This year’s Newsweek list of the top 100 high schools shows that today those with fewer students are rising.
Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek Top School List based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22.
Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern high schools outside the cities with thousands of students. Big schools meant economic efficiency, a greater choice of courses, and better football teams. But only years later did we understand that it involved the difficulty of strengthening personal connections between teachers and students. SAT scores began dropping; on average, 30% of students did not complete high school in four years, a figure that rose to 50% in poor city neighborhoods. High schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.
Size isn’t everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable trend toward smaller schools. This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools — most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment（招生）of only 150 students per grade. About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred.
Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California, is one of those ranking No.423 — among the top 2% in the country. In 2003, Hillsdale remade itself into three “houses”. 300 students arriving ninth graders are randomly assigned to one of the houses, where they will keep the same four subject teachers for two years before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents. Along with the new structure came the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95. “Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them.” says Jeff Gilbert.
But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.
Ranking schools is always controversial. Over the years this system has been criticized for its simplicity — list of top U.S. high schools was made merely according to the percentage of students taking college-level exams. This year a group of 38 superintendents (地區(qū)教育主管) from five states wrote to voice their disapproval. “It is impossible to know which high schools are ‘the best’ in the nation,” their letter read. “Determining whether different schools do or don’t offer a high quality of education requires a look at many different measures, including students’ overall academic accomplishments, their later performance in college, and taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities.”
【小題1】What can we learn about the schools sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation?
| A．They are often located in poor neighborhoods. |
| B．They are popular with high-achieving students. |
| C．They are mostly small in size. |
| D．Another 150 schools invested by the Foundation are planned to be set up. |
| A．enjoy more help and care from the teachers |
| B．experience a great deal of pleasure in learning |
| C．maintain closer relations with parents |
| D．deal with the demanding biology and physics courses |
| 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 |
| A．Subjective. | B．Objective. | C．Approving. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Providing Good Education for Baby Boomers |
| B．Top School List Winning National Support |
| C．Small Schools Rising in popularity |
| D．Students Meeting Higher Academic Standards |
【小題1】C
【小題2】A
【小題3】D
【小題4】B
【小題5】C
解析試題分析：本文講述了美國教育方面的話題：小規(guī)模學校在崛起以及學校規(guī)模小型化后的教學質(zhì)量的評估給美國教育主管部門所帶來的新的課題。
【小題1】推理判斷題。根據(jù)第四段中“This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools — most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment of only 150 students per grade.”說明由the Bill and Melinda Gates 基金會贊助所建的學校規(guī)模都比較小。選C
【小題2】細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第五段中“Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates.”可以知道目的是讓學生跟老師交流他們所做的一切，得到老師的更多的關心和幫助。選A
【小題3】推理判斷題。根據(jù)第一段和第二段，我們可以推出“新聞周刊給高中學校排名”的依據(jù)是“college-level test participation高等學校水平測試的參與度”。選D
【小題4】推理判斷題�？v觀全文，作者對“小規(guī)模學校在崛起”這種趨勢的作者只是敘述，沒有發(fā)表自己的見解。所以既沒有表示“主觀的Subjective”也沒有表示“漠不關心的Indifferent”的態(tài)度，更沒有表示“不同意Disapproving”，而是表明了客觀的態(tài)度。選B
【小題5】主旨大意題。本文講述了美國教育方面的話題：小規(guī)模學校在崛起。選C
考點：考查教育類話題閱讀理解
名校課堂系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in the country.
The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid2012.
As a result, the student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit(押金)required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.
Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be granted a working visa lasting from two to four years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.
“This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas,” says Wang Lan, a consultant from Education International Cooperation Group(EIC), a Beijing-based company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.
However, in the past few years, many of Wang’s student clients(客戶)could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were tough. The change in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.
A 22yearold female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her postgraduate studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.
“According to the previous deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan ($86,850). Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents,” Li says.
She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.“ I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I return to China,” she says.
Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to study abroad, according to the report by EIC.
