A
For high school leavers starting out in the working world，it is very important to learn particular skills and practise how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship(实习)．In some countries，schools have programmes to help students onto the path to work.In the United States，however, such programmes are still few and far between.
Research shows that if high schools provide careerrelated courses，students are likely to get higher earnings in later years.The students are more likely to stay in school，graduate and go on to higher education.
In Germany，students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships.German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment.
But in America，education reform programmes focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world.Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticised education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the fouryear college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country's most vulnerable(易受影响的) kids with no jobs and no skills.
Schwartz believed that the best career programmes encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high school.James Madison High School in New York，for example，encourages students to choose classes on careerbased courses.The school then helps them gain onthejob experience in those fields while they're still at high school.
However，even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work，the job market is daunting.In the US，unemployment rates for 16 to 19yearolds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row.
“The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience，they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job，”said Michael，a researcher in the US.
【语篇解读】 文章通过对比美国高中与德国高中的情况，说明在美国的高中里还是缺乏有关职业生涯的基本课程。
1．In the author's opinion，American high school leavers ．
A．have enough careerrelated courses
B．need more career advice from their schools
C．perform better in exams than German students
D．can get higher earnings in later years
B [作者观点题。根据文中第四段和第五段的描述可知，美国的高中更侧重于知识的学习，所以它们需要给予学生们更多关于职业方面的建议，可推出答案为B。]
2．According to Robert Schwartz， ．
A．there is no need for kids to go for higher education in the US
B．students should get contact with the working world at high school
C．education reform should focus on students' performance in exams
D．teenagers in the US can't miss out on the summer job experience
B [细节理解题。根据第四段最后一句“Schwartz argued that this approach leaves...kids with no jobs and no skills.”以及倒数第二段第一句话“However，even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work，the job market is daunting.”可推出答案。]
3．What can be inferred from the text?
A．Unemployment rates for US teenagers remain high at the moment.
B．Students with careerbased courses never have problems finding a job.
C．US companies work with schools to prepare young people for future employment.
D．High school leavers with no practical skills can't find a job absolutely.
A [推理判断题。根据倒数第二段最后一句话“In the US, unemployment rates for 16 to 19yearolds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row.”可推出答案。]
