When students walk into Jenny Umland's class, they don't automatically go to the same seat they sat in the day before. In her classroom at Riverdale Heights Elementary School, Lowenstein’s are allowed to sit wherever they want. Umland doesn't assign seats. In fact, she has done away with most of the regular desks and uses beach chairs, standing desks, and rocking chairs instead.
Riverdale Heights is one of a growing number of schools that have ditched assigned seats. Many teachers say letting kids choose where to sit helps them learn how to make good choices. Some teachers point out that students are often more comfortable speaking up when they're sitting near kids, they like the most.
“If kids are happy and comfortable, they are more willing to learn,” says Umland. After 19 years of teaching, she tried non-assigned seating for the first time this year. She says she'll never go back.
But not all teachers are ready to do away with their seating charts. Some say having assigned seats helps students focus on their work, instead of where they'll sit. One teacher from Texas thinks letting students sit wherever they want can create chaos. Assigned seating helps keep classrooms under control. Without specific seats to go to, students may argue over who gets to sit in the best spots. He often finds it hard to work in that environment. A more controlled classroom leads to better learning. Maybe what he says is reasonable. A 2012 study by Montana State University found that high school students did better on tests when a teacher assigned their seats.
A student, Jack, from Lowa, thinks he and his classmates should be comfortable when they learn. He says, “My teacher, Mrs. Umland, allows us to choose our own seats, and it's great! I used to be terrified of sitting in the same seat every day, which made me uncomfortable all over. Being allowed to sit wherever I want makes me more enjoyable, because I can sit where I'm most comfortably.” And Umland says, “The setup in my class helps kids get along better. If two students want to sit in the same spot, they have to talk it out and compromise”.
1. What do we know about Umland?| A．She insists on arranging regular desks. |
| B．She is strongly against non-assigned seating. |
| C．She has failed in teaching in the past 19 years. |
| D．She lets students in her class choose their own seats. |
| A．tried on | B．looked forward to |
| C．got rid of | D．prepared for |
| A．It is cozy. | B．It is terrifying. |
| C．It is controversial. | D．It is uncomfortable. |
| A．What Role Do Students Play in Class? |
| B．Should Students Have Assigned Seats? |
| C．Students Are Required to Listen Carefully in Class |
| D．Assigned Seats in the Classroom Are Popular Now |
相似题推荐
HIGHFIELD COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SCHOOL REPORT Form Teacher: G. Baker Pupil’s Name: Simon Watkins Term: Summer 2015 Form: Ⅳ B
Basically satisfactory work and progress though he will now have realized, I hope, that in certain subject areas he needs to make speedy improvement. HEADMASTER I shall be keeping an eye on his progress in his weaker subjects though his success in the science is most pleasing. |
| A．becomes weak because he doesn’t exercise at all. | B．likes to work with his classmates |
| C．doesn’t exercise his body at the right time | D．is too talkative in the class |
| A．History and French. | B．Biology |
| C．English and Chemistry. | D．Physics and Physical Education. |
| A．He has made great progress in language classes. |
| B．His potential has been fully reflected in scientist. |
| C．He needs to improve his attitude on certain subjects. |
| D．His grade in maths makes him a born science and Maths. |
| A．Simon didn’t bother his teacher to revise French. | B．Basically, Simon did a good job in science. |
| C．Simon is a determined learner in English. | D．Simon is able to pay attention to history for long. |
【推荐2】Four Tips for High School Graduates
Over three-million high school students are graduating this spring in the United States. Many of them will head to university in the fall. The transition (过渡) from high school to college is a major one, and successful adjustment to college has lifelong influences.
Maybe you are about to make this transition yourself or have children who are about to leave the nest.
Be open to making new friends as soon as you set foot on campus. Even during orientation (迎新会)!
Lean on your family. Family support can give you comfort when classes get hard or you are stressed about finals.