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia. |
| B．Australia is a most attractive place for students in China. |
| C．Australia widens window of opportunity for international students. |
| D．More students will work in Australia after their graduation. |
| A．The student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified. |
| B．The deposit required to study in Australia has been reduced. |
| C．Language requirements for overseas students have been more difficult. |
| D．After graduation, some overseas students can get a working visa in Australia. |
| A．more students will come to Australia to work |
| B．more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia |
| C．the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students |
| D．more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia |
| A．550,000 yuan | B．140,000 yuan | C．410,000 yuan | D．86,850 yuan |
| A．The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness. |
| B．They can earn more money in Australia. |
| C．Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever. |
| D．They have to do so according to the new regulations. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young.
The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: “Which do you want?” “The reddest and biggest one,” my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: “You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn’t always think of yourself.” Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: “Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother.” Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison.
The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: “You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let’s have a competition. Now I divide the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear(修剪) it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best.”
After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts.
【小題1】The criminal got the reddest and biggest apple because .
| A．he told the truth that he wanted a smaller one |
| B．his mother loved him more than she loved the younger brother |
| C．elder brother should of course have the bigger one |
| D．he knew how to make his mother happy from her answer |
| A．it’s important to make children aware that no matter what they want, they must pay work |
| B．it’s wrong to ask children to choose apples when they are not old enough |
| C．it’s wrong to ask children not to always think of themselves |
| D．it’s always necessary to have a competition when we give children apple |
| A．organizing it in the order of time |
| B．making a comparison between two men |
| C．providing some scientific information |
| D．describing it in the order of space |
| A．we should always try to win competitions which can bring us a lot |
| B．in order to get what we want, we should play hard |
| C．giving children apples will lead them to become criminals |
| D．a(chǎn) mother’s educational method has a great influence on a child’s growing |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
If you don’t use a dictionary. What should you do instead? The first thing you can do is trying to guess what the word means. Often the surrounding context gives a very clear idea of the meaning of the word. Even if you can’t work out the meaning exactly, you may be able to get a vague idea, enough to enable you to continue reading.
Sometimes It is impossible to guess the meaning of a word from the context and then you will have to decide whether the word is important enough to make it worthwhile stopping and looking it up in a dictionary or whether you can just pass it by.
Many times in your reading, you will come across words which you don’t know, but which do not prevent you from understanding all the main points of the text. You can made your dictionary use much more efficient if you only look up the words which are necessary to understand the text. and this means that you must develop the skill to decide whether the words are worth looking up.
【小題1】The passage mainly tells us in our reading what we would do .
| A．without knowledge of English |
| B．when we look up words in a dictionary |
| C．when we are guessing new words |
| D．without using a dictionary |
| A．Mysterious. | B．Not clear. | C．Exact. | D．Important. |
| A．help us to understand the text well |
| B．don’t prevent us from understanding the main points of the text |
| C．will be remembered forever |
| D．a(chǎn)re borrowed from other languages |
| A．a(chǎn)dvised us to use the dictionary as much as possible |
| B．told us not to be discouraged by the sight of a dictionary |
| C．gave us some advice on how to deal with these unknown words |
| D．introduced some ways to take notes in the course of reading |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is otfen the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth, One common mistake is the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age……”Eighteen –year –old Kelly calls lectures “Long , one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”
Kids reflexively（條件反射地）shout down in the face of a lecture , Their eyes glaze over（呆滯）,and they don’t register any incoming information , Listen to 13-year –old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad, “First, they scream, Then comes the“We’re so disappointed’ speech , Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins , After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back’”.
Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial, But many of our expert parents, like Bobby , a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on cliches（陳詞濫調(diào)）to justify our actions, we weaken our position.
Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them, Therefore ,good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language:‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions（監(jiān)護）”。
Betty, who lives in Missouri ,uses and indirect approach, “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about, My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information, Then they never think I’m preaching（布道）”.
This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving , Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed”, She would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash, Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation, She depended on a teenager’s strong desire to put in his opinions—especially if he thinks he isn’t being asked for them.
【小題1】The purpose of the passage is to
| A．compare two ways of parents’ communicating with their kids |
| B．give parents advice on how to communicate with their kids |
| C．explain why kids won’t listen to their parents |
| D．introduce kids’ reaction to the communication between them and their parents |
| A．Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring |
| B．Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions |
| C．Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong |
| D．Kids don’t like any discussion at all. |
| A．獨白 | B．對話 | C．插話 | D．討論 |
| A．Parents own experience |
| B．Kids possible life in the future |
| C．Something related to kids’ present life |
| D．What parents have done to their own parents |
| A．tell their kids to listen carefully |
| B．set out their warnings directly |
| C．list out as many examples as possible |
| D．a(chǎn)rouse kids’ desire to express themselves |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students. It shows that most students considered understanding spoken English to be their biggest problem on arrival. This was followed by speaking. Writing increased as a problem as students discovered difficulties in writing papers that they were now expected to hand in. Reading remained as a big problem.
