2020考研英語閱讀理解精讀100篇：Unit 32

Unit 32

Tennis hopeful Jamie Hunt, 16, felt he could not become a world-class junior player while attending a regular school. The international circuit has players on the road 50% of the time—and it’s hard to focus on your backhand when you’re worrying about being on time for homeroom. So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School（UMOHS）, a virtual school that caters to athletes. “The online school gives me the flexibility I need,” says Hunt. “The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere. It’s nicer to ask a question face-to-face with a teacher, but in some ways it prepares me better for college because I have to be more independent.” A year ago, Hunt’s world junior ranking was 886; now it’s 108.

Virtual high schools, which allow students to take classes via PC, have emerged as an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes. UMOHS has more than 400 students enrolled, 65% of whom are athletes. Accredited by the 100-year-old Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UMOHS offers honors and advanced-placement classes. All course material is online, along with assignments and due dates. For help, says principal Howard Liebman, “a student may e-mail, instant message or call the teacher.”

Dallas mom Lori Bannon turned to another online school, Laurel Springs in Ojai, Calif. Bannon, who has a medical degree from Harvard, didn’t want to compromise the education of her daughter Lindsay, 13, an élite gymnast who spends eight hours a day in the gym. “Regular school was not an option,” says Bannon, “but I wanted to make sure she could go back at grade level if she quit gymnastics.” Laurel Springs’ enrollment has increased 35% a year for the past four years, to 1,800 students. At least 25% are either athletes or child entertainers.

Educators are split on the merits of such schools. Paul Orehovec, an enrollment officer for the University of Miami, admits, “I was somewhat of a skeptic. But when I looked into their programs and accreditation, I was excited. UMOHS is the first online school to be granted membership in the National Honor Society.” Kevin Roy, Elite’s director of education, sees pitfalls and potential in virtual schools. “You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life,” says Roy. “But the virtual school offers endless possibilities. I don’t know where education’s imagination will take this.”

注（1）：本文選自Time；

注（2）：本文習題命題模仿對象：第1、2、3、5題分別模仿2004年真題Text 4第1、2題，Text 1第2題和Text 3第5題；第4題模仿2014年真題Text 2第4題。

1. What does Jamie Hunt get from the virtual school?

A) The ability to perfect his tennis skills.

B) The time to do his school work.

C) The flexibility to finish the workload anywhere.

D) The independence he needs to be a good tennis player.

2. We can learn from the text that virtual high schools ______.

A) make it possible for athletes to receive training without delaying their school work

B) have gained ground as a major education form

C) are cheaper than real schools

D) prepare students better for colleges

3. Which of the following is NOT a practice in a virtual school?

A) Visiting a homeroom on time.

B) E-mailing teachers for questions.

C) Getting course materials online.

D) Taking classes via a PC.

4. Lori Bannon turned to online school because ______.

A) virtual school has more athlete students

B) virtual school offers better education

C) her daughter is an elite gymnast

D) regular school cannot meet her daughter’s condition

5. To which of the following is the author likely to agree?

A) The education provided by virtual schools is yet to be recognized by authorities.

B) Educators are divided as to whether students should take virtual schools.

C) Despite the defects, virtual schools show great potentials.

D) Regular schools will be replaced by virtual schools sooner or later.

篇章剖析

本文是一篇說明文，介紹了網(wǎng)上虛擬學校的發(fā)展狀況。第一段以網(wǎng)壇小將Jamie Hunt的例子引出虛擬學校這個話題；第二段介紹了虛擬學校的特點以及邁阿密大學網(wǎng)上中學UMOHS；第三段介紹了另外一個到虛擬學校求學的例子；最后一段介紹了人們對虛擬學校的看法。

詞匯注釋

hopeful /?h??pf?l/ n. 有希望成功的人

circuit /?s??k?t/ n. 運動隊（或運動場）聯(lián)合會；聯(lián)賽

backhand /?b?kh?nd/ n. （網(wǎng)球）反手擊球，反手抽擊

homeroom /?h??mru?m/ n. 年級教室

hone /h??n/ vt. 磨煉；訓練；使完美

ground stroke 【網(wǎng)】擊觸地球

virtual /?v??tj??l/ adj. 虛擬的

cater to 迎合

on-the-go /??ne??g??/ adj. 忙碌的

accredit /??kred?t/ vt. 承認資格；授權

advanced-placement 大學預科班

pitfall /?p?tf??l/ n. 缺陷

難句突破

So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School （UMOHS）, a virtual school that caters to athletes.

主體句式：Hunt enrolled in the school.

