【正文】 re adults here who know them and care for them.‖But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cureall solution. The Newsweek list of top . high schools was made this year, as in years past, according to a single metric, the proportion of students taking collegelevel exams. Over the years this system has e in for its share of criticism for its simplicity. But that is also its strength: it‘s easy for readers to understand, and to do the arithmetic for their own schools if they‘d like. Ranking schools is always controversial, and this year a group of 38 superintendents(地區(qū)教育主管 )from five states wrote to ask that their schools be excluded from the calculation.―It is impossible to know which high schools are ?the best‘ in the nation, ‖their letter read. in part. ―Determining whether different schools do or don‘t offer a high quality of education requires a look at man different measures, including students‘ overall academic acplishments and their subsequent performance in college. And taking into consideration the unique needs of their munities.‖ In the end, the superintendents agreed to provide the data we sought, which is, after all, public information. There is, in our view, no real dispute here, we are all seeking the same thing, which is schools that better serve our children and our nation by encouraging students to tackle tough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers. And if we keep working toward that goal, someday, perhaps a list won‘t be necessary. 注意：此部分試題請在答卡 1 上作答 . 1. Fifty years ago. big. Modern. Suburban high schools were established in the hope of __________. A) ensuring no child is left behind B) increasing economic efficiency C) improving students‘ performance on SAT D) providing good education for baby boomers 2. What happened as a result of setting up big schools? A) Teachers‘ workload increased. B) Students‘ performance declined. C) Administration became centralized. D) Students focused more on test scores. 3. What is said about the schools forded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation? A) They are usually mag schools. B) They are often located in poor neighborhoods. C) They are popular with highachieving students. D) They are mostly small in size. 4. What is most noticeable about the current trend in high school education? A) Some large schools have split up into smaller ones. B) A great variety of schools have sprung up in urban and suburban areas. C) Many schools pete for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds. D) Students have to meet higher academic standards. 5. Newsweek ranked high schools according to . A) their students‘ academic achievement B) the number of their students admitted to college C) the size and number of their graduating classes D) their collegelevel test participation 6. What can we learn about Hillsdale‘s students in the late 1990s? A) They were made to study hard like prisoners. B) They called each other by unaffectionate nicknames. C) Most of them did not have any sense of discipline, D) Their school performance was getting worse. 7. According to Jeff Gilbert, the ―advisory‖ classes at Hillsdale were set up so that students could . A) tell their teachers what they did on weekends B) experience a great deal of pleasure in learning C) maintain closer relationships with their teachers D) tackle the demanding biology and physics courses 8. is still considered a strength of Newsweek‘s school ranking system in spite of the criticism it receives. 9. According to the 38 superintendents, to rank schools scientifically, it is necessary to use . 10. To better serve the children and our nation, schools students to take . Part Ⅲ Listening Comprehension (35minutes) Section A Directions: in this section you will hear 8 short conversations, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A)、 B)、 C)and D)、 and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. 注意：此部分試題請在答案卡 2 上作案。 Passage One Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. 26. A) They shared mutual friends in school. B) They had known each other since childhood. C) They shared many extracurricular activities. D) They had many interests in mon. 27. A) At a local club. B)At the sports center. B) At Joe‘s house. D)At the bearing school. 28. A) Durable friendships can be very difficult to maintain B) One has to be respectful of other people in order to win respect. C) It is hard for people from different backgrounds to bee friends D) Social divisions will break down if people get to know each other Passage Two Questions 29 to 31 are based as the passage you have just heart. 29. A) Near the entrance of a park. C) At a parking meter. B) In his building‘s parking lot D)At a street corner. )It had been taken by the police C) In had been stolen by someone. B) it had keen moved to the next block. D ) it had been parked at a wrong place 31. A) At the Greenville center. C) In a neighboring town. B) At a public parking lot. D) In a the city garage. Passage Three Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. 32. A) Famous creative individuals. C) A major scientific discovery. B) The mysteriousness of creativity. D) Creativity as shown in arts. 33. A) It is something people all engage in. C) It starts soon after we are born. B) It helps people acquire knowledge. D) It is the source of all artistic work. 34. A) Cr