最有美国特色的学生课余内容就是参加社区活动。社区活动项目非常丰富，包括参观银行和警察局、学做面包、到医院去照料病人、到湖边去清理垃圾并且自己承包一段湖堤等。做义工是美国社会的良好传统风气，几乎所有的中学生都要到社会上的各种义工组织参加服务，像医院、图书馆、童子军、红十字会以及许多公司都积极组织和提供各种义工机会。据统计，美国12岁以上的青少年，有60%以上的人参加过各种义务服务活动，如在当地的流浪者收留中心为无家可归的人做饭等。

除了做义工，美国的学生利用课余时间去打工已成为风潮。联邦政府还专门为青少年打工立法，以保护孩子们的权利。良好的政策环境，保证了美国青少年顺利地工作。特别是每年5月，美国各地就开始举办"少年工作交易会"，暑假需要少年打工的许多单位都拟订了计划，陆陆续续与学生们订立打工合同。

拓展阅读：

Bruno was a boy of eight. His father worked in a cinema and his mother worked in a shop. He lived not far from his school. He always walked there and walked home. On his way to school, he had to pass a playground(操场). It was very wet after it rained. One day, when he got home, his clothes were all wet. His mother became angry and said, "Don't play in the water on your way home from school!" On the next day Bruno came home with wet and dirty clothes. His mother became even angrier. "I'll tell your father if you come back wet again," said his mother. "He'll punish(惩罚) you, you know." The third day the little boy was dry when he came home. "You're a good boy today", his mother said happily. "You didn't play in the water." "No," the boy said unhappily. " There were too many older boys in the water when I got there this afternoon. There wasn't any room(空地方) for me at all!"

1. Bruno went to school ______ every day.

A. on foot B. by bike C. by bus D. by car

2. The playground was between ______.

A. two classrooms B. the shop and Bruno's school

C. the cinema and shop D. Bruno's house and school

3. The little boy liked to play on the playground ______.

A. when it snowed

B. when there was some water there

C. when the children played football there

D. when his father was busy with his work

4. Bruno was afraid of (害怕) ______ the most.

5. That afternoon, the boy's clothes were dry because ______.

答案：

1. A

解析：由文章第一段，第四句He always walked there and walked home. 可知选A。

2. D

解析：由文章第一段，第五句On his way to school, he had to pass a playground 可知选D。

3. B

解析：由文章大意，孩子多次玩儿水把衣服弄脏受到批评但仍不改过可推断孩子喜欢玩儿水，故选择B。

4. his father

解析：文中第二段中Bruno的妈妈说，如果他再去湿的操场中玩，就告诉爸爸，可推断Bruno最害怕他爸爸。

5. nobody made room for him in the water

解析：由文章第二段原句"There were too many older boys in the water when I got there this afternoon" 推断男孩儿是因为没有地方玩儿水才没有弄湿衣服。

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