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A

Parents meetings may be your worst nightmare （噩夢(mèng)）. However， thats not always the case. The parents meeting we had after our mid-term examinations， for instance， couldnt have been more surprising.

Sitting in our chairs next to our parents， we felt like we were on pins and needles， expecting a final outburst when they examined our grades and rankings. However， our teacher came to our rescue. He told our parents the stress we faced in our daily school lives and how hard we had worked for the college entrance examination. “No matter the score， they all studied very hard and each one of them has made progress. They deserve encouragement rather than blame，” he said. When they heard these words， many parents nodded， their anger gone. Well， to be honest， we hadnt worked that hard before the meeting， but we decided we would try our best to live up to our teachers expectations after it.

Another highlight of this parents meeting was when our parents read our letters that we had written in advance. In our daily lives， we are so busy doing homework and preparing for exams that we hardly have time to communicate with our parents. Yet this parents meeting gave us an opportunity to show our appreciation. In the letters， we expressed our love for them and gratitude for everything they had done for us. Many parents burst into tears after reading their childrens letters.

So you see， our parents meetings may not be as bad as we think. They could be opportunities to bring us closer to our parents.

1. What does the underlined phrase “on pins and needles” in Paragraph 2 mean？

A. Restless. B. Proud.

C. Curious. D. Sleepy.

2. How did many parents feel before they heard the teachers words？

A. Excited. B. Stressful.

C. Disappointed. D. Angry.

3. Who was moved most during the meeting？

A. The students. B. The parents.

C. The teacher. D. The headmaster.

4. Whats the main purpose of the parents meeting？

A. To live up to the teachers expectations.

B. To bring the teacher and the parents closer.

C. To express students love for parents and teachers.

D. To show concern and understanding for the students.

B

SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test. The majority of colleges require it as part of their admissions process. More than two million students each year take this three-hour standardized test， which supposedly measures verbal and mathematical reasoning. Although colleges look at applicants materials， including their GPA， class ranking and special talents， SAT scores play a large role too. Many colleges will only accept students who attain a certain score for math and reading.

I believe that SAT tests should not be the most important criteria （標(biāo)準(zhǔn)） for acceptance into a school. Studies have shown that females scored lower on the SAT than males， but in fact women have better grades in high school and college. This shows that these tests do not necessarily predict success in college. In fact， there is much debate on whether scores should be the main factor colleges use to choose their freshmen.

Another reason why SAT tests are not a convincing predictor of academic success is that they are not in favor of minorities. The National Center for Fair and Open Testing or Fair Test， believes that standardized tests like the SAT assume all test-takers have backgrounds similar to white， middle-class students. This is certainly not the case. Fair Test seeks for equal opportunities for all.

Most successful students must work very hard in high school to earn the best grades they can. Students who get extra help， study and try their best are the ones who tend to get good grades. Therefore， a better way to predict students college performance is by looking at their previous achievements of the four years of high school rather than one test. They will more accurately determine how well students will perform in college.

5. Why does the author mention women in Paragraph 2？

A. To prove they are good at studying.

B. To show they are not good test-takers.

C. To explain they are losing advantages.

D. To give a strong support to the main idea.

6. Why is SAT so attractive to students？

A. It is a criterion for admission to the college.

B. It is of great benefit to the American whites.

C. It can show each takers real academic ability.

D. It provides equal opportunities to all the Americans.

7. What is suggested for colleges when they choose students？

A. Focusing on the achievements of high school.

B. Thinking of the future of the students in a long run.

C. Considering the students attitude toward the study.

D. Taking extracurricular activities into consideration.

8. Which shows the correct structure of the text？

（①=Paragraph 1? ?② =Paragraph 2? ?③=Paragraph 3

④=Paragraph 4）

A. B. C. D.