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(33) On average, U.S. students study more topics within science and math than their international counterparts do. This creates an educational environment that "is a mile wide and an inch deep," Schmidt notes. （出现比较级时应高度关注。第二句This指代第一句陈述的事实：平均说来，与国际同龄人相比，美国学生在科学与数学方面要学习更多的科目。A mile wide and an inch deep属于形象用法、比喻考点。）
For instance, eighth graders in the United States cover about 33 topics in math versus just 19 in Japan. Among science courses, the international gap is even wider.（作者接着举例说明美国的教育环境是a mile wide and an inch deep。）U.S. curricula for this age level resemble those of a small group of countries including Australia, Thailand, Iceland, and Bulgaria. Schmidt asks whether the United States wants to be classed with these nations, whose educational systems "share our pattern of splintered (支离破碎的) visions" but which are not economic leaders.
33. By saying that the U.S. educational environment is "a mile wide and an inch deep" (Line 2, Para. 5), the author means U.S. educational practice ________.
[定位与替换] 本题问作者对美国教育实践的看法。根据上面两段This指代的事实以及For instance后对a mile wide and an inch deep的进一步解释可以看出，美国教育注重所开科目的广度而不重视深度，所以选D) scratches the surface of a wide range of topics只触及了许多科目的表面。另外，education environment = educational practice。解题的关键是要跨段整合内容，并准确地识别指代和例证的含义。
[干扰项分析] A) lays stress on quality at the expense of quantity牺牲数量来强调质量，和文中内容相反；B) offers an environment for comprehensive education为全面综合教育提供了环境，文中只提到科学和数学教育，并未出现全面综合教育的概念；C) encourages learning both in depth and in scope鼓励既深入又广泛地学习，这只是美国教育改革的方向，与原文内容不一致。
The new report "couldn’t come at a better time," says Gerald Wheeler, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association in Arlington.（本句是某个专家对the new report所作的评价。文章中出现概括性评价之后一般都会作进一步的解释说明、原因分析等，这是命题者较喜欢的考点。）（34）"The new National Science Education Standards provide that focused vision," including the call "to do less, but in greater depth." （The new National Education Standards和The new report属于同义概念。）
34. The new National Science Education Standards are good news in that they will ________.
[定位与替换]本题问新的全国科学教育标准是个好消息的原因。根据关键词The new National Education Standards和good news, 定位到第七段，本题所问的原因在第二句，注意but引起的强调，故选A) provide depth to school science education使学校的科学教育具有深度。解题的关键在于识别句子之间的关系。
[干扰项分析] B) solve most of the problems in school teaching解决学校教学的大部分问题，歪曲并夸张了文章原意；C) be able to meet the demands of the community能够满足社区需求，文中未提及，因为新的全国科学标准是为了弥补教育体制的缺陷而制定的；D) quickly dominate U.S. educational practice迅速在美国的教育实践中处于支配地位，文中也未提及，而是指出了实现这个新标准将面临挑战。
(35) Implementing the new science standards and their math counterparts will be the challenge, he and Schmidt agree, because the decentralized responsibility for education in the United States requires that any reforms be tailored and instituted one community at a time.（…因为美国的教育责任是分散的，它要求任何一项改革只能一次一个社区地量身定制。he and Schmidt agree是插入语，而且是专家观点标志词，紧接着阐述了Implementing the new standards… will be the challenge的原因，考点设置和34题如出一辙，但相对简单，因为because是明显的因果关系考点标志词。）
In fact, Schmidt argues, reforms such as these proposed national standards "face an almost impossible task, because even though they are intellectually coherent, each becomes only one more voice in the babble (嘈杂声)."
35. Putting the new science and math standards into practice will prove difficult because ________.
[定位与替换] 本题问实施新的科学和数学标准将会遇到困难的原因。put sth. into practice = implement, will prove difficult = will be the challenge, 所以本题可准确定位到倒数第二段，最后选C) school districts are responsible for making their own decisions学区对自己的决定负责。该选项表达了文中“责任分散”的意思。
[干扰项分析] A) there is always controversy in educational circles在教育界一直存在争论，B) not enough educators have realized the necessity for doing so没有足够的教育者意识到这样做的重要性，D) many schoolteachers challenge the acceptability of these standards许多学校老师质疑这些标准的可接受性，这三个选项文中均无信息支持。
例2、2000年1月四级阅读第二篇
Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.
30. What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?
A) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.
B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.
C) They are falling out of use in the United States.
D) They are applicable only on broad roads
请用心体会initially 这个词的内涵，其实，你一看到这个词，就应该准确predict后面可能会有考点，而且肯定会出现but, however, ultimately 一类的转折、对比词。答案B)。
