【正文】 often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions. In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments. There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and selfcontrol. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they fet much of the information that they have memorized. The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have. 21. The reason why American teachers attach much importance to individualism is that _________. A. they are required to do so B. their students do not memorize information C. the United States is a country of many cultures D. their students work individually 22. Which of the following statements applies to Asian methods of education? A. Each child in a classroom draws a different picture. B. Students have to find information themselves. C. Students are prepared for a society that values discipline. D. Teachers serve as a guide in discussion. 23. From the facts, we can infer that ______ . A. Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students B. Chinese students are more hardworking in their studies than Mexican students C. The Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system D. The Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system B Many of us may be eating food containing GM（轉(zhuǎn)基因的 ) ingredients without realizing it. Are GM foods safe for people? Can they help solve the poverty problem? They have been the subjects of a hot debate. This debate is related to increasing challenges from rising climatic change, population growth, urbanization, and natural resource consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, food production needs to increase by 60 percent by 2050 in order to feed 9 billion people. Scientists and policymakers are searching for effective ways to gain nutritious food, for today and future. Unlike previous agricultural methods (such as the Green Revolution), GM crops are to fight food safety and poverty challenges. The great expansion of GM crop varieties over the last two decades can be seen easily. The total area devoted to GM crops has increased 100 times from million hectares in 1996 to 170 million hectares in 2021. Developing countries now grow more GM crops than developed countries (in terms of area), largely driven by Brazil’s rapid adoption of GM crops. China is home to about 4 percent of the total global area devoted to GM crops. Beans, corn, and cotton are main global GM crops, while China’s focus is on cotton, papaya, and poplar. Recently, a scientific study shows that GM crops are safe for people and the environment. According to a 2021 report on the safety of GM crops by the EU, ―the main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research, and involving more than 500 research groups, is that biology methods, are not more risky than traditional planting technologies, for example.‖ Other international and national scientific bodies, such as the World Health Organization, have reached the same conclusion. 24. As for GM crops, what do people mainly focus on ? A. Food production. B. Food nutrition. C. Food safety. D. Food variety. 25. What does Paragraph 3 talk about? A. More GM crops in developing countries. B. Less GM crops in developed countries. C. Rapid adoption of GM crops in Brazil. D. The expansion of GM crop varieties of the world. 26. From a recent scientific study, we can infer that______. A. traditional planting technologies are more risky B. the safety of GM crops has been proved in many ways C. the safety of GM crops was reported by the EU in 2021 D. present GM crops are safe for people and the environment 27. What’s the writer’s attitude towards GM crops? A. Supportive. B. Opposed. C. Unknown. D. Indifferent. C The day before yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting with Deputy Superintendent Pedro Martinez, Principal Neddy Alvarez and her staff at Western High School, located in the Clark County School District, in Las Vegas. The school undertook a prehensive effort to pletely transform the culture of the school and added a motivated group of talented teachers. Western altered（改變） the school day to add opportunities for students to get additional credits toward graduation and created smaller learning groups. As part of these prehensive changes, the school’s leadership also focused on four main reforms to transform their school. First, improvements started with the change in the relationship between the school and students to create a caring atmosphere at the school. Using the ―Capturing Kids’ Hearts‖ strategies, school