2016年12月大学英语四级阅读暑期练习及答案(二十一)

　　The Newsweek list of top U.S. high schools was made this year, as in years past, according to a single metric, the proportion of students taking college-level exams. Over the years this system has come in for its share of criticism for its simplicity. But that is also its strength: it's easy for readers to understand, and to do the arithmetic for their own schools if they'd like.

　　Ranking schools is always controversial, and this year a group of 38 superintendents(地区教育主管)from five states wrote to ask that their schools be excluded from the calculation."It is impossible to know which high schools are 'the best' in the nation, "their letter read. in part. "Determining whether different schools do or don't offer a high quality of education requires a look at man different measures, including students' overall academic accomplishments and their subsequent performance in college. And taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities."

　　In the end, the superintendents agreed to provide the data we sought, which is, after all, public information. There is, in our view, no real dispute here, we are all seeking the same thing, which is schools that better serve our children and our nation by encouraging students to tackle tough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers. And if we keep working toward that goal, someday, perhaps a list won't be necessary.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答卡1上作答.

　　1. Fifty years ago. big. Modern. Suburban high schools were established in the hope of __________.

　　A) ensuring no child is left behind

　　B) increasing economic efficiency

　　C) improving students' performance on SAT

　　D)providing good education for baby boomers

　　2. What happened as a result of setting up big schools?

　　A)Teachers' workload increased.

　　B)Students' performance declined.

　　C)Administration became centralized.

　　D)Students focused more on test scores.

　　3.What is said about the schools forded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation?

　　A)They are usually magnet schools.

　　B)They are often located in poor neighborhoods.

　　C)They are popular with high-achieving students.

　　D)They are mostly small in size.

　　4.What is most noticeable about the current trend in high school education?

　　A)Some large schools have split up into smaller ones.

　　B)A great variety of schools have sprung up in urban and suburban areas.

　　C)Many schools compete for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds.

　　D)Students have to meet higher academic standards.

　　5.Newsweek ranked high schools according to .

　　A)their students' academic achievement

　　B)the number of their students admitted to college

　　C)the size and number of their graduating classes

　　D)their college-level test participation

　　6.What can we learn about Hillsdale's students in the late 1990s?

　　A)They were made to study hard like prisoners.

　　B)They called each other by unaffectionate nicknames.

　　C)Most of them did not have any sense of discipline,

　　D)Their school performance was getting worse.

　　7.According to Jeff Gilbert, the "advisory" classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could .

　　A)tell their teachers what they did on weekends

　　B)experience a great deal of pleasure in learning

　　C)maintain closer relationships with their teachers

　　D)tackle the demanding biology and physics courses

　　8.________is still considered a strength of Newsweek's school ranking system in spite of the criticism it receives.

　　9.According to the 38 superintendents, to rank schools scientifically, it is necessary to use________.

　　10.To better serve the children and our nation, schools students to take________.

　　答案解析:

　　1. D) providing good education for baby boomers.

　　2. D) Students’ performance declined.

　　3. D) They are mostly small in size.

　　4. D) Some large schools have split up into smaller ones.

　　5. C) their college-level test participation.

　　6. B) Their school performance was getting worse.

　　7. A) maintain closer relationships with their teachers.

　　8. Simplicity

　　9. different measures

　　10. tough subjects