It may look like just another playgroup, but a unique educational center in Manhattan is really giving babies something to talk about. "It's a school to teach languages to babies and young children with games, songs--some of the classes also have arts and crafts," said Francois Thibaut, the founder of the Language Workshop for Children, a place where babies become bilingual.

Children as young as few months are exposed to French and Spanish before many of them can even speak English. Educators use special songs and visual (視覺的) aids to ensure that when a child is ready to talk, the languages will not be so foreign. "Children have a unique capacity to learn many languages at the same time," said Thibaut. "Already at nine months, a child can tell the differences between the sounds he or she has heard since birth and the sounds he or she has never heard yet." Thibaut says the best time to expose children to language is from birth to 3 years old. For the last 30 years, the school has been using what it calls the Thibarut Technique, a system that combines language lessons with child's play.

"I always wanted to learn Spanish, but by the time I got to high school it was too late to pick it up and speak fluently," said Marc Lazare, who enrolled his son at the school. "I figured at this age, two, it's a perfect time for him to learn."

Aside from learning a language, the kids also gain a tremendous sense of confidence. One young student boasted that aside from French, she can speak five languages (though that included "monkey" and "lion"). The school gives children the tools to communicate, and sometimes that gives them an advantage over their parents. "I think they sometimes speak French when they think I won't understand them," said parent Foster Gibbons.

Depending on the age group, classes run from 45 minute up to 2 hours. Even when students are not in class, the program is designed to make sure the learning continues at home. Tapes and books are included so kids can practice on their own.

The word "bilingual" in the first paragraph probably means ______

A．capable of using two languages

B．both clever and confident

C．aware of their own limitations and strengths

D．independent of their parents

It may look like just another playgroup, but a unique educational center in Manhattan is really giving babies something to talk about. "It's a school to teach languages to babies and young children with games, songs--some of the classes also have arts and crafts," said Francois Thibaut, the founder of the Language Workshop for Children, a place where babies become bilingual.

Children as young as few months are exposed to French and Spanish before many of them can even speak English. Educators use special songs and visual (視覺的) aids to ensure that when a child is ready to talk, the languages will not be so foreign. "Children have a unique capacity to learn many languages at the same time," said Thibaut. "Already at nine months, a child can tell the differences between the sounds he or she has heard since birth and the sounds he or she has never heard yet." Thibaut says the best time to expose children to language is from birth to 3 years old. For the last 30 years, the school has been using what it caus the Thibarut Technique, a system that combines language lessons with child's play.

"I always wanted to learn Spanish, but by the time I got to high school it was too late to pick it up and speak fluently," said Marc Lazare, who enrolled his son at the school. "I figured at this age, two, it's a perfect time for him to learn."

Aside from learning a language, the kids also gain a tremendous sense of confidence. One young student boasted that aside from French, she can speak five languages (though that included "monkey" and "lion"). The school gives children the tools to communicate, and sometimes that gives them an advantage over their parents. "I think they sometimes speak French when they think ! won't understand them," said parent Foster Gibbons.

Depending on the age group, classes run from 45 minute up to 2 hours. Even when students are not in class, the program is designed to make sure the learning continues at home. Tapes and books are included so kids can practice on their own.

The word "bilingual" in the first paragraph probably means ______.

A．capable of using two languages

B．both clever and confident

C．aware of their own limitations and strengths

D．independent of their parents

It looked just like another aircraft from the outside. The pilot told his young passengers that it was built in 1964. But appearances were deceptive, and the 13 students from Europe and the USA who boarded the aircraft were in for the flight of their lives.

Inside, the area that normally had seats had become a long white tunnel. Heavily padded(填塞) from floor to ceiling, it looked a bit strange. There were almost no windows, but lights along the padded walls illuminated it. Most of the seats had been taken out, apart from a few at the back, where the young scientists quickly took their places with a look of fear.

For 12 months, science students from across the continents had competed to win a place on the flight at the invitation of the European Space Agency. The challenge had been to suggest imaginative experiments to be conducted in weightless conditions.

For the next two hours, the flight resembled that of an enormous bird which had lost its reason, shooting upwards towards the heavens before rushing towards Earth. The invention was to achieve weightlessness for a few seconds.

The aircraft took off smoothly enough, but any feelings that I and the young scientists had that we were on anything like a scheduled passenger service were quickly dismissed when the pilot put the plane into a 45-degree climb which lasted around 20 seconds. Then the engines cut out and we became weightless. Everything became confused and left or right, up or down no longer had any meaning. After ten seconds of free-fall descent(下降) the pilot pulled the aircraft out of its nosedive. The return of gravity was less immediate than its loss, but was still sudden enough to ensure that some students came down with a bump.

Each time the pilot cut the engines and we became weightless, a new team conducted its experiment. First it was the Dutch who wanted to discover how it is that cats always land on their feet. Then the German team who conducted a successful experiment on a traditional building method to see if it could be used for building a future space station The Americans had an idea to create solar sails that could be used by satellites.

After two hours of going up and down in the lane doing their experiments, the predominant feeling was one of excitement rather than sickness. Most of the students thought it was an unforgettable experience and one they would be keen to repeat.

What did the writer say about the plane?

A．It had no seats.

