Sun Jiarui, a 10-year-old girl from Outang Central Primary School in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, recently becomes famous online for her cooking skills. Sun, who has been learning to cook from her father since she was eight, can now cook more than 50 dishes. The Outang Central Primary School has also gotten Sun and her father to promote the cooking arts to the students.
China’s Ministry of Education has issued the Life Skills Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education（2022 edition）（《义务教育劳动课程标准（2022版）》）. In the coming term in September, primary and secondary school students in China will find a new “practical activities” course（劳动课）in their schedule, with at least one class every week.
The new course has three types of tasks: everyday housework, including cleaning, organizing, cooking, and using and repairing home appliances; productive labor, including traditional handicrafts; and volunteer work.
Primary school students will be asked to understand and master the basics of home cooking, from preparing vegetables to finally being able to complete the whole process of home cooking by themselves.
News that primary and secondary school students will learn cooking from September became one of the top trending topics on Sina Weibo, attracting more than 300 million views.
“This reminds me of my life skills class in primary school. I learned to make dumplings and do simple needlework,” one Weibo user commented. “These will be lifelong skills for these kids, helping them develop into well-rounded grown-ups, not just students who are able to take exams,” said another user.
As part of the “double reduction” policy（双减政策）aiming to reduce homework and time spent on after-school private tutoring, life skills education has become a new highlight of education reform.
A Beijing-based educational expert said that education should pay attention to “the progress of individual students” and a change in priority from “the evaluation of results to the process”. “We should use comprehensive assessment to observe each student’s growth and progress, instead of just focusing on exams,” said the expert.
1. Why does the writer mention the 10-year-old girl Sun Jiarui?| A．Because she becomes famous on the Internet. |
| B．Because she has set a good example of learning life skills. |
| C．Because she could cook over 50 dishes when she was eight. |
| D．Because she will teach students cooking skills at school. |
| A．learn | B．discover | C．teach | D．offer |
| A．We should ask students to do more homework at school. |
| B．The learning results are far more important than the process. |
| C．For many students, life skills are not as useful as before. |
| D．More attention should be given to students’ growth and process. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】For many high school students, studying in another country is for college (大学) students. But in these years, more and more Chinese teenagers want to do so. What makes Chinese high school students want to study in another country? What is the life in another country like?
Pan Jiachen, 15, Moreau Catholic High School in San Francisco, California, US
In the future, I want to go to college in the US. Studying in high school here will help me get used to (习惯) college life in the future. Also, I want to make my English better.
Studying here is not so easy. For example, the World History class, we have to make a PPT about a historical figure (人物) and draw a picture.
Zhao Chenxuan, 15, Unionville High School in Toronto, Canada
It's good to live in another country. Unlike other students, my parents accompanied (陪伴) me. In Canada, I have more time for my interests. I can take classes I like. It's quite free.
Zheng Yishi, 14, studies at Walsh Jesuit High School Cleveland, Ohio, US
I want to try different ways of studying. Two years ago, I visited some famous colleges in Boston. Every student seemed to try their best to learn something. I saw students doing morning exercises everywhere and I watched a football game. I found that school life in the US was colorful. So I decided to study in the US.
1. In these years, more and more teenagers want to __________.| A．go to high school in another country | B．go to college |
| C．visit some famous colleges | D．go to Boston |
| A．every student in Canada seemed to try their best to learn | B．no students did morning exercises |
| C．it was free to take classes she liked | D．school life in the US was colorful |
| A．He wants to go to college in the US. | B．He wants to make his English better. |
| C．Studying in the US is easy. | D．He has to make a PPT in the World History class. |
| A．Pan Jiachen and Zhao Chenxuan. | B．Pan Jiachen and Zheng Yishi. |
| C．Zheng Yishi and Zhao Chenxuan. | D．We don’t know. |
【推荐2】Some educators worry students may use ChatGPT to cheat on schoolwork. The AI tool could write reports and computer codes. It could create charts that look like those done by humans.