Be confident. Feeling anxiety about communicating with fellows, professors, and speaking up in class is associated with lower adaptation during the transition to college. One of the best ways to increase your communication confidence is to practice!
| A．This list is for you. |
| B．The more you speak up in class, the easier it becomes. |
| C．Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors or teaching assistants. |
| D．Joining clubs is also linked to feelings of belonging at college. |
| E．Your professors and teaching assistants want to see you succeed in their classes. |
| F．Almost everyone is in the same boat as you are, hoping to make friends quickly. |
| G．Family members can give you advice and help you solve problems if you need help. |
【推荐3】One of the most important decisions an American parent has to make is where to place his or her child into school. It is the second most important decision you will make as a parent – apart from deciding to have children in the first place.
It is a very personal decision that is based on many factors. Some of those factors are having a strong teacher and child relationship, ensuring the school you choose is proficient(精通的) in Math and English studies.
The connection between a child and a teacher is more important than any curriculum. Think of it this way: your 3 or 4-year-old is used to being around by loving people like his or her parents or siblings throughout the day, and the school is your children’s first time to spend a large amount of their day away from those people.
Another thing to remember is your child’s feelings. Children are more perceptive(有洞察力的)than you may realize.
| A．You want to look for a preschool teacher who is good with students. |
| B．They don’t have the ability to clearly communicate this to adults. |
| C．Many schools have good teachers. |
| D．So parents must think carefully before making a decision. |
| E．English and Math proficiency is the key to a successful academic career. |
| F．It’s also important to let children be independent. |
| G．It’s also important to pick a school your child is comfortable with. |
【推荐1】It’s not just in your head: a desire to curl up on the sofa after a day spent toiling at the computer could be a physical response to mentally demanding work, according to a study that links mental exhaustion to changes in brain physiology that cause feelings of tiredness.
The study was conducted by neuroscientist Antonius Wiehler at the Paris Brain Institute and his colleagues. To learn the cause of mental exhaustion, the research team enrolled 40 participants and assigned 24 of them to perform a challenging task. These included looking at a computer screen and matching different letters that appeared. The other 16 participants did a similar, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ten-minute breaks.
While the study participants focused on their work, Wiehler and his team scanned the glutamate (谷氨酸) in the brains of the participants. Glutamate is an important signalling molecule in the brain that works in memory and learning. Too much glutamate may upset the brain’s functions, which means the brain is tired and it must rest.
The researchers found that participants who laboured on the more difficult task had higher levels of glutamate in the brain than those who worked on the easier task. The result suggested people who spend more than six hours working on a task that requires a lot of thought are more likely to feel tired.
And now that a system has been established to measure metabolic (新陈代谢的) changes in response to mental fatigue, the team hope to learn more about how to recover from mental exhaustion. While the researchers haven’t worked out a new solution, Wiehler offers that, “I would employ good old recipes: rest and sleep! There is good evidence that glutamate is eliminated from a period of rest. A good nap can be as short as 20 minutes, but can make us feel totally refreshed.”
1. What do Wiehler and his colleagues try to study?| A．Why thinking hard makes us feel tired. | B．Why people spend long time on screen. |
| C．Who prefers to take a challenging task. | D．How people can alternate work with rest. |
| A．Watching a funny movie on TV. | B．Climbing the Mountain Tai over 6 hours. |
| C．Involving a simple economic-related decision. | D．Playing chess games on the computer for 7 hours. |
| A．Skeptical | B．Negative. | C．Indifferent. | D．Supportive. |
| A．There is no need to find a new solution. | B．It is no use putting the system into reality. |
| C．Further study is necessary for mental exhaustion. | D．A nap is the best way to reduce the mental tiredness. |
【推荐2】Across the world, language and history are connected. As society and tradition change, new words or phrases are created to show the present cultural understanding. Some old phrases and words simply turn into the accepted usages with their backgrounds forgotten.
One such phrase “grandfathered in” has become a common one now. Although it often makes people think of the image of a gray-haired, older gentleman, who gets out of trouble because of his age, it actually means that one person or a business has the right to refuse the new rules.
