New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18.But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point-the need for reform.It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant，and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something.

【语篇解读】学生为什么要辍学？是因为他们不聪明不努力而导致考试不及格吗？调查显示，并非如此。学校教育的乏味和缺乏实用性才是罪魁祸首。中学教育的改革势在必行。

16．Most high school students drop out of school because ________.

A．they often fail in exams

B．they find school learning boring

C．they are discriminated against

D．they are lazy and not intelligent

答案　B　[事实细节题。由第三段"The most dependable finding was that they were bored.""They found classes uninteresting；they weren't inspired or motivated."一句可知。]

17．According to the passage，which state will soon have a law requiring school

attendance until 18?

A．California. B．New Hampshire.

C．New Mexico. D．Utah.

答案　B　[事实细节题。由最后一段第一句可知。New Mexico颁布法律规定学生必须毕业，并没有年龄限制。而California和Utah是已经实行了这一规定的州。]

18．In the last paragraph，the writer is trying to ________.

A．analyze the reason why students quit school

B．suggest raising the compulsory attendance age

C．raise awareness of reforming high school education

D．wish to make laws to guarantee no education

答案　C　[推理判断题。文章最后一段指出：强迫不愿意继续上学的学生留在学校显然是没有看到问题的关键--改革的必要性。由此可见，作者是赞同中学教育改革并希望公众能注意这个问题。]

19．What is the purpose of the author writing this article?

A．To analyze the reasons why many students drop out of school.

B．To introduce the measures to stop students from dropping out of school.

C．To introduce the different regulations in the USA about students dropping out