北京东城区2015年初三英语二模试卷(8)

D Parents do anything they can to give their kids the best education. According to a report published by the Sutton Trust, a third of ―professional parents‖ with children aged between 5 and 16 have moved to an area, because they think it has good schools^

Some go further: 6% of the 1 ,000 parents surveyed said they started to attend church (教堂) services to help their children get a place at a church school ; 3% said they used a relative's address to get children into a better school ; and 2% said they had bought a second home and used that address for a better school. It seems strange that parents, while paying close attention to school, seem often to forget a much cheaper way of improving their children's educational situation — a stable (稳定的）family. There are plenty of researches to back all this up: a recent study by the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre found that children aged seven and older usually (lid more poorly in exams and behaved badly at school if their parents broke up. Another report by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that a stable family life meant children were more likely to take in what was offered in the classroom. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, teenagers whose parents were fighting or separating might find it difficult to concentrate (集中注意力）at school.

Of course, many marriages are progressing well even if there're unpleasant matters in life. I've been married for more than a quarter of century, and the one thing I'm sure of is that it's not a bed of roses. I've also got four children aged between 11 and 21; and while I'm truly thankful to the many teachers who have taught them, and the schools they've been pupils at, I've felt fairly certain as the years go by that a stable home is much more important than where their school sits in the local league table (排行榜). So paying a few hundred pounds for a family relationship course could be a much better use of the family's money than spending thousands on moving houses. I can't help wondering whether the only sure winners from the fight to live by the best school gates are house sellers rather than the very children the move is designed to help.

52. According to the Sutton Trust，what's the most common way for parents to send their children to a good school?

A. Asking their relatives for help. B. Going to church every Sunday.

C. Moving to a house in a certain area.

D. Buying a second house near the school. 53. What can we learn from the researches in Paragraph 3? A. Children above seven usually behaved badly at school.

B. Going to good schools improved the children's behavior.

C. Parents' relationship had an influence on their children's study.

D. Parents usually fought for their children's poor performance at school.

54. The writer agrees that ________ .

A. a longer marriage means a stronger family relationship

B. the local league table of schools is important for parents

C. parents should have better communication with teachers and schools

D. it's worthwhile to spend some money improving a family relationship

55. What's the best title of the passage?

A. More Money Can Help ― Buy" Better Education

B. Parents Should Provide the Best Start for Their Children

C. Moving Houses Gives Great Benefits to Children's Education