Education is all enormous and expensive part of American life.Its size is matched by its variety.
Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone — not just for a privileged elite.Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child，regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself.This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects.It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing，sewing，radio repair, computer programming or driver training，along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics，history,and languages.Students choose their curricula depending on their interests，future goals，and level of ability.The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities，and to give each one a sense of civic and community consciousness.
Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and“Americanizing” the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins.Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns.
The approach to teaching may seem unfamiliar to many, not only because it is informal，but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts.Instead，Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time，learning how to use resource materials，libraries，statistics and computers.Americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives.Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation of facts.
This is America’s answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time：‘‘How Can one prepare today’s child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?”
privileged adj.享有特权的
Elite n.精英，精华
curricula n.课程
reason v.推理
1.Wmch of the following best states the goal of American education?
A)To teach every learner some practical skills.
B)To provide every learner with rich knowledge.
C)To give every student the opportunity to fully develop his/her ability.
D)To train every student to be a responsible citizen.
2.It is implied in the passage that
A)all high-school students take the same courses.
B)every high-school student must take some practical ability training courses.
C)every public school offers the same academic subjects.
D)the subjects every student takes may vary.
3.American schools place great emphasis on the learner’s
A)enrichment of knowledge.
B)accumulation of facts.
C)acquisition of the ability to be creative.
D)acquisition of the ability to work with his hands.
4.According to the passage，American education meets the needs of all the following EXCEPT
A)the brightest students.
B)the slow students.
C)the students from foreign countries.
D)the immigrants.
5.Which of the following best states the feature of American education that makes it different from education in other countries?
A)The large number of its schools.
B)The variety of the courses offered in its schools.
C)Its special consideration given to immigrants
D)Its underlying goal to develop every child’s abilities to the fullest extent.
参考答案:
1. C。分析：问题问及美国教育的目的，该问题有关文章主题。利用被选项中的核心结构(practical skills，rich knowledge， fully develop his/her ability，responsible citizen )作为答案线索，在文章中查找答案相关句：(第2段)The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of civic(公民的) and community consciousness. 该句说“要培养孩子发挥他们最大的潜力， 并让他们具有公民意识和社会意识”，因此判断C是答案。
2.D.分析：既然借助前面问题的解答知道美国教育的根本目标是在于学生能力的培养，因此推断D(学生学习的科目是变化的(因人而异))是答案。也可以借助原文，利用被选项中的核心词(same courses，practical ability training courses，same academic subjects， the subjects vary)作为答案线索：(第2段) This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as tying, sewing,… or driver training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, .. Students choose their curricula depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. 该划线句表明学生根据他们的兴趣，将来的目标和能力水平进行课程的选择，因此可以推断出D的含义—每个学生学习的课程可能是不同的。
3.C.分析：由于前面的问题都涉及到学生能力的培养，因此推断C或D正确。利用这两个选项中的核心词creative和work with his hands作为答案线索，这样找到答案相关句：(第4段)Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. 根据该句句意判断C(获得创造力)是答案。
4.C. 分析：借助第1题的了解：美国教育致力于培养每个学生的能力，因此判断A和B都应该是美国教育能满足的对象。利用被选项C和D中的核心词(from foreign countries， immigrants)作为答案线索，这样发现答案相关句：Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and Americanizing the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins.该句说：美国学校在国家团结和使数百万美国移民者美国化上起着重要的作用。该句间接的暗示美国教育能满足移民者的需要，因此只有C没有提到。
5.D. 分析：问题问及“美国教育和其他国家的教育在什么方面不同”，注意文章中提到“比较”的句子，这样在文章第2段开头找到答案相关句：Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone –not just for a privileged elite. 该句强调了“面向每个学生的教育”，对比被选项判D正确—D中提到了“培养每个学生的能力 ”与答案相关句最呼应。
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