●阅读经典习题：

A

For high school leavers starting out in the working world，it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship(实习)．In some countries，schools have programs to help students onto the path to work．In the Unites States，however，such programs are still few and far between．

Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses，students are likely to get higher earnings in later years．The students are more likely to stay in school，graduate and go on to higher education．

In Germany，students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships．German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment．

But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world．Harvard Education school professor Robert

Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track．Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的)kids with no jobs and no skills．

Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high school．James Madison High School in New York，for example，encourages students to choose classes on career—based courses．The school then helps them gain on—the-job experience in those fields while they’re still at high school．

However，even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work，the job market is daunting．In the US，unemployment rates for 16-to-19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row．

“The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the Summer job experience，they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job，”said Michael，a researcher in the US.

1. In the author’s opinion, American high school leavers __________.

A. have enough career-related courses

B. need more career advice from their schools

C. perform better in exams than German students

D. can get higher earnings in later years

2. According to Robert Schwartz，_________．

A. there is no need for kids to go for higher education in the US

B. students should get contact with the working world at high school

C. education reform should focus on students’ performance in exams

D. teenagers in the US can’t miss out on the summer job experience

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A. Unemployment rates for US teenagers remain high at the moment．

B. Students with career—based courses never have problems finding a job．

C. US companies work with schools to prepare young people for future employment．

D. High school leavers with no practical skills can’t find a job absolutely

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A. Arguments about recent US education reform．

B. Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers．

C. The lack of career—based courses in US high schools．

D. Advice for American high school leavers．

5. The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 6 most probably means___________.

A. discouraging B. interesting C. creative D. unbearable

B

Do you think it is ever a good idea for a teenager to have a credit card?

My kids watch closely as I swipe the card through the register. They’ve seen me do it hundreds, thousands of times. Cool. They are itching to swipe it through the machine themselves. When we walk out of the store with our groceries or pet food, or whatever, it’s almost as though money has not changed hands, painless, easy.

So it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that teenagers are becoming card carrying consumers in their own right. The question is, should they?

While some argue it’s best to teach kids how to use a credit card while still living under the family roof, not everyone agrees. Dave Ramsey, financial expert says getting a credit card for your teenager is actually, “an excellent way to teach him or her to be financially irresponsible. ”

Now parents are required to co-sign on credit cards for children under 21. “If their name is on the credit card, then the parent may say, ‘Hey, my name is on this. Don’t get me into trouble,” says Mary Beth Pinto, a marketing professor. “When parents were the co-obligors（共同借贷人），the children caused less debt. If the parents are the co-obligors, the tendency is that the parents were explaining how to use the cards.” Still, Pinto believes parents should start the process much earlier. “Yes, there has to be teaching going on and it has to start when they’re younger. You’re not going to get rid of credit cards. They are here to stay. You have to have them. You can’t fight progress,” Pinto said.

Ramsey, however, disagrees. “Throwing teens into a pool of （credit）sharks is a sure way to guarantee a life-time of heartache,” he said“You can make online purchases and rent a car with a credit card. Of course, you must have money in your bank account before you can make a purchase with a credit card. But paying for things with money is what you are supposed to do. ”

6. The author mentioned her experience in Para 2 mainly to_______.

A. prove the convenience of using credit cards

B. tell what impression credit cards leave on kids

C. give advice on using credit cards wisely

D. explain the pleasure credit cards bring to customers

7. The underlined word in Para 2 can be replaced by _______.

A. eager B. afraid C. embarrassed D. thankful

8. What’s Ramsey’s attitude towards teens’ using credit cards?

A. He feels it is worth a try B. He is very supportive

C. He is strongly against it D. He considers it as a pleasant experience

9. Pinto will most likely agree that _______．