Information gained helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course. Although many students have chosen to join the course with a reasonable motivation, we considered it important to note what seemed to encourage interest. Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar-based English teaching in their own country. To use the same method would be self-defeating because it might reduce motivation, especially if it has failed in the past. Therefore a different method may help because it is different.
Variety of activity was also seen as a way of maintaining or increasing motivation. Several years ago we had one timetable that operated throughout, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest about halfway through the ten weeks. This led us to a major re-think, so in the end we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students.
【小題1】What does the passage want to tell us?
| A．Foreign students have more problems. |
| B．There are many ways to improve English. |
| C．Teaching should meet students’ needs. |
| D．English learning problems should be studied again. |
| A．had to write their papers |
| B．became better at speaking |
| C．became less interested in reading |
| D．had fewer problems with listening |
| A．different teaching methods should be used |
| B．grammar-based teaching seems to be encouraging |
| C．English courses are necessary for foreign students |
| D．teaching content should be changed halfway |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all whether rich or poor, clever or stupid, one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough: we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees; they refuse to do what they think “l(fā)ow” work; and in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we would get terrible diseases in our towns.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we are educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability, and secondly, that we realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.
【小題1】The writer of this passage thinks that________.
| A．free education for all probably leads to a perfect world |
| B．free education can solve all of the world’s problems |
| C．free education won’t help to solve social problems |
| D．a(chǎn)ll the social problems can’t be solved by free education |
| A．a(chǎn) farmer is more important than a professor |
| B．our society needs all kinds of jobs |
| C．our society needs free education for all |
| D．people with university degrees earn more money |
| A．work with hands is low work |
| B．work with hands is dirty and shameful |
| C．work with hands is the most important |
| D．we can’t regard work with hands as low work |
| A．to prepare children for their future life |
| B．to let everyone receive education |
| C．to choose a system of education |
| D．to prepare children for well-paid jobs |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
How to Study Smarter, Not Harder
Here are some of our favorite study tips that will help any student study smarter, not harder:
Recite As You Study
Reciting—saying things out loud should first take place as you read through each paragraph or section. Test yourself. This will help you to understand as well as learn faster because it is more active than reading or listening. It will also help you to notice your mistakes and the topics you have trouble understanding.[來源:學科網(wǎng)ZXXK]
Take Fuller Notes
Notes should be in your own words, brief and clear. They should be tidy and easy to read. Writing notes will help you better than just underlining as you read, since it forces you to rewrite ideas in your own words.
Study the Middle
The best time to review is soon after you’ve learned something. You are more likely to remember the material at the beginning and the end of the lesson, so make sure you focus on the middle when you review.
Sleep On It
Study before going to bed, unless you are very tired. It’s easier to remember material you’ve just learned after sleeping than after an equal period of daytime activity, because your brain continues to think even after you’ve fallen asleep.
Combine Memory and Understanding
There are two ways to remember: by memorizing and by understanding. Multiplication tables(乘法表), telephone numbers, and math formulas(公式)are better learned by memorizing(記憶). Ideas are best learned by understanding.
The more ways you have to think about an idea, the more meaning it will have; the more meaningful the learning, the better you can remember it. Pay attention to similarities in ideas and concepts, and then try to understand how they fit in with things you already know. Never be satisfied with anything less than a completely clear understanding of what you are reading. If you are not able to follow the thought, go back to the place where you first got confused and try again.
【小題1】You can notice your mistakes by _______.
| A．saying things out aloud | B．taking notes |
| C．studying the middle | D．sleeping on it |
| A．underline important notes |
| B．write notes in your own words |
| C．take down every detail |
| D．write as quickly as possible |
| A．study after a period of activity |
| B．do some exercise after studying |
| C．study as soon as you get up |
| D．study before going to sleep |
| A．Thinking about an idea in different ways. |
| B．Relating ideas and concepts with what you already know. |
| C．Reading from the beginning to the end without stop. |
| D．Going back to what first made you confused and start again. |
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