填空题

In the United States, it is required that all children attend school, public or private, for twelve years. There are (26) this rule, of course, as in the case of certain religious or (27) groups where education is only required until the eighth grade. And there are some groups of people that see no purpose to an education (28) and ignore this requirement altogether. But for most, and reasonably so, a twelve-year education is the minimum. In view of the (29) of our society and the changes taking place, one would think that a person would need at least twelve years of education in order to cope. However, in recent years, a great many people have begun to question the purpose of having (30) education for twelve years.
One big reason the question is being raised is the fact that an alarming’ number of young people who graduate from the school systems are unable to handle simple, everyday tasks, such as reading a newspaper, (31) a job application or balancing a checkbook. These people are considered " (32) illiterate" by experts on the subject, who estimate that one out of five adults in the United States falls in this (33) . Without a mastery of everyday skills, it is extremely difficult for these people to (34) and deal with the demands of society. And as our language becomes more technical and the law more complex, life in general can only become more frustrating.
Of course, efforts are being made to correct the problem as various agencies and colleges try to reach these people. But they are difficult to reach. Many are (35) the situation and prefer to live with rather than correct the problem.