英语快速阅读

Part 5 Skimming and Scanning (Multiple Choice + Blank Filling)

(每小题：1 分)

Directions: Read the following passage and then answer the questions. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

Questions 1 to 10 are based on the same passage or dialog.

Ending School Violence

Since the tragedy at Columbine High School last spring, schools have been rushing to add new security measures. Will these work? Or are other changes needed to protect students?

The bullet holes placed in the walls have been covered over. The halls have been repainted. Bloody carpet has been replaced. But for many students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, no amount of redecoration can wipe away the bitter memory of the shooting that took 15 lives there on April 20, 1999.

School shootings from Mississippi to Oregon have left many students feeling afraid for their safety in school. Littleton was not the first such tragedy. But it was the most violent in recent years. According to Ronald Stephens, president of the National School Safety Council, "Littleton changed the landscape," on school safety issues.

Since April, politicians, school administrators, parents, and students have been searching for answers about how to prevent tragedies like Littleton from happening again.

How Violent Are Schools?

Although the stories from Littleton and other schools have been horrifying, crime in schools is actually declining. In 1993, there were 164 crimes for every 1,000 students ages 12 to 18. In 1996, the number had dropped to 128 per 1,000. Furthermore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), less than one percent of all murders among schoolchildren ages 5-19 happen in or around school grounds or on the way to or from school. Still, many experts believe that is not good enough. The CDCP study warns that "the occurrence of youth violence and

school violence is still unacceptably high."

Stronger Security

What are schools doing to reduce violence? "We've been in numerous meetings with school counselors, police, and other principals to develop a plan to meet the needs of our schools," Bert Ammerman, a high school principal in New Jersey, said.

He's not alone. At Williams Bay High School in Wisconsin, the police held practice school-shooting drills over the summer.

In Coweta County, Georgia, students must carry books in

see-through bags so that they can't hide guns.

Other schools are adopting strict dress codes and requiring that backpacks be checked often. Some schools are setting up hot lines or are encouraging students to tell a teacher if a classmate threatens to hurt himself or herself or others. "Our kids are still our best eyes and ears," said Ammerman.

Sometimes, school security measures conflict with personal rights. Debra Jacobs of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the organization has been "flooded" by calls from parents and students who complain that schools have been violating student First Amendment rights to free expression. For instance, a high school student in Marble Hill, Missouri, was failed for a whole semester because he posted a Web site on his home computer that was critical of his high school. "Banning all expression will make it difficult to identify kids who really need help," Jacobs said.

Helping Troubled Teens

Many experts say that adding more security measures is not enough. Ronald Stephens of the National School Safety Council said that one good way to stop crime is to help kids before trouble starts. "Teachers need to look for early warning signs and provide counseling and support for kids who are at risk."

One example is helping programs that pair a troubled teen with a caring grown-up. Such programs have been shown to reduce the risk that troubled students will become criminals. Programs that give young people a place to hang out after school have helped to reduce crime, because most criminal acts by young people take