题目内容

High school dropouts(辍学者)earn an average of $ 9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study dispels a common belief why they quit. It’s much more basic than flunking out(不及格).

Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can’t cut it. They are lazy,and perhaps not two bright.So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left.

“The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school.” John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About 1 million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic(美籍西班牙的)students will receive a diploma(证书),and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So, if failing grades don’t explain why these kids quit, what does? Again,John Bridgeland:"The most dependable finding was that they were bored.” “They found classes uninteresting; they weren’t inspired or motivated. They didn’t see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations.”

The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the US,only one state,New Mexico,has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions, another researcher,says raising the compulsory attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school.

“As these dropouts look back,they realize they’ve made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and it through to the end, is probably helpful measure.”

New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point-the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something.  

68. Most high school students drop out of school because          .

A. they have failing grades     

B. they take no interest in classes

C. they are discriminated against    

D. they are lazy and not intelligent

69. The underlined words “stick it out” probably means“         ”.

A. complete schooling                 B. solve the problem

C. love having classes                         D. believe in themselves

70. In the last paragraph, the writer is trying to          .

A. analyze the reason why students quit school

B. suggest raising the compulsory attendance age

C. raise awareness of reforming high school education

D. wish to make laws to guarantee no education

71. From the passage,we can infer the following EXCEPT that          .

A. the grades of most dropouts at school were acceptable

B. about 500, 000 high school dropouts are black and Spanish

C. classes don't appeal to dropouts

D. on average dropouts cannot get good jobs

【小题1】B

【小题2】A

【小题3】C

【小题4】B


解析:

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完形填空
I had my first job at the age of thirteen , when a friend of my mother who owned a bookshop hired me for six hours a week to help her in the shop . I was very  36  to earn my own pocket money and my parents   37 interfered (干涉) with how I spent it , even when I was spending it  38  .They believed that by earning money ,spending it ,and learning from the  39  ,I would become more mature (成熟的)and  40  in how to handle work ,relationships with others ,and money.
Like many  41  parents ,my parents also let me and my brothers do things about which they  42  a great deal .When I was sixteen ,for example ,after I finished high school and before I entered university ,I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around  43  .My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great  44  for me .In the end , my father won the  45  on the condition that I limited my traveling to France ,my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins  46  through the country who could  47  shelter and help if I needed them .
Three years later ,my younger brother decided to  48  a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not  49  to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother spent a (n) 50  year working his way on trains and ships to  51  his passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.
These kinds of experiences are probably  52  for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly common. Most parents start  53  their children at a young age to do small things by themselves .By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had  54  jobs and traveled around the US or other countries on their own , have selected the university they plan to attend , maybe even have decided on their future  55 ,and so on .

【小题1】
A.anxiousB.worriedC.proudD.nervous
【小题2】
A.neverB.everC.alwaysD.even
【小题3】
A.carefullyB.foolishlyC.seriouslyD.honestly
【小题4】
A.workB.mistakesC.othersD.books
【小题5】
A.strictB.reasonableC.politeD.responsible
【小题6】
A.AmericanB.JapaneseC.ChineseD.British
【小题7】
A.helpedB.supportedC.sharedD.worried
【小题8】
A.AsiaB.AfricaC.EuropeD.Oceania
【小题9】
A.journeyB.experienceC.chanceD.possibility
【小题10】
A.argumentB.gameC.discussionD.plan
【小题11】
A.sending outB.giving outC.carrying outD.spreading out
【小题12】
A.promiseB.decideC.provideD.serve
【小题13】
A.leaveB.makeC.takeD.prepare
【小题14】
A.angryB.eagerC.sorryD.sad
【小题15】
A.unusualB.hardC.strangeD.busy
【小题16】
A.acceptB.earnC.findD.search
【小题17】
A.welcomeB.fitC.necessaryD.rare
【小题18】
A.bringingB.forcingC.pushingD.protecting
【小题19】
A.part-timeB.full-timeC.goodD.well-paid
【小题20】
A.lifeB.careerC.hopeD.benefit


