The bus station, a street corner in the city, the caf ? at the mall… American teenagers like to hang out
at these places.
     I want to tell you this is true. American teenagers have far too much time to waste (浪费). Because
they have short school days and their parents are busy at work day and night, US teenagers find happiness
in doing nothing.
     "What do you do all day in that park?" A mother will ask her son or daughter, with some reason. "I
don't know, just hang out," her child might answer.
     Of course, some kids keep busy with after-school sports, test-prep (测验准备) classes and clubs. I
did some of these activities, too, but still found time to hang out in the park. For hours, my friends and I
would sit on the stairs talking, playing games, or just watching the cars drive by … doing nothing.
     Was it all a waste of time? Were we up to "no-good"? Maybe. When I think about it now, I can't
believe I had so much free time as a teenager! Now, I should spend any free moment at the gym (健身房), writing a story or learning a new language. It seems uninteresting, but I do miss "hanging out".

1. Why do American teenagers have so much free time?

A. They don't need to go to school every day.
B. They like to go out with friends.
C. Their school days are short and their parents are busy.
D. They are happy in doing nothing.

2. What do some kids keep busy with?

A. After-school sports
B. Doing part-time jobs
C. Clubs
D. A and C

3. "hang out" means _____ in this passage.

A. 居住
B. 挂
C. 向下伸出
D. 闲逛

     Children's education is changing very rapidly today. In the past, teachers made children sit still for hours,  They
made  students memorize all sorts of things.    In other words,   the children had to go on repeating the things until
they know them "by heart".
     Today many teachers wonder if it is possible to make children learn at all. They say you can only help them learn.
They say you must let children learn and discover things by themselves.
     But for some of the children, school is a kind of prison.  They are there only because their parents make them go.
They get out of the classroom as soon as their teacher let them leave.    Many of them want to find jobs but the law
will not let them work until they reach a certain age.   And so,   they have to stay in school. Often they do not learn
anything at all and hate every moment.

1. The passage tells us something about_________ in the past and today.           

A. different sort of children      
B. children's education
C. different sort of schools      
D.  teachers in some schools

2. Why did children have to go on repeating the things until they memorize them in the past?      

A. Because they enjoyed doing so.
B. Because their parents asked them to do so,
C. Because they were asked to do so.
D. Because they were good at repeating things.

3.  For some of the children, school is a kind of prison because

A. they don't like schools
B. their parents like schools
C. there are many school rulers
D. they have to stay in school

4. What does the underline word "discover " mean in the passage?       

A.制作      
B.评价      
C.分析      
D.发现

5. Which sentence is TRUE?           

A. The teachers don't like students.
B. Schools are like prisons for all students.
C. Parents made their children leave schools.
D.  When they don't reach a certain age, they can't find jobs.