2012英语二Text1
Homework has never been1 terribly2 popular with students and even many parents, but in recent years it has been particularly3 scorned4. School districts5 across the country, most recently Los Angeles Unified, are revising6 their thinking on this educational ritual7. Unfortunately8, L.A. Unified has produced9 an inflexible policy10 which mandates11 that with the exception of12 some advanced13 courses, homework may no longer14 count for15 more than 10% of a student’s academic grade16.
This rule is meant to17 address18 the difficulty that students from impoverished or chaotic19homes might have in completing their homework. But the policy is unclear and contradictory20. Certainly, no homework should be assigned21 that students cannot complete on their own or that students cannot do without expensive equipment22. But if the district23 is essentially24 giving a pass to students who do not do their homework because of complicated25 family lives, it is going riskily26 close to the implication27 that standards28 need to be lowered for poor children.
District administrators29 say that homework will still30 be a part of schooling; teachers are allowed to assign as much of it as they want. But31 with homework counting for32 no more than 10% of their grades, students can easily skip33 half their homework and see very little34 difference on their report cards35. Some students might do well on state tests36 without completing their homework, but what about the students who performed37 well on the tests and did their homework? It is quite possible that the homework helped. Yet38 rather than39 empowering40 teachers to find what works41 best for their students, the policy imposes42 a flat, across-the-board rule43.
At the same time44, the policy addresses none of the truly thorny questions45 about homework. If the district finds homework to be unimportant to its students’ academic achievement46, it should move to reduce47 or eliminate48 the assignments, not make them count for almost nothing. Conversely49, if homework matters50, it should account for51 a significant portion of52 the grade. Meanwhile53, this policy does nothing to ensure54 that the homework students receive is meaningful or appropriate55 to their age and the sub
ject56, or that teachers are not assigning more than they are willing to57 review and correct.
The homework rules should be put on hold58 while the school board, which is responsible for59 setting educational policy, looks into the matter and conducts60 public hearings61. It is not too late for L.A. Unified to62 do homework right.
21. It is implied in paragraph 1 that nowadays homework_____.
  [A] is receiving63 more criticism64
  [B] is no longer an educational ritual65
  [C] is not required66 for advanced courses67
  [D] is gaining more preferences68
22. L. A. Unified has made the rule about homework mainly because poor students_____.
  [A] tend to69 have moderate expectations70 for their education
  [B] have asked for71 a different educational standard72
  [C] may have problems finishing their homework
  [D] have voiced73 their complaints74 about homework
23. According to Paragraph 3, one problem with the policy is that it may____.
  [A] discourage75 students from doing homework
  [B] result in76 students’ indifference77 to their report cards
  [C] undermine78 the authority79 of state tests
  [D] restrict80 teachers’ power in education
24. As mentioned81 in Paragraph 4, a key question unanswered82 about homework is whether______.
[A] it should be eliminated83
  [B] it counts84 much in schooling
  [C] it places85 subjectionextra burdens86 on teachers
  [D] it is important for grades
25. A suitable title87 for this text could be______.
  [A] Wrong Interpretation88 of an Educational Policy89
  [B] A Welcomed Policy90 for Poor Students
  [C] Thorny Questions91 about Homework
[D] A Faulty Approach92 to Homework
【干货笔记】
1. be popular with…  受…欢迎
2. ① terribly  adv. 糟糕地；可怕地；非常地
  （【adv.=very】，见2010英语（二）Text1, 知识点35）
3. ① particularly  adv. 特别是，尤其是
  ②【adv.=very】
4.【鄙视】
① scorn  v. 鄙视；轻视
② contempt      v. 鄙视；轻视
    contemptible  adj. 令人鄙视的
③ humiliate  v. 使丢脸；侮辱；使出丑；伤害…的自尊
④ insult      v. 冒犯；贬低；侮辱
⑤ disregard  v. 轻视, 忽视；蔑视；不理不睬, 不顾
5. school district    学区
  district    n. 地区；教学区
6. revise  v. 修正；校订
7. ① this educational ritual    这种教育仪式
  ②【主旨名词形式多变换】（见2010英语（二）Text3，知识点5）
Homework → it → this educational ritual → homework → …
8. unfortunately  adv. 不幸地是（表转折，见【转折“连词”】表）
9.【“produce”一家】
    produce      v. 生产；产生
    product      n. 产品
    production    n. 生产，产量；作品
productivity  n. 生产力；生产率，生产效率
    productive    n. 多产的；富饶的
reproductive  adj. 再生的；生殖的
10. an inflexible policy  一项不灵活的政策
  flexible      adj. 灵活的
  inflexibility  n. 不灵活性
11. mandate      v. 授权；命令
  mandatory  adj. 强制的；命令的；托管的
                n. 受托者（等于mandatary）
12. with the exception of…  除了…（不包含）