Question

Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on many public issues. He says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.

Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? In a summer vacation, millions of kids spend valuable time sending messages, watching TV, playing video games and doing shopping in the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.

Summer vacation once made sense in the past when you didn’t need an education to get a good job. But now things have changed. For today’s students, academic skills are important to students’future success, but such skills are affected in the summertime. Many nations don’t give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive（连续的） weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to thirteen weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.

Summer vacation also causes challenges for today’s families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home Mom. Now two-thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.

But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose significant ground in the summertime.

A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to hard boring work. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time to devote to athletics, languages, music and the arts. Summer vacation can be a grand thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated.

Title: Summer Vacation

Theme	A long summer vacation isn’t 1. in today’s world.
Basic Information	2. length	13 weeks in most American schools
Students’ 3.	·Sending messages and watching TV ·Playing video games ·Doing shopping
Disadvantages	· 4. student’s academic skills and putting academic futures at risk. ·Being a 5. to families for they have to watch kids. ·Hurting students’ academic achievement and resulting in 6. significant ground.
Suggestion	A longer school year does not have to 7. to hard boring work. Richer and more imaginative lessons should be 8. , such as athletics, languages, music and the arts.
9.	Though being a ground thing, summer vacation might be out of 10. in the 21st century.

Answer 1

1.meaningful

2.Vacation

3.activities

4.Affecting

5.burden

6.losing

7.lead/contribute

8.conducted

9.Conclusion

10.date

【解析】

试题分析：这是一篇议论文，论证了在当今美国社会，漫长的暑假假期是没有必要的。

1.meaningful。从第一段中的He says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.句意为他说漫长的暑假假期在当今是没有意义的可以推断出，故为meaningful。

2.Vacation。从第三段They offer no more than seven consecutive（连续的） weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to thirteen weeks句意为他们只有连续不超过七周的假期，大部分美国学校有13周的假期中可以推断出，故为Vacation。

3.activities。由该题后面框中的信息可以推断出，故为activities。

4. will also be putting their academic futures at risk.句意为他们使他们的学术未来陷入冒险的境地可以推断出，故为Affecting。

5. these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.句意为对于这些家庭，暑假比休息更有压力，因此有些人必须照看孩子可以推断出，故为burden。

6. the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. 句意为但是最大的问题也许是暑假如何破坏学术成果可以推断出，故为losing。

7.lead/contribute。由最后一段中A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to hard boring work.句意为一个长学年不会导致枯燥的学习可以推断出，故为lead/contribute。

8.conducted。由最后一段中it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons.句意为它应该使时间紧迫的老师进行多样的且更富有想象力的课程成为可能可以推断出，故为conducted。

9.Conclusion。由该题后面框中的信息可以推断出，故为Conclusion。

10.it may also be outdated.句意为它也许会过时的可以推断出，故为date。

考点：考查单词和阅读。