Part A
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Working parents and teachers see after-school programs no longer as optional, but as an essential support for children as they grow and develop, according to a new national study of after-school programs, released by Reader's Digest Funds. Nearly 80 percent of parents surveyed in the study said that after-school programs helped their children cope with behavioral problems and helped them obtain new skills to meet increased demands in school.
At a time when states and the federal government are pressing harder than ever for improved academic achievement by all children, a three-year study shows that after-school programs, particularly in low-income communities, are an effective and affordable way not only to keep children safe and out of trouble, but also to keep them engaged in school. The report concludes that children in school-based after-school programs benefit both academically and socially in programs that offer a diverse set of activities. The report findings are significantly giving the emerging debate over whether or not basic skills can be effectively taught only in programs that exclusively focus on academics or whether such skills can be taught in a variety of program activities such as art, sports, book and chess clubs.
Extended Service Schools (ESS) are school-based programs that provide a variety of academic and enrichment activities for young people during non-school hours, from homework help to career awareness. The facilities typically operate before and after school, on weekends and over the summer months. Well-designed programs support families, too. Parents with children in ESS programs said that their children's attitudes and behaviors in school changed and it kept their children out of trouble. As a result, their children's attendance improved. Parents were also able to manage their work schedules better, attend classes and get better jobs.
The ESS study involved four .national models of after-school programs in 17 communities across the country. The models differed in organizational structure and management, but all sought to promote positive youth development during out-of-school hours. Each ESS site was located in school and operated by a community-based organization. All the programs focused on a mix of academics, cultural and recreation activities.
Practical lessons from the report, such as cost and program design, are highly relevant to local program managers providing after-school services and to state agencies that are administering 2lst Century Community Learning Centers for the first time. The Reader's Digest Funds supported nearly 60 such ESS programs in communities across the country to help transform. underused public schools into neighborhood centers.
Some working parents and teachers once believed that

A. it is necessary for children to attend specific after-school programs.
B. it is not much help for children m attend specific after-school programs.
C. children can benefit greatly from attending specific after-school programs.
D. attending specific after-school programs can help children obtain new skills.