B．It was painted white.

C．It had no windows.

D．The outside was misleading.

It looked just like another aircraft from the outside. The pilot told his young passengers that it was built in 1964．But appearances were deceptive, and the 13 students from Europe and the USA who boarded the aircraft were in for the flight of their lives.

Inside, the area that normally had seats had become a long white tunnel. Heavily padded (填塞) from floor to ceiling, it looked a bit strange. There were almost no windows, but lights along the padded walls illuminated it. Most of the seats had been taken out, apart from a few at the back, where the young scientists quickly took their places with a look of fear.

For 12 months, science students from across the continents had competed to win a place on the flight at the invitation of the European Space Agency. The challenge had been to suggest imaginative experiments to be conducted in weightless conditions.

For the next two hours, the flight resembled that of an enormous bird which had lost its reason, shooting upwards towards the heavens before rushing .towards Earth. The invention was to achieve weightlessness for a few seconds.

The aircraft took off smoothly enough, but any feelings that I and the young scientists had that we were on anything like a scheduled passenger service were quickly dismissed when the pilot put the plane into a 45-degree climb which lasted around 20 seconds. Then the engines cut out and we became weightless. Everything became confused and left or right, up or down no longer had any meaning. After ten seconds of free-fall descent(下降) the pilot pulled the aircraft out of its nosedive. The return of gravity was less immediate than its loss, but was still sudden enough to ensure that some students came down with a bump.

Each time the pilot cut the engines and we became weightless, a new team conducted its experiment. First it was the Dutch who wanted to discover how it is that eats always land on their feet. Then the German team who conducted a successful experiment on a traditional building method to see if it could be used for building a future space station. The Americans had an idea to create solar sails that could be used by satellites.

After two hours of going up and down in the lane doing their experiments, the predominant feeling was one of excitement rather than sickness. Most of the students thought it was an unforgettable experience and one they would be keen to repeat.

What did the writer say about the plane?

A．It had no seats.

B．It was painted white.

C．It had no windows.

D．The outside was misleading.

What would the world look like without the dollar domination? US officials are【C1】______out a deal to end the government shutdown and【C2】______its debt limit, hoping to avoid a global【C3】______crisis. Meanwhile, some eyed【C4】______to the US dollar to avoid a repeat. Earlier this week, an editorial from Xinhua news agency, called【C5】______a new international reserve currency to【C6】______the dollar. "It is perhaps a good time for the【C7】______world to start considering building a de-Americanized world," it said. An organization like the International Monetary Fund could theoretically【C8】______an entirely new international currency, says Benjamin Cohen of the University of California, but political disagreement would raise its ugly【C9】______again "Think of all the trouble the European Monetary Union has had【C10】______with just 17 countries. Now【C11】______by ten." "I think it much more likely that another【C12】______currency becomes more important in international markets," says Menzie Chinn of the University of Wisconsin. "The Chinese are, with mixed【C13】______, pursuing a path of making their own currency more international." 【C14】______dont expect to be cashing in renminbi any time soon. The last big【C15】______in reserve currency, from British pounds to the US dollar, began in the 1950s and【C16】______two decades. Even if we could just【C17】______the dollar overnight, no other currency, including the renminbi, can currently【C18】______it, says Cohen. "Governments still use the dollar,【C19】______the current political difficulty in Washington, because of its【C20】______availability, deep liquidity and wide acceptability."

【C1】

A．staggering

B．struggling

C．hammering

D．screwing

聽力原文：W: Why don't you get another job for a change?

M: But I like my job.

W: Look, digging gardens is not a job for a university graduate.

M: But the money is not bad and there's plenty of fresh air.

W: If I were yon, I'd take some kind of direction layer teaching.

M: Teaching? Anything but that. It's so boring.

W: Come on, you really must think of the future.

M: I'll tell you what. I'd like to be a doctor.

W: Well, you should think very seriously about that. It means a lot of study, and then working all sorts of hours.

M: Yes, maybe. But the idea sounds interesting.

W: Well, then, you ought to get more information about it as soon as possible.

(20)

A．The good pay.

B．The fresh air.

C．The bright future.

D．Both A and B.

聽力原文：M: You look so excited, what happened to you.

W: I will go to Europe on business, you know it's my fist time to get there.

M: When is it that you are leaving?

W: In just four weeks, and I am excited. But there are still some things I have to do before I go.

M: Like what?

W: Like renewing my passport, calling the travel agency to book my plane ticket and, what's more important, figuring out what to do with my apartment while I'm not here.

M: You are not going to give it up, are you?

W: No way, I'll never find another apartment around here. But I don't like the idea of paying three months' rent on an empty apartment, either.

M: Perhaps you can rent it to others.

W: Yes, but whom to?

M: Let me see. Oh, I know just the person, a classmates of mine, Jim Tomas, is coming here to do

some research this autumn, from September to November.

W: That's exactly when I'll be away. That will be great, as long as the landlord agrees.

M: I'll be calling Jim late this week anyway, so I'1l tell him about it.

W: Well, thanks, Bill, let me know what happens. That extra money will really come in handy?

(23)

A．To renew her passport.

B．To make out the route.

C．To book the tickets.

D．To subtle his apartment.