education is an enormous and expensive part of american life. its size is matched by its variety.
differences in american schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone ╟ not just for a privileged elite1. schools are expected to meet the needs of every child, regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself. this means that public schools offering such courses as typing, sewing, radio repair, computer programming or per training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, history, and languages. students choose their curricula depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. the underlying2 goal of american education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of civic3 and community consciousness.
schools have traditionally played and important role in creating national unity4 and americanizing the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns.
the approach to teaching may seem unfamiliar5 to many, not only because it is informal, but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts. instead, americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. students spend much time, learning how to use resource materials, libraries, statistics and computers. americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation of facts.
this is americas answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time: how can one prepare todays child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?
1. which of the following best states the goal of american education?
a. to teach every learner some practical skills
b. to provide every learner with rich knowledge
c. to give every students the opportunity to fully6 develop his/her ability
d. to train every student to be a responsible citizen
2. it is implied in the passage that___.
a. all high-school students take the same courses
b. every high-school students must take some practical ability training courses
c. every public school offers the same academic subjects
d. the subjects every student takes may vary
3. american schools place great emphasis on the learners
a. enrichment of knowledge
b. accumulation of facts
c. acquisition of the ability to be creative
d. acquisition of the ability to work with his hands
4. according to the passage, american education meets the needs of all of the following except____.
a. the brightest students
b. the slow students
c. the students from foreign counties
d. the immigrants
5. which of the following best states the feature of american education that makes it different from education in other countries?
a. the large number of its schools
b. the variety of the courses offered in its schools
c. its special consideration given to immigrants
d. its underlying goal to develop every childs abilities to the fullest extent
答案
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