In a time of low academic (學(xué)術(shù)的) 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.Toprepare 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 majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.

　　In the recent comparison of Japanese and American pre??school education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for asociety to have preschools. 62 percent of the more individually oriented (強調(diào)個性發(fā)展的) Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An em??phasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.

　　Like in America, there is diversity (多樣性) in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential (潛力) 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.

　　25. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe ________.
　　A. Japanese parents pay more attention to preschool education than American parents
　　B. Japan's economic success is a result of its scientific achievements
　　C. Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic in??struction
　　D. Japan's higher education is better than theirs

　　26. Most American respondents believe that preschools should also attach importance to ________.
　　A. problem solving               B. group experience
　　C. parental guidance             D. individually oriented development

　　27. 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

　　28. Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
　　A. They can do better in their future studies.
　　B. They can gain 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 edu??cation.

　　答案與詳解：

　　25. C 推斷題。從第一段的第一、二句我們可以看出因為美國孩子的學(xué)術(shù)成就緩慢，很多美國家長到日本取經(jīng)，然而他們看到的不是他們所預(yù)料的，由此我們知道，很多美國人認(rèn)為日本非常重視孩子的學(xué)術(shù)教育。

　　26. B 細(xì)節(jié)題。從第二段我們知道，62％的美國人把group experience作為他們的三個最重要的選擇之一。

　　27. D 細(xì)節(jié)題。從第一段的To prepare children for successful careers…and the ability to function as a member of a group可知。

　　28. D 細(xì)節(jié)題。從最后—段的第一句可知。

　　本文講述的是當(dāng)前世界的熱門話題——人口問題。