Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks. In addition to the challenge to be excellent, American schools have been facing novel problems. They must (29) _________with an influx of immigrant children, many of whom speak little or no English. They must respond to demands that the curriculum reflects the various cultures of all children. Schools must make sure that students develop basic ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

In addition to the challenge to be excellent, American schools have been facing novel problems. They must (29) _________with an influx of immigrant children, many of whom speak little or no English. They must respond to demands that the curriculum reflects the various cultures of all children. Schools must make sure that students develop basic skills for the job market, and they must consider the needs of nontraditional students, such as teenage mothers.

Schools are (30) _____ these problems in ways that reflect the diversity of the US educational system. They are hiring or training large numbers of teachers of English as a second language and, in some communities, setting up bilingual schools. They are opening up the traditional European-centered curriculum to embrace material from African, Asian, and other cultures.

Schools are also teaching cognitive skills to the nearly 40 percent of American students (31) _____do not go on to higher education. In the (32) ______of a recent report by the Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, “A strong back, the willingness to work, and a high school diploma were once all that was necessary to (33) _____ a start in America. They are no longer. A well-developed mind, a continued willingness to learn and the ability to put knowledge to work are the new keys to the future of our young people, the success of our business, and the economic well-being of the nation.”