Passage Two

　　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(fā)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

　　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

　　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

　　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

　　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.

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