• 2021-04-14
    PassageReading:Youaregoingtoreadapassagewith10statementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.
    NewJerseySchoolDistrictEasesPressureonStudents,BaringanEthnicDivide
    [A]Thisfall,DavidAderhold,thechiefofahigh-achievingschooldistrictnearPrinceton,NewJersey,sentparentsanalarming16-pageletter.Theschooldistrict,hesaid,wasfacingacrisis.Itsstudentswereoverburdenedandstressedout,havingtocopewithtoomuchworkandtoomanydemands.Inthepreviousschoolyear,120middleandhighschoolstudentswererecommendedformentalhealthassessmentsand40werehospitalized.Andonasurveyadministeredbythedistrict,studentswrotethingslike,'Ihategoingtoschool,'and'Comingoutof12yearsinthisdistrict,Ihavelearnedonething:thatagrade,apercentageorevenapointistobevaluedoveranythingelse.'
    [B]Withhisletter,AderholdinsertedWestWindsor-PlainsboroRegionalSchoolDistrictintoanationaldiscussionabouttheintensefocusonachievementateliteschools,andwhetherithasgonetoofar.Atfollow-upmeetings,heurgedparentstojoinhiminadvocatinga'wholechild'approachtoschoolingthatrespects'social-emotionaldevelopment'and'deepandmeaningfullearning'overacademicsalone.Thealternative,hesuggested,wastofacetheprospectofbecominganotherPaloAlto,California,whereoutsizestressonteenagestudentsisbelievedtohavecontributedtoanumberofsuicidesinthelastsixyears.
    [C]Butinsteadofbringingfamiliestogether,Aderhold'sletterrevealedadivideinthedistrict,whichhas9,700students,andonethatbrokedownroughlyalongraciallines.OnonesidearewhiteparentslikeCatherineFoley,aformerpresidentoftheParent-Teacher-StudentAssociationatherdaughter'smiddleschool,whohascometoseethedistrict'sincreasinglypressuredatmosphereasopposedtolearning.'Mysonwasinfourthgradeandtoldme,'I'mnotgoingtoamounttoanythingbecauseIhavenothingtoputonmyresume,''shesaid.OntheothersideareparentslikeMikeJia,oneofthethousandsofAsian-Americanprofessionalswhohavemovedtothedistrictinthepastdecade,whosaidAderhold'sreformswouldamounttoa'dumbingdown'ofhischildren'seducation.'Whatishappeningherereflectsanationalanti-intellectualtrendthatwillnotprepareourchildrenforthefuture,'Jiasaid.
    [D]About10minutesfromPrincetonandanhourandahalffromNewYorkCity,WestWindsorandPlainsborohavebecomepopularbedroomcommunitiesfortechnologyentrepreneurs,researchersandengineers,drawninlargepartbythepublicschools.Fromthelastthreegraduatingclasses,16seniorswereadmittedtoMIT.ItproducesScienceOlympiadwinners,classicallytrainedmusiciansandstudentswithperfectSATscores.
    [E]ThedistricthasbecomeincreasinglypopularwithimmigrantfamiliesfromChina,IndiaandKorea.Thisyear,65percentofitsstudentsareAsian-American,comparedwith44percentin2007.ManyofthemarethefirstintheirfamiliesbornintheUnitedStates.Theyhavehadagrowinginfluenceonthedistrict.Asian-Americanparentsareenthusiasticsupportersofthecompetitiveinstrumentalmusicprogram.Theyhavebeenhugesupportersofthedistrict'sadvancedmathematicsprogram,whichoncebeganinthefourthgradebutwillnowstartinthesixth.Thechangetotheprogram,inwhich90percentoftheparticipatingstudentsareAsian-American,isoneofAderhold'sreforms.
    [F]Asian-Americanstudentshavebeeneagerparticipantsinastateprogramthatpermitsthemtotakesummerclassesoffcampusforhighschoolcredit,allowingthemtomaximizethenumberofhonorsandAdvancedPlacementclassestheycantake,anotherpracticethatAderholdislimitingthisschoolyear.WithmanyAsian-Americanchildrenattendingsupplementaryinstructionalprograms,thereisaperceptionamongsomewhitefamiliesthattheelementaryschoolcurriculumisbeingspeduptoaccommodatethem.