結構分析：這是一個復雜句，主語Hunt帶有一個who引導的非限定性定語從句，此外句中還有一個同位語，說明UMOHS的特點。

句子譯文：所以去年亨特注冊成為專為運動員開辦的邁阿密大學網(wǎng)上中學（UMOHS）的學生，每年學費為9750美元。目前他正在位于得克薩斯州艾波桑德（April Sound）的“TNT精英網(wǎng)球學院”苦練擊觸地球技術。

題目分析

1. C 細節(jié)題?？梢詮牡谝欢蔚诹?、七行Hunt自己的話“The online school gives me the flexibility I need...The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere”得知答案。

2. A 推理題。根據(jù)第一段提到的虛擬學校的靈活性以及Hunt學習成績的進步，以及第二段提到的它已經(jīng)成為an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes可以判斷，這種學校可以讓運動員既堅持訓練又不至于耽誤功課。

3. A 細節(jié)題。根據(jù)第一段第二、三行“it’s hard to focus on your backhand when you’re worrying about being on time for homeroom”可知學生按時到年級教室是傳統(tǒng)學校的一種做法。第二段介紹虛擬學校的時候有這樣的描述：“所有的課程材料和課堂作業(yè)以及完成日期等信息都登在網(wǎng)上。由此可排除B、C、D。

4. D 細節(jié)題。根據(jù)上下文，Bannon的女兒每天要訓練8小時，她又想讓女兒的功課跟得上，就無法考慮上普通學校了?？梢娖胀▽W校無法滿足她女兒的條件。

5. C 推理題。文章最后一段說一位教務處長既看到了虛擬學校的不足，也看到了它們的潛力。并引用他的話說：“虛擬學校卻提供了無限可能性。”可見虛擬學校雖然有缺陷，但仍然有著巨大的潛力。

參考譯文

16歲的網(wǎng)壇小將杰米·亨特認為，他如果就讀普通學校，就不可能成為世界級的青年運動員。參加國際巡回比賽的運動員50%的時間都在路上——當你擔心自己不能準時出現(xiàn)在年級教室時，你就很難把注意力集中在反手擊球上。所以去年亨特注冊成為專為運動員開辦的邁阿密大學網(wǎng)上中學（UMOHS）的學生，每年學費為9750美元。目前他正在位于得克薩斯州艾波桑德（April Sound）的“TNT精英網(wǎng)球學院”苦練擊觸地球技術?！斑@個網(wǎng)上學校使我可以根據(jù)需要靈活安排學習時間，”亨特說道?！皩W習任務不變，但我可以在任何地方學習。當面問老師問題當然好，但網(wǎng)上學?？梢宰屛以谀承┓矫娓玫貫樯洗髮W做準備，因為我必須更加獨立?！币荒昵?，亨特在國際青少年運動員排名中位列886位，現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)升至108位。

虛擬中學通過個人電腦上課，正在成為一種越來越受歡迎的教育選擇，對于那些忙碌的運動員來說尤其適合。邁阿密大學網(wǎng)上中學已經(jīng)有400多名注冊學生，其中65%都是運動員。該校得到了有著百年歷史的南部院校協(xié)會的授權，可以授予榮譽，并為優(yōu)秀學生提供大學預科班課程。所有的課程材料和課堂作業(yè)以及完成日期等信息都登在網(wǎng)上。如果需要幫助的話，該校校長霍華德·利伯曼說：“學生可以發(fā)電子郵件、發(fā)短信或者打電話和老師聯(lián)系。”

達拉斯的洛麗·班農(nóng)是一位母親，她找到了另外一家網(wǎng)上學校，位于加利福尼亞州奧吉的勞雷爾·斯普林斯學校。班農(nóng)畢業(yè)于哈佛大學醫(yī)學院，她的女兒林賽今年13歲，是一個出色的體操運動員，每天都要在體育館訓練8小時。她不想耽誤女兒的教育?！吧喜涣似胀▽W校，”班農(nóng)說，“但我想確保她退役后學習還能跟得上。”勞雷爾·斯普林斯學校的注冊人數(shù)在過去4年中以每年35%的速度增長，已經(jīng)達到了1800人。其中至少有25%的學生要么是運動員，要么是兒童演員。

教育專家對這種學校的價值沒有形成一致的意見。保羅·奧赫維克是邁阿密大學負責注冊的官員，他承認，“我曾經(jīng)心存疑慮。但是當我看了他們的教學計劃和鑒定書之后，我感到十分振奮。邁阿密大學網(wǎng)上中學是第一個成為‘全國優(yōu)等生聯(lián)合會會員’的網(wǎng)上學校?！本W校的教務長凱文·羅伊既看到了虛擬學校的不足，也看到了它們的潛力?！澳悴粫龅接绊懩阋簧暮美蠋?，”羅伊說?！暗摂M學校卻提供了無限可能性。我不知道教育的想象力會把這種可能性發(fā)揮到什么地步?！?