The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (怀旧的) skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful — both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks — both on a computer and by hand. The study found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to how well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe (转换) “those words in the mind into written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct them over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”
1. What can we learn from Berninger’s first study?| A．It focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer. |
| B．It indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper. |
| C．It found that good essays are made up of long sentences. |
| D．It discussed the importance of writing speed. |
| A．Spelling improves one’s memory of words. |
| B．Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability. |
| C．Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas. |
| D．Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas. |
| A．Window. | B．Passage. | C．Picture. | D．Imagination. |
| A．Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms. |
| B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching. |
| C．Computers can help people with their choice of words. |
| D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Children with attention problems in early childhood were 40% less likely to graduate from high school, says a new study from Duke University.
The study included 386 kindergarteners from schools in the Fast Track Project, a multi-site clinical trial in the U.S. that in 1991 began tracking how children developed across their lives. With this study, researchers examined early academic attention and socio-emotional skills and how each contributed to academic success into young adulthood. They found that early attention skills were the most consistent predictor of academic success, and that likability by peers (同龄人) also had a modest effect on academic performance.
By fifth grade, children with early attention difficulties had lower grades and reading achievement scores than their peers. As fifth-graders, children with early attention problems obtained average reading scores at least 3% lower and grades at least 8% lower than those of their peers. This was after controlling for IQ, socio-economic status and academic skills at school entry.
Although these may not seem like large effects, the impact of early attention problems continued throughout the children’s academic careers. Lower reading achievement scores and grades in fifth grade contributed to reduced grades in middle school, thus contributing to a 40% lower high school graduation rate.
Social acceptance by peers in early childhood also predicted grades in fifth grade. Children not as liked by their first-grade peers had slightly lower grades in fifth grade, while those with higher social acceptance had higher grades.
“This study shows the importance of so-called non-cognitive’ or soft skills in contributing to children’s positive peer relationships, which, in turn contribute to their academic success,” said Kenneth Dodge, director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy.
The results highlight the need to develop effective early interventions (干预) to help those with attention problems stay on track academically and for educators to encourage positive peer relationships, the researchers said.
“We’re learning that student success requires a more comprehensive approach, one that includes not only academic skills but also social, self-regulatory and attention skills,” Dodge said. “If we ignore any of these areas, the child’s development struggles. If we attend to these areas, a child’s success may strengthen itself with positive feedback.”
1. What is the focus of the new study from Duke University?| A．The contributors to children’s early attention. |
| B．The predictors of children’s academic success. |
| C．The factors that affect children’s emotional well-being. |
| D．The factors that determine children’s development of social skills. |
| A．Modest students are generally more attentive than their peers. |
| B．There are more children with attention difficulties than previously thought. |
| C．Attention problem accounts for most academic failures. |
| D．Children with worse attention skills are less likely to succeed academically. |
| A．They do better academically. | B．They are teachers’ favorites. |
| C．They are easy to get on with. | D．They care less about grades. |
| A．Children’s success is related to their learning environment. |
| B．School curriculum should cover a greater variety of subjects. |
| C．Social skills are playing a key role in children’s development. |
| D．An all-round approach should be adopted in school education. |
【推荐2】William had worked hard to pass the exams to enter high school. When the term began, however, his father told him that there was no money to pay for his school fees because of the summer drought. Still, William wanted to learn.
He made the village library his school. One day, he found a book called Using Energy. On the book’s cover was a picture of windmills, tall steel towers with blades (叶片) spinning like giant fans. He learned that wind—something of which his hometown had plenty—could produce electricity.
He couldn’t help picturing his own windmill in mind, but collecting the parts and tools he needed would take months. In a junkyard, he dug through piles of used metal, old cars, and worn-out tractors, searching for anything that might help him construct his machine. He made four-foot-long blades from plastic pipe, which he melted over a fire, flattened out, and hardened with bamboo poles.
Earning some money, he paid a blacksmith to attach the piston (活塞) to the pedal sprocket (踏板链轮) of an old bicycle frame. This would be the axle (轮轴) of the windmill. When the wind blew, the spinning blades would turn the bicycle wheel and spin a small dynamo (发电机), donated by his friend.
