Life in the twentieth century demands preparation. Today, all individuals in a country must have adequate schooling to prepare them for their work as well as for their responsibilities as citizens. With this in mind, national leaders everywhere are placing more emphasis on the education of the young. In the United States, government officials, parents, and teachers are working hard to give the children——tomorrow’s decision makers——the best preparation available.

There is no national school policy in the United States. Each of the fifty states makes its own rules and regulations for its schools, but there are many similarities among the fifty school systems. Public schools in all states are supported by taxes paid by the citizens of the individual state. In most states the children are required to attend school until they reach the age of sixteen. When they become six years old, children begin elementary school. After six years in elementary school, they go into junior high school and remain there for three years. The last three years of their public school education are spent in senior high school, from which they graduate at the age of eighteen. A great number of high school graduates continue their education in one of the many colleges or universities in the country. After four years, they receive a Bachelor’s degree. Some continue studying for a Master’s degree and perhaps a Doctor’s degree.

   1. At what age does a child in the United States enter elementary school? _____.

     A. 16        B. 6        C. 8        D. 7

   2. There is no national school policy ______.

     A. in China        B. in Britain        C. in the united States        D. in Japan

   3. In most states of the United States the law requires a student to go to school _____.

     A. until he graduates from high school     B. until he is sixteen

     C. for twelve years                     D. for ten years

   4. At what age do most students graduate from high school? _______.

     A. 16        B. 19        C. 18        D. 17

   5. Education is important today, because ______.

     A. people must have enough schooling to prepare themselves for life.      B. all individuals want to be scientists

     C. national leaders everywhere are placing more emphasis on education     D. the young want to be educated

 

      A woman and her children were saved from death. The woman and her baby daughters were the only p ________

    on a light passenger plane. After the plane flew o _____ course some time later, its pilot was killed. Fortunately the passengers were unhurt. It was in the middle of winter. Snow I _______ thick on the ground. The nearest village was miles away. When it grew dark, she turned a s ______ into a bed and put the children inside it, c ______ them with all the clothes she could find. During the night , it got terribly cold. The woman kept as near as she could to the children and even tried to get into the case herself, but it was too small. Early next morning, she heard planes passing o ______ and wondered how she could send a s ______. Then she had an idea. She s ______ out the letters “SOS” in the snow. A pilot happened to see the signal and sent a message by radio to the nearest town. It was not long before a h ______ arrived on the s ______ to rescue them.