College and university graduations in the United States are arriving earlier each year as the average length of school year gets shorter.

    The school year has fallen by nearly six weeks, from 197 days in 1964 to 156days in 1994,   1   the National Association of Scholars.   2  , most American kindergarten, elementary (初等的) and high school students are   3  to spend 180 days a year in their schools. The   4  of the average class period also has   5   , from more than 57minutes to less than 54,the Association reports.

    “The   6  has to be that students are simply   7  less,” said the director of the Association. “If you count the actual    8  of contact hours, you'll find they are   9   four years in college getting an education that would have taken about    10  years in 1964.”

The universities argue (认为) that they are simply teaching more  11　　 “The traditional idea that learning   12  in the classroom and   13  reading and writing   14  based on seat time is out of date,” said a spokesman for the American Council on Education. “  15  than attending lectures, students now   16  their professors on their computers or use other types of   17  technology, allowing for a shorter school year,” he said. It is very   18  .that, in many schools, they are going to spend   19  time   20  than they used to.

1. A. according to　　  　　  B. by the accordance of  　　 C. following  　　     D. followed

2. A. By comparison  　　　　  B. In particular 　　　　    　　C. Strangely enough  D. As a result

3. A. intended   　　　　  　　B. required 　　　　   　　　　C. requested   　　  D. inquired

4. A. long    　　　　　　　　　　 　　B. length　　　　 　　   　　C. time   　　  　　  D. period

5. A. fallen   　　    　　　　B. declined 　　　　   　　　　C. oppressed   　　  D. lowered

6. A. reason　　 　　　　 　　B. cause    　　　　 　　　　C. conclusion 　　   　　  D. condition

7. A. playing   　　　　    　　B. learning  　　　　  　　　　C. working　　 　　  D. paying

8. A. number　　 　　　　B. times  　　  　　　　　　C. need  　　　　　　    D. arrangement

9. A. spending      　　　　B. given  　　  　　　　　　C. living  　　　　  D. asked

10. A. five　　    　　  　　B. two   　　  　　　　　　C. three 　　   　　  D. six

11. A. quickly   　　　　  　　B. thoroughly  　　　　　　　　   C. wisely   　　　　    D. efficiently

12. A. came　　   　　  　　B. took place　　　　  　　    C. started 　　  　　  D. appeared

13. A. through    　　    　　B. across   　　　　  　　　　C. by the way of     D. with

14. A. questions        　　B. books   　　　　  　　　　C. assignments       D. texts

15. A. Rather  　　  　　　　B. More　　  　　  　　　　C. Less   　　 　　  D. Easier

16. A. chat with    　　 　　B. argue with  　　　　　　 　　C. speak       　　  D. tell

17. A. knowledge  　　   　　B. information   　　　　  　　C. message  　　      D. intelligence

18. A. possibly     　　　　B. probably  　　    　　　　C. lovely      　　  D. likely

19. A. less　　     　　　　B. little　　 　　　　  　　　　C. more　　 　　      D. much more

20. A. at home　　　　    B. in the laboratory 　　　　     C. in the classroom  D. on computer

 

We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought me to this spot in a small town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why.
“Look down, Elsa,” father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the crisscross (十字形) of twisting, turning streets leading to the square. “See, my dear,” father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another.”
Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said.
When I turned to father for help, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan.
At school the next day, I secretly poured my luncheon（午餐）soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I asked our cook to serve it to mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered（喷溅出）“ The cook must have gone mad！” Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day!
In the years that followed I often remembered the lesson father taught me. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. I wouldn’t stop working until I tried every possible means to my goal. Father’s wise words always remind me that there is more than one way to the square.
【小题1】The author’s father took her to the top of a church tower to ____________.

A. enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole town

B. find out how many ways lead to the square

C. inspire her to find out another way to solve her problem

D. help her forget some unpleasant things earlier that day

【小题2】What did the author want her mother to do earlier that day?.

A. Do something delicious for lunch.

B. Taste her awful lunch.

C. Dismiss the mad cook.

D. Speak to the school about lunch.

【小题3】The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph suggests that__________________.

A. the cook agreed to serve the soup to the writer’s mother.

B. the author’s mother was angry with the cook.

C. her father persuaded her mother successfully.

D. the method the author thought of was effective.

【小题4】What did the author’s mother think of her luncheon soup after she tasted it?

A. It was delicious.	B. It wasn’t so bad as the author said.
C. It is terrible..	D. It was as good as her cook did.

【小题5】By sharing her own experiences, the author tries to tell us ____________.

A. when one road is blocked, try another

B. how bad the lunch of her school is

C. how wise her father is

D. about the church tower near her home

 

They own two cars, not to _____ a motorbike.?

　　A. speak      B. say?     C. talk       D. mention