1. 陈述观点;
2. 分享经验;
3. 提出倡议。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
More Housework, Less Pressure
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . To encourage all students to get an education, even if their parents can’t afford it, a primary school in the Indian state of Chahattisgarh is asking parents to simply plant saplings (树苗) instead of paying school fees. The parents have to take care of the sapling and plant a new one if it dies. Compared with the cost of traditional school fees, it’s a small price to pay. And it comes with the added bonus of helping improve local air quality.
The school is Shiksha Kuteer in the city of Ambikapur in the east of the country. It is reported that at least 35 students between the ages of five and six are studying there. The initiative was set up by a group of local professionals and business owners in response to India’s rapidly increasing education fees. “Shiksha Kuteer has opened in the village for students who have no money to pay fees,” local villager Sevak Das said.
The government now spends just 3.9 percent of its budget on education, which means parents are left to pay for high school fees, as well as paying for books and other school things. A national survey made last year showed that between 2011 and 2017, private expenditure (支出) increased by 175 percent to $100 per student each year. That might not sound like a lot, but for many families, particularly in poor areas, it’s not affordable, especially at the primary school level. The lack of government spending is damaging the education system, too. The 2017 Annual Status of Education report found that nearly 20 percent of Grade 2 students, aged seven to eight, didn’t recognize the numbers between one and nine.
But by offering such a way to get students into schools, Shiksha Kuteer is encouraging education in everyone. 700 saplings have been planted across the village over the last year and more and more people in other areas would like to adopt such an approach.
1. Which of the following can best describe Shiksha Kuteer’s approach?A.No pains, no gains. |
B.Kill two birds with one stone. |
C.Two heads are better than one. |
D.There are two sides to every question. |
A.It is surrounded by trees. |
B.It is run by the locals. |
C.It was set up for poor children. |
D.It aims to protect the environment. |
A.Cautious. | B.Doubtful. |
C.Uncaring. | D.Positive. |
A.The affordable way to encourage education in India. |
B.The heavy financial burden on parents in India. |
C.The big challenges of improving India’s education system. |
D.The effects of the Indian government spending little on education. |
3 . Educational authorities have asked schools to make sure students have 10-minute breaks between classes after hearing complaints that some school students are not allowed to leave classrooms during breaks-unless they need to go to the toilet-- to ensure their safety.
Some students said teachers often overrun by a few minutes, and that some start their classes a few minutes before the breaks are scheduled to end. In these cases students do not even have time to go to the toilet.
A mother of a primary school student in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province said her child’s school does not allow students to leave the classroom building during breaks. They are also forbidden to jump, run around or speak loudly.
The issue has caused a heated discussion on social media platforms.
“Teachers do not want to supervise students during class breaks. However, if students have accidents, some parents will still hold schools accountable,” said one netizen in a comment that received more than 10,000 likes. Another said, “Teachers are also tired, but the school makes such a requirement, and they have to follow.”
An official from the Ministry of Education said that it is important for schools to ensure students have time to rest during class breaks, which can help students relax, be healthy and avoid myopia (近视).
The ministry attaches great importance to class breaks, the official said. Apart from breaks between classes, schools should also make sure students have a 30-minute break each day for exercise. The ministry will urge local authorities and schools to implement the policies and prevent the practice of restricting class breaks in the name of “ensuring students safety”, the official said.
1. According to some parents, who is to blame if students have accidents during class breaks?A.The children. | B.The schools. |
C.Educational authorities. | D.The parents. |
A.Because they have a lot of homework to do. |
B.Because the teachers often end the classes late than scheduled. |
C.Because schools want to ensure the students’ safety. |
D.Because the students are told to do so by their parents. |
A.relaxation for students. | B.avoid being short-sighted. |
C.wellness of the students. | D.playing happily. |
A.Schools will be urged to ensure students to have moderate class breaks. |
B.Although tired, teachers are willing to supervise students during class breaks. |
C.Students do not have time to go to the toilet because teachers often overrun by a few minutes. |
D.Parents are in favor of not allowing the students to leave classrooms. |
4 . Two and a half millennia ago, Socrates complained that writing would harm students. With a way to store ideas permanently and externally, they would no longer need to memorize. However, studies today have found that writing on paper can improve everything from recalling a random series of words to better understanding complex concepts.
