1 . My 21-year-old niece, a second-year undergraduate, mentioned that she watches video lectures offline at twice the normal speed. Struck by this, I asked some other students I know. Many now routinely speed up their lectures when learning offline — often by 1.5 times, sometimes by even more. Speed learning is not for everyone, but there are websites where students discuss how odd it will be once they return to the lecture theatre. One contributor wrote: “Normal speed now sounds like drunk speed.”
Education was adapting to the digital world long before Covid-19 but, as with so many other human activities, the pandemic has given learning a huge push towards the virtual. Overnight, schools and universities closed and teachers and students had to find ways to do what they do only via the internet. “This is a time for schools and systems to reimagine education without schooling or classrooms,” says Professor Yong Zhao. Dr Jim Watterston in Australia thinks that, while the traditional classroom is still alive and well, education needs to be more adventurous and flexible. Earlier this year, Zhao and Watterston co-authored a paper in which they identified some major changes that should happen in education post-lockdown.
The first concerns the content, which should emphasize such things as creativity, critical thinking and leadership, rather than the collection and storage of information. “For humans to progress in the age of smart machines, it is essential that they do not compete with machines.”, they wrote, “Instead, they need to be more human.”
The second is that students should have more control over their learning, with the teacher’s role shifting from instructor to supervisor of learning resources, advisor and motivator. This is where so-called “active learning” comes in with a growing body of research suggesting that comprehension and memory are better when students learn in a hands-on way — through discussion and interactive technologies, for example. It’s also where the concept of “productive failure” applies. Professor Manu Kapurin argues that students learn better from their own or others’ failed attempts to solve a problem before or even instead of being told how to solve it.
If the progress of the times is unable to hold back the coming revolution in education, it seems unlikely that the traditional classroom is going to have any luck in its attempts trying to turn back the clock. As Laurillard puts it, “It took a global pandemic to drive home what we’ve been saying for 20 years.”
1. By giving examples of “speed learning” in the first paragraph, the author wants to show that _________.| A．digital world is dramatically reforming the way of learning. |
| B．speed learning completely replaces normal speed learning. |
| C．returning to the lecture theatre is strange after speed learning. |
| D．education begins to adapt to digital world after Covid-19. |
| A．It is essential for smart machines to be more human. |
| B．Students should possess more information about creativity. |
| C．Students value others’ failure over their own failure. |
| D．“Active learning” calls for diverse ways of involvement. |
①learning mode ②learning motive ③learning attitude ④learning focus
| A．①④ | B．②③ | C．①③ | D．②④ |
| A．Speed learning harms students’ learning efficiency. |
| B．The coming revolution in education is irreversible. |
| C．Teachers will play a less important role in the future. |
| D．The traditional classrooms will eventually disappear. |
A Montessori Education
There are now at least 60,000 schools across the world using the Montessori method. There are different kinds of Montessori schools, but certain fundamental principles have remained the same.
One is the idea of teachers encouraging the children to complete the activities with as little adult involvement as possible. Take the Ecoscuola Montessori on the Italian island of Sicily. At the school, there is a subject called “Practical Life”. It involves real-life practical tasks, such as serving drinks to their classmates. For safety, teachers would take charge of boiling the water, but the children would play active roles in cleaning the work surface and then presenting the drinks to others. “During breakfast and lunch, they are also self-directed, taking it in turns to lay the table and serve their classmates,” says Miriam Ferro, the headteacher of Ecoscuola.
The method encourages not only independence, but also cooperation. Children of different ages are taught in the same classroom, so that the six-year-olds, for example, can help the three-year-olds. In addition, each session is three hours long so as to allow the children to bury themselves in what they are doing. The learning materials are also designed for being handled and explored with all the senses. For example, letters and numbers are made of sandpaper, which the child can trace with their finger.
This concept may sound sensible. But does it bring about any tangible (实际的) benefits, beyond those seen in a typical classroom?
Angeline Lillard, a professor of psychology, found some benefits for children’s development while looking at a Montessori school in Milwaukee, in the United States. Analyzing their progress at age five, she found that the children tended to have better literacy, numeracy, executive function and social skills, compared to those who had attended the other schools. And at age 12, they showed better story-telling abilities.
