much it meant to her. I will never 18this because of the great effect it had on my life. I hope I will continue to make19like this that 20people instead of tearing them down.
May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States.This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall.But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever. （1）
These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. （2） On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time.Students may not like being put on waiting lists. Also, common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. （3）
For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous. （4） The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student's loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students.（5） The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finishes high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015.
A. Besides, top colleges are facing changes in the population.
B．What contributes to it?
C．But a mistake can be costly if it happens.
D．But top colleges ignore them.
E．They have international students who know English.
F．It can mean several acceptances to choose from.
G． They cannot afford college as planned.
To most of us，school means classes，teachers，schedules，grades，and tests.But for the children at Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts，school is very different.
Firstly，there are no lessons.All the children，aged between 4 and 19，do whatever they want.There are no teachers—only “staff members”．The idea behind this is that you do not need to make children learn，because children want to learn anyway.“You do not need to say to a threeyearold，‘Go explore your environment.’You can’t stop them！” says Daniel Greenberg，a founder of the school.“But if you make children do what you want all day，they will lose all taste for learning.”
At Sudbury Valley School，you will permit children to talk，read，paint，cook，work on computers，study French，play the piano，climb trees，or just run around.Two boys spent three years just fishing!
The other way that Sudbury Valley School is different is that the children can decide the rules.Every week，there is a school meeting where both children and staff have one vote each—even the fouryearolds.They decide the school rules，how to spend the school budget，and even which staff they want and do not want anymore.
When the school first opened in 1968，people said it would never work.But today，the school has 200 students，and 80% of its students go on to college.Even the two boys who went fishing all the time have successful careers today.One of them is a musician and the other is a computer scientist.
李明的美国网友彼得最近有一次来华做交换生学汉语的机会。他写信给李明，希望可以了解一下李明学校的情况。假设你是李明，试写一封邮件，向彼得介绍自己的学校。
内容包括：①学校的历史及环境；②学习辅助设备及配套设施；③教学资源及教师和同学。
注意：词数100左右(开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数)。
参考词汇：选修课selective；宿舍楼dormitory building
Dear Peter，
I am excited to hear that you’re coming to learn Chinese at our school.
Best wishes!
Yours，
Li Ming
—________，but he wouldn't listen to me.
—Yes, once at a party, but we________．
When I was in junior high, the eighthgrade bully hit me in the stomach.Not only did it1and make me angry, but the embarrassment and humiliation were almost2 ． I wanted desperately to even the score！I planned to 3him by the bike racks the next day and let him have it.
For some reason, I told my4to Nana, my grandmother.She said，“Good5cause good results, and evil deeds cause bad results.”I told her, in anice way, 6 ， that I thought she was full of it.I told her that I did 7things all the time,and all I got 8was “baloney！”(I didn't use that word.)She stuck to her guns, though.She said, “Every good deed will come back to you someday, 9every bad thing you do will also come back to you.”
It took me 30 years to understand the10 of her words.Nana was living in a board-and-care home in Laguna Hills, California.Each Tuesday, I came by and took her out to11 ． I would always find her neatly dressedand sitting in a 12 right by the front door.
Moving my plate13 ， I took Nana's plate, placed it in front of me, and cut her 14 into small pieces.I then placed the plate back in front of 15 ． As she very weakly, and with great16 ， forked the meat into her mouth, I was struck with a17that brought instant tears to my eyes.
Forty years 18 ， as a little boy sitting at the table，Nana had 19taken the meat on my plate and cut it into small pieces so I could eat it.It had taken 40 years, but the good deed had been 20 ． Nana was right. We reap exactly what we sow.“Every good deed you do will someday come back to you.”
Notes：
①bullyn ． 恶棍 ②humiliation n ． 羞辱 ③evenvt.使相等 ④baloney n ． 鬼话 ⑤reapvt.收割1A.
An elderly teacher，with a pupil by his side，took a walk through a forest. Suddenly
he (stop) and pointed tofour plants close at hand.The first was just beginning to appear slowly above the ground，the second had rooted itself pretty well into the earth，the third was a small short tree，while the fourth was full sized tree.The tutor said to his young (company)，“Pullup the first plant.” The boy did so eagerly, (use) only his fingers.
“Now pull up the second.” The youth obeyed found that the task was (difficult)．
“Do the same the third，”he urged.The boy had to use all his strength to uproot it. “Now，”said the instructor，“try your hand with the fourth.”The pupil put his arms around thetrunk of the tall tree and couldn't even shake leaves.“This，my son，isjust happens with our bad habits. When they are young, we can remove them easily; but when they are old，it'shard to pull them out of the ground, we pray and struggle ever so sincerely！”
