The idea persists that in the American democracy everyone，regardless of condition，is expected to have a fair chance．Such is the tenet that underlay the establishment of the free，tax-supported common school and high sch001．As science pointed the way，the effort to bridge the gulf between the haves and have-nots presently extended to those with physical and mental handicaps．Most states and many cities have long since undertaken programs to teach the handicapped，though financially the going has been difficult．In l 9 5 8 Congress appropriated$1 million to help prepare teachers of mentally retarded children．Thenceforward，federal aid for the handicapped steadily increased．With the Education for AlI Handicapped Children Act of l975一and with corresponding legislation in states and communities-- facilities，program development，teacher preparation，and employment training for the handicapped have advanced more rapidly and comprehensively than in any other period． Current refelrms aim to place handicapped children in the least restrictive environment and，where possible，t0“mainstream”them in regular schools and classes．
As the century began，American youths attended fin eight-year elementary school，whereupon those who continued went to a four-year high sch001．This“eight-four system’’wholly prevailed until about 1910．when the“six-three-three system”made a modest beginnin9．Under the rearrangement，the pupil studied six years in the elementary and three in the j unior and senior high schools，respectively．Both systems are in use，there being almost the same number of four—year high schools and three-three junior- senior high school arrangements．There has been a change at the elementary-junior high connection to include a system in which children attend an elementary school for four or five years and then a middle sch001 for three or four years．。The rapid growth of preschool provisions，with the establishment of an immense body of early-childhood teachers，day-care workers， new“nannies”，producers of learning materials，and entrepreneurs，has secured the place of the kindergarten as an educational step for five- vear—olds and has made available a wide， but mainly nonpublie， network of education for younger children．
In l900 0nly a handful of the lower school’s alumni—some 500，000--advanced into the high school .Of those who took their high-school diploma during this early period，some three out of every four entered c011ege．The ratio reversed，as high-school enrollments swelled l0一fold over the first 50 years of the century，with only one of every four high-school graduates going on to higher learnin9．As even more students finished high school(more than 75 percent by l980)，demands for access to the post-secondary level increased until nearly half of all high-school graduates，or nearly one-third of the age group，were entering college．[439 wordsl
1．The first paragraph is written to introduce______．
A．the fundamental principle of American education
B．the Education for All Handicapped Children Act
C．the American education for handicapped children
D．the increasing financial aid for the handicapped
2．The urmerlined word“tenet”in the first paragraph most probably means______.
A．principle
B．origin
C．purpose
D．tenant
3．In the U．S．，the eight-year elementary school system______．
A．never prevailed until about 1910
B．has never been dominant
C．was completely replaced by the new“six-three-three system”about 1910
D．was the dominant educational system in the early years of the 20th century
4．In the middle of the 20th century，the percentage of the high-school graduates entering colleges in the U．S．is about______．
A．25 percent
B．33 percent
C．50 percent
D．75 percent
5．The author'S attitude toward the educational system in the U．S．is______．
A．enthusiastic
B．excited
C．impartial
D．impassive
As the century began，American youths attended fin eight-year elementary school，whereupon those who continued went to a four-year high sch001．This“eight-four system’’wholly prevailed until about 1910．when the“six-three-three system”made a modest beginnin9．Under the rearrangement，the pupil studied six years in the elementary and three in the j unior and senior high schools，respectively．Both systems are in use，there being almost the same number of four—year high schools and three-three junior- senior high school arrangements．There has been a change at the elementary-junior high connection to include a system in which children attend an elementary school for four or five years and then a middle sch001 for three or four years．。The rapid growth of preschool provisions，with the establishment of an immense body of early-childhood teachers，day-care workers， new“nannies”，producers of learning materials，and entrepreneurs，has secured the place of the kindergarten as an educational step for five- vear—olds and has made available a wide， but mainly nonpublie， network of education for younger children．
In l900 0nly a handful of the lower school’s alumni—some 500，000--advanced into the high school .Of those who took their high-school diploma during this early period，some three out of every four entered c011ege．The ratio reversed，as high-school enrollments swelled l0一fold over the first 50 years of the century，with only one of every four high-school graduates going on to higher learnin9．As even more students finished high school(more than 75 percent by l980)，demands for access to the post-secondary level increased until nearly half of all high-school graduates，or nearly one-third of the age group，were entering college．[439 wordsl
1．The first paragraph is written to introduce______．
A．the fundamental principle of American education
B．the Education for All Handicapped Children Act
C．the American education for handicapped children
D．the increasing financial aid for the handicapped
2．The urmerlined word“tenet”in the first paragraph most probably means______.
A．principle
B．origin
C．purpose
D．tenant
3．In the U．S．，the eight-year elementary school system______．
A．never prevailed until about 1910
B．has never been dominant
C．was completely replaced by the new“six-three-three system”about 1910
D．was the dominant educational system in the early years of the 20th century
4．In the middle of the 20th century，the percentage of the high-school graduates entering colleges in the U．S．is about______．
A．25 percent
B．33 percent
C．50 percent
D．75 percent
5．The author'S attitude toward the educational system in the U．S．is______．
A．enthusiastic
B．excited
C．impartial
D．impassive