How can teachers use it to increase their students’ interest for learning and prevent cheating. Here are their three ideas for doing that:
| Treat ChatGPT as a learning partner | Teachers can get students to treat ChatGPT as a learning partner. That can help teachers move their students away from competition and performance to teamwork and knowledge. These activities are designed to improve knowledge rather than just getting a good grade. |
| Use ChatGPT to improve confidence | An important way to improve students’ confidence is to provide them with many ways to be successful. ChatGPT can provide those experiences by offering students individualized support (个性化支持) and breaking down complex(复杂的) problems into smaller tasks. |
| Have ChatGPT give positive feedback (积极反馈) | Research shows positive feedback can improve students’ self-confidence. ChatGPT starts a conversation with this student in pleasant language, instead of just telling them they were wrong. Here is a real conversation from ChatGPT: “You’re on the right track! I’m here to support you and answer any questions you may have. You’re doing great!” |
1. In which section of the newspaper can we read the news?
| A．Sports Star. | B．AI World. | C．Students’ Life. | D．Music Club. |
| A．Schoolwork. | B．Reports. | C．ChatGPT. | D．Ideas. |
| A．Treating ChatGPT as a learning partner doesn’t help students at all. |
| B．Providing students with ways to succeed can improve their confidence. |
| C．We can’t tell students too directly about their mistakes in their homework. |
| D．“I believe you can do better next time.” is much better than “Your answer is still wrong.” |
【推荐3】For middle and primary school students, being able to cook has become a must. They will also need to learn how to plant vegetables, raise poultry（家禽）and mend home appliances under new requirements for labor（劳动）education.
The Ministry of Education（MOE）brought out a new standard for labor education in schools last year. Starting from the 2022 fall semester, students in primary and middle schools have to take courses on labor skills at least once a week.
Labor education helps students value hard work. It includes things like household chores, on-campus labor and community volunteer services.
The new standards include three types of labor tasks. The first is for things like everyday chores, including cleaning, organizing, cooking and using and maintaining home appliances. Next is productive labor, including agriculture, making traditional handicrafts, and applying new technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting. The third type is service work, which includes volunteer work.
Schools in China have traditionally placed more focus on studying, and many have seen household chores as a waste of children's time. But according to the MOE, labor education must be built up to help students cultivate（培养）social values and develop an interest in labor.
Online, people have been busy discussing the now standards on social media.
Liu Fang, a mother of 6-year-old twins in Beijing, strongly supports labor education. For the past year, she has trained her daughters to do household chores and make simple dishes for the family.
“The main idea is to let them share responsibility as family members and become independent as they can,” said Liu. “Through doing housework, their hand-eye coordination（协调）, time management and organization skills can be trained and it’s also good to help them relax.”
Through such education, Liu said her twins have found fun in doing chores and are more independent.
1. What can students learn through labor education?a. How to plant vegetables.
b. How to raise chickens or ducks.
c. How to be more focused in class.
d. How to fix computer or fridges.
| A．abc | B．abd | C．bcd | D．acd |
| A．Why students should receive labor education. |
| B．What labor education was like in China in the past. |
| C．What types of labor education were included in the new standard. |
| D．How students find a balance between their study and labor tasks. |
| A．It’s too simple for students. | B．It isn’t fun enough for students. |
| C．It takes up too much of students’ free time. | D．It helps students develop different skills. |
| A．New courses for primary school students. |
| B．Labor education for primary and middle school students. |
| C．Ways to cultivate students’ social values. |
| D．New technologies used in primary and middle schools. |
“Colour” and “color”, “favourite” and “favorite”, … Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a “u”? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact, the difference in spelling was started by a teacher named Noah Webster. He changed English to make American identity(特征) stronger.
After the Revolutionary War(独立战争), Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary and that they shouldn’t rely on British ones. He took away the British “u” in some words. And he changed “centre” into “center” for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded. He used “subway” instead of(代替) British word “underground”. Some other words are “soccer” and “football”, “fall” and “autumn”.
Webster spent 28 years finishing the 70,000-word dictionary with his American-style spellings in 1828. He also brought in local words. Most American schools use his dictionary. People believe it helped a new country get unity(统一) and cultural independence(文化独立).
