SectionB
Directions:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedto
it.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraph
fromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.
Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.Answerthequestionsbymarkingthecorresponding
letteronAnswerSheet2.
NewJerseySchoolDistrictEasesPressureonStudents—BaringanEthnicDivide
A)Thisfall,DavidAderhold,thechiefofahigh-achievingschooldistrictnearPrinceton,New
Jersey,sentparentsanalarming16-pageletter.Theschooldistrict,hesaid,wasfacingacrisis.Its
studentswereoverburdenedandstressedout,havingtocopewithtoomuchworkandtoomany
demands.Inthepreviousschoolyear,120middleandhighschoolstudentswererecommendedfor
mentalhealthassessmentsand40werehospitalized.Andonasurveyadministeredbythedistrict,
studentswrotethingslike,"Ihategoingtoschool,"and"Comingoutof12yearsinthisdistrict,I
havelearnedonething:thatagrade,apercentageorevenapointistobevaluedoveranything
else."
B)Withhisletter,AderholdinsertedWestWindsor-PlainsboroRegionalSchoolDistrictintoa
nationaldiscussionabouttheintensefocusonachievementateliteschools,andwhetherithas
gonetoofar.Atfollow-upmeetings,heurgedparentstojoinhiminadvocatinga"wholechild"
approachtoschoolingthatrespects"social-emotionaldevelopment"and"deepandmeaningful
learning"overacademicsalone.Thealternative,hesuggested,wastofacetheprospectof
becominganotherPaloAlto,California,whereoutsizestressonteenagestudentsisbelievedto
havecontributedtoanumberofsuicidesinthelastsixyears.
C)Butinsteadofbringingfamiliestogether,Aderhold'sletterrevealedadivideinthedistrict,
whichhas9,700students,andonethatbrokedownroughlyalongraciallines.Ononesideare
whiteparentslikeCatherineFoley,aformerpresidentoftheParent-Teacher-StudentAssociation
atherdaughter'smiddleschool,whohascometoseethedistrict'sincreasinglypressured
atmosphereasopposedtolearning."Mysonwasinfourthgradeandtoldme,'I'mnotgoingto
amounttoanythingbecauseIhavenothingtoputonmyresume,'"shesaid.Ontheothersideare
parentslikeMikeJia,oneofthethousandsofAsian-Americanprofessionalswhohavemovedto
thedistrictinthepastdecade,whosaidAderhold'sreformswouldamounttoa"dumbingdown"of
hischildren'seducation."Whatishappeningherereflectsanationalanti-intellectualtrendthatwill
notprepareourchildrenforthefuture,"Jiasaid.
D)About10minutesfromPrincetonandanhourandahalffromNewYorkCity,WestWindsor
andPlainsborohavebecomepopularbedroomcommunitiesfortechnologyentrepreneurs,
researchersandengineers,drawninlargepartbythepublicschools.Fromthelastthree
graduatingclasses,16seniorswereadmittedtoMIT.ItproducesScienceOlympiadwinners,
classicallytrainedmusiciansandstudentswithperfectSATscores.
E)ThedistricthasbecomeincreasinglypopularwithimmigrantfamiliesfromChina,Indiaand
Korea.Thisyear,65percentofitsstudentsareAsian-American,comparedwith44percentin
2007.ManyofthemarethefirstintheirfamiliesbornintheUnitedStates.Theyhavehada