College and university graduations in the United States are arriving earlier each year as the average length of school year gets shorter．

The school year has fallen by nearly six weeks，from 197days in 1964to 156days in 1994，according to the National Association of Scholars． 1　 ，most American kindergarten，elementary（初等的）and high school students are 2　 to spend 180days a year in their schools．The length of the average class period also has 3　 ，from more than 57minutes to less than 54，the Association reports．

“The 4　 has to be that students are simply 5　 less，”said the director of the Association．“If you count the actual 6　　 of contact hours，you'll find they are 7　 four years in college getting an education that would have taken about 8　 years in 1964．”

The universities argue that they are simply teaching more 9　 ．“The traditional idea that learning 10　 in the classroom and through reading and writing 11　 based on seat time is out of date，” said a spokesman for the American Council on Education． 12　 than attending lectures，students now chat with their professors on their computers or use other types of 13　 technology，allowing for a shorter school year，he said．“It is very 14　 that，in many schools，they are going to spend less time 15　 than they used to．”

1．A．By comparison　　　　　　　 B．In particular C．Strangely enough D．As a result

2．A．intended　 B．required　　　 C．requested　　 D．inquired

3．A．fallen　　 B．declined　　　 C．oppressed　　 D．lowered

4．A．reason　　 B．cause　　　　 C．conclusion　　 D．condition

5．A．playing B　 B．learning　　　 C．working　　　 D．paying

6．A．number　　 B．times　　　　 C．need　　　　　 D．arrangement

7．A．spending　 B．given　　　　 C．living　　　　 D．asked

8．A．five　　　 B．two　　　　　 C．three　　　　 D．six

9．A．quickly　　 B．thoroughly　　 C．wisely　　　　 D．efficiently

10．A．came　　　 B．took place　　 C．started　　　 D．appeared

11．A．questions B．books　　　　 C．assignments　 D．texts

12．A．Rather　　 B．More　　　　　 C．Less 　　　　 D．Easier

13．A．knowledge B．information　 C．message　　　 D．intelligence

14．A．possibly　 B．probably　　　 C．lovely　　　　 D．likely

15．A．at home　 B．in the laboratory　　　　　　　 C．in the classroom D．on computer

 

On Easter Day 1722,some European explorers found a lonely island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They 　1 it Easter Island. The explorers found that the island had good soil 　2 the 200 natives living there survived with little food. Even more 　3 , these people also lived among the ruins of what might have been a once great civilization. All that is left of it are around 800 giant stone statues 　4 human heads. They 　5 up to 270 tons and the tallest measures over 11 metres. The stone men face 　6 , rather than out to sea, and their eyes are focused upon the sky. They are all carved from 　7 volcanic rock (火山岩) and some have hats on their heads and eyes made from white coral. Since their 　8 , these huge stone men 　9 one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Who built them? Why did they do it? Some experts believe the stone men are 　10 to Inca stonework, and suggest the figures were created by people of Peruvian descent (血统). 　11 have even gone so far as to say that they came from outer space. The latest suggestion 　12 the idea that Easter Island represents one of the worst cases of resource abuse in human history. It is said that a small group of Asians settled on Easter Island 　13 between 400 and 700 AD. They developed a great civilization with huge forests and 　14 food. At the peak of their civilization, the people began to build the giant 　15 men. Why they did this is still 　16 but it is possible the figures represent the settlers’ gods or ancestors. 　17 the statues grew larger, the people’s lifestyles became more and more wasteful. The forest began to disappear, which 　18 all the animals dying out. 　19 couldn’t get food and were forced to eat other humans. Society began to 　20 and the islanders themselves finally destroyed the stone men.

1. A. said　　　　　　　　　　 B. were called　　　　　　　 C. named　　　　　　　　　　 D. spoke

2. A. and　　　　　　　　　　 B. but　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. however　　　　　　　　　 D. still

3. A. surprise　　　　　　　 B. surprised　　　　　　　　 C. surprising　　　　　　　　 D. surprisingly

4. A. looking　　　　　　　　 B. resembling　　　　　　　 C. liking　　　　　　　　　　　 D. standing for

5. A. weigh　　　　　　　　　 B. lift　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. get　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. measure

6. A. forward　　　　　　　 B. outward　　　　　　　　　 C. onward　　　　　　　　　 D. inward

7. A. broken　　　　　　　　 B. soft　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. hard　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. burnt

8. A. looking　　　　　　　　 B. invention 　　　　　　　　 C. discovery　　　　　　　　 D. covering

9. A. have happened　　　 B. have led to C. have taken place　　　 D. have created

10. A. usual　　　　　　　　 B. common　　　　　　　　　 C. familiar　　 　　　　　　 D. similar

11. A. Another　　　　　　　 B. Other　　　　　　　　　　　 C. Others　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Many

12. A. is focused on B. is based on C. is depended on D. is concentrated on

13. A. some day　　　　　 B. one day　　　　　　　　　 C. sometime　　　　　　　　 D. once

14. A. plenty of　　　　　　 B. number of　　　　　　　 C. much of　　　　　　　　　 D. amount of

15. A. clever　　　　　　　　 B. stone　　　　　　　　　　　 C. wooden　　　　　　　　　 D. iron

16. A. welcome　　　　　　 B. known　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. unimportant　　　　　　 D. unknown

17. A. While　　　　　　　　 B. After　　　　　　　　　　　 C. With　　　　　　　　　　　 D. As

18. A. resulted in　　　　　 B. resulted from　　　　　 C. created　　　　　　　　　　 D. lay in

19. A. The islands　　　　 B. The people C. The animals　　　　　　 D. The Europeans

20. A. break out　　　　　 B. break in　　　　　　　　　 C. break into　　　　　　　　 D. break down