A deeper look into the first use of the phrase shows an interesting story in history. It happened in a town in the 1980s. A new law was passed there not to allow illiterates (文盲) to participate in the making of rules as they couldn’t read or write and might not help in the process. The limit was potent because except for the old and children, there were close to 30 percent of young adults in the town who had little or no education. Being strong and energetic, they made up an important part of the town’s development.
Considering that, some officers in the town didn’t readily accept the rule. Instead, they carefully gave their advice to the head of the town. At the same time, they encouraged these young adults to pass the literacy(读写能力)tests. Thus a “grandfather clause(条款)”was added to allow illiterates to participate as long as they or their grandfathers had once been participants. The clause no doubt helped remove the unfairness and benefited all.
The phrase “grandfathered in” is of course still widely used today without being limited to a certain field. But even as culture and tradition change, whether we’re aware of it or not, language has the power to hold our history.
1. According to Paragraph 1, what has happened to some old phrase with time going?| A．They have got lost in history. |
| B．Few people can use them correctly. |
| C．They are rarely used in popular culture. |
| D．Few people know much about their history. |
| A．an old man dislikes new rules |
| B．a person is free from new rules |
| C．a business has a long history and culture |
| D．a businessman fails to follow the market rules |
| A．Unless. | B．Powerful. | C．Easy. | D．Reasonable. |
| A．Funny. | B．Incorrect. | C．Positive. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．Language and history are always connected. |
| B．The birth of some phrases can be interesting. |
| C．History plays an important role in communication. |
| D．Some phrases are created to show the present culture. |
【推荐3】Most of us learn how to ride ai bike during childhood. As we grow older, we put those once beloved bikes in storerooms. Years later, when we discover these relics and jump on, it’s as if we never stopped biking.
This is surprising because our memories let us down in so many other situations. For example, we always fail to remember the name of a person we once knew or where we put our keys. So why can we ride a bicycle when we haven’t done so in years?
As it turns out, humans have different kinds of memories. Our long-term memory is divided into two types: declarative memory (陈述性记忆) and procedural memory.
There are two types of declarative memory. The first type is our memory of an event that happened. It can be the day we started school or a pleasant outing. Factual knowledge, on the other hand, such as the capital of France, belongs to the second type. These two types have one thing in common-you are aware of the knowledge and can communicate the memories to others.
Skills such as playing an instrument or riding a bicycle are, however, fixed in a separate system, called procedural memory. As its name shows, this type of memory is responsible for performance.
So is procedural knowledge more enduring than declarative knowledge? Yes, studies show the former is less likely to be lost. Even with serious brain injury, the procedural memory system is hardly ever damaged. That’s because structures responsible for processing it are relatively protected in the brain’s center.
However, it’s not clear, beyond brain damage, why procedural memory contents are not as easily forgotten as declarative ones are. According to one idea, in the regions where movement patterns are made, fewer new nerve cells (神经细胞) may be formed in adults. Without big changes. It’s less likely for memories in these regions to get erased.
So, one thing we know for sure is simple patterns of movements we get, even far in the past, are typically kept for a lifetime. Or as the saying goes, it’s “just like riding a bicycle”
1. Which of the following are declarative knowledge?①A poem. ② Swimming. ③ A meeting. ④Running.
| A．①② | B．②④ |
| C．①③ | D．②③ |
| A．Continuing for a very long time. |
| B．Having a very great influence. |
| C．Helping people in some way. |
| D．Being difficult to keep. |
| A．They are kept in a region without great changes. |
| B．They are kept in a region that can’t be damaged. |
| C．They are easier than other knowledge. |
| D．They are practiced more often. |
| A．Skills of an outstanding rider |
| B．Different types of human memory |
| C．Why don’t we forget how to ride a bike? |
| D．How can we make memories last longer? |
【推荐1】The State of Colorado has four of the best parks out of the 58 national parks in the United States. The parks have some of the best scenery of all the national parks.