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3 . A baby born today will be thirty-something in 2050. If all goes well, that baby will still be around in 2100, and might even be an active citizen of the 22nd century. What should we teach that baby to help them survive and flourish in the world of 2050 and beyond? What kind of skills will they need in order to get a job, understand what is happening around them, and navigate their tough life?
At present, too many schools across the world focus on providing pupils with a set of predetermined skills, such as writing computer code in C++ and conversing in Chinese. Yet since we have no idea how the world and the job market will look in 2050, we don’t really know what particular skills people will need. We might invest a lot of effort in teaching kids how to write in C++ or to speak Chinese, only to discover sooner or later that AI will have been able to code software far better than humans, and that a new translation app will have enabled you to conduct a conversation in almost flawless Mandarin, Cantonese or Hakka, even though you only know how to say ni hao.
So what should we be teaching? Many experts argue that schools should downplay technical skills and emphasize general-purpose life skills: the ability to deal with change, to learn new things, and to preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations. In order to keep up with the world of 2050, you will above all need to reinvent yourself again and again.
To succeed in such a demanding task, you will need to work very hard on getting to know your operating system better—to know what you are and what you want from life. This is, of course, the oldest advice in the book: know thyself. This advice was never more urgent than in the mid-21st century, because unlike in the days of Laozi or Socrates, now you have serious competition. Coca-Cola, Amazon and Facebook are all racing to hack you.
Right now, the algorithms (算法) are watching where you go, what you buy, and who you meet. Soon they will monitor all your steps, breaths and heartbeats. They are relying on big data and machine learning to get to know you better and better. And once these algorithms know you better than you know yourself, they could control and manipulate (操纵) you. In the end, authority will shift to them.
Of course, you might be perfectly happy giving up all authority to the algorithms and trusting them to make decisions for you and for the rest of the world. If, however, you want to maintain some control over your personal existence and over the future of life in general, you have to run faster than the algorithms. To run fast, don’t take much luggage with you. Leave all your illusions (幻想) behind. They are very heavy.
1. What does the underlined word “downplay” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?| A．Give too much emphasis on something. |
| B．Make people think that something is less important. |
| C．Offer your reasons why something is right or wrong. |
| D．Decide something in advance so that it does not happen. |
| A．imagination | B．adaptability | C．self-discipline | D．a good sense of balance |
| A．if we don’t, algorithms will hack all our devices. |
| B．it is an essential skill for us to succeed in the world of 2050. |
| C．we need to learn how algorithms work and make full use of them. |
| D．we need to outrun algorithms to keep some control over our personal life. |
| A．the importance of knowing yourself |
| B．the threats and dangers of technology |
| C．what kind of skills we might need in the future |
| D．some potential benefits algorithms would bring to humankind |
4 . Ajay Gupta suffered from polio (小儿麻痹症) when he was six months old. However, seeing his father and grandfather run businesses aroused a deep sense of curiosity within Ajay to explore entrepreneurship.
While sending his daughter to playschool, he realized there was a gap in the quality of education provided. That’s when the idea of starting a playschool chain struck him. He launched Bachpan Play School in 2004 using his personal savings. Starting with one branch in Delhi, today the school has scaled up to 1,100 branches across India.
According to Ajay, what is unique about Bachpan’s story is the impact it has been able to create across Tier Il and Tier III cities in India. “Education institutes seem crowded in big cities, but when you move away from them, the case is different,” says Ajay. Furthermore, in the smaller cities, many schools were established around 40 years ago, and they lacked quality.
Ajay did not set out to penetrate (渗透) Tier II and Tier III cities exactly. His mission was to make preschool education more accessible and standardized. “I did not want Bachpan Play School to be a place where you send your kid for two months,” he says. “We made clear guidelines for teachers and syllabuses (教学大纲) for the kids monthly and annually.” Ajay adds that the particular curriculum, design, books, and well-thought-out strategy along with professional training are what shapes the core of Bachpan Play School chain.
As offline classes shifted to online ones during the pandemic, Ajay’s company launched Bachpan Live platform in April 2020. It also launched Bachpan Live app to offer live classes, online books, and more.
