For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find an internship (实习). In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the United States, however, such programs are still few and far behind.
Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higher earnings in later years. The students are more likely to stay in school, graduate and go on to higher education.
In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment.
But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的)kids with no jobs and no skills.
Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teach them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example ,encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job
experience in those fields while they’re still at high school.
However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is daunting. In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to-19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row.
“The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they will become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,” said Michael, a researcher in the US.In the author’s opinion, German high school leavers ______.
| A．enjoy more career-related courses than that of US |
| B．need more career advice from their schools |
| C．perform better in exams than American students |
| D．are less brought into contact with the working world |
According to Robert Schwartz, high school students should _________.
| A．directly carry on higher education |
| B．get contact with the working world |
| C．focus on their performance in exams |
| D．not miss out on the summer job experience |
The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 6 most probably mean “______”.
| A．incredible | B．motivating |
| C．impressive | D．discouraging |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Remarks on recent US high school education reform |
| B．Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers in US. |
| C．The lack of career-based education in US high schools. |
| D．The severe situation of unemployment in US. |
A small man with a fat stomach got on the train at the last station before the frontier (边境). He carried a paper bag. And four feet ducks could be seen under the cover. The man found an empty seat, put the bag in the middle of the floor, took out a newspaper and began to read. Then a policeman came in. Of course he saw the bag with ducks' legs at once and said, "Whose is that bag?" Nobody answered. The policeman repeated the question, and said, "I'll have to take it away from the owner. Food mustn't be taken out of the country." "Well, then," said the small man with a fat stomach. "Hurry up and take it. We want to go home." The policeman took the bag and went on to the next carriage.
At the next station, when they were safely across the frontier, the small man got up, smiled at the other passengers and said, "I hope they'll enjoy the ducks' feet. The rest of the bag had nothing but rubbish in it." Then he opened his coat and pointed to another bag he was carrying under it. It was tied tightly (紧紧地) over the stomach, which was not really fat. "I have the rest of the two ducks here," he said. With these words, he got off the train. But while he was happily walking to the exit with the bag in his hands, a policeman came up to him, saying, "Hey, man! Foreign food mustn't be brought in."The small man put the bag in the middle of the floor ___ .
| A．so that he could make more room for himself |
| B．so that the policeman could find it easily |
| C．because the other passengers didn't like it |
| D．because there was not an empty seat in the carriage |
The first policeman took the paper bag away because ___ .
| A．he wanted to find the owner of the bag |
| B．he enjoyed the ducks feet in the bag |
| C．the bag was put in a wrong place in the carriage |
| D．food can't be taken abroad |
The bag the policeman took away had nothing in it except ___ .
| A．two ducks | B．rubbish |
| C．the ducks' feet and rubbish | D．the ducks' feet |
In the end the small man ___ .
| A．failed to take his food home |
| B．crossed the frontier with two paper bags |
| C．took the ducks safely home |
| D．hid his ducks under his coat again |
Do you know why different animals or pests have their special colours? Colours in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts. but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colours together with the change of the colours of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown colour as crops have. Some other pests with different colours from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.
If you study the animal life, you'll find the main use of colouring is protecting themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be seen by hunters. This is because they have the colours much like the tree.
Have you ever noticed an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spread over, the enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it isn't strong at all.From the passage we learn that locusts ___ .
| A．are small animals |
| B．are easily found by birds |
| C．are dangerous to their enemies |
| D．change their colours to protect themselves |
How can pests with different colours from plants keep out of danger?
| A．They run away quickly. |
| B．They colours much like their enemies. |
| C．They hide themselves in the day and appear at night. |
| D．They have to move quietly. |
Bears and lions can keep safe because they ___ .
| A．have the colours much like the trees | B．move quickly |
| C．like brown and grey colours | D．live in forests |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．The Change of Colours for Animals and Pests |
| B．Colours of Different Animals and Pests |
| C．The Main Use of Colours for Animals and Pests |
| D．Some Animals and Pests |
I was born in New York, but I grew up in San Francisco. I began to live in London 25 years ago. If I am asked now where I want to live forever, I would say London. But I will always be American.
San Francisco, like London, has many parks. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. I didn't go to school. I only had three hours of formal education when I was five. I was sent to school in the morning but came home at noon on the first day. I said I didn't enjoy it and hadn't learned anything. My parents thought that school was unsuitable for me. They agreed with me, so I never went back to school.