Black Canyon (峡谷) of the Gunnison National Park
This park offers the most breathtaking views from up in the mountains into the canyons below. While exploring the canyons, you will find that the walls drop nearly straight down into the narrow valleys of the snake-like rivers below. Visitors are offered more than 100 camping sites, and a lot of bird species and many animals are native to the area.
Rocky Mountain National Park
It is the only national park in the north central region in the State of Colorado. Elevations in this park are anywhere from 8,000 feet to 14,259 feet at the top of Longs Peak. While traveling throughout this park you will notice there are two very different climates because of the difference the upper peaks of the Rocky Mountains make. You can enjoy 359 miles of hiking trails, a lot of places for camping, horse-back riding and beautiful scenery.
Mesa Verde National Park
This is probably the most interesting national park, offering a fascinating trip back in time to 600 AD up to 1300 AD. This park was declared a protected national park in 1906 because of the cliff dwellings (住所) that were found throughout the area, which were once home to American Indians. Many of these dwellings can be walked through, while you imagine what each room may have been used for so many years ago.
Great Sand Dunes (沙丘) National Park
The Great Sand Dunes National Park lies in South-Central Colorado, about 127 miles from Pueblo. This park has the tallest sand dunes in all of North America and has trails for hiking. The natural sandy beaches around the small rivers and lakes are good for swimmers.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the Rocky Mountain National Park?| A．It has the tallest mountains in the USA. | B．It has two very different weather conditions. |
| C．It is the most interesting national park. | D．It is about 359 miles from Pueblo. |
| A．The Rocky Mountain National Park. | B．The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. |
| C．The Great Sand Dunes National Park. | D．The Mesa Verde National Park. |
| A．Beautiful canyons. | B．Longs Peak. | C．Cliff dwellings. | D．Sand dunes. |
【推荐2】No matter which place you decide to visit in Spain, you’ll find a beautiful beach waiting just for you. These popular beaches can meet the needs of people from all walks of life.
Cala de Algaiarens, Minorea
With soft golden sand and clear water, this beach is perfect for snorkeling (浅滩潜水) and visiting underwater caves. The beach belongs to a local man, so tourists have to pay a small entry fee. The waves here can sometimes be huge so the beach isn’t safe for kids.
Cala Tarida, Ibiza
Besides the big music festivals and the exciting nightlife, Ibiza is home to some of the most beautiful beaches; one of them is Cala Tarida. Just relax on the white sand or go swimming in clear water. It is an ideal location to spend a sunny day if you are in Ibiza.
Beach of La Concha, San Sebastian
It has been called the best city beach not just in Spain, but also in Europe. It’s so popular during the holidays that tourists have to struggle to get some space. Even though the beach is a 10- minute walk from the city, the white sand and the amazing clear waters do make the city a new world.
Sotavento, Canary Islands
As an ideal choice for travelers, Sotavento offers 17 miles of white sandy beach. It is blessed with strong water and winds, making it a paradise (天堂) for surfers and kite flyers. The beach also hosts the popular World Kite Surf Championship every August.
1. What can visitors do in Cala Tarida?| A．They can enjoy a music festival. | B．They can go snorkeling. |
| C．They can go surfing. | D．They can fly kites. |
| A．It’s perfect for people to fly kites. | B．It covers a distance of 17 miles. |
| C．The beach is open only in August. | D．The waves are huge and dangerous. |
| A．Cala de Algaiarens | B．Cala Tarida |
| C．Beach of La Concha | D．Sotavento |
The only problem with our plan was that this pasture was guarded by a huge, mean Hereford bull. Mr.Blickez had told us that Elsie was the meanest bull in the township, maybe even the county, and we believed him. But the hotter it got, the more we thought there was something fishy about his claim. For one thing, we remembered Mr.Blickez liked telling tall tales; for another, Elsie seemed like an odd name for a bull.
