Education is required and free for every child in the United States. Most children start school by the age of six. They attend eight years of elementary school and four years of high school (or secondary school ).The money for free public schools comes from taxes, and each state is responsible for its own educational system .State legislatures (立法机关) set the educational requirements but leave the management of the schools in the hands of the local communities .Most states require their children to go to school until a certain age. This age varies from 16 to 18 years according to the laws of the individual state. The Federal government contributes funds to the states for additional schools and schools services.
After graduation from high school, a student can start his higher education in two –year college, a four-year college, a university or a specialized professional school----either public or private. Most colleges admit students on the basis of their high-school records. The cost of a college education is expensive in private universities, but it is much less in those supported by states and cities. Many students receive scholarships from the schools, the government, or private foundations and organizations. More than 50 percent of the college students work to help pay their college expenses.
Only 2 percent of the population of the country cannot read and write.
1.Where does the money for public schools come from ?
A. From the Federal government. B. From the state legislatures.
C. From taxes. D. From the parents of the school children.
2.What is the educational system in the United States based on ?
A. The Federal government B. Individual school
C. Individual state D. Local communities
3.What percentage of the population is illiterate (文盲) ？
A. 50 B. 2 C. 4 D. 6
4.How are college expenses of most students paid ?
A.They won earnings from part-time work .
B.Scholarship from the schools, the government or private foundations.
C. Taxes .
D. Both A and B.
T-shirts out; uniforms in
School uniforms（制服） are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That’s no surprise, because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing, and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers(障碍); school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places, uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example, when a man or woman puts on a police uniform, he or she becomes, for a time, the symbol (象征) of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms, saying that school uniforms will affect their children’s “creativity.” First, as noted above, the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality (个性). They just copy their classmates. Second, students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they’re in school, their job is to master reading, writing, and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.
1. In Paragraph 1, the word “benefits” probably means .
A. tasks B. messages C. differences D. advantages
2.From the passage we learn that uniforms in general .
A. prevent the wearers from being laughed at
B. help the wearers keep their duties in mind
C. are seen as a symbol of power
D. help to create social barriers
3.Some people are against school uniforms because .
A. they fail to realize that students have accepted the uniforms
B. they believe that uniforms will make students less creative
C. they don’t agree that uniforms can remove social barriers
D. they think that school uniforms are too popular
4. The author would probably agree that .
A. it makes no difference whether to wear school uniforms or not
B. students’ individuality may not come from school education
C. students’ creativity is related to the clothes they choose
D. school uniforms help to create equality among students
5.School uniforms are becoming more and more popular and important because _____
A. they can stop the powerful social sorting and labeling.
B. if all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing.
C. uniforms can remind the wearers of their purposes and duties
D. school uniforms will affect their children’s creativity.
Anna lived on the side of a valley. One winter, there was a very big flood, and a lot of houses 36 Anna's were washed away. Anna's house was high enough to escape the flood, so when the water had disappeared and the other houses were __37 there with no roof and no walls and all covered with __38 , her house was 39 quite all right.
Her house was quite small, her husband was dead, and she had four children , 40 Anna took in one of the families that had lost 41 in the flood and she 42 her home with them until it was 43 for them to rebuild their houses.
Anna's friends were 44 when they saw Anna do this. They could not understand why Anna wanted to give 45 so much more work and trouble when she already had quite a few children to 46 .
"Well," Anna 47 her friends, "at the end of the First World War, a woman in the town where I 48 lived found herself very poor, because her husband 49 in the war and she had a lot of children, 50 I have now. The day before Christams, this woman said to her children, ‘We won’t be able to have much for 51 this year, so I’m going to 52 only one present for all of us. Now I’ll go and get it.’ She came back 53 a girl who was even poorer than they, and who had no parents. ‘Here’s our present, ’ she said to her children. The children were 54 to get such a present. They welcomed the little girl, and she grew up as their sister. 55 was that Christmas present.
1.A．down below B．just around C．next to D．above
2.A．rising B．appearing C．falling D．standing
3.A．water B．trees C．dust D．mud
4.A．just B．already C．yet D．still
5.A．so B．but C．for D．since
6.A．nothing B．everything C．anything D．something
7.A．made B．found C．shared D．built
8.A．possible B．necessary C．important D．valuable
9.A．worried B．disappointed C．puzzled D．impressed
10.A．them B．herself C．them all D．her
11.A．support B．supply C．grow D．keep
12.A．explained to B．asked for C．talked with D．spoke as
13.A．actually B．then C．before D．later
14.A．had killed B．might be killed C．had been killed D．killed
15.A．for B．as C．like D．that
16.A．you B．us C．Christmas D．your birthday
17.A．get B．send C．buy D．make
18.A．for B．from C．like D．with
19.A．sad B．happy C．worried D．sorry
20.A．It B．She C．Such D．I
_______ in the leg, the soldier was sent to hospital.
A．Seriously injured B．To be injured C．Injuring badly D．Having injured
Is this factory ___________?
A. the one your father works in B. where your father works in
C. which your father works D. your father works in
____ the problem was ______ he could deal with, he called the police for help.
A. To realize; what B. Having realizing; more than
C. Realized; more than D. Having been realized; what
