The Sandun Primary School in Datong, Shanxi province, is a school with only 12 students—nine from Shanxi and the rest from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It is the only school in the region, and the nearest school is about 60 kilometers away.

Yao Jian is the headmaster of the school. In 1998, after graduating from a teachers’ college, Yao Jian chose to teach village children. In the late 1990s, the conditions of village schools were terrible. The children wore patched(打补丁的) clothes. Some students had to bring chairs from home to the school because there weren’t enough chairs in the school. Later on, many villagers took their children along with them to the cities where they worked, so the number of students in the school was reduced. Some teachers left the school, too, so the old teacher had to teach all the subjects.

The rural students had a poor foundation. In order to help students better master knowledge, Yao Jian slowly pondered teaching methods good for students. At the same time, he asked for advice from experienced old teachers, and discussed with teachers of the same age, kept learning and improving teaching methods, and tried to use new teaching methods.

In recent years, the quality of rural teaching has gradually improved, and the teaching environment has been greatly improved. The rural school where Yao Jian works now has computers, sports equipment(器材) and all kinds of books. And more and more young teachers are willing to play a role in rural education.  

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1.How many students are from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region?

A 3.

B 9.

C 12.

D 60.

解析：选A。A数字计算题。根据第一段第一句的“with only 12 students—nine from Shanxi and the rest from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region”可知，该学校一共有12名学生，其中9名来自山西，其余的(12-9=)3名来自内蒙古自治区。故选A。

2.Why were there very few students in the school in the late 1990s?

A Because most students didn’t take education seriously.

B Because many students had a lot of housework to do.

C Because most of the students were too poor to study.

D Because many students moved to cities with their parents.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第二段倒数第二句“ Later on, many villagers took their children along with them to the cities where they worked, so the number of students in the school was reduced.”可知，很多村民带着孩子去他们工作的城市学习，所以乡村学校里的学生人数下降了。故选D。

3.What does the underlined word “pondered” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A Pulled down.

B Threw away.

C Paid for.

D Thought about.

解析：选D。D词义猜测题。根据上文“The rural students had a poor foundation.”可知农村学生基础差，结合下文姚建向经验丰富的老教师请教、与同龄教师交流研讨、不断学习改善教学方法等可知，为帮助学生们更好地掌握知识，姚建慢慢琢磨(think about)适合学生的教学方法。故选D。

4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A The school’s present condition.

B The school’s uncertain future.

C Yao Jian’s plans for the future.

D Yao Jian’s high hopes for students.

解析：选A。A段落大意题。该段主要讲了近年来，农村教学质量逐渐提高，教学环境得到很大改善。 该学校现在的图书资源、体育器材、书籍等都比较齐全，教师资源也越来越多。因此该段主要讲姚建所在的学校的现状。故选A。

5.What kind of person is Yao Jian?

A Strict and smart.

B Outgoing and careful.

C Kind and hard-working.

D Quiet and creative.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据文章内容可知，24年来，姚建扎根农村，兢兢业业工作，将自己的青春和热情全部献给了家乡的孩子们，因此可推断他是一个善良且努力的人。故选C。