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1、Passage One A couple of years ago I spent the day at an elementary school in New Jersey. It was a nice average school, a square and solid building, full of reasonably well-behaved kids from middle-class families. I handled three classes, and by the time I staggered out the door I wanted to lie down
2、for the rest of the day. Teachings the toughest job there is. In his new memoir, Teacher Man, Frank McCourt recalls telling his students, Teaching is harder than working on docks and warehouses. Not to mention writing a column. I can stare off into the middle distance with my chin (下巴) in my hand an
3、y time. But you go mentally south for five minutes in front of a class of fifth graders, and you are sunk. The average new teacher today makes just under $30,000 a year, which may not look too bad for a twenty-something with no mortgage (抵押贷款) and no kids. But soon enough the new teachers realize th
4、at they can make more money and not work anywhere near as hard elsewhere. After a lifetime of hearing the old legends about cushy (舒适安逸的) hours and summer vacations, they figure out that early mornings are for students who need extra help, evenings are for test corrections and lesson plans, and week
5、ends and summers are for second and even third jobs to try to pay the bills. According to the Department of Education, one in every five teachers leaves after the first year, and almost twice as many leave within three. If any business had that rate of turnover, someone would do something smart and
6、strategic to fix it. This isnt any business. Its the most important business around, the gardeners of the landscape of the human race. Unfortunately, the current way of dealing with problems in education is taken directly from business practice, and its a terrible fit. Instead of simply acknowledgin
7、g that starting salaries are woefully low and committing to increasing them and finding the money for reasonable recurring raises, politicians have wasted decades talking about something called merit pay (奖励工资). Its a concept that works fine if youre making toys, but kids arent toys, and good teachi
8、ng isnt an assembly line.26. What can we infer from the first paragraph about teachers?A. They have to teach three classes at a time.B. They have a very rewarding job.C. They prefer to teach children from middle-class families.D. They have a very hard job to do.27. Why does the author say teaching i
9、s tougher than writing a column?A. Teaching is like working on docks and warehouses.B. Teaching demands full attention.C. Teachers have to work with children.D. Teachers have no chance to go traveling.28. What do new teachers find out after some practice?A. Their starting salary is lower than offere
10、d by other occupations.B. They have to work during vacations to make ends meet.C. They have to plan their time well to get everything done.D. They can take a second or even a third job besides teaching.29. We can infer from the fourth paragraph that the author thinks _.A. measures should be taken to
11、 keep teachers in their jobsB. the rate of turnover in teaching is low compared to other occupationsC. its natural for a number of teachers to quit in three to five yearsD. its fair to call teachers the gardeners of the landscape of the human race30. What does the author think of merit pay?A. It wil
12、l make up for teachers low starting salaries.B. It will bring down the turnover rate of teachers.C. It is a good fix for current educational problems.D. It is not suitable for the teaching profession. Passage Two Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:I was born with a disability that
13、 affects my sense of balance, causing me to walk with a limp. Not only does it affect the function of the legs, but it also has an impact on the kidneys. The disability has had its ups and downs. As a young child, I can remember the way other children would stare at me because of the way that I walk
14、ed. There were many times that my schoolmates would laugh at me and call me names simply because of their lack of understanding, especially back in the mid 70s and early 80s. Children then were just unwilling to take the time to learn why one of their classmates might walk, speak or seem noticeably
15、different from themselves. Now that I am an adult, I have noticed that the stares and names have begun to fade, and judgments that once were negative have begun to turn toward acceptance. The signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has played a great part in breaking down some of those
16、barriers (障碍) that, as a child, left me to fight a war that seemed to have no end. Now I look beyond what I cant do and focus on what I can. I have learned that limitations open doors that have been closed, showing other ways to meet our needs. I have always looked at life as a challenge, grasping each obstacle with open arms. There is nothing in this world that comes easy. I must stand tall and