Hundreds of secondary schools are using a controversial reward scheme which “bribes” (贿赂)pupils with iPods and DVD players to turn up in classes and do homework.
Almost one million schoolchildren have been issued with supermarket-style reward cards which allow them to collect good-behavior “points” and cash them in for prizes.
Schools taking part in the “Vivo Miles” scheme are spending several thousand pounds a year in an attempt to cut truancy (逃学) and promote achievements. The prizes are ultimately funded by the taxpayer, through school budgets. Nearly 500 secondary schools, one in six, have decided to take part in the scheme, which is intended to replace old-style rewards such as stickers and golden stars.
But the extent of rewards being offered in schools brought a warning that a generation of children is growing up expecting to be rewarded at every stage. Many youngsters are collecting points for ordinary achievements such as remembering to bring their PE kit and wearing the correct uniform.
Under the scheme, teachers award Vivo points—worth 1 penny each—according to the school’s policy. Schools typically spend￡4 to￡6 on prizes per pupil each year, although some commit considerably more. Most pupils accumulate between 400 and 600 Vivos a year. Vivo Miles insists it is “pretty rare” for a pupil to accumulate enough points to buy an iPod, which requires 3,100 Vivos.
But Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said the scheme amounted to “bribery”. “It misleads children into thinking anything which requires effort has to have a special reward,” he said. “This ‘all must have prizes’ view is damaging to children in the long-term.” The scheme amounted to an “admission of failure” by schools. He said. “It shows a school has failed to convince children education is important.”
小题1:The “Vivo Miles” scheme is aimed at ______________.
A．increasing the income of the school
B．encouraging students to perform well at school
C．inviting more students to attend the school nearby
D．encouraging parents to donate to the school小题2:The underlined word “controversial” in the first paragraph can be replaced by __________.
A．arguable
B．practical
C．strange
D．mature小题3:Those who oppose the “Vivo Miles” scheme think ______________.
A．it helps control the problem of truancy
B．it teaches children the importance of saving
C．it will mislead children about efforts and rewards
D．it’s not easy to get more than 600 Vivos a year小题4:What’s the writer’s attitude towards the scheme?
A．Supportive.
B．Opposed.
C．Unconcerned.
D．Objective.
小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:B
题目分析：本文叙述了在英国进行的一项“Vivo Miles” scheme，是用奖励物质上的东西来鼓励学生认真学习，并描述了不同的人对此的不同态度。
小题1:B 推理题。根据第二段3,4行Schools taking part in the “Vivo Miles” scheme are spending several thousand pounds a year in an attempt to cut truancy (逃学) and promote achievements.说明学校用这种方法的目的是鼓励学生在学校有更好的表现，能提升他们的成就，故B正确。
小题2:A 推理题。通读全文可知对于这样的一个计划，有支持也有反对，所以Hundreds of secondary schools are using a controversial reward scheme指的该词是指有争议的。故A正确。
小题3:C 细节题。根据最后一段2,3行It misleads children into thinking anything which requires effort has to have a special reward,”说明他们认为这样的计划会误导学生关于努力和奖励的关系，认为自己的努力就是为了得到奖励。故C项正确。
小题4:D 态度意图题。在本文中作者只是客观的描绘了这样的情况，并没有方便自己的个人看法，所以他是持有一种很客观的态度，故D项正确。
点评：本文叙述了在英国进行的一项“Vivo Miles” scheme，是用奖励物质上的东西来鼓励学生认真学习，并描述了不同的人对此的不同态度。本文的难点在于词汇的障碍，要求考生能够在有部分不认识的单词的基础上理解文章的大意，做合理的推测和意义的延伸，做出正确的判断。