Education in the United States is compulsory for children up to about the age of sixteen．Most young people stay in schooI longer than that．Most graduate from high school at the age of 17 or 18．

Almost half of these high school graduates continue their education at a college or university．Education for most young people in this country is free up to the time they graduate from high school．There are private schools ,but most parents send their children to public schools．where students do not pay tuition．When young people go to college．however，they must pay tuition at a public university or a private university．University costs are going up a lot：private universities have become very expensive because the government does not help them．

Who pays? The parents of children in college may have to pay more，or often the all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night.

students may have to find jobs．These students have to worry about assignments and grades and also about their jobs．If they work too much at their jobs they may be absent from class or miss assignments or make too many errors on tests．They may even fail their courses and have to leave the university．

　 For many students．the problem of getting an education is not just a problem of homework and exams．They also have to make money to pay for tuition．And professors don’t teach them how to do that !

1．Which of the following statements is true?_____

A．Most parents prefer to send their children to private schools rather than public schools

B．The students can’t be absent from class if they work overtime．

C．University costs are on the increase．

D．Education is not free until the students graduate from high school

2．In the United States．almost half of the high school graduates ______

A．must enter open universities or a colleges

B．don’t need to pay any tuition

C．go to colleges and universities

D．go to look for jobs.

3 College students ______ if they are in need of money.

A．have to ask their parents for help

B．need to get a higher education

C．study hard

D．have to find jobs

4．The private university students have to pay more money for tuition because_____

A．none of companies support the private universities

B．the government does not finance the private universities

C．the teaching quality of the private universities are better than public ones

D．they have some troubles in passing the exams

5．What’s the best title of the passage? ________

A．different views about education in the United States

B．the increase on university costs in the United States

C．the problem of getting an education in the United States

D．selecting a good university costs in the United States

How I wish there_________no homework and exams in the world!

       A. has                  B. were                  C. will be                D. had

    Education in the United States is compulsory(义务的) for children up to about the age of sixteen．Most young people stay in school longer than that. Most graduate from high school at the age of 17 or 18.

    Almost half of these high school graduates continue their education at a college or university．Education for most young people in this country is free up to the time they graduate from high school．There are private schools, but most parents send their children to public schools, where students do not pay tuition(学费). When young people go to college, however，they must pay tuition at a public university or a private university．University costs are going up a lot：private universities have become very expensive because the government does not help them．

    Who pays? The parents of children in college may have to pay more，or often the students may have to find jobs．These students have to worry about assignments and grades and also about their jobs．If they work too much at their jobs they may be absent from class or miss assignments or make too many errors on tests．They may even fail their courses and have to leave the university．

    For many students, the problem of getting an education is not just a problem of homework and exams．They also have to make money to pay for tuition．And professors don’t teach them how to do that!

45. In the United States, almost half of the high school graduates ______.

A. go to colleges and universities

B. need not pay any tuition

C. have to enter open universities

D. work hard to avoid errors on tests

46. The private university students have to pay more money for tuition because_____.

A. no companies support the private universities

B. the government does not support the private universities

C. the teaching quality of the private universities are better

D. they have some troubles in passing the exams

47. If they need money, college students may______.

A. ask the local government for help

B. go for a higher education

C. have to find jobs

D. work really hard

48. The main idea of the passage might be_______.

A．selecting a good university in the United States

B．the increase on university costs in the United States

C．the argument about education in the United States

D．the problem of getting an education in the United States

With the popularity of Harry Potter novels, the number of children applying to boarding schools has risen, many of them hoping to find their own version of Hogwarts. However, others have interpreted this trend as a reaction to longer working hours and the break up of more marriages. The boarding schools of fiction are presented as one long midnight feast with pillow fights making firm friendships. However, some people say the reality is children having more homesickness and a lack of individual attention. Modern boarding schools have done much to get rid of the image of the mass dormitories with 40 or more beds in one room, some going as far as providing private rooms with bathrooms. Similarly, they make great announcements for their academic advantage, particularly in light of the increase in exams, homework and university entrance requirements facing children wishing to succeed in the modern world.
Alongside these more conventional schools, two types of boarding schools have also become more popular recently. Sports academies and stage schools seek to cater for children with particular interests and talents, while so-called troubled-teens have been able to turn to a range of religious or wilderness schools to solve their problematic behavior.
Boarding schools allow children a safe space in which to accomplish greater control and independence over their daily lives. Teachers and staff can look after and support but they are unlikely to be over-protective. This can be a great preparation for university or for working away from home in later life as it provides an intermediate step between childhood and full independence.
However, parents are a child’s most natural support and best role models to learn from. If they are separated from them for long periods of time, this may damage their relationship and leave the child feeling anxious or alone. Schools are unlikely to be able to copy the detailed knowledge of each individual child that a parent has and therefore cannot be as effective in supporting the child.
To sum up, boarding schools have both their advantages and disadvantages, so it is up to you to decide whether to send your children to boarding schools or not.
【小题1】What do we know from the passage? 

With the popularity of Harry Potter novels, the number of children applying to boarding schools has risen, many of them hoping to find their own version of Hogwarts. However, others have interpreted this trend as a reaction to longer working hours and the break up of more marriages. The boarding schools of fiction are presented as one long midnight feast with pillow fights making firm friendships. However, some people say the reality is children having more homesickness and a lack of individual attention. Modern boarding schools have done much to get rid of the image of the mass dormitories with 40 or more beds in one room, some going as far as providing private rooms with bathrooms. Similarly, they make great announcements for their academic advantage, particularly in light of the increase in exams, homework and university entrance requirements facing children wishing to succeed in the modern world.

Alongside these more conventional schools, two types of boarding schools have also become more popular recently. Sports academies and stage schools seek to cater for children with particular interests and talents, while so-called troubled-teens have been able to turn to a range of religious or wilderness schools to solve their problematic behavior.

Boarding schools allow children a safe space in which to accomplish greater control and independence over their daily lives. Teachers and staff can look after and support but they are unlikely to be over-protective. This can be a great preparation for university or for working away from home in later life as it provides an intermediate step between childhood and full independence.

However, parents are a child’s most natural support and best role models to learn from. If they are separated from them for long periods of time, this may damage their relationship and leave the child feeling anxious or alone. Schools are unlikely to be able to copy the detailed knowledge of each individual child that a parent has and therefore cannot be as effective in supporting the child.

To sum up, boarding schools have both their advantages and disadvantages, so it is up to you to decide whether to send your children to boarding schools or not.

1.What do we know from the passage? 

A．More and more children go and visit Hogwarts on their own.

B．Pillow fights in boarding schools make firm friendships in reality.

C．More children want to go to boarding schools because of Harry Potter novels.

D．There aren’t special schools for the particularly talented children.

2.What kind of schools may be the most suitable for the so-called troubled-teens?

A．sports academies                       B．Wilderness schools

C．Conventional schools                    D．Stage schools

3.We learn from Paragraph 4 that __________. 

A．teachers of boarding schools are the best examples for children to learn from

B．children can be more independent if they are separated from their parents

C．parents know their children better than teachers of boarding schools

D．schools are much more effective than parents in supporting children

4.What is the author’s opinion of boarding schools?  

A．Neutral （中立的） B．Negative          C．Positive           D．Critical