Since the nineteen nineties, education has been required for all South Africans from age seven to fifteen. Last December, the government announced that seventy percent of students passed their final examination to finish high school. In 2008 the passage rate was about sixty-three percent. There have been increases each year since then.

Professor Shireen Motala at the University of Johannesburg says access to basic education is no longer the problem in South Africa. She says most children stay in school until they are about sixteen. The problem now, she says, is that large numbers of them leave without completing high school. Students take an examination known as the matric in grade twelve, their final or "matriculation" year. Professor Motala notes that less than half the children who started school in 2000 sat for the matric last year.

Educational researchers also point to another problem. They say South African schools do not produce enough students with the skills for higher education in math and science. Many schools are not well - equipped. They do not have libraries at school. Ninety - two percent of the schools do not have libraries.

Also, education specialists say in many cases, teachers and school principals do not have the skills or training to do their jobs. In other cases, they are simply not doing their duty to provide an education. Professor Motala says a number of teachers were poorly trained during the system of apartheid(种族隔离), or racial separation in South Africa. Apartheid ended in 1994.

Secondly, she says, teachers have been confused by the many educational reform efforts in the last fifteen years. And, finally, she thinks language differences in the classroom have not gotten as much attention as they should.

South Africa's minister of basic education promises a number of improvements.

1.How was thepassage rate in 2008?

A. uncertain B. just so-so

C. high D. low

2.What's the Motala's attitude towards the basic education for students in South Africa?

A. Confident. B. Hopeless.

C. Negative. D. Worried.

3.From the passage we know the matric is ________.

A. an examination difficult for students to pass

B. an examination for students in grade twelve

C. the number of students leaving school

D. the number of students taking exams

4.Students in South Africa find it hard to get improved in math and science because ________.

A. they drop out of school without finishing high school

B. teachers don't have the abilities to teach them

C. most schools can not provide enough equipment

D. there aren't such subjects in most schools

第二节 读后续写(满分25分)

阅读下面短文,根据所给情节进行续写,使之构成一个完整的故事。

On a bright, warm July afternoon, Mac Hollan, a primary school teacher, was cycling from his home to Alaska with his friends. One of his friends had stopped to make a bicycle repair, but they had encouraged Mac to carry on, and they would catch up with him soon. As Mac pedaled (骑行) along alone, he thought fondly of his wife and two young daughters at home. He hoped to show them this beautiful place someday.

Then Mac heard quick and loud breathing behind him. “Man, that's a big dog!” he thought. But when he looked to the side, he saw instantly that it wasn’t a dog at all, but a wolf, quickly catching up with him.

Mac’s heart jumped. He found out his can of hear spray. With one hand on the bars, he fired the spray at the wolf. A bright red cloud enveloped the animal, and to Mac's relief, it fell back, shaking its head. But a minute later, it was by his side again. Then it attacked the back of Mac's bike, tearing open his tent bag. He fired at the wolf a second time, and again, it fell back only to quickly restart the chase(追赶)。

Mac was pedaling hard now. He waved and yelled at passing cars but was careful not to show down. He saw a steep uphill climb before him. He knew that manfen5 once he hit the hill, he’d be easy caught up and the wolf’s teeth would be tearing into his flesh.

At this moment, Paul and Beeky were driving their car on their way to Alaska. They didn’t think much of it when they saw two cyclists repairing their bike on the side of the road. A bit later, they spotted what they, too, assumed was a dog running alongside a man on a bike. As they got closer, they realized that the dog was a wolf. Mac heard a large vehicle behind him. He pulled in front of it as the wolf was catching up fast, just a dozen yards away now.

注意:

1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;

2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语;

3. 续写部分分为两段,每段开头语已为你写好;

4. 续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days, a brush was made from camel’s hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.

The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the catbegan to look ragged (蓬乱). His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.

The cat’s lot was about to improve. That year, one of Benjamin’s cousins, Mr.Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin’s drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings (版画)by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen. In 1747,when Benjamin was nine years old,Mr.Pennington returned for another visit .He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin’s parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.

