In most developed countries the government provides free education for children because it realizes that educated citizens are useful to the country in their later life.Most countries also have private (私立的) education.This means that parents can pay to send their children to certain schools.People who agree with this system say that it gives parents a larger choice of schools.Other people think that private schools give the children who go to them an unfair advantage over other children.

　　At the age of three，many children go to nursery school.Two or three years later，they enter a primary school.At the age of 11 they go to a secondary school.Then they may have a chance of continuing their studies at a university or college.

　　Universities and colleges are places where some young people go to continue their education after leaving school.Most university students study one main subject，though they may also study a number of others.Teaching is usually by lectures，or by discussions between a lecturer and students.

　　Most students stay at university for three or four years.At the end of that，they take an examination.If they pass，they receive their Bachelor's degree，usually a BA，which is short for Bachelor of Arts，or a BS for Bachelor of Science.Some students study for several more years in order to get a higher degree，such as a MA or a PhD.

　　Most university courses don't train students to do a certain job.Colleges，on the other hand，usually teach skills which enable students to follow a career (职业)，such as clothing design，or business studies.

　　【语篇解读】　文章主要介绍了发达国家教育方面的信息。

　　1．The passage mainly tells us ．

　　A．something about the private schools in developed

　　 countries

　　B．how developed countries pay attention to education

　　C．some general information about education in

　　developed countries

　　D．why education is important

　　C　[主旨大意题。文章主要介绍了发达国家教育方面的信息。选C。]

2．Why do most developed countries provide free education to children?