Question

【题目】 The UN’s Millennium Development Goals included the ambition that by 2015 all the world’s children would complete primary school. This has largely been achieved: nine out of ten children are now enrolled. 【1】 Even though most of the world’s children go to school, an awful lot of them learn pretty much nothing there. According to a recent World Bank study of seven sub-Saharan African countries, half of nine-year-olds cannot read a simple word and three-quarters cannot read a simple sentence. 【2】

Several recent studies suggest education technology can help. It seems to bring about bigger improvements in poor countries than in rich ones.

【3】 That doesn’t mean buying computers for schools in the hope that children will understand how to use them, a stupidity on which plenty of money has been wasted. Instead, it means providing schools with software that children can use with minimal help from an adult. The software gets things right more often than the teachers do, adjusts itself to the child’s ability, and sends teachers instructions about what they are supposed to be teaching. 【4】

Technology is no panacea(万灵药) . 【5】 And authorities need to take teachers into account. But education technology can help greatly — by monitoring pupils and teachers alike, assisting the best teachers and, most important, making up for the failings of the worst.

A. The reason is terrible teaching.

B. The achievements are really great.

C. However, the figure is not as impressive as it sounds.

D. Technology plays more and more important role in teaching.

E. Good traditional teachers are not outdated, and are never likely to be.

F. Meanwhile it allows the authorities to check on whether the teacher is in the classroom.

G. Some of the scarce resources being spent on teachers could therefore be better spent on education technology.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】G

【4】F

【5】E

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。尽管大部分适龄儿童都有学可上，但很多孩子几乎什么也没学到，造成这个现象的原因在于糟糕的教学质量。而科技可以帮助解决贫穷国家学校师资力量薄弱和教师匮乏的问题。

【1】根据前文The UN’s Millennium Development Goals included the ambition that by 2015 all the world’s children would complete primary school. This has largely been achieved: nine out of ten children are now enrolled.可知联合国千年发展目标中有一项雄心勃勃的计划：到 2015 年，世界上所有适龄儿童都能够完成小学阶段的学习。这个目标大部分已经实现了：九成适龄儿童如今已经入学。根据后文Even though most of the world’s children go to school, an awful lot of them learn pretty much nothing there.可知尽管世界上大多数适龄儿童都去了学校，他们之中有很多人在那里几乎什么都没学到。连接上下文，C项（然而，这个数字并不像听上去那样令人印象深刻。）切题，C项中的this figure指的是前文中的nine out of ten children，故选C项。

【2】根据上文According to a recent World Bank study of seven sub-Saharan African countries, half of nine-year-olds cannot read a simple word and three-quarters cannot read a simple sentence. 可知根据世界银行最近针对亚撒哈拉地区七个国家的一份研究，有一半的九岁孩子连一个简单的单词都不会念，四分之三的孩子读不懂简单的句子。A项（原因在于糟糕的教学质量。）解释了为什么会出现这个现象，故选A项。

【3】根据上文It seems to bring about bigger improvements in poor countries than in rich ones.可知相比于富有的国家来讲，教育科技似乎能为贫穷的国家带来更大的进步。根据后文That doesn’t mean buying computers for schools in the hope that children will understand how to use them, a stupidity on which plenty of money has been wasted.可知这并不意味着将计算机堆放在学校里，并希望孩子们能够明白如何使用它们。连接上下文，G项（因此，一些原本被用在教师身上的稀缺资源可以被更好地用在教育科技上。）切题，故选G项。

【4】根据上文可知The software gets things right more often than the teachers do, adjusts itself to the child’s ability, and sends teachers instructions about what they are supposed to be teaching.这个软件比教师的准确率还高，能够根据孩子的能力自行调整，能够给教师发送提示信息，告诉教师应该教些什么。也就是这一部分是关于软件的好处，连接上文，F项（同时它使得有关部门能够监控教师是否在教室里。）切题。F项中的it指代前文的the software。故选F项。

【5】根据上文Technology is no panacea可知技术并非万灵药。根据后文And authorities need to take teachers into account.可知有关部门需要让教师肩负起责任。连接上下文，E项（传统的优秀教师并不会过时，也不可能过时。）切题。故选E项。