Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should choose the one that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding answer on ANSWER SHEET.
The kids who grew up on “Star Trek” can’t find ___36___ way around Earth. Americans can___37___direct to England, but only half can find it on a map of Europe. They can fly almost___ 38___in the United States for a few hundred dollars, but they put New York State in 37 placed on both coasts. When they look for the United States__39___ , they spot it in China, Australia, Brazil, the Soviet Union, India and Botswana. For people who are supposed to be leaders of the__40 __world, Americans are___41 ___ dumb, according to a survey conducted for the National Geographic Society. In many school systems, geography has been mixed with history___42___melted down into social studies. Social studies has been processed into “teacher resource packages” and___43___of good writing, excitement, color and any ideas that aren’t simplistic, too__44___and too deadening to hold students’ attention.
In the last few years, evidence of America’s educational__45___has prompted hundreds of studies, generated baskets___46___legislation and moved parents into advocacy groups. But there’s little to show that the trend has been___47___. No matter___48___you try, you can’t make it seem funny that many Americans say pandas come from Panama, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Vietnam or___49___ Iraq, and Columbus was trying to get to Europe when he bumped into___ 50___.
