单选题Directions:Read the following four passages. Answer the
questions below by choosing A, B, C or D.
Germany's economic success presents something of an educational puzzle. On the
one hand, its schools turn out a workforce capable of producing the goods that
have made its companies the export champions of the world. On the other hand,
the academic achievements of its school children, measured in international
tests, look only moderate. The reading abilities of German 15-year-olds,
according to the PISA studies published by the OECD, are below the average for
rich countries. In a world where brainpower matters more and more, how does
German business thrive? The answer is that a combination of
schooling and apprenticeship has proved a reliable supplier and shaper of the
sort of labor German businesses need to make goods of high quality, even as
similar jobs have disappeared in other rich economies. At the age of 10 or 11
about two-fifths of children are selected to go to a Gymnasium. A lot of these
go eventually to universities. Most who do not, and many of those at least
academic schools, go ultimately into specialized training for one of around 350
trades, from gardening to glass-blowing. Students divide their
time between classrooms and the factory floor, acquiring a lot of knowledge on
the job. According to many company bosses, this makes them both expert and
flexible. Because German jobs are fairly secure, many employees invest time in
learning new skills. Companies invest in teaching them, too—for example, to use
computers to design parts-because their workers are not like to quit.
Moreover, basic education seems to be getting better. The first PISA
study, published in 2001, in which German children did poorly, caused much
national soul-searching. Germany's position in the OECD rankings has improved a
great deal in the past few years. Even so, the system has
flaws. Some worry, for example, that the stronger general education is needed to
equip young Germans to change trades should demand for their specific expertise
dry up. A bigger concern is that early selection fails children
form poor and immigrant families, who are likeliest to attend the least academic
schools and to miss out on apprenticeships. Partly for this reason, there is a
large group of students at the bottom of the rankings—which explains why the
German average is still below standard. Some think that this
may eventually cost the economy. Ludger Wossmann, of the Ifo Institute at Munich
University, reckons that the best long-run predictor of a country's economic
growth rate is the performance of its children in comparative tests in science,
math and so forth. Germany's scores, he points out, do not predict well.
单选题
The reason why German economy can become prosperous indicates is that
______.
A. German companies can produce goods of the best quality in the world
B. German education pays much attention to students'skill training
C. the education system can stably provide personnel needed by German
business
D. there are some kinds of trades in Germany that don't exist in other rich
countries
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[考点] 推理判断题
[解析] 根据第二段第一句可知，德国经济繁荣的原因是“a combination of schooling and apprenticeship”(将学校教育和学徒训练结合在一起)，这可以为德企稳定地提供和培训劳动力。接着提到未能上大学的孩子和许多当初未被选入文理中学的孩子会“go ultimately into specialized training...”可知，德国非常重视学生专业技能的训练，因此B为正确答案。
单选题
German bosses are willing to spend money in teaching their employees
new skills because ______.
A. their employees are not only professional but also quick-minded
B. it is not easy to hire a suitable employee in Germany
C. their employees are interested in learning a new skills
D. it is unlikely for their employees to resign
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[考点] 事实细节题
[解析] 根据第三段最后一句“companies invest in teaching them...because their workers are not likely to quit. ”可知，公司愿意投资教员工技能是因为他们不太可能辞职，所以D为正确答案。
单选题
Which one of the following is NOT the shortcoming of German educational
system?
A. The basic education for children is becoming worse and worse
B. General education is not strong enough for young people to change
trades
C. Many poor students can't go to more academic schools because of early
selection
D. Immigrant children may miss the opportunities for
apprenticeship
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[考点] 事实信息题
[解析] 本段第四段第一句“basic education seems to be getting better”可知，基础教育似乎在不断地提高。所以A陈述不对，为正确答案。根据第五段第一句“Even so, the system has flaws. ”可知，德国的教育体系有瑕疵，接下来第二句谈到瑕疵之一是太重视技能培训，一旦对专业技能需求下降，就需要更强的通识教育使年轻人能够转行，所以德国队通识教育的重视不够，因此B陈述正确，故排除。第六段提到另一个瑕疵是早期的选择，这淘汰了来自穷人和移民家庭的孩子，他们最有可能进入学术性最差的学校并且失去学徒实习的机会，所以C、D陈述均正确，故排除。
单选题
What is Ludger Wossmann's attitude towards the future of German
economic growth rate?
A. Indifferent
B. Doubtful
C. Pessimistic
D. Neutral
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[考点] 观点态度题
[解析] 文章最后一段先提出观点：这个教育体系最终会拖德国经济的后腿，接下来又提到卢德格尔·沃斯曼的看法：“预测一个国家的长远经济增长率的最好的方法是看该国孩子在科学、数学等学科的对比测试中的表现，本段最后一句提到“Germany's scores, he points out, do not predict well”可知，他指出德国的经济预示着前景不妙，因此C为正确答案。