For learning material by repetition, the benefits of using a pen or pencil lie in how the motor and sensory memory of putting words on paper reinforces that material. The scribbling (涂鸦) on a page feeds into visual memory: people might remember a word they wrote down in French class as being at the bottom-left on a page.
One of the best-demonstrated advantages of writing by hand seems to be in note-taking. Students typing on computers wrote down almost twice as many words directly from lectures, suggesting they were not understanding so much as rapidly copying the material. However, handwriting forces note-takers to process and organize ideas into their own words. This aids conceptual understanding at the moment of writing, resulting in better performance on tests.
Many studies have confirmed handwriting’s benefits, and policymakers have taken note. Though America’s curriculum from 2010 does not require handwriting instruction past first grade (roughly age six), about half the states since then have required more teaching of it. In Sweden there is a push for more handwriting and printed books and fewer devices. England’s national curriculum already includes the teaching of basic cursive writing (连写体) skills by age seven.
However, several school systems in America have gone so far as to ban most laptops. This is too extreme. Some students have disabilities that make handwriting especially hard. Nearly all will eventually need typing skills. Virginia Berninger, professor of psychology at the University of Washington, is a longtime advocate of handwriting. But she is not a purist; she says there are research tested benefits for “manuscript” print-style writing but also for typing.
Socrates may or may not have had a point about the downsides of writing. But no one would remember, much less care, if his student Plato had not noted it down for the benefit of future generations.
1. According to the text, why does writing on paper have benefits for learning?A.It provides visual enjoyment in class. |
B.It improves the effect of memorization. |
C.It promotes the motor and sensory ability. |
D.It helps to remember the information forever. |
A.By giving examples. | B.By providing statistics. |
C.By making comparisons. | D.By making classification. |
A.Difficulties faced by the disabled. |
B.Unreasonableness of forbidding typing. |
C.The research-tested benefits of typing. |
D.The longtime advocacy for handwriting. |
A.To thank Plato for his efforts. |
B.To defend Socrates’ point of view. |
C.To show people’s indifference to typing. |
D.To confirm the importance of handwriting. |
5 . Despite all the efforts students make to graduate with a science major, research has shown that most college science courses provide students with only a fragmented (碎片化的) understanding of fundamental scientific concepts. The teaching method improves memorization of separate facts, proceeding from one textbook chapter to the next without necessarily making connections between them.
With that in mind, we developed a series of cross-disciplinary (跨学科的) activities. In our most recent study, we investigated how well college students could use their chemistry knowledge to explain real-world biological phenomena. To begin with, we interviewed 28 college students majoring in sciences or engineering. All had taken both introductory chemistry and biology courses. We asked them to identify connections between the content of these courses and what they believed to be the take-home messages from each course. The students responded with extensive lists of topics, concepts, and skills that they’d learned in class.
Following that, a set of cross-disciplinary activities were designed to guide students in the use of core chemistry ideas and knowledge to help explain real-world biological phenomena. One activity explored the impacts of ocean acidification (酸化) on seashells. Here, the students were asked to use basic chemistry ideas to explain how the increasing level of carbon dioxide in sea water is affecting shell-building marine animals such as corals and oysters.
Overall, the students felt confident of their chemistry knowledge. However, they had a harder time applying the same chemistry knowledge. The students in our study also reported that these activities helped them see links between the two disciplines that they wouldn’t have perceived otherwise. The ability to make these connections is important beyond the classroom as well, because it’s the basis of science literacy (素养). So we also came away with evidence that our chemistry students at least would like to have the ability to have a deeper understanding of science and how to apply it.
1. What does the present science education fail to do according to the research?A.Extending students’ theoretical knowledge. |
B.Involving students in more hands-on activities. |
C.Encouraging students to enjoy the learning process. |
D.Helping students make cross-disciplinary connections. |
A.They have rich academic knowledge. |
B.They pay little attention to biology courses. |
C.They hardly identify the core ideas of science. |
D.They fully understand the importance of their majors. |
A.Analysing the exact composition of sea water. |
B.Studying some unusual phenomena under the sea. |
C.Coming up with practical methods to protect marine life. |
D.Explaining the effects of carbon dioxide on certain sea animals. |
A.The challenges existed in chemistry courses. |
B.The need to remove the unfairness in education. |
C.The potential to promote students’ science literacy. |
D.The method of increasing students’ practical skills. |
What should be stressed in school education according to Schama?