In the city, Mr.Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape (风景) painting.Wiliams ,a well-known painter,came to see him work . Wiliams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home .The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little,having been a poor student. But he later said,”Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night.”While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.

1.What is the text mainly about?

A. Benjamin’s visit to Philadelphia.

B. Williams’ influence on Benjamin.

C. The beginning of Benjamin’s life as an artist.

D. The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington.

2.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 suggest?

A. The cat would be closely watched.

B. The cat would get some medical care.

C. Benjamin would leave his home shortly.

D. Benjamin would have real brushes soon.

3.What did Pennington do to help Benjamin develop his talent?

A. He took him to see painting exhibitions.

B. He provided him with painting materials.

C. He sent him to a school in Philadelphia.

D. He taught him how to make engravings.

4.Williams’ two books helped Benjamin to ________.

A. master the use of paints

B. appreciate landscape paintings

C. get to know other painters

D. make up his mind to be a painter

根据提示,写一篇有关我国少数民族傣族的短文。

人口与位置:120 万;云南南部西双版纳(Xishuangbanna)。

历史与文化:最早种植水稻(plant rice)的民族;有自己的语言;“傣”的含义为:“自由”,“人类”;文字和汉字不同。

生活:主食是大米,牛肉,鸡肉,鸭子duck,鱼和虾fish and shrimp;妇女服装种类多样a variety of styles.,主要色调多为白色,天蓝色(skyblue)和粉色pink;男士常穿马甲wear short jackets。

节日:和宗教有关,主要节日有“开门节”(六月中旬),“关门节”(九月中旬)和“泼水节”(春天)

相关词汇:关门节:the DoorClosing Festival

开门节:the DoorOpening Festival

泼水节:the WaterSplashing Festival

词数:100~120

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It was already late when we set out for the next town, _____ according to the map was about fifteen miles away on the other side of the ______. There we felt ______ that we would find a bed ______ the night. Darkness fell soon after we left the village, but luckily we met ______ as we drove fast along the narrow winding road that ______ the hills. As we climbed ______, it became colder and rain began to fall,  ______  it difficult at times to see the road. I asked John , my companion, to drive more ______.

After we had traveled for about twenty miles, there was still no sign of the town which was ____ on the map. We were beginning to get ____. Then without warning the car stopped. A quick ____ showed that we had run out of petrol (汽油). Although we had little food with us, we decided to ____ the night in the car.

Our meal was soon over. I tried to go to sleep at once, ____ John, who was a ____ sleeper, got out of the car after a few minutes and went for a walk ____ the hills. Soon he came back. From the top of the hill he had seen, in the valley below, the ____ of the town we were looking for. We at once unloaded (卸) all our luggage (行李) and with a great effort (努力), ____ to push the car to the top of the hill. Then we went backto the luggage, loaded the car again and set off down the hill. ____. less than a quarter of an hour we were inthe town, where we found a ____ quite easily.

1.A. which B. it C. where D. that

2.A. rivers B. hills C. towns D. villages

3.A. surprised B. afraid C. pleased D. sure

4.A. at B. in C. through D. for

5.A. everybody B. somebody C. nobody D. anybody

6.A. got to B. arrived C. led to D. belonged to

7.A. taller B. higher C. lower D. faster

8.A. getting B. thinking C. causing D. making

9.A. certainly B. carefully C. slowly D. surely

10.A. marked B. set C. built D. drawn

11.A. excited B. worried C. cold D. warm

12.A. attention B. operation C. examination D. information

13.A. spend B. live C. spare D. stay

14.A. since B. though C. so D. but

15.A. quick B. fast C. poor D. heavy

16.A. across B. through C. down D. up

17.A. lights B. map C. bus D. situation

18.A. ought B. tried C. succeeded D. managed

19.A. For B. In C. Since D. At

20.A. policeman B. friend C. hotel D. cinema

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