第二节 完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
阅读下面短文,从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I began my high school years, I was quite interested in biology. I read lots of books of my father’s about animals, and I was   36   much educated about such matters as a 16-year-old could be.
One Sunday afternoon, I was   37  with friends about animals. I said the whale(鲸鱼)was  __38  a mammal animal. They disagreed. Finally, I called a   39  over to help settle the matter. I knew I was  40 , so I was looking forward to the teacher  41   I was right. My friends were eager for an opposite answer. We asked her   42 the whale was a mammal. “No, the whale is a fish,” she said without a moment’s   43  .
You could have knocked me over with a feather. My   44   was hurt because I lost the argument, but that wasn’t the main reason I was too  45 to speak. I still knew I was right, which   __46  the teacher was wrong. Not only was she wrong,   47  she was completely ignorant(无知的) about something I thought was   48   knowledge. But she was a teacher who had taught a long time. Everyone   49   her and no one else thought she could be wrong.
__50  that, I hadn’t known grown-ups could be wrong. This   51  shaped the way I viewed people as I grew up.   52   I found anyone treated another person with too much respect and admiration, I thought——and still think——“   53  silly.” From that point on, I had no  54__ for authority(权威). To earn my respect, you have to be smart or  55   . I’ll never respect you just because you happen to be in charge or have a degree.
36. A. as  B. so       C. too          D. very
37. A. meeting       B. working     C. arguing      D. staying
38. A. about    B. like         C. beside      D. above
39. A. professor     B. biologist     C. librarian     D. teacher
40. A. clever   B. fight       C. creative    D. silly
41. A. proving       B. finding       C. promising   D. hoping
42. A. how     B. why        C. if      D. when
43. A. doubt   B. silence       C. regret  D. hesitation
44. A. heart    B. mind   C. pride   D. feeling
45. A. foolish  B. anxious      C. serious       D. astonished
46. A. meant   B. suggested   C. admitted     D. concluded
47. A. and         B. but     C. for           D. or
48. A. special  B. normal       C. regular       D. common
49. A. pleased B. admired     C. believed     D. loved
50. A. Before  B. After   C. Until   D. Since
51. A. fairly    B. properly     C. nearly D. greatly
52. A. Whenever    B. Although    C. While D. Whether
53. A. I’m         B. that’s  C. he’s    D. you’re
54. A. idea      B. respect       C. choice D. question
55. A. energetic      B. patient       C. talented      D. diligent


第二节完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
We’ve heard it before - we’ve heard it on the news, from teachers, from parents -children and teenagers today are growing up too fast. There are not too many people that will   _31  with that statement. Teenagers are faced with serious problems and decisions at an early   _32 . In fact most teenagers’ daily schedules(日程表)are as  33  as those of an adult’s.
I have been working since I was thirteen, and always in  34  in which I was working with adults. I have had to learn to think and  35  like an adult to be taken seriously. So, I count myself as one who has grown up too fast. I just graduated from high school, and have recently spent some time reflecting(反思)on the  36  eighteen years - thinking about myself, what I have gained, and what  37  I have yet to achieve.
We are expected to work hard, get excellent  38 , be in a good relationship, and know what we want to do  39 . The list goes on and on. But the  40  is clear: We live in a society today that is  41  our childhood. We no longer have many years to be careless and fancy-free. We are expected to  42  the strict school rules and to excel(擅长)in everything we do.
I’ve known these things for a long time, and knew that they  43  me. But, I never really admitted it until last night, when I learned a  44  lesson, taught to me by my boss where I work. We had finished a job at a remote site. It was about 11:30 at night, and we had  45  to his house. We were talking about the  46  he had been making to his home. One of the things he said was “I  47  my basketball hoop(篮圈). ”Then he threw a basketball to me.
I hadn’t  48  a basketball in five years.
We proceeded to shoot hoops for about 5 minutes. Both of us were terribly bad at it, but we spent the whole time  49  like children. Then I realized something: I am still a child. Oh, the law says I’m an adult. But, we are still really and truly children. We all need to have  50_   once in a while.
31. A. argue                  B. disagree               C. satisfy                  D. discuss
32. A. age                        B. stage                    C. year                     D. grade
33. A. certain            B. busy                    C. careful                        D. perfect
34. A. companies           B. factories                   C. positions              D. offices
35. A. study                  B. speak                   C. work                    D. act
36. A. last                        B. other                    C. rest                      D. coming
37. A. purposes             B. success                C. goals                    D. jobs
38. A. textbooks            B. grades                  C. teachers                D. schools
39. A. in life             B. in time                        C. for ages                D. for ever
40. A. information     B. message               C. notice                  D. idea
41. A. ruining           B. correcting             C. envying                D. shortening
42. A. respect            B. accept                  C. learn                    D. follow
43. A. inspired                 B. disappointed         C. affected                D. frightened
44. A. valuable                 B. serious                    C. important             D. useful
45. A. walked          B. flown back           C. gone back             D. driven
46. A. furniture             B. improvements       C. equipment            D. arrangements
47. A. moved            B. fixed                    C. sold                     D. broke
48. A. played            B. caught                  C. seen                  D. held
49. A. laughing             B. shouting               C. running                D. shooting
50. A. a rest                  B. a talk                   C. fun                      D. sports

