Fatimah Bamun dropped out of Balizenda Primary School in the first grade, when her father refused to buy her pencils and paper. Only after her teachers said to him that his daughter showed unusual promise(有希望) did he change his mind. Today, Fatimah, 14, tall and slender, studies math in a dirt-floored fourth-grade classroom.
Whether she will reach the fifth grade is another matter. Fatimah is facing the realities of a school with no toilet, no water, no hope of privacy (隐私) other than the shadow of a bush, and no girlfriends with whom to share feelings. Fatimah is the only girl of the 23 students in her class. In fact, in a school of 178 students, she is one of the only three girls who have made it past the third grade.
“I have no friend in the class,” she said. “Most of my friends have dropped out to get married. So during the break, I just sit in the classroom and read.”
Her father, however, now says he is fully behind her. “The people from the government are all the time telling us to send our daughters to school, and I am listening to these people,” he said.
But in many cases, parents don’t listen. Parents think that if the girls stay home, they can help with the harvesting, fetch the water and collect the firewood. So they take them out of school.
In a region where poverty, tradition and ignorance make about 24 million girls not even have an elementary school education. There are many other barriers (障碍) that prevent girls going to school, such as the lack of school toilets and water.
The issue is not only equality. The World Bank thinks that if women in sub-Saharan Africa had equal education, land and other wealth, the region’s economy could improve greatly. There is a connection between growth in Africa and sex equality. It is of great importance but still ignored by so many people.
【小题1】The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to _______.
| A.find the cause of Africa’s poverty |
| B.describe the poor education conditions of African girls |
| C.prove the inequality in African society |
| D.reform the present schooling systems in Africa |
| A.Fatimah is a girl who shows signs of success for the future. |
| B.Fatimah’s father is now giving a lot of support to her. |
| C.Fatimah is the only girl who has made it past the fifth grade in her school. |
| D.Fatimah has no friends at school because they most of them have dropped out to get married. |
| A.most African girls are treated equally in society |
| B.African governments don’t care whether girls go to school or not |
| C.most African girls would rather get married than go to school |
| D.African girls can’t enjoy equal chances for education |
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| A.Four adults book one day tour. |
| B.Three adults book on the same tour. |
| C.Four adults book two day tours. |
| D.Three adults book at least two day tours. |
| A.helps you save money | B.is ready to save tourists from danger |
| C.helps you make a tour plan | D.works on environmental protection |
| A.No insurance. | B.Small group. |
| C.Sustainable tourism. | D.Local guide. |
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Tens of thousands of Chinese have joined a debate (辩论) on whether students should be separate
d into science(理科) and liberal
arts(文科)classes in high school, a practice that allows them to stay competitive in college entrance exam by choosing preferred subjects. The debate came after the Ministry of Education began to ask for opinions from the public on Friday on whether it was necessary and possible to stop the dividing system, which has been accepted for decades.
In a survey started by www. qq. com, more than 260 000 people cast their votes, with 54 percent of those voted for the
abolishment (废除)and 40 percent against.
A netizen from Chengdu said: “Sciences can activate the mind, while arts could strengthen their learning ability.”
But some people disagreed with him. A netizen nicknamed “gentle scholar” said the students would have more burden if they have more subjects to study. “You don’t even know how difficult the courses are. I suggest a survey among students.”
“Abolish the current system of di
vision? We have to study nine subjects? Finally we will study everything and have learnt little,” wrote another netizen.
Li Yanling, an education expert in Beijing, called on education authorities to consider students’ school burden.
Chinese students are required to choose either arts or
science subjects after ten years’ education, which include six years in primary school, three years i
n junior high school and one year in senior high school.
Besides the Chinese language, mathematics and English, which are must for everyone, science students are required to take physics, biology and chemistry, while arts students study politics, history and geography. Zxxk
【小题1】Choosing preferred subjects can help students __________.
| A.have more chance to look for jobs in future |
| B.find a good job after graduation |
| C.have more advantages to enter a university |
| D.show interest in daily life |
| A.is for the abolishment | B.is against the abolishment |
| C.doesn’t care the abolishment | D.prefers students to learn more |
| A.The debate is on whether the students should choose science or liberal arts classes in high school Zxxk |
| B.More people on the Internet are for the abolishment |
| C.The students who are against the abolishment think abolishing the current system of division will heavy their burden. |
| D.Science students are required to take physics, biology and chemistry besides |
【小题4】What must a Chinese student learn in 2008?
| A.Chinese, math and English. | B.Physics, biology and chemistry. |
| C.Politics, history and geography. | D.Both B and C |