In Beverly Hills, high school students can take a U.S. history course for $798 this summer; in La Cañada Flintridge, Spanish is offered for $775, and in Arcadia, a creative writing course costs $605, plus a $25 registration fee. 

While summer programs in many California public school districts have been reduced or taken out, summer classes have gained popularity in recent years. They are offered by nonprofit foundations on rented high school campuses. They often are taught by district instructors and run by administrators hired by these groups. 

Students enroll for a variety of reasons: some seek to get a head start on the coming school year, or clear up space for more advanced courses, and others want to retake classes for a better grade.

“It’s truly a stand-alone, private school for five weeks,” Jinny Dalbeck, director of the La Cañada summer program, said. “We’re not a public school. We’re meeting a need that the students have — to be able to work ahead.”

Critics say the foundations, though well-intentioned, privatize public school, undercut California’s guarantee of a free public education for all and contribute to an already wide inequity in educational opportunity by offering public school credit at a cost only some can afford. “What about the kids whose parents don’t have the money to put into it.” said Cal State Fullerton political science professor Sarah A. Hill, who studies public education finance. “They just don’t have the resources to pay for summer school.”

Caroline Kim, 14, is taking biology at the Peninsula High campus in Rolling Hills Estates for $670 to get a head start on her sophomore year. In the fall, she plans to take physics. Caroline and about 1,200 of her peers are attending classes offered by the Peninsula Education Foundation.

The cost isn’t a problem for her family and it is well worth the price. However, nearly 80% of the families are considered low-income, which are at a competitive disadvantage to their peers. “Those who have money can have their students go to summer school, and those who can’t are stuck,” A parent said. “It sets up an inequitable system.”

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1.Why have summer classes gained popularity in recent years?

A Families in the community are generally wealthy.

B Public schools offer almost no summer programmes.

C Students need to get an early start on the coming school year.

D These foundations don’t charge the students for their studies.

解析：选B。B. 细节理解题。根据文章第二段…public school districts have been reduced or taken out, summer classes have gained popularity in recent years可知，近年来公立学校减少或取消暑期补课，是社会办学“火”的原因。

2.What was the attitude of Professor Sarah A. Hill towards summer programmes?

A Enthusiastic.

B Amazed

C Worried.

D Supportive.

解析：选C。C. 推理判断题。根据文章第五段…wide inequity in educational opportunity by offering public school credit at a cost only some can afford可知，社会办学机构学费昂贵，只有一小部分家庭能够支付，这种情况使得本来就不公平的教育机制为低收入家庭孩子提供的教育机会更少了。由此判断，作者对此是感到忧虑的。

3.Why does the author include Caroline Kim’s example in the passage?

A To further express his concern about educational inequity.

B To prove that summer programmes are worth their prices.

C To tell us the prices and effects of a summer progrmme.

D To say that many students welcome the summer programmes.

解析：选A。A. 细节理解题。根据文章末句It’s sets up an inequitable system可知，作者引用Caroline Kim的例子是为了进一步表达他对于教育不公平的担忧的。

4.What is the intention of the author writing Paragraph One?

A To tell the popularity of summer programmes.

B To suggest that the prices are too high for some families.

C To compare the prices of some summer programmes.

D To impress the readers with the fees charged by the foundations.

解析：选B。B. 推理判断题。作者在文章首段列举了暑期培训班各科收费，与文章中作者的担忧相呼应，由此判断，作者在暗示，这样的价格太高，很多家庭承担不起。同时也突出了作者写作本文的目的。

5.What does the underlined word in the last paragraph mos probably mean?

A Fixed with glue.

B Dumbfounded.

C Amazed.

D Prevented.

解析：选D。D. 猜测词义题。根据前文的disadvantage，结合Those who have money can have their students go to summer school一句判断，此处的stuck意为“被阻止，被挡在门外”。