Finally, I talked Mom into asking permission for us to walk through the pasture, but then another problem surfaced. Mom said she would talk to Mr.Blickez if we would take our cousin Joanie along with us. Joanie was almost two years older than me and a head taller. If her teasing ever got around my grade school, it would be all over for me. In fact, I still had a headache from a quarrel with her that morning. “I’m not going swimming with that dumb girl cousin.” I told my mom.
“Either Joanie goes with, or you stay home alone,” Mom said in her serious tone. I gave in and we set out. On our way across the pasture, Walt yelled suddenly. Elsie had approached him quietly and was licking(舔) his back. Joanie and I dove under the wire fence, but while I was on the ground I looked up and saw that Elsie wasn’t a big mean bull after all. She was going to keep licking my brother’s back as long as he stood still.
We had many good days growing up and visiting our secret swimming hole guarded by the so-called “big mean bull”. And as it turned out, for a girl cousin, Joanie hasn’t been too bad. She’s been one of my best friends over the years.
1. What’s the meaning of the underline word “fishy” in Paragraph 2?
| A．Funny. | B．Interesting. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Believable. |
| A．His mother insisted on his cousin going with him. |
| B．His cousin made jokes on him in his grade school. |
| C．He quarreled with his cousin and had a headache. |
| D．His mother failed to ask permission for him. |
| A．Aggressive. | B．Unkind. |
| C．Bad-tempered. | D．Friendly. |
| A．The bull guarding Mr.Blickez’s farm. |
| B．The story of visiting the swimming hole. |
| C．How friendly the so-called mean bull was. |
| D．How the author changed his attitude to Joanie. |
【推荐1】The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and pleasure. We use it to learn a new language. We find advice on it. We use it to keep in touch with events we care about. The list goes on and on.
As far as the Internet being a part of our lives--well, that train has left the station. There is no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, say researchers. A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure（高血压） in a group---teenagers.
The study results show that teens who spend at least 14 hours a week only online may cause high blood pressure, which makes your heart and blood vessels( 血管) work too hard. Over time, this extra strain (压力) increases their risk of a heart attack. High blood pressure can also cause other diseases.
The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. 335 young people, from 14 to 17 years old, took part in it. 134 of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users”. And researchers found that out of these 134 teens, 26 had high blood pressure. The researchers say the study is the first to connect heavy web use with high blood pressure.
The lead researcher of the study is Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow. She said, “Using the Internet is part of our daily life but it shouldn’t ruin us.” Ms. Gassidy-Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to have a rest regularly from their computers or smart phones and do some kind of physical activity. She also suggests that parents shouldn’t let their children use the Internet for more than two hours a day, five days a week.
1. What does the underlined part “that train has left the station” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．The train has stopped at the wrong station. |
| B．There is something wrong with the station. |
| C．Life without the Internet is nowhere to be found. |
| D．The train has changed its course. |
| A．Heavy Internet users might have high blood pressure. |
| B．There is no relation between high blood pressure and Internet use. |
| C．There are more advantages than disadvantages of Internet use. |
| D．High blood pressure will do harm to teens. |
| A．Teenagers shouldn’t use the Internet. |
| B．The Internet will ruin human life in the future. |
| C．Smart-phones are more harmful than computers. |
| D．Regular breaks are necessary when using the Internet. |
| A．How to prevent teenagers from the Internet |
| B．Teenagers should keep away from the Internet |
| C．Too much Internet use may be bad for teenagers |
| D．Every coin has two sides--So does the Internet |
【推荐2】Like Marty McFly’s banana-powered DeLorean （德罗宁时光机）,a future generation of flying cars could tip over the idea that all flying is bad for the climate. Firms such as the Rolls Royce, Lilium and Vertical Aerospace have argued that flying cars could be a green mode of transport despite the large amounts of energy they need to get off the ground.
