Question

    Raegan Byrd tries to complete her homework every night. But the high school student in Hartford, Connecticut, has to use her mobile phone to search for the necessary information because she does not have internet connection at home.

In May, the US Department of Education(DOE) published its findings that the number of homes without access(接入) to internet has been getting smaller, but 14 percent of homes in city areas and 18 percent of homes in the countryside still do not have internet connections.

In some states, the problem is much more serious. For example, in the countryside of northern Mississippi, a third of the 294 homes in Maben do not have computers. And close to half have no access to internet whether they can pay for it or not.

Sharon Stidham, a mother in Maben, has to take her four boys to the school library at East Webster High School. Her husband works there, so the children can use the internet for their schoolwork. A signal tower can be seen through the trees from their home, but they could not put aside any money for the internet.

Research results from the National Center for Education(NCE) have shown that students with internet at home get much better scores in reading, math and science than the ones who do not.

Some teachers call this problem “the homework divide”. Jessica Rosenworcel, an NCE member, said, “The so-called homework divide is the cruelest part of the digital age and it is hurting the poor students and creating a big obstacle to their dreams.”

Local communities(社区) have started to help. They made lists of restaurants and other businesses with Wi-Fi places where children are welcome to come and do their homework. And many public libraries have also planned to provide free access to the students next year.

1.What has DOE found out in its survey?

A.Students with internet at home are doing better at school.

B.4% more homes in the countryside don’t have internet access.

C.About 33% of the students in Mississippi do not have internet at home.

D.An increasing number of students do not have access to internet at home.

2.Why does Sharon Stidham take her sons to the East Webster High School library?

A.Her husband is a teacher in the library.

B.She does not want to pay for the internet at home.

C.She wants her sons to study in a better environment.

D.Her sons have to use the internet to do their schoolwork.

3.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “obstacle” in paragraph 6?

A.Block. B.Help.

C.Goal. D.Chance.

4.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A.Local communities are called on to take actions.

B.Libraries have opened their doors to the students.

C.Restaurants have volunteered to take in the children.

D.Helps are coming from the public and the local communities.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述美国部分家庭没有安装网络，导致了一部分孩子不能完成家庭作业，因此社区和公共场所也大力提供帮助。

1.细节理解题。从第二段中14 percent of homes in city areas and 18 percent of homes in the countryside still do not have internet connections.(城市地区14%的家庭和农村地区18%的家庭仍然没有互联网连接)，可知，农村家庭没有网络连接的百分比比城市家庭要多出4%。B. 4% more homes in the countryside don’t have internet access. (农村家庭没有互联网接入要多4%) 符合题意。故选B项。

2.细节理解题。从第四段中Her husband works there, so the children can use the internet for their schoolwork.可知，她带上四个孩子去他丈夫工作的地方是为了让孩子们有网络做作业。D. Her sons have to use the internet to do their schoolwork. (她的儿子们不得不使用互联网来做功课) 符合题意。故选D项。

3.词义猜测题。“The so-called homework divide is the cruelest part of the digital age and it is hurting the poor students and creating a big obstacle to their dreams.”(所谓的“家庭作业鸿沟”是数字时代最残酷的部分，它正在伤害贫困学生，并为他们的梦想制造一个巨大的障碍)。可知，数字化时代会让贫穷的孩子们更难实现他们的梦想。A. Block.障碍物；B. Help.帮助；C. Goal.目标；D. Chance.机会。只有block带入题中符合题意。故选A项。

4.主旨大意题。从最后一段中Local communities(社区) have started to help.和And many public libraries have also planned to provide free access to the students next year.可知，当地社区和公共场所都在提供帮助。D. Helps are coming from the public and the local communities. (帮助来自公众和当地社区) 符合题意。故选D项。