When he had collected all the parts, William began putting them together. He fixed the blades to the tractor fan he found, using washers (垫圈) he’d made from bottle caps. Next he pushed the fan onto the piston joint to the bicycle frame. With the help of his two best friends, William built a 16-foot-tall tower from trunks of trees and lifted the ninety-pound windmill to the top.
The big moments eventually came. He climbed up the tower and connected two wires that held a small bulb. As the wind whipped around him, the blades began to turn, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The light bulb flickered (闪烁), then flashed to life. The crowd cheered from below. “Wachitabwina (well done)!”
William’s machine now powered his house. And the story of the boy who’d built a power-generating windmill to rescue his family from the drought spread across the Internet.
1. After reading Using Energy, what did William decide to do?| A．Make use of wind. | B．Enter a high school. |
| C．Build a village library. | D．Learn to survive a drought. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Determined. |
| C．Cooperative. | D．Friendly. |
| A．It was built by villagers. |
| B．It worked at the first attempt. |
| C．It took him years to complete it. |
| D．It was made from metal materials. |
| A．Winds Of Hope | B．Ideas Worth Spreading |
| C．Learning from Experience | D．Windmills for Villages |
【推荐3】Do high school grades matter? In most cases yes, especially when you are applying to a good college after high school.
Turn your homework into a pleasant routine.
Break down your study materials into small pieces.
These methods can go a long way into helping you become more focused on your work towards improving your grades.
| A．Try to turn to others for help |
| B．If you are studying for an exam |
| C．Homework is not always a pleasant thing |
| D．Actually, exercising during breaks between your tasks is also helpful |
| E．Try to use them along with a strong wish to do everything better |
| F．So, how to get better grades |
| G．Your grades will be better if you feel comfortable talking to your teachers |
【推荐1】If you live in a place where most people speak the language you are learning, you may use the language for several hours each day. But you may not have these chances to practice English. You may even be self-taught. The good news is that thinking in English can bring you a huge step closer to fluency!
Think in single words.
Another exercise is describing in your mind objects you don’t know the words for. An example would be if you couldn’t think of the word “garage”, Hinshaw says. “
Think in sentences.
The next exercise is thinking in simple sentences. For example,
Describe your day.
Another exercise experts suggest is to describe your daily activities. You can mentally make plans in the morning when you wake up. This would require future verb tenses. So the skill level is a little higher.
| A．Describe unknown words |
| B．Guess the meaning of a new word |
| C．if you are sitting in a park |
| D．A good first step is to think in single words |
| E．Hinshaw says doing this can help learners of any language |
| F．If you’re looking at your house and you see your garage |
| G．It is not very difficult |
【推荐2】Language Learning and Immersion programs Worldwide for Teens
Language skills and inside knowledge about other cultures through immersion are becoming more and more important in the globalized world.
Accademia Europea di Firenze
The Accademia Europea di Firenze is one of the main Italian language, culture, and music school in Italy. Our method allows students to learn and practice Italian language through their subjects of greatest interest, whether art, music, or culture.
Dates: Starts every Monday the year round except on holidays
Contact: Isabel Berger, Accademia Europea di Firenze, Via Cavour,37.50129
Website: www.italianlanguageflorence.com
Spanish Immersion Programs for Teens in Costa Rica & Peru
Take your Spanish to the next level while experiencing Costa Rica's breathtaking biodiversity (生物多样化) or the cultural tapestry (织棉) of Peru. GLA integrates (使融入) Spanish language learning into many aspects of the program, providing students opportunities to take away more of the culture, and also leave more behind.[
Dates: Summer (June, July, August); spring break
Contact: Global Leadership Adventures, 10509 San Diego Mission Road, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92108
Website: www.experiencegla.com
Homestay French Summer School Program in Cannes, France
If you are looking to learn French, then there is no better option than a language homestay learning program in France. Live like a local with a French family, learn French and culture, have fun, make new friends, and get a head start on your academic (学院的) /university year !
