Question

For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship(实习). In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the United States, however, such programs are still few and far between.

Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higher earnings in later years. The students are more likely to stay in school, graduate and go on to higher education.

In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment.

But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized （批评）education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的)kids with no jobs and no skills.

Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example, encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job experience in those fields while they’re still at high school.

However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is daunting. In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row. “The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,” said Michael, a  researcher in the US.

1.What’s the main idea of the text?

A．The lack of career-based courses in US high schools.

B．Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers.

C．Arguments about recent US education reform.

D．Advice for American high school leavers.

2.According to Robert Schwartz, _________.

A．there is no need for kids to go for higher education in the US

B．students should get contact with the working world at high school

C．education reform should focus on students’ performance in exams

D．teenagers in the US can’t miss out on the summer job experience

3.The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 6 most probably means __________.

A．creative          B．interesting         C．discouraging       D．unbearable

4.What can be inferred from the text?

A．High school leavers with no practical skills can’t find a job at all.

B．Students with career-based courses never have problems finding a job.

C．US companies work with schools to prepare young people for future employment.

D．Unemployment rates for US teenagers remain high at the moment.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.A

2.B

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：文章主要介绍了通过与德国的中学的情况的比较，来说明在美国中学里，还是很缺乏有关职业生涯的基本课程。

1.主旨大意题。根据文章第一段的In some countries，schools have programs to help students onto the path to work．In the Unites States，however，such programs are still few and far between点出了主题。故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据根据第六段的even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work，the job market is daunting看出答案。故选B。

3.词义猜测题。根据从下文的In the US，unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row．可猜出词义，故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据根据第六段的In the US，unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row推出答案。故选D。

考点：教育类短文阅读。

点评：主旨大意题主要是测试考生对一篇文章或一段文字的深层理解程度及在速读中准确把握文章大意的能力，一般针对某一语段或某一语篇主题标题或目的设题。做这类题，关键在于抓住文章要旨。