Educating children at home as an alternative to formal education is an option chosen by families in many parts of the world. The homeschooling movement is popular in the United States, where close to one million children are educated at home. In Canada 1 percent of school-age children are homeschooled, and the idea also enjoys growing popularity in Australia, where 20,000 families homeschool their children. The movement is not limited to these countries. Homeschooling families can be found all over the world, from Japan to Taiwan to Argentina to South Africa.
Homeschooling is not a novel idea. In fact, the idea of sending children to spend most of their day away from home at a formal school is a relatively new custom. In the United States, for example, it was not until the latter part of the nineteenth century that state governments began making school attendance compulsory. Before that, the concept of a formal education was not so widespread. Children learned the skills they would need for adult life at home from tutors or their parents, through formal instruction or by working side by side with the adults of the family.
In the modern developed world, where the vast majority of children attend school, families choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons. For people who live in remote areas, such as the Australian outback or the Alaskan Wilderness, homeschooling may be their only option. Children who have exceptional talents in the arts or other areas may be homeschooled so that they have more time to devote to their special interests. Much of the homeschooling movement is made up of families who, for various reasons, are dissatisfied with the schools available to them. They may have a differing educational philosophy, they may be concerned about the safety of the school environment, or they may feel that the local schools cannot adequately address their children’s educational needs. Although most families continue to choose a traditional classroom education for their children, homeschooling as an alternative educational option is becoming more popular.
Question 44: Which of the following could be the main idea of the passage?
A. Homeschooling option: a common form of education all over the world.
B. The reasons why children should be educated at home.
C. The origin of homeschooling.
D. A new form of school: Homeschooling
Question 45: What does the word “that” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. the second half of the 19th century B. the beginning of the 19th century
C. the former part of the 19th century D. the end of the 19th century
Question 46: The word “widespread” in paragraph 2 mostly means _________.
A. uncommon B. customary C. exceptional D. prevalent
Question 47: According to the passage, the following are true about the homeschooling, EXCEPT _________.
A. Parents or tutors were the ones who taught the children necessary skills in society.
B. People got familiar with school attendance before choosing to learn at home.
C. Before modern times, most students did not attend the school.
D. Many families in both developed and developing countries choose to educate their children at home.
Question 48: As mentioned in the last paragraph, children in rural areas _________.
A. are not contented with the philosophy of the schools available.
B. believe that their needs to study is more than what a normal school can provide.
C. have no choice but stay at home to learn.
D. prefer to improve their extraordinary interests.
Question 49: It can be inferred from the last passage that _________.
A. parents’ satisfaction plays an important role in the number of students attending class.
B. teachers’ qualifications may be one of the reasons why students come to school.
C. not many children in modern society are allowed to be educated at home.
D. some schools are unable to provide a safe environment for their students.
Question 50: What does the author mean in the sentence : Although most families continue to choose a traditional classroom education for their children, homeschooling as an alternative educational option is becoming more popular.?
A. Homeschooling will replace the traditional classroom one day in the future.
B. Many people prefer formal schools because of its fame.
C. Families are gradually aware of the importance of school attendance.
D. More and more parents choose homeschooling to educate their children.
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| 44 | A |
| 45 | A |
| 46 | D |
| 47 | C |
| 48 | C |
| 49 | A |
| 50 | D |