Dad was not only my best friend, but my compass (指南针). While he was alive, he  36  me with his actions and advice. He taught me one important  37 : “Believe in yourself.”
If there was one phrase my dad  38  liked to hear, it was “I can’t.” He never got to finish high school and  39  two jobs to support his large family,  40  he never complained. Through education and years of hard work, my dad became an excellent journalist.
When I was in high school, I had a  41  time with math. He tried to help me, but I  42 struggled. So my math teacher suggested I meet with him at 7:00 each morning before school for  43  help. I told Dad, “That’s  44 ! I’m tired! I can’t do that!” He replied, “You’re doing it. I’ll send you to school.” Every morning at 6:45, we’d leave the  45 . Despite (尽管) working 12 hours every day, Dad never once  46  driving me to school.
After months of  47 , I was facing the final exam. I was so  48 . On the day of the final, my dad hugged me and said, “Luke,  49  yourself. You can do it.” His words made me realize I needed to trust in my  50  and in the hours of work I’d  51 . When I got my  52  proudly, the first person I called was my father. He cried, “Yes! You deserved it!”
Even now, whenever I  53  that a task is too much for me, I think back to that exam. No matter how  54  something is, if you’re willing to work, you can succeed. I’m forever  55  to Dad for that lesson.

【小题1】
A.understoodB.forgaveC.guidedD.impressed
【小题2】
A.historyB.lessonC.skillD.language
【小题3】
A.alwaysB.almostC.everD.never
【小题4】
A.tookB.lostC.leftD.finished
【小题5】
A.soB.orC.butD.and
【小题6】
A.goodB.freeC.terribleD.short
【小题7】
A.stillB.nearlyC.hardlyD.probably
【小题8】
A.realB.practicalC.immediateD.extra
【小题9】
A.wonderfulB.crazyC.expensiveD.necessary
【小题10】
A.houseB.schoolC.officeD.farm
【小题11】
A.suggestedB.riskedC.enjoyedD.missed
【小题12】
A.meetingB.testingC.learningD.interviewing
【小题13】
A.excitedB.nervousC.happyD.shocked
【小题14】
A.stand forB.hold backC.believe inD.look after
【小题15】
A.teacherB.luckC.timeD.ability
【小题16】
A.wastedB.ignored C.picked upD.put in
【小题17】
A.answerB.gradeC.payD.gift
【小题18】
A.hopeB.forgetC.worryD.promise
【小题19】
A.differentB.importantC.hardD.interesting
【小题20】
A.gratefulB.sorryC.politeD.useful

Rowena and Billy Wrangler are model high school students. They study hard and do extremely well on achievement tests. And next year,Rowena will be attending Harvard University.Billy,her younger brother,hopes to go to Cornell.What makes Rowena and Billy different from most students is that they don't go to school.In fact,they've never been to school.Since kindergarten,they've studied at home.Like many of more than one million people who receive home schooling in the United States, they feel as if they've gotten a good education.
The home-schooling trend began in the U.S.in the 1980s with parents keeping their children out of public schools so they could provide religious education at home. Today,as the home-schooling trend continues to grow,parents are more likely to consider home schooling as an option because they believe schools don't do a very good job of teaching and are occasionally dangerous places.But can parents really do a better job?
The answer in many cases is yes.In many studies,students taught at home ranked average or above average when compared to students who went to public schools.More importantly,these students were often more self-directed and have a greater depth of knowledge.They were well prepared for academic challenges.
One such student,Robert Conrad, now a sophomore at university, claims he really learned how to study and schedule his time during his eight years of home schooling.Still, not every student is as successful as Robert.
“For every home-schooling success story,there are an equal number of failures.”states Henry Lipscomb,an educational researcher.“There are just so many disadvantages that students taught at home have to overcome.” For example,they have fewer chances to get in touch with others of their own age.Consequently,they sometimes lack the usual social skills.“No matter what,though,”states Lipscomb,“home-schooling is a growing trend.I think we'll be seeing more and more of this.”
【小题1】Compared with other students, Rowena and Billy are most different in the fact that ___________.

A.they preferred to teach themselves
B.they do extremely well on achievement tests
C.they don't go to school as other teenagers
D.they feel they have gotten a good education
【小题2】According to the article, what is NOT the advantage of being educated at home?
A.Home is a safer place for children.
B.Students taught at home are more self-directed.
C.Students taught at home have a greater depth of knowledge.
D.Students taught at home can go to good universities.
【小题3】The writer thinks __________ .
A.parents can do a better job than schools
B.home-schooling will be more and more useful
C.home-schooling is good in some aspects
D.students taught at home make greater achievements
【小题4】The best title of this text might be ________ .
A.Home-schooling:A Growing Trend
B.Home-schooling:A Better Choice
C.Home-schooling:A Way to Success
D.Home-schooling:A New Method of Education

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