单选题
Language barriers present a variety of challenges for children of any age. In Houston alone, bilingual education programs have helped many grade-school students 27 the trials that accompany not being able to speak English. In the past, such vital curriculum was not always readily 28 for children who needed it. One person who experienced the 29 of school life without a bilingual program was UH education professor Yolanda Padrón. As a child, Padrón and her family moved from Cuba to the United States. Settling in Landover, Mass., she was placed into elementary school, but had no working 30 of English. With that, she found herself at a 31 disadvantage. 'When I came here, I was in the fifth grade, but because I didn't speak English, they put me back a year,' she said. 'We lived there for about six months before we moved to Houston. When I came here, I still didn't speak English, so I was placed back another grade. At the time, that was the 32 to how to deal with children who didn't speak the language.' Despite the awkwardness of being placed back two grade levels, Padrón 33 some much-needed attention from concerned teachers. After being 34 , it was learned that she was on par with other students of her 35 age despite not knowing English. By the eighth grade, Padrón was 36 able to join students in her peer group. A. available B. basically C. difficulties D. finally E. happiness F. impossible G. knowledge H. little I. lost J. major K. overcome L. own M. received N. response O. tested
问答题
【正确答案】K
【答案解析】分析句子结构可知，本空应填动词原形，构成help sb. do sth. 的结构。trial在这里意为“困难”，指not being able to speak English所带来的麻烦，因此该动词应含有战胜、克服的意思，故选K项的overcome。 [全文翻译] 语言障碍给各个年龄段的孩子带来了各种各样的挑战。仅就休斯敦而言，双语教育课程已经帮助很多小学生克服了因不会说英语带来的诸多困难。 过去，如此重要的课程对于需要的孩子来说也不是唾手可得的。学校没有双语课程会导致学生的校园生活很困难，休斯敦大学教育学教授约兰达·帕德龙就有过这样的亲身经历。 帕德龙很小的时候，和家人从古巴搬到美国。在马萨诸塞州的兰多佛定居，她被安排进了小学，但是她对实用英语一无所知。因此，她觉得自己处于劣势。 她说：“我来到这(兰多佛)时，读五年级，但是由于我不会说英语，他们让我留级一年。我们在那(兰多佛)生活了六个月后搬到休斯敦。我来到这里时(休斯敦)，我还是不会说英语，所以他们就又让我留级一年。在那个时候，学校处理不会说英语的学生的办法就是让其留级。”尽管帕德龙被留级了两年很难为情，她却从一些相关的老师那里得到了迫切关注。考试之后，除了不懂英语，她与她同龄的学生不分上下。到八年级时，帕德龙基本上能够融入与她同龄的学生圈子了。
问答题
【正确答案】A
【答案解析】本空所填词应能被readily修饰，且能与空后的for连用。该句概括出过去的情况，该段第2句举出约兰达·帕德龙的例子，其中的without a bilingual program应和本空所在句意思一致，故答案为A项的available(现成可使用的，手边的，可利用的)。其中such vital curriculum指的是a bilingual program, not always readily available和without对应。
【答案解析】空前的working是形容词提示，本空应填名词。根据上文提到的...moved from Cuba to the United States和下段提到的I didn't speak English可以看出那时她不懂英语，故答案为G项的knowledge(知识，学问)。working knowledge of English意为“实用的英语知识”。