Dates: Summer (June, July, August)
Contact: Passeport pour les langues—French Summer Classes
Website: www.frenchsummerclasses.com
Mandarin & Cultural Immersion Programs for Teens in China
Take your Mandarin to the next level while experiencing China's two worlds: one rural and traditional, the other fast-paced and urban. GLA weaves Chinese cultural immersion with language learning and adventure to provide students with a deeper, more meaningful experience.
Dates: Summer (June, July, August)
Contact: Global Leadership Adventures, 10509 San Diego Mission Road, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92108
Website: www.experiencegla.com
1. What will impress a student the most in Costa Rica?| A．Culture. | B．History. |
| C．Biodiversity. | D．People. |
| A．Making friends with the local people. |
| B．Learning different dialects of the Chinese language. |
| C．Learning Chinese history. |
| D．Having a deep experience of China. |
| A．www. italianlanguageflorence.com |
| B．www. experiencegla.com |
| C．www. frenchsummerclasses.com |
| D．www. Spanishsummerclasses.com |
| A．Accademia Europea di Firenze |
| B．Spanish Immersion Programs for Teens in Costa Rica & Peru |
| C．Homestay French Summer School Program in Cannes, France |
| D．Mandarin &Cultural Immersion Programs for Teens in China |
【推荐3】Prepare Yourself for a Better TOEFL Score
The TOEFL is the most widely used language assessment exam for American colleges or universities. Many foreign students worry about taking the TOEFL because it is essential to meet their goals.
What will you focus on?
Plan when you will take the TOEFL. If possible, register to take the test, even if the date is several months from now. This will give you a good reason to study. Take a sample test online or from a test preparation book to find out where you need to improve the most.
The Educational Testing Service website has a free online course to help you prepare for the TOEFL. There are also sample preparation questions. Apart from answering those questions, try to surround yourself with English. Listen to stories on VOA's Learning English website. Watch movies where English is spoken. Read English-language newspapers to keep up with new words that relate to current events and technology.
When will you study?
The real goal of the test is to measure how well a student can communicate in an English-speaking classroom.
| A．Do you do well in reading, but not so well in listening? |
| B．Good marks on the test will open many doors. |
| C．TOEFL score may be a necessity for a student to graduate from an American school. |
| D．How will you study? |
| E．Experts say that you should study for at least two months before taking the test. |
| F．Expose yourself to English on a daily basis and improvement is sure to follow. |
| G．Keep in touch with an American friend and learn more about the country. |
【推荐1】Thousands of years ago, Britain was covered by thick forests, home to many animals which no longer live in the United Kingdom. There were wolves, and bears, many different kinds of deer and large wild cows. There were less than four million people. They lived in small villages protected by wooden walls from the animals outside.
All this has changed, of course. Now the population of the United Kingdom has increased to sixty-five million. Three-quarters of Britain is covered with fields, towns or cities. Although 25 percent of land is countryside, new methods of farming mean that there are few birds and small animals living in fields than ever before. The United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a large wild animal that eats meat. In Scotland there are only 400 wildcats, but these are much smaller than wolves.
Some people would like to change things, however! Some organizations (组织) and writers say that Britain needs to become more natural again. They suggest that trees and plants that grew in the UK before towns and cities were built should be allowed to grow again. They even say that large wild animals which have not lived in the UK should be helped to return and live wild. They call this “rewilding”.
Not everyone agrees. In the last twenty years, over one million trees which at first grew in Scotland have been planted and there are plans for more—but wild animals? Some people ask if wolves will attack (攻击) sheep or even humans. They are also angry that rewilding might mean an end to walking in the hills which so many people enjoy. So far there are no wolves or bears in Britain’s forests—but soon there might be!
1. Why are there fewer birds and small animals in fields in the UK?| A．Because more trees have been planted. |
| B．Because there are larger wild animals. |
| C．Because pollution is much worse than before. |
| D．Because people use new methods of farming. |
| A．Living closer to nature. | B．Planting more and more trees. |
| C．Helping large wild animals return. | D．Building more villages and towns. |
| A．Making Britain wild again | B．A trip to wild Britain |
| C．An introduction to Britain | D．Protecting the environment |
【推荐2】Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Being enthusiastic about something means being excited about a given project. Enthusiasm involves having a strong interest in the task at hand. If you decided to learn a new language, which is not easy anyhow, you would have to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to the cause. Anything less would result in failure.
