54. The writer's purpose for writing this article is to
(A) complain about problems in school education
(B) teach students different strategies for school life
(C) advocate teaching conflict management in schools
(D) inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence

50. Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the ease, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive ears, or stay physically fit? First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict. Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决) : stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well Rude words, name-calling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control. After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy (策略) for conflict resolution : listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles. Finally, students need to consider what they are hearing. Tiffs doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution. There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, "64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student co-operation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves'. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country. This article is mainly about (A) the lives of school children (B) the cause of arguments in schools (C) how to analyze youth violence (D) how to deal with school conflicts

51. From Paragraph 2 we can learn that (A) violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime (B) a small conflict can lead to violence (C) students tend to lose their temper easily (D) the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight

52. Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5? (A) To find out who is to blame. (B) To get ready to try new things. (C) To make clear what the real issue is. (D) To figure out how to stop the shouting match.

53. After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that (A) there was a decrease in classroom violence (B) there was less student cooperation in the classroom (C) more teachers felt better about themselves in schools (D) the teacher-student relationship greatly improved

55.As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mail carrier~ and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did. In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when I was a boy it was such fun to stick your fingers through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers. On Dad's final day of work, it took him well into "the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each fatuity was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route," he used to say, "" and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills. Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read, "Nat, take these eggs to Marian ; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might he buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the ground, but the mail was always delivered. On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young girl wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few buttons on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to $ 32,000. A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad's death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the ease. As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green, and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POL(E) For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes. I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories. At one point Frank looked a~ me with tears in his eyes. "What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked. "The letters?" "I guess you never knew. " " Knew what?" "Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. " I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn't hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old oak table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families. For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime. It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad as (A) great chances to help other people (B) happy occasions to play with baby chickens (C) exciting experiences with a lot of fun (D) good opportunities to enjoy chocolate cookies

56. The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that (A) Dad had a strong sense of duty (B) Dad was an honest and reliable man (C) Dad had a strong sense of honor (D) Dad was a kind and generous man

57. According to the passage, which of the following impressed the writer most? (A) Dad read letters for a blind lady for years. (B) Dad paid for the stamps for a young girl. (C) Dad delivered some eggs to Marian. (D) Dad answered children's Christmas letters every year.

58. The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph 4 is (A) offering analyses (B) providing explanations (C) giving examples (D) making comparisons

59. What surprised the children most when they received letters in reply from Santa Claus every year? (A) Santa Claus lived alone in the cold North Pole. (B) Santa Claus answered all their letters every year. (C) Santa Claus had unique mailboxes for the children. (D) Santa Claus had so much information about their families.

60. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? (A) The Mail (B) Christmas Letters (C) Special Mailboxes (D) Memorable Travels