One study into the environmental impact of such vertical （垂直的）takeoff and landing （(VTOL)） vehicles suggests their backers could be right — at least in some circumstances. Gregory Keoleian at the University of Michigan and colleagues found that VTOLs, if they ever took to the skies, would produce 6 per cent less emissions than an electric car over a 100-kilometre journey. "The VTOL is particularly energy intensive （集中的）during takeoff and landing. The flight phase,however,is much more efficient,and over long distances,makes fully loaded VTOLs competitive with ground based vehicles," says Keoleian. Flying cars would also have the advantage of being able to fly in a straight line, bypassing meandering routes.
However , don't act immedialely . The difference was only very small and there are several big catches. Flying cars don't really exist yet — they are only at the prototype （蓝本）stage. The prototypes rely on electric power and act as a taxi, but another issue is that the study is a bit of an apples-for-oranges comparison.
The researchers assume that each electric car carries an average of 1.54 passengers while the passengers and drivers of the flying car are three and one. The reason for this assumption is that the flying car will provide a shared taxi service like UberPool, but in fact electric cars can do the same. In addition t due to the need for energy during take-off, the emissions from the flight below 35 km will be more than those of electric vehicles.
Keoleian and his team conclude flying cars could have a minor role in sustainable transport. But even if they do prove to be green, they have a lot of other hurdles to cross first.
1. Why do firms like the Rolls Royce argue for flying cars?| A．They are banana-powered. | B．They are energy-saving. |
| C．They run faster. | D．They need less energy to take off. |
| A．They are nearly perfect. |
| B．They are able to fly in a straight line. |
| C．They can win out over long distances. |
| D．They can save 6% energy than electric cars. |
| A．Problems. | B．Advantages. |
| C．Differences, | D．Efforts. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Neutral. |
【推荐3】Soccer legend: They told me girls couldn't play this game
Note: Michelle Akers was a player on the US Women's National Teams who won World Cup titles in 1991 (where she won the Golden Hoot as top scorer) and 1999.
(CNN) — In third grade, I shared my dream along with my favorite football with the class, and as I proudly finished my speech, my teacher responded, "Michelle, girls cannot play football" to which I answered, "Yes, I can." I wouldn’t let it go, landing myself in the principal's office, trying not to cry. Soon, my mom arrived. “God help me now,” I thought ... until I heard her say to both my teacher and the principal, “How dare you tell my daughter what she can or cannot do.”
On Wednesday, all the world (myself included) will watch the 2019 US Women's National Team — Women's World Cup champions. I'm also thinking about how they — like I — got to the place where they lifted that trophy. To me, the 2019 World Cup and above all, this team, has taken the stories and dreams of the USWNT full circle.
It goes like this: First, you dream. Next, you play. Then, you inspire a legacy.
So many years ago, I dreamed of being a Pittsburgh Steeler. But many of the players on this 2019 World Champion USA Team sat in stadiums or watched games on TV in 1999 and dreamed of playing for the USWNT. No one could tell them they couldn't — they could see for themselves that it was possible.
They have now not only won a World Cup, but have turned their dreams into action. Dreams of being the best in the world. Dreams of equality and equal opportunity. And the actions to back them up and make them real for the people who come after them. They are demanding respect and equality from the powers that be because they know what it is to achieve more than just a trophy.
That, for me, is so very powerful. What this 2019 World Champion team demands for themselves — and put first in their lives — will be their biggest message of change: Respect. Equal opportunity. Team and family. Individual choice. Excellence. Into a new era.
And I am grateful to be celebrating them in their much deserved ticker-tape parade in the Canyon of Heroes in NYC.
1. What's the attitude of Michelle's mom towards her dream?| A．Funny. | B．Supportive. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Carefree. |
| A．Michelle is coaching and encouraging the team. | B．Michelle together with her team won the trophy. |
| C．The team carries the same dreams as Michelle's | D．The team didn't fail Michelle's great expectation. |
| A．She set an example to women football players. |
| B．She won the Golden Boot in 1999. |
| C．She retired from her team in 2019. |
| D．She recognized inequality to women in football. |
| A．Dream, Play and Inspire | B．Woman Football Develops |
| C．Football Counts More than Ever | D．Equal Playing Field Is More than Men's |
