Goal of American education
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.享有特權(quán)的
Elite n. 精英，精華
curricula n. 課程
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 ( ).
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.
參考答案:
1. 答案選C。問題問及美國(guó)教育的目的，該問題有關(guān)文章主題。利用被選項(xiàng)中的核心結(jié)構(gòu)(practical skills，rich knowledge， fully develop his/her ability，responsible citizen )作為答案線索，在文章中查找答案相關(guān)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. 該句說“要培養(yǎng)孩子發(fā)揮他們大的潛力， 并讓他們具有公民意識(shí)和社會(huì)意識(shí)”，因此判斷C是答案。
2.答案選D。既然借助前面問題的解答知道美國(guó)教育的根本目標(biāo)是在于學(xué)生能力的培養(yǎng)，因此推斷D(學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的科目是變化的(因人而異))是答案。也可以借助原文，利用被選項(xiàng)中的核心詞(same courses，practical ability training courses，same academic subjects， the subjects vary)作為答案線索：(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. 該劃線句表明學(xué)生根據(jù)他們的興趣，將來的目標(biāo)和能力水平進(jìn)行課程的選擇，因此可以推斷出D的含義—每個(gè)學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的課程可能是不同的。
3.答案選C。由于前面的問題都涉及到學(xué)生能力的培養(yǎng)，因此推斷C或D正確。利用這兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)中的核心詞creative和 work with his hands作為答案線索，這樣找到答案相關(guān)句：(第4段)Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. 根據(jù)該句句意判斷C(獲得創(chuàng)造力)是答案。
4.答案選C。借助第1題的了解：美國(guó)教育致力于培養(yǎng)每個(gè)學(xué)生的能力，因此判斷A和B都應(yīng)該是美國(guó)教育能滿足的對(duì)象。利用被選項(xiàng)C和D中的核心詞(from foreign countries， immigrants)作為答案線索，這樣發(fā)現(xiàn)答案相關(guān)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.該句說：美國(guó)學(xué)校在國(guó)家團(tuán)結(jié)和使數(shù)百萬美國(guó)移民者美國(guó)化上起著重要的作用。該句間接的暗示美國(guó)教育能滿足移民者的需要，因此只有C沒有提到。
5.答案選D。問題問及“美國(guó)教育和其他國(guó)家的教育在什么方面不同”，注意文章中提到“比較”的句子，這樣在文章第2段開頭找到答案相關(guān)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. 該句強(qiáng)調(diào)了“面向每個(gè)學(xué)生的教育”，對(duì)比被選項(xiàng)判D正確—D中提到了“培養(yǎng)每個(gè)學(xué)生的能力”與答案相關(guān)句呼應(yīng)。
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.享有特權(quán)的
Elite n. 精英，精華
curricula n. 課程
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 ( ).
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.
參考答案:
1. 答案選C。問題問及美國(guó)教育的目的，該問題有關(guān)文章主題。利用被選項(xiàng)中的核心結(jié)構(gòu)(practical skills，rich knowledge， fully develop his/her ability，responsible citizen )作為答案線索，在文章中查找答案相關(guān)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. 該句說“要培養(yǎng)孩子發(fā)揮他們大的潛力， 并讓他們具有公民意識(shí)和社會(huì)意識(shí)”，因此判斷C是答案。
2.答案選D。既然借助前面問題的解答知道美國(guó)教育的根本目標(biāo)是在于學(xué)生能力的培養(yǎng)，因此推斷D(學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的科目是變化的(因人而異))是答案。也可以借助原文，利用被選項(xiàng)中的核心詞(same courses，practical ability training courses，same academic subjects， the subjects vary)作為答案線索：(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. 該劃線句表明學(xué)生根據(jù)他們的興趣，將來的目標(biāo)和能力水平進(jìn)行課程的選擇，因此可以推斷出D的含義—每個(gè)學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的課程可能是不同的。
3.答案選C。由于前面的問題都涉及到學(xué)生能力的培養(yǎng)，因此推斷C或D正確。利用這兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)中的核心詞creative和 work with his hands作為答案線索，這樣找到答案相關(guān)句：(第4段)Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. 根據(jù)該句句意判斷C(獲得創(chuàng)造力)是答案。
4.答案選C。借助第1題的了解：美國(guó)教育致力于培養(yǎng)每個(gè)學(xué)生的能力，因此判斷A和B都應(yīng)該是美國(guó)教育能滿足的對(duì)象。利用被選項(xiàng)C和D中的核心詞(from foreign countries， immigrants)作為答案線索，這樣發(fā)現(xiàn)答案相關(guān)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.該句說：美國(guó)學(xué)校在國(guó)家團(tuán)結(jié)和使數(shù)百萬美國(guó)移民者美國(guó)化上起著重要的作用。該句間接的暗示美國(guó)教育能滿足移民者的需要，因此只有C沒有提到。
5.答案選D。問題問及“美國(guó)教育和其他國(guó)家的教育在什么方面不同”，注意文章中提到“比較”的句子，這樣在文章第2段開頭找到答案相關(guān)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. 該句強(qiáng)調(diào)了“面向每個(gè)學(xué)生的教育”，對(duì)比被選項(xiàng)判D正確—D中提到了“培養(yǎng)每個(gè)學(xué)生的能力”與答案相關(guān)句呼應(yīng)。