What is real enthusiasm? In your pursuing success, enthusiasm means that you believe deeply in what the company is doing. You also believe that your job is important and contributes to the cause. It means that you’re willing to make every effort to achieve the company’s goals.
Real enthusiasm is when you leap out of bed in the morning and attack your day with much enthusiasm and energy. You have great enthusiasm for the work you do and the people you work with. This pushes you to improve and become a better person. Enthusiasm means that you are stimulated by your work, and are able to find new challenges and keep growing professionally.
Furthermore, most jobs have some elements that are less fun and more difficult to carry out. This is where passion really comes into play. Passion helps you get ahead. Enthusiasm about a job or project usually translates into positive energy. That is, if you are excited about a project, you will be anxious to get started and get results. The mere fact of looking forward to your work will help make you more productive and effective. You will plan more effectively and pay careful attention to detail. You will carry out your plan more carefully and aim for the best results possible.
Increase your enthusiasm. Most men aren’t born great—they become great. Similarly, not everyone is the enthusiastic type that falls in love with their work. However, do not despair. There are ways to become more passionate.
1. What’s the purpose of quoting Emerson’s saying at the beginning of the passage?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To arouse readers’ enthusiasm. |
| C．To illustrate Emerson’s influence. | D．To summarize great people’s enthusiasm. |
| A．Objective. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Benefits of enthusiasm. | B．Significance of enthusiasm. |
| C．Good ways to boost passion. | D．Success stories of passionate people. |
【推荐3】While conducting a survey by airplane of northern Guatemala, researchers detected an ancient Maya site. “We can now see the entire landscape of the Maya region” in this section of Guatemala, said Carlos Morales-Aguilar, one of the researchers from the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas.
The findings were the result of the survey using lidar (雷达), or light detection and ranging, which has been revolutionary for studying historic sites. In lidar, lasers are sent out and the reflected light is used to create imagery of a landscape. The technology is particularly beneficial in areas with limited visibility such as the rainforest in maya site, as lasers can enter the heavy tree canopy, the thick cover formed by the leafy upper branches in a forest.
The lidar data showed “for the first time an area that was integrated politically and economically, and never seen before in other places in the Western Hemisphere (西半球),” Carlos wrote in the study. Using data from the scans, the team identified more than 1,000 settlements dotting the region. They were interconnected by 100 miles of causeways that the Maya likely traveled on foot. They also detected the remains of several large platforms and pyramids, along with canals and reservoirs used for water collection.
So what made this region so attractive that the Maya would want to settle there in the first place?
“For the Maya, the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin was the ‘Goldilocks Zone’,” Ross Ensley wrote, partner of Carlos, a geologist from the Institute for Geological Study of the Maya Lowlands in Houston, Texas. “The Maya settled in this region because it had the right mix of uplands for settlement and lowlands for agriculture.” Uplands lie above the level where flooding occurs. They provided a source for limestone, their primary building material, and dry land to live on. The lowlands are mostly seasonal swamps (沼泽), which provided space for wetland agriculture as well as organic-rich soil for use in terraced agriculture.
Researchers hope lidar technology will help them explore sections of Guatemala that have remained a mystery for centuries.
1. Why did the researchers use lidar in the survey?| A．It detects a wide range of lasers. | B．It pictures quick and clear imagery. |
| C．It passes lights through forests easily. | D．It improves the visibility of rainforests. |
| A．Why Maya drew great attention. | B．How Maya people made a living. |
| C．The research process after surveying the Maya. | D．The findings through observing the Maya region. |
| A．They transformed the land to survive. | B．They were good at upland agriculture. |
| C．They preferred to build houses using limestone. | D．They made a sound choice about where to settle. |
| A．The Perfect Habitat for the Maya People |
| B．The Secrets of the Ancient Maya Civilization |
| C．Revolutionary Use of Lidar Reveals Maya Settlements |
| D．Lidar Technology Unlocks New Discoveries of Rainforests |