“He was the maker of our language and the maker of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is writing a book about Webster. “He at last brought us together through our language.”
1. Why do Americans spell some words without a “u”?| A．Because Americans are lazy enough to take it away. |
| B．Because American English changed when people used it. |
| C．Because the USA government(政府) changed the spelling of words. |
| D．Because a teacher named Noah Webster started the change in spelling. |
| A．It has local words in it. | B．It is a 70,000-word dictionary. |
| C．All the words are spelled without “u”. | D．Its words are in American-style spelling. |
| A．依赖 | B．改革 | C．容忍 | D．放弃 |
| A．It is only a dictionary that Americans still use today. |
| B．It brought Americans together through language and cultrue. |
| C．It wasn’t popular among Americans or Englishmen. |
| D．It made American English more useful than British English. |
| A．British English disappeared(消失) after the Revolutionary War. |
| B．Noah Webster changed English to make American identity stronger. |
| C．Noah Webster took away the British “u” in some words. |
| D．Noah Webster brought in local words to his dictionary. |
【推荐2】Parents usually don’t let their children cook. They think it’s dangerous for children to do it. However, scientists say that it’s good for children to do some easy work about cooking, such as doing the dishes and washing vegetables.
Cooking makes children smart.
In some cooking activities, children can choose and decide what things to put in a dish or how much salt to put in a dish. That’s a great way to make them think actively. At the same time, they can learn how to serve their friends by cooking themselves. They can also learn to eat healthily.
Cooking teaches children to feel how things change.
When helping cook in the kitchen, children can touch some different ingredients (食材) and they can also see how food changes by temperature. So it’s good for them to get life experience.
Cooking makes children confident (自信的).
When children learn to cook, they usually feel that they have grown up, and they can do something for their family members. Children can cook a great dinner to show their love. So, cooking is well worth (值得) learning.
Cooking teaches children cultures.
Cooking in one culture is quite different from that in another. When cooking different kinds of food, children can also learn about different cultures. Also, children can learn some traditional eating cultures by cooking.
1. Who thinks cooking is dangerous for children according to the text?| A．Scientists. | B．Teachers. | C．Doctors. | D．Parents. |
| A．the scientists | B．the parents | C．the children | D．the teachers |
| A．Cooking is good for children to get life experience. |
| B．Cooking is the best housework for children. |
| C．Children can grow tall and strong by cooking. |
| D．Cooking can help children buy food cheaply. |
| A．Cooking is a necessary subject for children. |
| B．Cooking is a way to make money. |
| C．Cooking is a kind of culture. |
| D．Cooking is a kind of sports. |
| A．How to make children cook. | B．Why children need to learn to cook. |
| C．How to cook well. | D．Who can help children learn to cook. |
【推荐3】Crop circles (麦田怪圈) are patterns in fields that appear overnight. At first, they were just some simple circles. Now the patterns have become very complicated (复杂的). From a plane, crop circles can look like a work of art outdoors.
Since the first crop circles were found in Britain in 1647, it has become a great mystery. How were these crop circles made? Who made them? What was the purpose of making them? Some scientists think that some of the crop circles might be man-made. They believe that thanks to modern technology, it is possible to create such complicated patterns in a short time.
However, others think that crop circles might be the work of some aliens. Because they often appear in areas shortly after there have been UFOs to be seen. They also think that the circles are so complicated that nobody on the earth is able to make a true crop circle.
Although different opinions about these crop circles have been expressed, one thing everybody agrees on is that these crop circles are valuable to the local economy (经济). Thousands of visitors come here to see crop circles every year.
1. When were the first crop circles found in Britain?| A．In 1647. | B．In 1967. | C．In 1976. | D．In 1987. |
| A．The crop circles might be man-made. |
| B．The crop circles often appear in areas where UFOs are seen. |
| C．The crop circles are valuable to the local economy. |
| D．The crop circles are made by aliens. |
| A．Now the patterns of crop circles have become very complicated. |
| B．Some scientists believe it is possible to create complicated patterns in a short time. |
| C．Some scientists think that crop circles might be the work of some aliens. |
| D．All the scientists think that crop circles can be made easily. |
