A、Not essential. B、Insignificant. C、Very important. D、Not mentioned. C

Education is required and free for every child in the United States. Most children start by the age of six. They attend eight years of elementary school and four years of high school or secondary school. The money for free public schools comes from taxes, and each state is responsible for its own educational system. The state authorities set the educational requirements but leave the management of the schools in the hands of the local communities. Most states require their children to go to school until a certain age: This age varies from 16 to 18 years according to the laws of the individual states. The federal government contributes funds to the states for additional schools and school services. After graduation from high school, a student can start his higher education in a two-year college, a four-year college, a university, or a specialized professional school-either public or private. Most colleges admit students on the basis of their high school records. The cost of a college education is expensive in private universities, but it is much less in those supported by states and cities. Many students receive scholarships from the schools, the government, or private foundations and organizations. More than 50% of college students work to help pay their college expenses. Only 2% of the population of the country cannot read and write.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.
19. Who is responsible for the management of schools?
20. How do most colleges decide the entrance of students?
21. How do most students pay the fees of a private college education?

I’m sure almost every one of you looked at your watch or at a clock before you came to class today. Watches and clocks seem as much a part of our life as breathing or eating. And yet, did you know that watches and clocks were scarce in the United States until the 1850s? In the late 1700s, people didn’t know the exact time unless they were near a clock. Those delightful clocks in the squares of European towns were built for the public. After all, most citizens simply couldn’t afford a personal timepiece. In the 1800s in Europe and the United States, the main purpose of a watch, which by the way was attached to a gold chain, was to show others how wealthy you were. The word "wristwatch" didn’t even enter the English language until nearly 1900. By then, the rapid pace of the industrialization in the United States meant that measuring time had become essential. How could the factory worker get to work on time unless he or she knew exactly what time it was? Since efficiency was now measured by how fast the job was done, everyone was interested in time. And since industrialization made the manufacture of large quantities of goods possible, watches became fairly inexpensive. Furthermore, electric light kept factories going around the clock. "Being on time" had entered the language and life of every citizen.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. What is the position of watches in modern life?
23. What can we learn about watches before the 1850s?
24. According to the speaker, why did some people wear watches in the 1800s?
25. What effect did industrialization have on watches?