【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[听力原文]1-10 In April, the Manhattan Institute released its yearly study of graduation rates. The research group used information from 2003. The researchers found that 72 percent of girls successfully completed their high school education. That compared to 65 percent of boys. The newspaper Education Week noted earlier this year that, in some ways, what people are worried about now is really not new. Boys have scored lower than girls on tests in the National Assessment of Educational Progress since at least 1971. And the differences are not limited to the United States. Education Week noted the results of an international reading test in 2003. Fifteen-year-olds took the test in 41 countries. Girls scored higher than boys in almost every country. Differences between males and females are a continuing issue of fierce debate. Cultural and economic influences play an important part. But recent findings suggest that another part of the answer lies in differences between the male and female brains. These include differences in learning rates. As a result, some researchers say, boys may not be able to develop language and reading skills as well as girls do. The last time there was a lot of concern about differences in school, it was about girls, especially in math and science classes. Efforts to improve the situation for girls included hiring more female teachers. Yet some people think the opposite situation exists now. They say not enough male teachers is one reason why boys may not learn as well in class. Another explanation being heard involves the increased testing in American schools. Some people say schools are preparing for these important tests by forcing boys to sit quietly at their desks. They say this is unfair. Still others say that society is failing boys, by giving them the message that studying is not manly. And others say boys are failing in school because they become too interested in the girls in their classes. One attempt to solve problems like these is the use of same-sex classrooms. [分析] 推理判断题。 根据原文Boys have scored lower than girls on tests in the National Assessment of Educational Progress since at least 1971可知至少从1971年起男孩在全国教育进步评价的考试中的成绩就低于女孩。由此可见，题干说过去20年来女孩的成绩一直优于男孩，与原文意思相符，是正确的。 [解题关键] 1)理解比较级的用法；2)理解题干中decade意为“十年”。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[分析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 根据原文the differences are not limited to the United States可知这一差别并非只出现在美国。由此可见，题干说法与原文相符，是正确的。 [解题关键] 根据题干中专有名词正确定位原文相关信息。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[分析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 关于男孩女孩的不同，根据原文Cultural and economic influences play an important part． But recent findings suggest that another part of the answer lies in differences between the male and female brain可知文化和经济影响起了重要作用，但近来研究结果表明另一因素是男女大脑的不同。由此可见，题干的说法是不全面的，因此与原文不符是错误的。 [解题关键] 掌握转折连词but的用法，该词后内容往往表述说者重要观点，是听的主要内容。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[分析] 推理判断题。 根据原文But recent findings suggest that another part of the answer lies in differences between the male and female brain可知近来研究结果表明另一因素是男女大脑的不同。而后说者详细对此作出详尽阐释。由此可推断题干说男孩女孩成绩不同的主要原因是因为男女大脑的差异，与原文主要内容相符，是正确的。 [解题关键] 掌握本篇脉络结构。讲话者使用转折连词but提出自己的观点，然后用其余的篇幅来进行阐释证明。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[分析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 根据原文boys may not be able to develop language and reading skills as well as girls do可知男孩发展语言和阅读技能的能力也许不如女孩好。由此可见，题干“女孩学习语言的能力比男孩强”与原文相符，是正确的。 [解题关键] 掌握同级比较的用法，本文中as well as…表示“与……一样好”。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[分析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 原文在谈到女孩在数学和科学课的问题时说Efforts to improve the situation for girls included hiring more female teachers由此可知，为了提高女孩在数学和科学方面的学习能力，学校雇佣了更多的女教师。因此题干的说法与原文显然不符，是错误的。 [解题关键] 根据题干中关键词正确定位原文相关信息。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[分析] 因果关系的找寻和判断。 根据原文Yet some people…say not enough male teachers is one reason why boys may not learn as well in class可知，有些人认为男性教师不足是男孩在班上学习不如女孩的原因之一。由此可见，题干的说法与原文相符，是正确的。 [解题关键] 掌握表示因果关系的信号词。本文中reason表明了原因，与题干中介词for意思相同。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[分析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 根据原文Some people say schools are preparing for these important tests by forcing boys to sit quietly at their desks．They say this is unfair．可知，有些人说学校强迫男孩静悄悄地学习以应付这些重要考试，这是不公平的。由此可见，题干的说法与原文相符，是正确的。 [解题关键] 掌握人称代词的指代关系，这里they指前面一句中的some people，正是题干所指对象。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[分析] 因果关系的找寻和判断。 根据原文Still others say that society is failing boys，by giving them the message that studying is not manly可知，还有人认为社会有负于男孩，给他们传递出这样的信息，即学习使人没有阳刚之气。由此可推断，是社会的误导使男孩产生了不愿学习的想法。 [解题关键] 掌握介词by表因果关系的用法。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[分析] 语义理解题。 根据原文One attempt to solve problems like these is the use of same-sex classrooms．可知，试图采用男女分班制的办法解决男生学习差的问题。可见这种办法只是一种attempt“企图，尝试”，而非最终有效的解决办法。 [解题关键] 掌握attempt的含义是解题的关键。