A.Moral principles. | B.Interpersonal skills. |
C.Creative abilities. | D.Positive worldviews |
7 . Is a Science-Based Education the Way to Go?
In this present age when we are heavily dependent on science and technology, a science-based education system naturally becomes prevalent to equip the young with knowledge of the
Certainly, it equips us with the knowledge of
Additionally, the scientific method highlights the importance of
Despite its
Moreover, science may have great emphasis on progress that may come at a great
In conclusion, a science-based education coupled with adequate exposure to ethics, values and the humanities would
A.mechanics | B.inventions | C.truths | D.objectives |
A.significance | B.evolution | C.composition | D.prospect |
A.subjected | B.reduced | C.entitled | D.tailored |
A.Nevertheless | B.Moreover | C.Instead | D.Therefore |
A.doubt | B.suspicion | C.inquiry | D.consultation |
A.framed | B.explained | C.assessed | D.justified |
A.dependence | B.burst | C.consciousness | D.function |
A.objectivity | B.illustration | C.curiosity | D.inquiry |
A.deny | B.challenge | C.dismiss | D.highlight |
A.margins | B.expenses | C.initiatives | D.virtues |
A.worry | B.care | C.reveal | D.enclose |
A.draw a parallel | B.make ends meet | C.strike a balance | D.make a comparison |
A.cost | B.advantage | C.discount | D.angle |
A.underline | B.prioritize | C.further | D.neglect |
A.assist | B.furnish | C.occupy | D.engage |
8 . Despite all the efforts students make to graduate with a science major, research has shown that most college science courses provide students with only a fragmented (碎片化的) understanding of fundamental scientific concepts. The teaching method improves memorization of separate facts, proceeding from one textbook chapter to the next without necessarily making connections between them, instead of learning how to use the information and connect those facts meaningfully.
With that in mind, we developed a series of cross-disciplinary (跨学科的) activities. In our most recent study, we investigated how well college students could use their chemistry knowledge to explain real-world biological phenomena. To begin with, we interviewed 28 first-year college students majoring in sciences or engineering. All had taken both introductory chemistry and biology courses. We asked them to identify connections between the content of these courses and what they believed to be the take-home messages from each course. The students responded with extensive lists of topics, concepts, and skills that they’d learned in class.
Following that, a set of cross-disciplinary activities were designed to guide students in the use of core chemistry ideas and knowledge to help explain real-world biological phenomena. One activity explored the impacts of ocean acidification on seashells. Here, the students were asked to use basic chemistry ideas to explain how the increasing level of carbon dioxide in sea water is affecting shell-building marine animals such as corals, clams and oysters.
Overall, the students felt confident of their chemistry knowledge. However, they had a harder time applying the same chemistry knowledge to explaining the biological phenomena. These findings highlight that a big gap remains between what students learn in their science courses and how well prepared they are to apply that information.
The students in our study also reported that these activities helped them see links between the two disciplines that they wouldn’t have perceived otherwise. The ability to make these connections is important beyond the classroom as well, because it’s the basis of science literacy (科学素养). So we also came away with evidence that our chemistry students at least would like to have the ability to have a deeper understanding of science and how to apply it.
1. What does the existing science education fail to do according to the research?A.Extend students’ theoretical knowledge. |
B.Engage students in more outdoor activities. |
C.Encourage students to enjoy the learning process. |
D.Teach students to make connections among different subjects. |
A.They have rich academic knowledge. | B.They pay little attention to biology courses. |
C.They hardly identify the core ideas of science. | D.They fully understand their major’s importance. |
A.analyse the exact composition of sea water. |
B.study some unusual phenomena under the sea. |
C.come up with practical methods to protect sea life. |
D.explain the effects of carbon dioxide on sea creatures. |
A.The need to remove the unfairness in education. |
B.The difficulties of cross-disciplinary study. |
C.The potential to promote students’ science literacy. |
D.The method of increasing students’ practical skills. |
9 . Parents often think that their kids should be good at studies and do well in sports. That’s usually the case because parents feel that could get their children admission to top colleges. However, Melissa and Mark Wimmer think differently.
