Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on many public issues. He says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.
Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? In a summer vacation, millions of kids spend valuable time sending messages, watching TV, playing video games and doing shopping in the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.
Summer vacation once made sense in the past when you didn’t need an education to get a good job. But now things have changed. For today’s students, academic skills are important to students’ future success, but such skills are affected in the summertime. Many nations don’t give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive(连续的) weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to thirteen weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.
Summer vacation also causes challenges for today’s families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home Mom. Now two-thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.
But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose significant ground in the summertime.
A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to hard boring work. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time to devote to athletics, languages, music and the arts. Summer vacation can be a grand thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated.
Title: Summer Vacation
| Theme |
A long summer vacation isn’t |
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| Basic Information |
13 weeks in most American schools |
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| Students’ |
·Sending messages and watching TV ·Playing video games ·Doing shopping |
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| Disadvantages |
· ·Being a ·Hurting students’ academic achievement and resulting in |
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| Suggestion |
A longer school year does not have to |
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| Though being a ground thing, summer vacation might be out of |
第二节语法填空 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填人一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为3l~40的相应位置上。
Scientists have found “significant” amounts of water in a crater (火山口) at the moon’s south pole, a major 31 (discover) that will dramatically revise the description of the moon 32a dead world and likely make it a more attractive destination for future human space missions.
“The moon is alive,” declared Anthony Colaprete, the chief scientist for the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission, 31 used a rocket on Oct. 9 to punch a hole about 100 feet across in the moon’s surface, and then measured about 25 gallons of water in the form of vapor and ice. 31that’s not enough to swim in, it could indicate sufficient water in permanently shaded craters at the poles for future astronauts to live off the land.
NASA’s plans, currently under review by the Obama administration, call for 31 return to the moon at the end of the next decade, and 31(construct) of a lunar base in which astronauts could live and work for months at a time.
The presence of large quantities of water would make that plan more 31 (practice), since water could be used for drinking, breathing and even making rocket fuel. 31, a resource-rich moon could also serve as the perfect low-gravity launch-pad (发射台) for missions that would carry astronauts and 31 families elsewhere in the solar system, 31(realize) the dreams of generations of science-fiction writers.
第二节语法填空 (共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31～40的相应位置上。
It was a very cold evening, an old man was waiting for a ride across the river. He saw several horsemen pass by but he didn’t ask for any help. The wait seemed 31 (end). Then came another rider, the old man 32 (catch) his eye and said, “Sir, would you mind doing me a favor?”
Stopping his horse, he replied, “Of course.” Almost 33 (freeze), the old man could not get 34 the ground. The horseman helped him onto his horse. He took the o1d man not just across the river, 35 to his home.
“Sir, you didn’t even ask the other riders for help, why? What 36 I had said ‘no’ and 1eft you there?” the horseman asked.
The old man looked at him straight in the eyes and said, “I looked into their eyes, I found they didn’t care, 37 told me it would be useless, but when I looked into 38 , I saw kindness.”
These words touched the rider deeply. “Thank you for 39 you’ve said, I hope I will never be too busy to help others.” With that, Thomas Jefferson, the 40 (three) president of the US, turned his horse around and went away．
第二节语法填空 (共10小题；每小题1．5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填人一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为3l-40的相应位置上。
Jim sat outside the office waiting for the interview. He was so nervous that he didn't know what to do with himself. The one who had gone in 31him had been in there for nearly an hour. And she looked so confident when she went in. He 32 (feel) sure that she had already got the job.The problem was 33 he wanted this job so much. It is everything to him. He had thought about it a lot before the day of the interview. He had thought himself 34(perform) brilliantly, imagining himself being offered the job immediately. 35 now he was feeling terrible. He couldn't remember all those things he 36(plan) to say. At that moment, he almost decided to get up and leave. But no — he had to do this. He had spent so much time considering 37that he couldn’t give up like that. At last, the door opened. The woman who had gone in an hour earlier came out looking very pleased with herself. She smiled 38(sympathy) at Jim. At that moment Jim hated 39 . Then the managing director appeared at the office door. “Would you like to come 40now, Mr. Smith? I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” Jim suddenly wished that he had gone home after all.
VII.补全对话
根据中文提示，将对话中缺少的内容写在对话下面的对应横线上。所补的句子必须与所给的标点符号一致。
提示：后天是Alice 的生日。她的父母商量着给她买礼物，最后说定买一张唱片送给她。
M: It’s Alice’s birthday the day after tomorrow. 79 ?
W: Yes, of course. Shall
we give her some flowers?
M: Flowers are lovely. But I think it’s better to buy her a nice box of chocolates.
W: Alice doesn’t like sweet things. Didn’t you know that?
M: You’re right. Er…I know. 80 ? She loves music.
W: 81 . Let’s go to the music shop and choose one for her.
第二节语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卷标号为31-40的相应位置上。
The year 2009 is the Year of the Ox, which is a representative of the farming culture of China. In the farming economy, oxen are the major animals 31(pull) plows (犁).
Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as “boats on land” for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures, with their meat and milk as food full of nutrition, 32their skin used to make clothes and shoes.
In the past, oxen played an important role in the 33(spirit) life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who 1ive in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share 34among family members when holding a ceremony for children 35 reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. 36(express) their love for oxen, people in some 37areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar, and during their run they will take their oxen along, which 38(indicate) they regard the creature as human.
Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to 39animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe 40oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.