I'm one of those people who are terrible at saying no．I spend too much of my time doing things I'd rather not be．I get things done, but it's not always the best I can do, or the best way I can spend my time．That's why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter．

Being a quitter isn't being someone who gives up, who doesn't see important things through to the end．I want to quit doing things that I'm asked to do, for no other reason than I'm asked to do it．1 want to be able to quit something in mid-stream, because I realize there's nothing good coming from it．

A friend of mine once told me that "I knew I was an adult when I could stop reading a book, even after getting 500 pages into it．" Strange though it sounds, we all intend to do this．We get involved in something, realize we don't want to be a part of it, but just keep doing it．

What I advise is to quit as often as possible．If you're stuck doing something, and don't really want to do it anymore, step back for a second．Ask if you really have to do this, and what value is being produced from your doing it．Don't think about the time you've put into it or how much it's taken over your life．If you don't want to do it, and don't have to do it, don't do it．

By quitting these things, you'll free up time to do things that actually do create value, for yourself and for others．You'll be able to begin to put your time and effort into the things you'd actually like to do．

Let's learn how to say "no" at the beginning, or in the middle．Let's see to it that we're spending our time creating value, rather than worsening our losses．Let's be quitters together．

1．From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3, we can see the friend of the writer seems to believe ____．

       A．a(chǎn)dults should always finish books completely

       B．a(chǎn)dults should stop reading after getting 500 pages

       C．a(chǎn)dults can stop reading if there's no value

       D．a(chǎn)dults can stop reading if he gets the main idea

2．The underlined phrase "free up time" in Paragraph 5 probably means"____"．

       A．give somebody extra time                     B．make bad use of time

       C．takes somebody more time                   D．spend less time

3．The best title of the passage should be ____．

       A．Stop Doing Things                               B．Try to Be a Quitter

       C．Learn to Say No                                  D．Create Our Value

Going to school from 8 am until 5 pm may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit.”
Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing, they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”
According to studies, low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”
Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．
But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming, and that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”
【小題1】From the first paragraph，we learn that      ．

Going to school from 8 am until 5 pm may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit.”

Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing, they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”

According to studies, low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”

Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．

But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming, and that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”

1.From the first paragraph，we learn that      ．

A．the longer schedule is harmful to kid's health

B．a(chǎn)ll Chicago students had a holiday on Columbus Day

C．Sydney Shaw supports the added time

D．few kids are bored with the lack of holidays

2.Low-income students fall behind in summer because      ．

A．no good teachers are willing to teach them

B．they can't get help from their parents

C．their parents are unwilling to hire private teachers

D．they themselves have no desire to learn

3.Some people are worried about adding school hours mainly because      ．

A．it will have a bad effect on the kids’ futures

B．the current school day has been too busy

C．no one supports the idea

D．it will be costly and time-consuming

4.The text is mainly about      ．

A．whether a longer school day will help narrow the achievement gap

B．how students have benefited from additional school hours

C．why the achievement gap among students needs to be narrowed

D．what causes the achievement gap among students

Going to school from 8 am until 5 pm may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit.”
Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing, they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”
According to studies, low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”
Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．
But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming, and that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”

1. 1.

   From the first paragraph，we learn that      ．

   1. A.
      the longer schedule is harmful to kid's health
   2. B.
      all Chicago students had a holiday on Columbus Day
   3. C.
      Sydney Shaw supports the added time
   4. D.
      few kids are bored with the lack of holidays
2. 2.

   Low-income students fall behind in summer because      ．

   1. A.
      no good teachers are willing to teach them
   2. B.
      they can't get help from their parents
   3. C.
      their parents are unwilling to hire private teachers
   4. D.
      they themselves have no desire to learn
3. 3.

   Some people are worried about adding school hours mainly because      ．

   1. A.
      it will have a bad effect on the kids’ futures
   2. B.
      the current school day has been too busy
   3. C.
      no one supports the idea
   4. D.
      it will be costly and time-consuming
4. 4.

   The text is mainly about      ．

   1. A.
      whether a longer school day will help narrow the achievement gap
   2. B.
      how students have benefited from additional school hours
   3. C.
      why the achievement gap among students needs to be narrowed
   4. D.
      what causes the achievement gap among students

Going to school from 8 am until 5 pm may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit.”

Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing, they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”

According to studies, low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”

Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．

But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming, and that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”

51．From the first paragraph，we learn that       ．

A．the longer schedule is harmful to kid's health

B．a(chǎn)ll Chicago students had a holiday on Columbus Day

C．Sydney Shaw supports the added time

D．few kids are bored with the lack of holidays

52．Low-income students fall behind in summer because       ．

A．no good teachers are willing to teach them

B．they can't get help from their parents

C．their parents are unwilling to hire private teachers

D．they themselves have no desire to learn

53．Some people are worried about adding school hours mainly because       ．

A．it will have a bad effect on the kids’ futures

B．the current school day has been too busy

C．no one supports the idea

D．it will be costly and time-consuming

54．The text is mainly about       ．

A．whether a longer school day will help narrow the achievement gap

B．how students have benefited from additional school hours

C．why the achievement gap among students needs to be narrowed

D．what causes the achievement gap among students

Going to school from 8 am until 5 pm may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney, who was at school on Columbus Day, when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit.”

Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing, they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”

According to studies, low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”

Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．

But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming, and that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”

51．From the first paragraph，we learn that       ．

A．the longer schedule is harmful to kid's health

B．a(chǎn)ll Chicago students had a holiday on Columbus Day

C．Sydney Shaw supports the added time

D．few kids are bored with the lack of holidays

52．Low-income students fall behind in summer because       ．

A．no good teachers are willing to teach them

B．they can't get help from their parents

C．their parents are unwilling to hire private teachers

D．they themselves have no desire to learn

53．Some people are worried about adding school hours mainly because       ．

A．it will have a bad effect on the kids’ futures

B．the current school day has been too busy

C．no one supports the idea

D．it will be costly and time-consuming

54．The text is mainly about       ．

A．whether a longer school day will help narrow the achievement gap

B．how students have benefited from additional school hours

C．why the achievement gap among students needs to be narrowed

D．what causes the achievement gap among students

Going to school from 8 a．m．until 5 p. m．may sound terrible，but Sydney Shaw，a seventh grader at the Alain Locke Charter Academy on Chicago's West Side，has come to like it—as well as the extra 20 or so days that she's in class every year．“I'm sure every kid at this school says bad things about the schedule sometimes，”says Sydney，who was at school on Columbus Day．when most Chicago schools had a holiday．“But we all know it's for our benefit．”

Finding ways to give kids more classroom time，through longer hours，a longer school year，or both，is getting more attention．“If you want to look at schools where the achievement gap is narrowing．they're saying they couldn't do it without the added time，”says Jennifer Davis．“Even when you get good teachers into schools，you also need more time．”

According to studies．low-income students fall back more than two months in their reading skills over summer vacations．“It's over the summer months that poor kids fall behind，”says Karl Alexander，a sociologist．“If you have parents who themselves didn't succeed at school and aren't highly educated，kids aren't going to get those skills at home．”

Schools are asked to take a full year to plan how to best use the extra time—a process involving teachers，principals，students and parents．They are given outside support to help them base their plans on the best available analyses of student needs．It's still early，but officials are already seeing stronger test scores and a narrowing achievement gap．

But some critics are worried．“We risk producing something that's very expensive and time-consuming．a(chǎn)nd that will give educators a lot of trouble，”says Frederick Hess．“Before we spend all that extra money，I'd much rather see if we can figure out how to get 50 percent more instructional time out of the current school day．”

66．From the first paragraph，we learn that       ．

A．the longer schedule is harmful to kid's health

B．a(chǎn)ll Chicago students had a holiday on Columbus Day

C．Sydney Shaw supports the added time

D．few kids are bored with the lack of holidays

67．Low-income students fall behind in summer because       ．

A．no good teachers are willing to teach them

B．they can't get help from their parents

C．their parents are unwilling to hire private teachers

D．they themselves have no desire to learn

68．They are in favor of adding school hours except       ．

A．Sydney Shaw              B．Jennifer Davis

C．Frederick Hess              D．Karl Alexander

69．Some people are worried about adding school hours mainly because       ．

A．it will have a bad effect on the kids’futures

B．the current school day has been too busy

C．no one supports the idea

D．it will be costly and time-consuming

70．The text is mainly about       ．

A．whether a longer school day will help narrow the achievement gap

B．how students have benefited from additional school hours

C．why the achievement gap among students needs to be narrowed

D．what causes the achievement gap among students