Question

High school graduation is worth celebrating. It marks a big change in the lives of young adults. However, it ought to mean even more. It ought to mean that the graduate is ready for college or career.
In a report issued last year, we found that almost half of recent Illinois high school graduates required remedial courses(補習課) upon enrolling(注冊) a community college. These courses require time and money to complete, yet offer no credits toward a degree. Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college.
Why is the remediation rate so high? A large part of the reason is that we have not set high enough standards for what our students need to learn from kindergarten to high school. They simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.
The same is true for careers. In Illinois, good jobs continue to go vacant(空缺) even while we are trying hard to go through tough economic times. This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know.
The good news is that in Illinois we have a plan to help get our students ready for life in the real world. We have already taken an important first step by becoming one of the 45 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards and have begun introducing them to classrooms this year. The new standards provide fewer, clearer and higher benchmarks(標準) for academic progress. They focus on deeper knowledge required at each grade level, give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they’ve learned.
Research shows that when expectations are raised, students rise to meet them. Adapting to higher standards and raising expectations may prove challenging, but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers. Readiness is worth a celebration.
小題1:According to the passage, in most cases, students taking part in remedial courses ___.

A．come from wealthy families

B．leave college before finishing their courses

C．are offered credits toward a degree

D．are likely to develop their academic interest

小題2:The author uses the third and fourth paragraphs to __.

A．provide solutions to the rising remediation rate

B．show the present situation of unemployment in Illinois

C．suggest knowledge learned in school be put into practice

D．explain why students aren’t prepared for college and a career

小題3:Which of the following statements about the Common Core State Standards is TRUE?

A．They were first adopted in Illinois.

B．More benchmarks are required.

C．They benefit teachers as well as students.

D．They ensure students’ success in college.

小題4:Based on the last paragraph, what is the author’s attitude to raising expectations of students?

A．Supportive	B．Critical
C．Doubtful	D．Worried

Answer 1

小題1:B
小題2:D
小題3:C
小題4:A

試題分析：本文從現在的大學生不能適應大學和工作的現實，探尋原因在于對學生的期望標準太低，引出the Common Core State Standards這個話題，通過提高標準使學生適應大學生活，也可以在職場獲得成功。
小題1:細節題：從第一段的句子：Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college.可知上補習班的學生大多數大學中途輟學。選B
小題2:細節題：從第三段的句子：They simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.和第四段的句子：This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know.可知是解釋為什么沒有為大學或工作做好準備。選Ｄ
小題3:細節題；從倒數第二段的句子：give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they’ve learned.可知the Common Core State Standards對學生和老師都有利。選C
小題4:推理題：從最后一段的句子：but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers.可知作者對于這個標準是贊同的。選A
點評：本文從現在的大學生不能適應大學和工作的現實，探尋原因和解決辦法，從而考查學生的理解能力，該題難度稍微大點，個別學生做起來有點困難，只要抓住文章的主旨，就能做出正確的判斷