单选题
Today, in many high schools, teaching is now a technical miracle of computer labs, digital cameras, DVD players and laptops. Teachers e-mail parents, post messages for students on online bulletin boards, and take attendance with a quick movement of a mouse. Even though we are now living in the digital age, the basic and most important element of education — the human connection — has not changed. Most students still need that one-on-one, teacher-student relationship to learn and to succeed. Teenagers need instruction in English, math or history, but they also want personal advice and encouragement. Kids talk with me about their families, their weekend plans, their favorite TV shows and their relationship problems. In my English and journalism classes, we talk about Shakespeare and persuasive essays, but we also discuss college basketball and career choices. Students show me pictures of their rebuilt cars, their family vacations, and their newborn baby brothers. This personal connection is the vital link between teacher and student that no amount of technology can improve upon or replace. A few years ago I had a student in sophomore English who was struggling with my class and with school in general. Although he was a humorous young man who liked to joke around, I knew his family life was far from ideal. Whenever I approached him about missing homework or low test grades, he always had the same reply: "It doesn't matter because I'm quitting school anyway. " Even though he always said this in a half-teasing way, I knew he needed to hear my protests and my "value of a high school education" lecture. He needed to hear this speech from me because I understood his family problems and he knew that I believed in him. After he left my class, he struggled through the next two years of school. But, he did finally graduate because we kept telling him to hang in there. We'd cared about him finishing school. Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process — the human one.
单选题
The first paragraph mainly discusses ______. A. the variety of modern teaching methods B. the importance of teacher-parent relationships C. the importance of online contact with students D. the wide use of modern technology in education
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】主旨题。本题为段落主旨题，询问的是第一段的论述主旨。通读该段可知，作为全文的引入段，该段的核心句就是teaching is now a technical miracle(教学如今是一种技术奇迹)，并以后面所列举的computer labs、digital cameras等以及教师们的具体做法来说明为什么说教学是一种technical miracle，表明的就是这些技术在学校的广泛应用。而电脑、数码摄像机、DVD播放机、笔记本电脑、电子邮件等显然都属于modern technology(现代化的技术)这一范畴。结合这两个方面即可知正确答案是[D]。
单选题
According to the text the most important element in education is ______. A. personal link B. good instruction C. advanced technology D. interesting discussion
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】细节题。对应的信息位于第二段第一句：...the basic and most important element of education—the human connection—has not changed(……但是教育中最基本和最重要的要素——人与人之间的联系——并未改变)。其中的同位语the human connection就是选项[A]中的personal link。而由后文又可看出，这里所说的人际联系主要是指教师和学生之间的联系和互动。
单选题
According to the text the writer often talks in class about ______. A. the arrangement of school parties B. the future of students' job choices C. the organization of school sports D. the planning of family vacations
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】细节题。短文第二段中部开始谈到作者自己的教学实践，并列举了自己与学生之间的交流内容。其中第五句指出: ...but we also discuss college basketball and career choices(……但我们也讨论大学里的篮球运动和日后的择业)，其中的career choices就是[B]项中的the future of students' job choices。其余三项都与原文不符，都属于用原文中的词句臆造出来的干扰项。
单选题
In the third paragraph the writer indicates how human connection ______. A. encourages students having difficulty B. provides evidence of good teaching C. affects the use of modern technology D. prevents students from quitting school