高考英语考前分类强化（一）—教育类
精品佳作，考前阅读技巧全掌握
随着现代社会人类交往日趋频繁，英语更加显示出它丰富多彩的语言特点，探讨语言中的一些特定现象是高考社会文化类选材的另一个热点。本节在命题方面既注重对全文整体的把握，又注重特定细节的理解、文章主旨的把握和信息的推理判断。
这一节选了六篇文章，进行专题训练，促进相关背景知识的学习，增强本题材文章的阅读语感，为将来考试的实战进行知识上的、素质上的和心理上的准备。（答案见本节最后）
Passage 1
In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents (答问卷者)listed "to give children a good start academically" as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group. The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. Sixty-two percent of the more individually oriented (强调个性发展的) Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An emphasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.
16. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe
A) Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents
B) Japan's economic success is a result of its scientific achievements
C) Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction
D) Japan's higher education is superior to theirs
17. Most Americans surveyed believe that preschools should also attach importance to
A) problem solving B) group experience
C) parental guidance D) individually-oriented development
18. In Japan's preschool education, the focus is on
A) preparing children academically B) developing children's artistic interests
C) tapping children's potential D) shaping children's character
19. Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to
A) broaden children's horizon B) cultivate children's creativity
C) lighten children's study load D) enrich children's knowledge
20. Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
A) They can do better in their future studies.
B) They can accumulate more group experience there.
C) They can be individually oriented when they grow up.
D) They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education.
Passage 2
I'm usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation—brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things—and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Given that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope.
At the top of the list is nurturing ( 培育 ) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn't have to ruin your life.
21. The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people's state of mind are_____.
A) surprising B) confusing C) illogical D) questionable
22. What does the author mean when he says, "we can't turn the clock back" (Line 1, Para. 3)?
A) It's impossible to slow down the pace of change.
B) The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.
C) Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.
D) It's impossible to forget the past.
23. According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago____.
A) were less isolated physically B) were probably less self-centered
C) probably suffered less from anxiety D) were considered less individualistic
24. The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is ____.
A) to provide them with a safer environment
B) to lower their expectations for them
C) to get them more involved socially
D) to set a good model for them to follow
25. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A) Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with.
B) Children's anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.
C) Children's anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.
D) Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.
Passage 3
On average, American kids aged 3 to 12 spent 29 hours a week in school, eight hours more than they did in 1981. They also did more household work and participated in more of such organized activities as soccer and ballet (芭蕾舞). Involvement in sports, in particular, rose almost 50% from 1981 to 1997: boys now spend an average of four hours a week playing sports; girls log hall that time. All in all, however, children's leisure time dropped from 40% of the day in 1981 to 25%.
"Children are affected by the same time crunch (危机) that affects their parents," says Sandra Hofferth, who headed the recent study of children's timetable. A chief reason, she says, is that more mothers are working outside the home. (Nevertheless, children in both double-income and "male breadwinner" households spent comparable amounts of time interacting with their parents: 19 hours and 22 hours respectively. In contrast, children spent only 9 hours with their single mothers.)
All work and no play could make for some very messed-up kids. "Play is the most powerful way a child explores the world and learns about himself," says T. Berry Brazelton, professor at Harvard Medical School. Unstructured play encourages independent thinking and allows the young to negotiate their relationships with their peers, but kids aged 3 to 12 spent only 12 hours a week engaging in it.
The children sampled spent a quarter of their rapidly decreasing "free time" watching television. But that, believe it or not, was one of the findings parents might regard as good news. If they're spending less time in front of the TV set, however, kids aren't replacing it with reading. Despite efforts to get kids more interested in books, the children spent just over an hour a week reading. Let's face it, who's got the time?
1. By mentioning "the same time crunch" (Line 1, Para. 2) Sandra Hofferth means _______.
A) children have little time to play with their parents
B) children are not taken good care of by their working parents
C) both parents and children suffer from lack of leisure time
D) both parents and children have trouble managing their time
2. According to the author, the reason given by Sandra Hofferth for the time crunch is _______.
A) quite convincing B) partially true
C) totally groundless D) rather confusing
3. According to the author, a child develops better if _______.
A) he has plenty of time reading and studying
B) he is left to play with his peers in his own way
C) he has more time participating in school activities
D) he is free to interact with his working parents
4. The author is concerned about the fact that American kids _______.
A) are engaged in more and more structured activities
B) are increasingly neglected by their working mothers
C) are spending more and more time watching TV
D) are involved less and less in household work
5. We can infer from the passage that _______.
A) extracurricular activities promote children's intelligence
B) most children will turn to reading with TV sets switched off
C) efforts to get kids interested in reading have been fruitful
D) most parents believe reading to be beneficial to children
Passage 4
Engineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality, but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool. In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and, of course, any sensible student with my aims would have chosen a college with a large engineering department, famous reputation and lots of good labs and research equipment. But that's not what I did.
I chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts (文科) university that doesn't even offer a major in electrical engineering. Obviously, this was not a practical choice; I came here for more noble reasons. I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my career. I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren't studying science or engineering. My parents, teachers and other adults praised me for such a sensible choice. They told me I was wise and mature beyond my 18 years, and I believed them.
I headed off to college sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering “factories” where they didn't care if you had values or were flexible. I was going to be a complete engineer: technical genius and sensitive humanist (人文学者) all in one.
