单选题
Education is all enormous and expensive part of American life. Its size is matched by its variety.
Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone—not just for a privileged elite. Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child, regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself. This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing, sewing, radio repair, computer programming or driver training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, history, and languages. Students choose their curricula depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of civic (公民的) and community consciousness.
Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and "Americanizing" the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns.
The approach to teaching may seem unfamiliar to many, not only because it is informal, but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts. Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time, learning how to use resource materials, libraries, statistics and computers. Americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation of facts.
This is America"s answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time. "How can one prepare today"s child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?"
单选题
Which of the following best states the goal of American education?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节题。文中第二段最后一句The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of civic and community consciousness表明：美国教育的目标是要让孩子发挥他们最大的潜力，并让他们具有公民意识和社会意识。因此正确答案选C。
单选题
According to the goal of American education, it is implied in the passage that ______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节推断题。文章第二段倒数第二句Students choose their curricula depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability表明：学生根据他们的兴趣、将来的目标和能力水平进行课程的选择。因此可以推断出每个学生学习的课程可能是不同的，故选D。
单选题
American schools place great emphasis on the learner"s ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节题。由第四段第二句Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities可知：美国教育让学生独立思考，培养学生的创造能力。根据该句判断C为正确答案。
单选题
According to the passage, American education meets the needs of all the following EXCEPT ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 是非判断题。美国教育致力于培养每个学生的能力，因此判断A和B都应该是美国教育能满足的对象。第三段Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and “Americanizing” the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins(学校教育在维护国家团结和使数百万涌入美国的有着不同出身背景的移民美国化方面起着重要的作用)表明美国教育能满足移民的需要。因此只有C没有提到，所以符合题干要求的选项为C。
单选题
Which of the following best states the feature of American education that makes it different from education in other countries?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节推断题。文章第二段首句Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone强调了美国的学校教育是面向每个学生的；第二段最后一句The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities指出，美国教育的目标是要让孩子发挥他们最大的潜力。由此得出正确答案为D。