Question

【题目】

The traditional American school year begins in late August or early September. It ends in May or June, followed by summer vacation. 【1】Because long ago, young people had to help their families harvest summer crops. At least this is what people today may think.

【2】 A recent report from an education policy center at Indiana University explored the historical roots of the traditional school calendar.

In the early days of the United States, children were not required to attend school. School calendars depended on local needs. 【3】They worked on family farms during the other months. City schools were often open much longer, some for eleven months of the year.

After the Civil War, more and more people saw the need for a system of required education. 【4】Many city schools wanted a shorter year and a longer summer break. The schools were often crowded. There was no modern air conditioning. Hot days would make it difficult to learn. Many rural educators, however, pushed for a longer school year. They thought it would keep children safe from industrial dangers when there were few child-labor laws.

So the traditional school calendar was a compromise(折中). The average school year used to be one hundred and seventy days. Times have not changed much. 【5】 But some experts think the traditional school calendar needs to change because the needs of the nation have changed. This thinking has led some schools to keep students in class longer.

A. Why such a long break?

B. Today the common average is one hundred and eighty days.

C. Americans think highly of their traditional school calendar.

D. Most schools had similar school calendars.

E. But the reason has more to it.

F. Students in rural areas went to school for no more than six months of the year.

G. But they had different ideas for the calendar.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】E

【3】F

【4】G

【5】B

【解析】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了美国暑假形成的原因，以及暑假放假时间长短的演变。

【1】A根据下面一句话中的because可知，这句应该是以Why提问的句子，故选A。

【2】E根据上下文可知，上文提到了暑假形成的原因，但是这不是唯一的原因，下文又讲述了其他的原因，故选E。

【3】F根据下文的在农场干活可知，这里指的是农村的孩子，同时也与下文的“city school”形成对比，故选F。

【4】G根据下文可知，城市的学校与农村的学校在放假时间上的意见是不一致的，他们的观点不同，故选G。

【5】B根据上文可知，现在暑假跟以前相比变化不大，以前平均170天，空格处讲述现在的情况，现在平均180天，故选B。