Now I'm not so sure. Somewhere along the way my noble ideals crashed into reality, as all noble ideals eventually do. After three years of struggling to balance math, physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses, I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile (协调) engineering with liberal-arts courses in college.
The reality that has blocked my path to becoming the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don't mix as easily as I assumed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways; together they threaten to confuse. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.
1. The author chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university because he ___________.
A) wanted to be an example of practicality and rationality
B) intended to be a combination of engineer and humanist
C) wanted to coordinate engineering with liberal-arts courses in college
D) intended to be a sensible student with noble ideals
2. According to the author, by interacting with people who study liberal arts, engineering students can _______.
A) balance engineering and the liberal arts B) receive guidance in their careers
C) become noble idealists D) broaden their horizons
3. In the eyes of the author, a successful engineering student is expected ___________.
A) to have an excellent academic record
B) to be wise and mature
C) to be imaginative with a value system to guide him
D) to be a technical genius with a wide vision
4. The author's experience shows that he was ___________.
A) creative B) ambitious C) unrealistic D) irrational
5. The word “they” in “... together they threaten to confuse.” (Line 3, Para. 5) refers to ________.
A) engineering and the liberal arts B) reality and noble ideals
C) flexibility and a value system D) practicality and rationality
Passage 5
Smile, when making an introduction.
Every day we meet people in a number of business and social situations. And the way we meet and greet them creates an impression. It’s important to do so in a proper way, no matter whether you are introducing yourself to someone, or introducing two people to each other. To keep you aware of this, we have gathered tips on how to make a proper introduction.
◎Always stand when making an introduction.
When you are seated and someone comes up to greet you, make the effort to stand up. By doing this, you show respect for yourself and for the other person.
◎Always maintain eye contact while making an introduction.
Many people are not aware of the value of this simple action. When you make eye contact you are giving a confident image.
◎Always introduce a person of lesser authority to one of greater authority. The most important thing to remember is to say the most important person’s name first.
For example, when introducing your supervisor to a job candidate, you would give your supervisor’s name first. "Bob Jones, may I introduce Susan Lee, who has just graduated from ABC University?"
◎In a situation where rank is unimportant, an introduction is based on sex and age. A man is presented to a woman and a younger woman to an older woman.
What if you find yourself in a situation where you have forgotten the other person’s name? Start with a handshake and reintroduce yourself. By doing this, you will usually cause the other person to do the same.
However, if the other person does not take your suggestion, it is OK simply to apologize and let the person know that you cannot remember her or his name. This is not the ideal situation, of course, but it does happen to all of us. The other person should be forgiving.
1. The article gives you advice on _________.
A. how to make a selfintroduction
B. how to make a proper introduction
C. how to leave a good impression on people
D. how to greet people in social situations
2. According to the passage, people will think you are ______ if you don’t make eye contact with them.
A. not honest B. not confident C. shy D. unfriendly
3. What should you do when you introduce a new worker to your boss?
A. You should not give your boss’ name.
B. You should give the new worker’s name first.
C. You needn’t give your boss’ name.
D. You should give your boss’ name first.
4. If you forget the other person’s name, you’d better ________.
A. ask him/her directly
B. apologize first and then ask him/her
C. shake hands with the person and reintroduce yourself
D. consider his age first
Passage 6
Slang is one of those things that everybody can recognize and nobody can define（下定义）. Not only is it hard to wrap slang in a definition, it is also hard to distinguish （区别）it from such similar things as colloquialism (口语), provincialism (方言), jargon (行话) or trade talk（行业话）.
Usually, slang tends to be transient. Thus parents are often laughed at by their children when this older generation uses slang which was considered to be the height of fashion in their own youth. Of course, the slang teenage children use today is very different from that of their parents. Indeed it might ever be some obscure (晦涩的) foreign language as far as the older generation is concerned for it is totally beyond their understanding.
It is often said that a slang term stops to be slang when it is "accepted by the dictionary". This is not really the case. You will find many slang terms listed in dictionaries are still slang terms. The term stops to be slang when it drives its respectable synonym（同义词）out of use, or when it acquires a meaning that cannot be expressed otherwise.
Such things have happened. The term "hot dog" was once a slang term, but it couldn’t be considered so now. No one in America would go up to a counter and order "a sausage sandwich". Similarly "varsity", originally a slang contraction (缩写) of university, has acquired a special meaning which only it expresses and is no longer slang. Jazz, when it means a particular kind of music, is scarcely a slang form, since there is no more respectable word meaning that kind of music.
1. Which would be the best title for this passage?
A. Slang
B. Slang terms and their meanings
C. How to understand slang terms
D. Slang terms and other forms of language
2. Parents are often laughed at by their children when_______.
A. they want to be at the height of the fashion
B. they use outofdate slang
C. they try to learn from their children
D. they want to follow the fashion
3. The last paragraph is intended to show _________.
A. when a slang word is no longer slang
B. when a slang word disappears
C. how slang words are used
D. how to understand slang words
4. The underlined word in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A. longlasting
B. shortlived
C. easy to understand
D. hard to understand
专题阅读训练
一、教育类：
Passage 1 CBDCD Passage 2 DBCCA Passage 3 CBBAD Passage 4 BDDCA
Passage 5 BBDC Passage 6 ABAB