Their 14-year-old son, Mike, is a prodigy. He is a member of Mensa, which is the world’s top IQ club. He completed his high school, associate’s and bachelor’s degrees all in three years. That’s not all. He also ran two tech companies, founded a third one that works towards controlling the population of lionfish, an invasive (入侵的) species.
But the parents are proud that they were able to help Mike with his social skills along with his intellectual skills. Melissa told CNBC that people expected “Young Sheldon” before they met her son. Young Sheldon is a television show about a child talent who is an indoor man and lacks social skills. “But once they talk to Mike, they understand that he’s just a normal 14-year-old that happens to be able to do amazing things,” said Melissa.
Mark and Melissa got to know about their child’s intelligence when he entered preschool. A child psychologist told them that their son would need a different course to support his fast-track development. Many parents aren’t comfortable with putting their children with 18-year-olds, but Mike’s parents saw the value in letting their child go through it. “I wanted him to be social and be able to deal with all the different personalities in the classrooms with older children,” said Melissa.
The parents shared that they were able to do this by letting Mike find his own voice and put it to use. “We let him order food when he’s 3 or 4 from the waiter or waitress and introduce himself to people. Those kinds of things are done to encourage him to engage with everyone else and be more comfortable talking to others outside of our environment,” said Melissa.
Thanks to his parents, Mike has learned to get along with young and old alike.
1. What do the underlined words “a prodigy” in paragraph 2 refer to?A.A gifted person. | B.A famous student. |
C.A brilliant biologist. | D.A successful businessman. |
A.He likes to make friends. | B.He is a well-rounded man. |
C.He is a popular child actor. | D.He is poor at dealing with people. |
A.Through a recommendation from a child psychologist. |
B.Through observing Mike’s behavior in preschool. |
C.Through participating in a special educational program. |
D.Through the information provided by Mike’s school teachers. |
A.Teach him some communication rules. | B.Encourage him to speak in class. |
C.Place him in social situations. | D.Let him go to school alone. |
10 . On June 6th Columbia University announced that it will no longer co-operate with US News & World Report’s undergraduate rankings. It is the first top-notch institution to do so. Might its departure be the start of a mass departure?
Columbia’s decision follows a rankings scandal last year. In February 2022 one of Columbia’s own maths professors accused the college of fudging its data in several areas. The university later admitted to having used “outdated and/or incorrect methodologies”.
In the 1980s prospective students started to expand their college search beyond their local area, and it was hard to learn about universities and compare them. Hence, US News began ranking America’s top universities in 1983, and has released its findings annually since 1988.
Colleges have gone to great lengths to move up in the ratings. Richard Freeland, Northeastern University’s former president, capped class sizes and hired faculty to improve its spot; it moved from 127th in 2003 to 44th this year. Others went too far. A dean at Temple University’s business school was sentenced to prison and was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine after being found guilty of fraud in relation to artificially inflating his programme’s rankings.
The ranking system used to seem unstoppable. Universities have tried to ditch it before, only to find that doing so can backfire badly. US News still ranks non-participating universities, using publicly available information, and the data often do not go in their favour. Reed College, a liberal-arts college, stopped taking part in 1995. It tumbled from the top quartile to the bottom. Columbia did not submit data for this year’s analysis, citing concerns about Dr Thaddeus’s claims, and its ranking fell from second in 2021-22 (tied with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to 18th in 2022-23 (tied with the University of Notre Dame).
Recently the mood has begun to change, however, especially among graduate schools. In 2022, of the 15 highest-ranked law schools, only the University of Chicago submitted data. Some undergraduate schools have already opted out this year (Rhode Island School of Design, Colorado College, Stillman College), but none are as prestigious as Columbia.
In May US News announced changes to its ranking methodology. It is moving away from metrics that rely on reputation and towards student outcomes. One way or another, the rankings—and universities more broadly—are in a state of constant change.
1. What is true about the US News undergraduate rankings?A.It faked the information for the ratings. | B.It filled an information gap at one time. |
C.It promoted the quality of higher education. | D.It has been released every year for 40 years. |
A.it will be ordered to pay a fine | B.it will be excluded from the list |
C.its ranking will suffer consequently | D.its spot in the ranking won’t be affected |
A.limited | B.increased | C.inflated | D.maintained |
A.scores given by former students | B.donations from all walks of life |
C.evaluations from other colleges | D.earnings for college graduates |