Question

Now, there is a growing movement to pay the students in American schools---in some cases, even just for coming to class.

Students at one school in New Mexico can earn up to three hundred dollars a year for good attendance. In Baltimore, Maryland, high scores in state graduation tests can be worth more than one hundred dollars. And a New Jersey school system plans to pay students fifty dollars a week to attend after---school tutoring programs.

Schools that pay students can be found in more than one---fourth of the fifty states. Other schools pay students with food or other rewards.

Robert Schaefer is a public education director. He says paying students may improve performance in the short term, but students develop false expectations for the future. He sees a lack of long term planning in these programs because of the pressure on schools to raise test scores.

Public schools need to show improvement under the education reform law. Low---performing schools may lose their federal money; teachers and administrators(行政人员) may lose their jobs. Often these schools are in poor neighborhoods where getting students to go to school can be a continual problem.

Critics(评论家) say paying students sends a message that money is the only valuable reward. But some students say it makes school more exciting. And some teachers have reported getting more requests for extra help.

In two thousand four, the city schools in Coshocton, Ohio, launched a program. They wanted to see if paying elementary school students as much as one hundred dollars would help in passing the state exams.

Now, Eric Bettinger of Case Western Reserve University (EUCWRU) has reported mixed results. Math scores increased, but only white students were able to get paid. And there was no evidence of higher scores in reading, social studies and science. Official will decide later this year whether to continue the program.

1.Paying students who show improvement in tests __________.

A．has been done in most American schools

B．is becoming a growing practice in the USA

C．is not very popular with teachers

D．only aims at high scores at school

2.According to the text, Robert Schaefer _____________.

A．is a very excellent teacher

B．thinks highly of paying students

C．thinks students will show improvement in study in the future

D．thinks people should make a careful plan for the paying program

3.From the last paragraph we can see __________.

A．EBCWRU has got great success in its paying program

B．not all the students in EUCWRU have made progress in all subjects

C．only students who study math can get paid

D．EBCWRU will go on with the paying program

4.The text is mainly written to _____________.

A．persuade teachers to give students more prizes

B．tell people how to become an excellent student

C．introduce something about American paying students program

D．explain the advantages of American paying students program

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：这篇文章主要介绍了美国的一项助学安排，给上学的孩子付现金。

1.根据Schools that pay students can be found in more than one---fourth of the fifty states. Other schools pay students with food or other rewards，故选B。

2.根据He says paying students may improve performance in the short term, but students develop false expectations for the future. He sees a lack of long term planning in these programs because of the pressure on schools to raise test scores.故选D。

3.根据Math scores increased, but only white students were able to get paid. And there was no evidence of higher scores in reading, social studies and science.所以答案为B。

4.这篇文章主要介绍了美国的一项助学安排，给上学的孩子付现金，因此选C。

考点：新闻报道类短文阅读理解

点评：要想答好题目，重在理解全文意思。这篇文章比较难，先看问题，再带着问题读短文，找出各段落的主旨句，理解全文内容，总结全文中心，然后再回到问题上来，很容易选出正确答案。多了解一些常识性知识有利于阅读理解。如果对文章的相关背景有所了解，读起文章一定既省时又省力。因此，在学习过程中，了解各方面的背景知识是十分重要的。