Since its launch, the platform has witnessed about 65,000 downloads. Ajay says, “The team has to consistently work towards improving the platform as parents of today have become very demanding. You cannot sell them anything. They want to see quality programs.”
1. What did Ajay realize when he sent his daughter to playschool?| A．There was a gap between his daughter and him. |
| B．His daughter was not satisfied with her playschool. |
| C．He could make a big profit by running a playschool. |
| D．Some children couldn’t have access to quality education. |
| A．It is not very competitive in big cities. |
| B．It is specially designed for disabled children. |
| C．It is financially supported by the government. |
| D．It has improved education quality in small cities. |
| A．He employed experienced teachers. |
| B．He designed a two-month course for kids. |
| C．He made preschool education more formal. |
| D．He stressed the role of preschool education in society. |
| A．Meet parents’ expectations. |
| B．Invite kids to attend online classes. |
| C．Replace offline classes in the future. |
| D．Share more books and classes online. |
5 . Parents and teachers worry about the loss of learning caused by the COVID-19 and want to catch up immediately. But it’s unrealistic to think that a few months will fully close the gaps.
Educators tend to underestimate the importance of knowledge, as though rote (死记硬背) teaching harms teaching higher-order thinking. But science shows otherwise. The processes that teachers care about most, like critical thinking, are closely interconnected with factual knowledge stored in long-term memory. Yet we continue to romanticize an impossible shortcut: teaching critical thinking as if it were a universally applicable skill.
Take the subject of reading, which schools see as thinking skills that can be taught directly: I will teach students what an inference is. Actually, students make inferences when they can read fluently and have the vocabulary and background knowledge to name what is unsaid.
Educators also often underestimate memory. Cognitive (认知的) scientist Paul Kirschner argues that building memory is “the aim of all teaching” and that “if nothing has changed in long-term memory, nothing has been learned”. At the end of a lesson, if students appear to understand an idea, their teacher may think, “Great, they really understand the point.” But if weeks later, the students forget it, learning has not really occurred.
Finally, we must consider students’ emotional needs. Belonging is one of the most profound (深切的) human emotions. Consider a classroom in which students are socialized to comment: “I agree with Cassidy and want to provide another example.” That conveys to Cassidy that her comments were meaningful. This would also be achieved if, when Cassidy is speaking, her classmates are looking at her, nodding and sending positive nonverbal social signals that they value her words. Only peers can provide this sense of belonging, but teachers can cultivate the environment.
All in all, if we want to benefit students, we must ground our teaching in the science that value knowledge and memory, and the role that belonging plays in students’ study.
1. What can we know about critical thinking according to the passage?| A．It can be taught directly. | B．It is gradually formed. |
| C．It is deeply rooted in reading. | D．It is universally applicable. |
| A．When students perform well in class activities. |
| B．When students understand what has been taught. |
| C．When students achieve changes in long-term memory. |
| D．When students start to forget unnecessary information. |
| A．Nonverbal social signals matters in class. |
| B．Being sociable in the classroom is important. |
| C．Students should support each other in class discussions. |
| D．Classrooms are where the feeling of belonging is developed. |
| A．To urge schools to teach more knowledge. |
| B．To show concern about the influence of COVID-19. |
| C．To promote higher-order thinking like critical thinking. |
| D．To suggest a scientific way to catch up the loss of learning. |
Primary schools now attach great importance to labor education, advocating students to do activities such as cooking, making handicrafts
Xue Youmei, a Grade 3 student, spent the winter holiday in Guangxi. Everything about village life was novel to Xue who was used
For Yang Liqiao, a Grade 6 student, the past winter holiday gave her
At the same time, some schools in China also assigned specialized homework during the winter vacation to let students enjoy play-based learning. Some students
7 . One morning, my four-year-old daughter and I were getting ready to leave the house when she suddenly yelled “Idiot!” right at me. As I processed the word, I noticed she was upset. Tears streamed down her face as she half whispered and half yelled “you are an IDIOT Mama.” Total silence followed as we looked at each other. We were staring at each other for so long, and I nearly forgot to breathe out, and in again. Idiot. How could my daughter call me an idiot?
