High school dropouts（辍学者）earn an average of $ 9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study dispels a common belief why they quit. It’s much more basic than flunking out（不及格）.

    Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can’t cut it. They are lazy，and perhaps not too bright．So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left.

    “The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school.” John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About 1 million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic（美籍西班牙的）student will receive a diploma（证书），and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So， if failing grades don’t explain why these kids quit, what does? Again，John Bridgeland："The most dependable finding was that they were bored.” “They found classes uninteresting; they weren’t inspired or motivated. They didn’t see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations.”

    The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the US，only one state，New Mexico，has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions, another researcher，says raising the compulsory（义务的）attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school．

 　“As these dropouts look back，they realize they’ve made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and it through to the end, is probably helpful measure.”

    New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point－the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something. 　

Most high school students drop out of' school because＿＿．

A. they have failing grades                                B. they take no interest in classes

C. they are discriminated against                        D. they are lazy and not intelligent

Acceding to the passage，which state has a law requiring school attendance until they graduate?

A. New Hampshire        B. Utah　　C. New Mexico  　　D. The District of Columbia

The underlined words “stick it out” probably means“＿＿”．

A. complete schooling                                      B. solve the problem

C. love having classes                                       D. believe in themselves

From the passage，we can infer the following EXCEPT that＿．

A. the grades of most dropouts at school were acceptable

B. about 500, 000 high school dropouts are black and Spanish

C. classes don't appeal to dropouts

D. on average dropouts cannot get good jobs

High school dropouts（辍学者）earn an average of $ 9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study dispels a common belief why they quit. It’s much more basic than flunking out（不及格）.
Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can’t cut it. They are lazy，and perhaps not too bright.So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left.
“The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school.” John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About 1 million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic（美籍西班牙的）student will receive a diploma（证书），and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So， if failing grades don’t explain why these kids quit, what does? Again，John Bridgeland："The most dependable finding was that they were bored.” “They found classes uninteresting; they weren’t inspired or motivated. They didn’t see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations.”
The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the US，only one state，New Mexico，has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions, another researcher，says raising the compulsory（义务的）attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school.
“As these dropouts look back，they realize they’ve made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and it through to the end, is probably helpful measure.”
New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point-the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something.

1. 1.

   Most high school students drop out of' school because＿＿.

   1. A.
      they have failing grades
   2. B.
      they take no interest in classes
   3. C.
      they are discriminated against
   4. D.
      they are lazy and not intelligent
2. 2.

   Acceding to the passage，which state has a law requiring school attendance until they graduate?

   1. A.
      New Hampshire
   2. B.
      Utah
   3. C.
      New Mexico
   4. D.
      The District of Columbia
3. 3.

   The underlined words “stick it out” probably means“＿＿”.

   1. A.
      complete schooling
   2. B.
      solve the problem
   3. C.
      love having classes
   4. D.
      believe in themselves
4. 4.

   From the passage，we can infer the following EXCEPT that＿.

   1. A.
      the grades of most dropouts at school were acceptable
   2. B.
      about 500, 000 high school dropouts are black and Spanish
   3. C.
      classes don't appeal to dropouts
   4. D.
      on average dropouts cannot get good jobs

High school dropouts（辍学者）earn an average of $ 9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study dispels（消除） a common belief why they quit. It’s much more basic than flunking out（不及格）.

    Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can’t cut it. They are lazy，and perhaps not too bright. So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left.

    “The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school,” John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About 1 million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic（美籍西班牙的）student will receive a diploma（证书），and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So, if failing grades don’t explain why these kids quit, what does? Again，John Bridgeland: "The most dependable finding was that they were bored.” “They found classes uninteresting; they weren’t inspired or motivated. They didn’t see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations.”

    The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the US，only one state, New Mexico, has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions. Another researcher says raising the compulsory（义务的）attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school.

 　“As these dropouts look back, they realize they’ve made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and see it through to the end, is probably helpful measure.”

    New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point－the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something. 　

1．Most high school students drop out of school because       ．

A．they have failing grades                        B．they take no interest in classes

C．they are discriminated against                D．they are lazy and not intelligent

2．According to the passage，which state has a law requiring school attendance until they graduate?

A．New Hampshire                                   B．Utah　　

C．New Mexico        　　                         D．The District of Columbia

3．The underlined words “stick it out” probably means“       ”．

A．complete schooling                              B．solve the problem

C．love having classes                              D．believe in themselves

4．In the last paragraph, the writer is trying to＿＿

A．analyze the reason why students quit school

B．suggest raising the compulsory attendance age

C．raise awareness of reforming high school education

D．wish to make laws to guarantee no education

A few days ago I asked my sons' governess（家庭女教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated，Julia,”I said，“Let's settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money，but maybe you're too polite to mention it. Now then，we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”

“Forty.”

“No，thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well，um，you've been here for two months，so...”

Two months and five days.”

Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take nine Sundays off... you know you didn't work with Tom on Sundays，you only took walks.And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her fingernail nervously，her face red，but,not a word.

“Three holidays，therefore take twelve dollars off your pay. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons，as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven makes nineteen.Take nineteen off... that 1eaves，hmm... forty-one dollars. Correct?”

Julia's left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled，and she coughed nervously and blew her riose，but still not a word.

“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer；take two dollars off your pay.The cup cost more，because it was a treasure of the family，but forget it. When didn't I take a loss! Then，due to your neglect(疏忽），Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket；take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick's shoes. You ought to watch everything！You get paid for it. So，that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave you ten dollars”.

“You didn't.”sobbed Julia.

“But I made a note of it.”

“Well... if you say so.”

“Take twenty-seven from forty-one, and that leaves fourteen.”

Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose.Poor girl！

“Only once was I given any money，”she whispered，her voice trembling，“and that was by your wife. Three dollars，nothing more.”

“Real1y? You see now，and I didn't know that！Take three from fourteen and it leaves eleven.  Here’s your money，my dear．Three，three，three，one and one. Here it is！”

I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.

“Merci（Thanks），”she whispered.

I jumped to my feet and started pacing the floor. I was overcome with anger.“For what，this merci”? I asked.

“For the money”.

“But you know I’ve cheated you—— robbed you！”I have actually stolen from you!Why this“merci？”

“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”

“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! 1 played a little joke on you，a cruel lesson，just to teach you…I'm going to give you all the eighty dollars！Here they are in the envelope all ready for you…Is it really possible to be so spineless(懦弱)? Why didn't you protest?Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and laws(爪)—— to be such a fool?''

Embarrassed,she smiled. And I could read her expression，“It is possible”.

I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and， to her great surprise，gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little “merci”serveral times and went out. I looked at her and thought，“How easy it is to crush the weak in this World! ”

67.While talking to Julia.the writer expected ＿＿＿＿＿＿from her.

A. a protest       B.gratitude          C.obedience       D. an explanation

68.What shocked the writer was Julia's＿＿＿＿＿＿．

A. nervousness in front of her boss                          B. acceptance of injustice

C. shyness when talking about money             D. reluctance to express herself

69.The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws(爪)一to be such a fool?” He was actually telling the governess＿＿＿＿＿＿．

A. to be more aggressive                         B. to be more careful in her work

C.to protect her right                                             D.to live independently

70. From the story, we can know that Julia's employer was         

A. greedy but honest                                                B.ill tempered but warm-hearted

C. strict but forgiving                                  D. none of the above

—— Can Li Hua help me with my English?

—— I regret to tell you her English is＿＿＿＿＿yours.

A. as good as     B. no more than  C. no better than     D. as much as