評論
打印
【真題再現】
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.
In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents (答問卷者) listed “to give children a good start academically” as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group. The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. Sixty-two percent of the more individually oriented (強調個性發展的) Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An emphasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.
16. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe ________.
A) Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents
B) Japan’s economic success is a result of its scientific achievements
C) Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction
D) Japan’s higher education is superior to theirs(C)
17. Most Americans surveyed believe that preschools should also attach importance to ________.
A) problem solving
B) group experience
C) parental guidance
D) individually-oriented development(B)
18. In Japan’s preschool education, the focus is on ________.
A) preparing children academically
B) developing children’s artistic interests
C) tapping children’s potential
D) shaping children’s character(D)
19. Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to ________.
A) broaden children’s horizon
B) cultivate children’s creativity
C) lighten children’s study load
D) enrich children’s knowledge(C)
20. Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
A) They can do better in their future studies.
B) They can accumulate more group experience there.
C) They can be individually oriented when they grow up.
D) They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education.(D)
【精講】
這是一篇講述日本學前教育的材料，因為文章是講給美國人看的，所以附帶介紹美國的學前教育以和日本進行對比。材料一共只有三大段，第一大段指出日本學前教育的側重點，第二段進一步說明日本學前教育側重點中對集體主義的重視，第三段則說明日本學前教育除集體主義外的豐富內容。
第一段開頭實際上提出了研究日本學前教育的原因：low academic achievement by children in the United States，大意是美國的兒童教育成效不明顯，這迫使人們把目光投向了教育和經濟水平都很高的日本，以期得到答案(for possible answers)。這一探詢的結果是出乎美國人意料的，日本學前教育很少強調功課指導(little emphasis is put on academic instruction)，這也是本文的主要觀點。文章接下來以問卷調查為論據對這一觀點進行了論證。
問卷調查的結果是日本人更重視堅韌、專注和集體主義等素質的培養(but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group)，第二段繼續對集體主義這一項素質做了進一步說明(可見其重要性)：91%的日本人將其列為學前教育的三大目標之一(91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience)，這項教育甚至會延續到小學教育(continues into elementary school education)。
最后一段討論了除去上述素質教育外，日本學前教育的其他內容和特色。其中包括早期音樂訓練和潛力發掘(early musical training or potential development)，附屬于大學(這一項屬于特色)，以及自由玩耍(have introduced free play)。