    [G]BothAsian-Americanandwhitefamiliessaythetensionbetweenthetwogroupshasgrownsteadilyoverthepastfewyears,asthenumberofAsianfamilieshasrisen.ButthedivisionhasbecomemoreobviousinrecentmonthsasAderholdhasmadechanges,includingno-homeworknights,anendtohighschoolmidtermsandfinals,andaninitiativethatmadeiteasiertoparticipateinthemusicprogram.
    [H]JenniferLee,professorofsociologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,Irvine,andanauthorofTheAsianAmericanAchievementParadox,saysmisunderstandingsbetweenfirst-generationAsian-Americanparentsandthosewhohavebeeninthiscountrylongerarecommon.Whatwhitemiddle-classparentsdonotalwaysunderstand,shesaid,ishowmuchpressurerecentimmigrantsfeeltoboosttheirchildrenintothemiddleclass.'Theydon'thavethesamechancestogettheirchildreninternships(实习职位)orjobsatlawfirms,'Leesaid.'Sowhattheybelieveisthattheirchildrenmustexcelandbeattheirwhitepeersinacademicsettingssotheyhavethesamechancestoexcellater.'
    [I]TheissueofthestressesfeltbystudentsineliteschooldistrictshasgainedattentioninrecentyearsasschoolsinplaceslikeNewton,Massachusetts,andPaloAltohavereportedanumberofsuicides.WestWindsor-Plainsborohasnothadateenagesuicideinrecentyears,butAderhold,whohasworkedinthedistrictforsevenyearsandbeenchiefforthelastthreeyears,saidhehadseentroublingsigns.Inarecentartassignment,amiddleschoolstudentdepicted(描绘)anoverburdenedchildwhowasbeingscoldedforearninganA,ratherthananA+,onamathexam.Intheimage,themotherscoldsthestudentwiththewords,'Shameonyou!'Further,hesaid,theNewJerseyEducationDepartmenthasflaggedatleasttwopiecesofwritingonstateEnglishlanguageassessmentsinwhichstudentsexpressedsuicidalthoughts.
    [J]Thesurveycommissionedbythedistrictfoundthat68percentofhighschoolhonorandAdvancedPlacementstudentsreportedfeelingstressedaboutschool'alwaysormostofthetime'.'Weneedtobringbacksomebalance,'Aderholdsaid.'Youdon'twanttowaituntilit'stoolatetodosomething.'
    [K]Notallpublicopinionhasfallenalongraciallines.KarenSue,theChinese-Americanmotherofafifth-graderandaneighth-grader,believesthecompetitionwithinthedistricthasgottenoutofcontrol.Sue,whowasbornintheUnitedStatestoimmigrantparents,wantsherpeerstodialitback.'It'sbecomeanarmsrace,aneducationalarmsrace,'shesaid.'Weallwantourkidstoachieveandbesuccessful.Thequestionis,atwhatcost?'
    1.Aderholdislimitingtheextraclassesthatstudentsareallowedtotakeoffcampus._____
    2.WhiteandAsian-AmericanparentsrespondeddifferentlytoAderhold'sappeal._____
    3.Suicidalthoughtshaveappearedinsomestudents'writings._____
    4.Aderhold'sreformoftheadvancedmathematicsprogramwillaffectAsian-Americanstudentsmost._____
    5.Aderholdappealedforparents'supportinpromotinganall-rounddevelopmentofchildren,insteadoffocusingonlyontheiracademicperformance._____
    6.OneChinese-Americanparentthinksthecompetitioninthedistricthasgonetoofar._____

    7.Immigrantparentsbelievethatacademicexcellencewillallowtheirchildrenequalchancestosucceedinthefuture._____

    8.ManybusinessmenandprofessionalshavemovedtoWestWindsorandPlainsborobecauseofthepublicschoolsthere._____
    9.AnumberofstudentsinAderhold'sschooldistrictwerefoundtohavestress-inducedmentalhealthproblems._____
    10.ThetensionbetweenAsian-Americanandwhitefamilieshasincreasedinrecentyears._____
  • 举一反三