Students in U.S.public schools have been hitting the books harder these days－and their efforts appear to be paying off in the form of higher test scores and more graduating high school seniors going to college.That’s according to Education Secretary Richard Riley,who says a five-year study of the public school systems in the nation shows students are performing better in reading,science ad maths.He says they are also taking more difficult classes.Third of the students went on to college while the rest headed off to farm,factory or homemaking.About 67 percent of graduating high school seniors now go directly on to college compared to 60 percent 10 years ago.Educ-

ators,Riley said,are beginning to take steps to meet students’ various needs—including special education,special schools and programs for non-English speakers.He expected technology would lead to an education system less reliant on(依赖于) bricks-and-mortar buildings and fixed-class timetable.

Riley’s description of the coming education was mostly rosy,but he admitted that some students in lower-

income and minority districts were still struggling,“This is a gapping hole in our plan to complete the American promise,and it will only get bigger if we do not close the difference,” he said.

Riley encouraged the business groups to do more to support education in their towns and cities,and suggested school districts improving both teacher training and salaries.

1.What changes have taken place in the U.S.education?

A.More and more students from poor families will have to stop their studies.

B.The lessons in American schools are much easier than before.

C.Much new technology has already been used in schools so as to lead great changes.

D.The students in U.S.public schools are studying harder than before.

2.Educators try to make some changes in education for　　　 .

A.the students need the changes

B.the schools have already changed

C.the time is no longer what it was

D.students ate not satisfied now

3.According to the passage,what problem should they pay much attention to in order to complete the more advanced education system?

A.Meeting students’ various needs.

B.Practising more technology in schools.

C.Helping students in low-income and minority districts.

D.Asking business groups and schools to do much for education system.

4.The best title of the passage may be　　　 .

A.U.S.Education

B.U.S.Educators

C.U.S.Schools

D.U.S.Students

Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own.My mom was one of those people.

My father died when I was nine months old,making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen.While I was growing up,we lived a very hard life.We had little money,but my mom gave me a lot of love.Each night,she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life,“Kemmons,you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”

At fourteen,I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again.Every day,my mother spoke to me in her gentle,loving voice,telling me that no matter what those doctors said,I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough.She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her.A year later,I returned to school—walking on my own!

When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit,my mom lost her job.Then I left school to support the both of us.At that moment,I was determined never to be poor again.

Over the years,I experienced various levels of business success.But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951.I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child.That was too expensive for the average American family.I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra for children.There were plenty of doubters at that time.

Not surprisingly,mom was one of my strongest supporters.She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style.As in any business,we experienced a lot of challenges.But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul,I never doubted we would succeed.Fifteen years later,we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn.In 1979 my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $1 billion a year.

You may not have started out life in the best situations.But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself,nothing can stop you.

What Kemmons’ mom often told him during his childhood was_______.

A.caring                                                          B.moving

C.encouraging                                                  D.interesting

According to the author,who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?

A.Doctors.                    B.Nurses.                            C.Friends.                    D.Mom.

What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?

A.His terrible experience in the hotel.

B.His previous business success of various levels.

C.His mom’s support.

D.His wife’s suggestion.

Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?

A.Modest,helpful and hard-working.

B.Loving,supportive and strong-willed.

C.Careful,helpful and beautiful.

D.Strict,sensitive and supportive.

Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?

A.Self-confidence,hard work,higher-education and a poor family.

B.Mom’s encouragement,clear goals,self-confidence and hard work.

C.Clear goals,mom’s encouragement,a poor family and higher education.

D.Mom’s encouragement,a poor family,higher education and opportunities.

Fortunately, with the help of some local villagers, rescuers were able to gain ________ to the disaster-hit area soon enough.

1. A.
   track
2. B.
   access
3. C.
   means
4. D.
   passage

When I met him, I had a lot of anger inside of me. I’ve lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem, but in my neighborhood, there are shoot-ups all the time. I know kids who have been shot or beaten up. I have friends who ended up in prison. I could have ended up that way, too, but Mr. Clark wouldn’t let that happen.

Mr. Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work. My grades rose. In fact, the scores of our whole class rose. One day, he took our class to see The Phantom of the Opera, and it was the first time some kids had ever been out of Harlem. Before the show, he treated us to dinner at a restaurant and taught us not to talk with our mouths full. We did not want to let him down

Mr. Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year. He said he would draw three names out of a hat; those students would go with him to Los Angeles to get the award. But when the time came to draw names, Mr. Clark said, “You’re all going.”   

On graduation day, there were a lot of tears. We didn’t want his class to end. In 2001, he moved to Atlanta, but he always kept in touch. He started giving lectures about education, and wrote a bestselling book based on his classroom rules, The Essential 55. In 2003,

Mr. Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to deliver school supplies and visit the orphanages(孤儿院). It was the most amazing experience of my life. It’s now my dream to one day start a group of women’s clubs, helping people from all backgrounds.

Without Mr. Clark, the writer         .

A. might have been put into prison

B. might not have won the prize

C. might have joined a women’s club

D. might not have moved to Atlanta

The Essential 55 is_____________

A. a show                                          B. a speech

C. a classroom rule                             D. a book

How many students’ names were finally drawn out of a hat by Mr. Clark?

A. None                B. Three                C. Fifty-five.         D. All.

What can we learn in the short reading?

A. It was in Harlem that we saw The Phantom of the Opera for the first time.

B. Mr. Clark taught us not to talk with our mouths full, and we did.

C. Mr. Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles.

D. In 2003, Mr. Clark moved to Atlanta, and he always kept in touch with us.

In the passage, the writer intends to tell us that         .

A. Mr. Clark went to South Africa because he liked travelling

B. Mr. Clark helped to set up a group of women’s clubs

C. a good teacher can help raise his or her students’ scores

D. a good teacher has a good influence on his or her students

短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

文中共有10处语言错误，每处错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出增加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在其下面写出修改的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词。

      2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第十一处起）不计分。

      Welcome to our English Corner. It set up four years before. Since then many high school students have joined in it. Students from different school gather round here every Sunday morning, and there are also some college students or foreigners. We talked about everything we are interested in. We also exchange our effective experience in English study. We think we have learned much here. It is a really addition to our English class and it is popular in students. And it is supporting by parents and teachers. They all believe it is in great help to students. If you want to know much about it , you may talk to the students here.