Jeff McCabe is hanging up his table saw(桌锯) at East High after four decades. The teacher — whose students have made 23 kitchens over the past 40 years — leaves behind one of the best woodworking programs in Lincoln Public Schools when he ends his teaching career. Those students’ skills were not confined to the kitchen: they’ve built cabinets, bookshelves, cash counters and display cases, many of which have been selected for national competitions.

McCabe has loved woodworking since he was a kid helping his dad, a dentist who loved to make things with wood in his spare time. He was a student at East High from 1968 to 1974 — in the days when it was a high school. After high school he earned a teaching degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and then studied the guitar-making at Western Kentucky University. He was a musician as well as a woodworker and being able to join those two passions was a dream he desperately wanted to make a reality. The musician has built many guitars over the years, which fulfilled his long-time desire. McCabe made teaching his profession, landing his first job in Conestoga Public Schools.

He says he’s confident his department is in good hands, and will continue to be an important part of the career and technical education field. He’s fought for the career and technical education, arguing that such work is creative and challenging because it could lead to college degrees and good jobs and all sorts of careers. “I’ve been fighting that fight every day for my entire career, trying to change people’s wrong attitudes,” he said. 

McCabe’s students have gone on to study woodworking in college, at least 20 of whom build airplane interiors at Duncan Aviation. Lots of others landed elsewhere but have some really great pieces they made in high school. “I challenge kids to rise to a really, really high level of performance,” he said. “And kids have done well by that.”

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1.Why did Jeff McCabe hang up his table saw?

A Because he would like to make some kitchens.

B Because he had taken some national competitions.

C Because he was going to retire from teaching.

D Because he began the woodworking programs.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第一段第二句的“when he ends his teaching career”可知他要结束自己的教师生涯了。故选C。

2.How did McCabe join his passion together?

A By building cabinets.

B By making the guitars.

C By helping his dad.

D By cooking in kitchens.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据第二段倒数第二句“The musician has built many guitars over the years, which fulfilled his long-time desire.”可知做吉他把他的两个爱好——音乐和木工——结合了起来。故选B。

3.What did McCabe think of career and technical education?

A It was stable.

B It was beneficial.

C It was ridiculous.

D It was complicated.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据第三段的“because it could lead to college degrees and good jobs and all sorts of careers”可知，在他看来，职业教育能让学生考上大学并且找到好的工作，因此这是很有益的。故选B。

4.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A McCabe’s students do great woodwork.

B Airplane interiors offer many good jobs.

C Kids are interested in life at high school.

D Many students dislike woodworking.

解析：选A。A 段落大意题。根据本段第一句的“McCabe’s students...”和最后一句“And kids have done well by that.”并结合全段可知，该段主要讲述麦凯先生的学生们做出了很好的木工作品。故选A。