A
English
language learners, also known as ELLs, are students with limited English abilities. American public school systems seek to develop programs to help such students improve their English. The goal is to give students the language skills they need to fully take part in educational activities and help them succeed in the classroom. Studies have shown clear connections between greater Englishlanguage abilities and improved educational results.
The state with the highest number of ELL students was California. Twentyone percent of its public school students were English language learners in 2015. The next highest states were Texas and Nevada. Nearly 17 percent of both states’ students were ELLs. In eight states, ELLs made up 10 percent or more of the total public school students.
Thirtysix states and the District of Columbia saw a rise in the number of ELL students from 2010 to 2015. The largest increase—3 percent—was reported in Massachusetts. In 14 states, the percentage of ELLs fell in 2015 compared to 2010. The largest drop, which was 4 percent, was reported in the western state of Nevada.
About 77 percent of ELL students said they mainly spoke Spanish at home. Twentyone percent of Spanishspeaking ELLs lived in California. Arabic is the second most common language spoken at home by ELL students. Chinese is the third most commonly spoken language by American ELL students. About 2 percent of the total—or about 101，000 students—identified(认定) themselves as Chinese speakers at home. About 81，000 ELL students reported speaking Vietnamese at home. That is 1.7 percent of all ELLs.
About 14 percent of ELLs lived in cities, the National Center for Education Statistics reported. Nine percent lived in suburban(郊区的) areas. And around 6.5 percent lived in small towns, while 3.6 percent were in the countryside.
Not surprisingly, most English language learners were in lower grade levels. In 2015, 67 percent of students were either in kindergarten or grades 1 through 5. The other 33 percent were in sixth through 12th grades.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。美国的很多公立学校里有很多英语不好的学生，他们的英语能力影响到了他们的学习成绩。
1．What can we know about ELLs in America during 2010 to 2015?
A．Over half of ELLs lived in suburban areas.
B．Massachusetts had the highest number of ELLs.
C．There were more and more ELLs in many states.
D．The number of ELLs in California increased by 21%.
C 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段的Thirtysix states and the District of Columbia saw a rise in the number of ELL students from 2010 to 2015. The largest increase—3 percent—was reported in Massachusetts.可知，在2010年至2015年间，有三十六个州英语语言学习者的数量都在上升。
2．Which of the following is the most widely spoken by American ELLs at home?
A．Arabic. B．Spanish.
C．Chinese. D．Vietnamese.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第四段内容可知，美国英语语言学习者在家里说西班牙语最普遍。
3．What does the text mainly talk about?
A．Languages spoken in the US.
B．Programs to help ELLs in the US.
C．English language learners in the US.
D．The most popular languages in the US.
C 解析：主旨大意题。根据文章内容可知，本文围绕美国那些英语能力不高的英语语言学习者展开，介绍了其数量、比例、分布地区以及能力水平方面的相关信息。
