More and more children are leaving school with little more than a basic knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic, and illiteracy is becoming a social problem once again. With dropout rates of 27 percent in high schools and 50 percent in colleges, the American education system is clearly in trouble. European dropout rates, though lower than those of the U.S., are rising too.Various factors have been blamed for the apparent decline in educational standards. Some people say that overcrowding and lack of discipline are major factors. Others maintain that subjects like art and drama have been overemphasized at the expense of more practical subjects. The negative influence of television is frequently mentioned as a reason for growing illiteracy. Many teachers and principals, however, insist that the problem is not of falling standards but of rising expectations on the part of parents and employers.Whether or not standards in public schools are actually falling, many parents feel that the only way to secure a good education for their children is to send them to private schools, which generally have smaller classes and stricter discipline. The popularity of such schools is growing steadily, despite the high tuition fees. In the United States, for example, thirteen percent of all school children attend private schools; in France, over sixteen percent do so.New Words：illiteracyn.缺乏教育；文盲1.What is the problem that public schools of Europe and North America have according to the passage?A) Standards of education are falling.B) Social expectations on students are rising too quickly.C) The tuition fees are always rising rapidly.D) The reading, writing, and arithmetic are overemphasized.2.What is the dropout rate in U.S. colleges according to the passage?A) 13 percent. B) 16 percent.C) 27 percent.D) 50 percent.3.What is frequently mentioned as a reason for growing illiteracy?A) Too many students in school.B) The negative influence of television.C) Lack of strict discipline.D) Less attention to art and drama.4.What is one of the advantages of private schools according to the passage?A) More acceptable with students.B) Higher tuition fee and better return.C) Smaller classes and stricter discipline.D) More practical subjects available.

After rising steadily for almost a century, standards of education in the public schools of Europe and North America have leveled off and, in the opinion of many parents and employers, are actually falling. More and more children are leaving school with little more than a basic knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic, and illiteracy is becoming a social problem once again. With dropout rates of 27 percent in high schools and 50 percent in colleges, the American education system is clearly in trouble. European dropout rates, though lower than those of the U.S., are rising too.Various factors have been blamed for the apparent decline in educational standards. Some people say that overcrowding and lack of discipline are major factors. Others maintain that subjects like art and drama have been overemphasized at the expense of more practical subjects. The negative influence of television is frequently mentioned as a reason for growing illiteracy. Many teachers and principals, however, insist that the problem is not of falling standards but of rising expectations on the part of parents and employers.Whether or not standards in public schools are actually falling, many parents feel that the only way to secure a good education for their children is to send them to private schools, which generally have smaller classes and stricter discipline. The popularity of such schools is growing steadily, despite the high tuition fees. In the United States, for example, thirteen percent of all school children attend private schools; in France, over sixteen percent do so.New Words：illiteracyn.缺乏教育；文盲1.What is the problem that public schools of Europe and North America have according to the passage?A) Standards of education are falling.B) Social expectations on students are rising too quickly.C) The tuition fees are always rising rapidly.D) The reading, writing, and arithmetic are overemphasized.2.What is the dropout rate in U.S. colleges according to the passage?A) 13 percent. B) 16 percent.C) 27 percent.D) 50 percent.3.What is frequently mentioned as a reason for growing illiteracy?A) Too many students in school.B) The negative influence of television.C) Lack of strict discipline.D) Less attention to art and drama.4.What is one of the advantages of private schools according to the passage?A) More acceptable with students.B) Higher tuition fee and better return.C) Smaller classes and stricter discipline.D) More practical subjects available.