Question

A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school. The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities. Researchers studied high school graduation rates from the 2003, 2004 school year. They also identified the nation’s fifty largest cities. The largest, New York City, had a population of more than eight million. The smallest city was Wichita, Kansas. It had about three hundred and sixty thousand people.
Researchers used a system of measurement called the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates. School officials in many of the cities studied said the resulting numbers were too low. That is because different areas use different methods to find graduation rates. Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.
Other studies have put the national graduation rate at about 70%. But experts agree that too many students are not completing high school. They estimate the number at more than one million each year. The report was prepared for America’s Promise Alliance. The private group aims to help children receive services they need to succeed.
General Colin Powell was chairman of America’s Promise Alliance when it was formed in 1997. He attended the press conference Tuesday where the report was released. He said studies have shown that the US must do more to educate the leaders and work force of the future.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates. Alliance officials also announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates. It is to include a series of meetings to be held in every state over the next two years. The meetings will bring together elected leaders, business owners, students, parents and education officials. They will develop plans to increase the number of Americans who finish high school.
【小題1】The author wants to tell us ___________.

A．too many Americans do not finish high school

B．different methods to find graduation rates

C．services American children need to receive

D．the increase of the number of Americans who finish their high school

【小題2】From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.

A．there are 8,360,000 people in the US’ fifty largest cities

B．Wichita in Kansas is the smallest city in the US

C．50% of the people in the US don’t finish their high school education

D．high school graduation rates in or near the biggest cities are higher

【小題3】 The underlined word “picture” probably can be replaced by “_______”.

A．situation

B．scene

C．image

D．mood

【小題4】From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that _______-.

A．secretary of Education Margaret Spellings didn’t believe that number from the report

B．the government will stop using the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates

C．secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates

D．the low graduation rates should be paid attention to by the government and the society

Answer 1

【小題1】A
【小題1】D
【小題1】A
【小題1】D

解析【小題1】A 推理題：從文章第一段的句子：A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school.只有一半的美國(guó)學(xué)生高中畢業(yè)，也就是還有很多沒畢業(yè)。
【小題1】D細(xì)節(jié)題：從第一段的句子：The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities.看出畢業(yè)率高的地方是在大城市里或是附近。
【小題1】A 猜詞題：從這句話Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.看出句意是：很多方法不能真正的表示學(xué)生畢業(yè)數(shù)量的情況。選A。
【小題1】D推理題：從最后一段的句子：Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates說明她認(rèn)為政府應(yīng)該重視這個(gè)問題。