Then my mother taught me and my two sisters at home, in the way of an English lady who had good education. We learned languages and reading more than sciences and maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers. They asked us to take lessons every day. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park. While we were walking, my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little toy train in the window of a shop and I remember now how I'd like to have it. I couldn't say "r" when I was small. My mother said if I could say an "r" well, I would have the toy train. I practiced and practiced. Then one morning I woke everybody up with my "r"s. I got the toy train. I usually get the things I want in life — but I work hard for them.The writer ___ .
| A．was born in San Francisco | B．likes living in London |
| C．is living in New York now | D．doesn't like America |
The writer didn't go to school in America because ___ .
| A．his mother wanted him to go to school in English |
| B．his parents didn't think formal education was right for him |
| C．his mother wanted him to play outdoors in the parks |
| D．he couldn't get on well with the other children |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The writer was taught by his mother and other teachers. |
| B．The writer had no education at all. |
| C．The writer didn't have lessons every day. |
| D．The writer walked to the park to learn languages once a week. |
The writer got the little toy train at last because ___ .
| A．his mother gave him the money |
| B．he tried his best to read music |
| C．he wanted it very much |
| D．his mother was pleased with his progress |
2010 Spring Vacation Program
Lexington Prep School’s (LPS)Spring Vacation Program offers students an opportunity to use their break time productively．
Students who plan ahead can take advantage of reduced rates：
*Spring Vacation：Friday 3／5／2010-Monday 3／29／2010
*Registration(报名)Deadline：2／15／2010
*Our Special Pricing offer ends after 2／1／2010
*If registered after 2／1／2010，$20
0／day for Basic Program
*ONLINE REGISTRATION (Click Here) *
Students will stay in our picturesque facility and choose from one of three following programs：
A．Basic Program: $120／day if registered before Feb．1，2010
Students in our Basic Program are provided with room，board and classroom space for
independent work．We also provide shuttle service to local sites including the local subway station．malls，and nearby movie theaters．Students may also choose 
to participate in outings to attractions such as the Boston Museum of Science，Salem Witch Museum，and Faneuil Hall Marketplace for all additional charge．
B．Balanced Program，$220 per day
students in our limited program participate in SSAT or SAT／English preparation classes during the morning session focusing on vocabulary and grammar, critical reading，and essay writing.
After lunch．students are free to work independently or to relax．
C．Intensive Program，$260 per day
Students in our intensive program are given a full day of SSAT or SAT／English preparation including grammar, vocabulary, critical reading， writing and mathematics. The intensive program is designed to achieve the greatest score increase in the shortest period of time.
For participants in all programs：
*Each student will have one roommate in a room equipped with a bathroom.
*Private classes are also available in：All AP Subjects，all SAT Ⅱ Subjects，school project work, school research paper assistance，art，music．
*Facilities include(a gym，art room，library，TOEFL certified computer lab，concert hall with
grand piano, movie room，and recreation room with karaoke and ping-pong table.If students register for Basic Program before 2010，they Can saveper day.
A．$80 8．$120 C．$220 D．$260If choosing Balanced Program，students can do the following EXCEPT.
| A．share a double room(with a bathroom)with another student |
| B．take a full day of SSAT or SAT／English preparation classes |
| C．attend private classes such as school project work,art and music |
D．have fun seeing a movie，singing karaoke or playing ping—pong |
The purpose of Intensive Program is to help students
| A．gain the highest score in the shortest time |
B．1earn to get along wi th roommates |
| C．enjoy reduced price for the Spring Vacation Program |
| D．work independently on a school research paper |
This passage may probably appear
| A．in research report | B．in a textbook |
| C．at a website | D．in a guidebook |
President Obama，s plan last week to overhaul(改善)former president George W．Bush’s No Child left Behind program is an improvement on a good thin9．But it doesn’t go far enough.
Obama outlined a goal that by 2020，all grade school and high school students ale on a path toward college and career readiness．
However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so. We’ve provided a free public education through the l2th grade．If we’re going to keep up—or catch up—with some other countries(1ike China)in preparing young people for careers，a 12-year education program no longer is enough．
About 3 million students across the USA will graduate from high school this spring. But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCFES)．For the more than l million who won’t go on，money is a major factor．If tuition(学费)were free，about half of them could make up other COSTS from family or part—time jobs．
Critics(批评家)of free college tuition will say we can’t afford it because of the federal deficit(联邦赤字)and other rising costs．Let’s see some government spending in detail：
In the last nearly 10 years．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have 
cost us $1 trillion(that’s $1，000 billion，or an average of$100 billion a year)．Federal money spent on public elementary and secondary education in
the last year for which figures are available was$47 billion．If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation—building efforts abroad，the federal government could provide more money on public education，for which state and local governments now carry most of the burden(负担)．According to President Obama’s plan，in 10 years，．
| A．there will be no expensive and unnecessary Wars |
| B．all grade and high school students can go to college |
| C．the U．S．will catch up with China in career preparation |
| D．students Call enjoy a l2-year public free education |
If tuition were not charged．
| A．about 2．5 million students could afford college education |
| B．about 2 million students could be provided chances of college education |
| C．over l million students still could not afford college education |
| D．about 3 million students could graduate from high school |
The author may agree that President Obama’s plan
| A．has little to do with Gorge W．Bush’s program |
| B．does not agree with the survey by NCFES |
| C．does not contain practical measures to achieve its goal |
| D．will lighten the burden of state and local governments |
It can be inferred from the passage that
A．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are expensive but necessary
B．the federal Can not provide more money on education
C，critics of free college tuition think little of the plan
D．President Obama’s plan might be hard to carry out