【B11】

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice.

The number of parents teaching their offspring at home will increase if the current public school system continues to be viewed as an irrelevant institution that can hinder a child's ability to learn.

The rise of home-schooling reflects broadening dissatisfaction with formal education in the US. Discontent is high for two reasons. First, public schools are turning out a poor product--illiterate and unprepared graduates. For example, American 13-year-olds have been documented as having math skills that rank below their counterparts in 14 other developed countries. One survey noted that just one-third of high school juniors could place the Civil War in the correct half-century. Equally troubling, public schools have become scenes where drugs are sold, teachers are robbed, and homemade bombs are found in lockers.

Compounding the situation, teachers' unions, school officials, and many politicians adamantly(坚决地) oppose the use of public monies(钱) for innovative solutions, such as vouchers and charter schools. Those alternatives, although not a panacea(万能) for all the present problems, are at least promising vehicles that could help poor and middle-income parents to find better schools for their children and break up the monopoly of a "one-size-fits-all" philosophy of education.

In light of the educational quagmire(沼泽) the US finds itself in, many parents, impatient for reform, are taking matters into their own hands. One alternative that is gaining growing public acceptance is the educational option known as home-schooling. Home-schooling is defined simply as the "education of school-aged children at home rather than at a school". Home-schoolers believe that students who receive instruction simultaneously from the home and the community at large will be more culturally sophisticated than those whose bulk of learning experience is confined to a school. Home-schooling families believe they are using their liberties well and wisely. The American can-do spirit is evident in the home-schools and households parents manage simultaneously. Those families, however, could use some further deregulation, be it through home-school tax credits or a loosening of compulsory attendance school laws, to make their task easier.

According to the text, the number of children being schooled at home has increased because ______.

A．children don't want to go to school

B．parents are dissatisfied with pubic schools

C．home-schooled children learn better

D．public schools are too crowded

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay about the impact of theinformation explosion by referring to the saying "A wealth of information creates apoverty of attention. " You can give examples to illustrate your point and then explainwhat you can do to avoid being distracted by irrelevant information. You shouldwrite at least 150 words but no more than 200 words. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

听力原文：M: Can you work for me tomorrow from 1:30 P.m. to 5:00 P.m.? You see, I have a meeting and I need someone, to fill in hose hours for me.

W: I don't know if I can. I have an appointment tomorrow at 3:00 P.m. I really can't cancel it either. I can work about an hour for you, though, if that'll help.

Q: Why does the man want the woman to work for him?

(14)

A．He has to fill in for someone.

B．He has an appointment.

C．He has a meeting.

D．He doesn't give a reason.

The author's attitude towards home-schooling is ______.

A．supportive

B．inquiring

C．neutral

D．suspicious

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Announcement. You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below:

你们学校将开展一次赴西部支教的活动，在校生均可参加，为期一年，教授的课程为初中语文、数学、英语、物理和化学。请你以学生会名义，起草一份本次活动的宣传启事。

Announcement