There are many behaviors that really push parents’ buttons. Disrespectful, rude words tend to top the list. The wrong response to such rude remarks is often a serious warning. But I didn’t offer any serious remarks.
I realized that my daughter’s intention wasn’t to disrespect me. She was expressing the disconnection. And punishment doesn’t solve disconnection. It creates more of it. Her choice of word said it all. She was annoyed. She sensed the stress. I needed to hear her. I was being careless. I was the one being rude to her.
So, why punish our children when they need guidance? We must know the words we use matter, and become our children’s words too. The words include those we use to handle emotional overload. Idiot is a word I regretfully must admit to using when I’m extremely annoyed. Not at my children, but yes, they have heard me say it. So, instead of punishing my daughter for misbehavior, I chose to focus on her real message: Idiot means that “Mom, you are stressing me out!”.
No blame. No punishment for honest feelings. No criticizing her choice of words. Just focus on our relationship. I admitted my ignoring her, and we hugged and kissed each other. I walked into her play school with interest and was ready to see all her current projects.
Don’t be afraid to focus on your relationship, to show kindness, and to model forgiveness. Don’t be afraid to look beyond misbehavior, find the true message and trust the power of connection.
1. After hearing her daughter’s words, the author ________.| A．lost her temper | B．gave her a warning |
| C．couldn’t believe it | D．had a talk with her |
| A．Cheer parents up. | B．Make parents annoyed. |
| C．Follow parents’ advice. | D．Distract parents’ attention. |
| A．calm and considerate | B．brave and tolerant |
| C．sensitive but overprotective | D．intelligent but bad-tempered |
| A．To settle conflicts between parents and children. |
| B．To explain why children disrespect their parents. |
| C．To encourage readers to express their true feelings. |
| D．To suggest a positive response to children’s misbehavior. |
8 . On Mondays, two of my children get ready for school in an unusual way. Each packs plenty of food and water, a pair of rubber boots and sometimes a cup of hot chocolate. Then, I drop them off at a nearby park where they spend the entire day outside at a certified forest school.
When I first signed them up for forest school program, I loved the idea, but as a mum, I was concerned about a few things: Would they be comfortable outside for that long? Would they stay engaged for that many hours? Then I asked them if time ever seemed to move slowly, they stared at me in confusion. They didn’t understand my question, which fittingly removed it.
In this program, kids direct their own play, climbing tall trees or testing ice on the frozen lake. They are never told their play is too high or too sharp, but are rather trusted to self- adjust. Something else my sons appreciate about forest school is not being told to move on to the next activity, but being left to stay in a particular spot for as long as their curiosity allows. :
“What about all the things they’re missing in real school?” concerned parents have asked me. Neither of their classroom teachers thinks it’s a problem, but most significantly, my kids are learning new and different skills that a classroom cannot teach. They are learning to sit silently and observe nature up close-a skill that’s virtually impossible to develop in a noisy and overcrowded classroom setting. They are making social connections across a broader range of age groups. They cooperate together, using their different sizes and strengths to fulfill various roles within their games.
I appreciate it that forest school is shaping my boys’ relationship with the outdoors. They’re learning how to spend extended periods of time in nature, what to do to pass the time, and developing knowledge that will get them much closer to nature in the coming decades.
1. What is special about the forest school program?| A．Teachers engage in kids’ play. | B．Kids play and learn outdoors. |
| C．It focuses on nature protection. | D．It offers various food and drinks. |
| A．Awkward. | B．Concerned. | C．Relieved. | D．Proud. |
| A．The concerns caused by the program. |
| B．The benefits gained from role plays. |
| C．The skills acquired by children. |
| D．The games loved by teachers. |
| A．Nature: a wonderland for the young |
| B．Forest school program proves a hit |
| C．Parks are replacing traditional schools |
| D．Forest school: a fine place for my kids |
9 . Every year, thousands of teenagers participate in programs at their local art museums. But do any of them remember their time at museum events later in life? A new report suggests that the answer is yes — and finds that arts-based museum programs are credited with changing the course of alumni’s (毕业生的) lives, even years after the fact.
The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles recently asked researchers to conduct a study to find out how effective their long-standing teen art programs really are. They involved over 300 former participants of four programs for teens that have been in existence since the 1990s. Alumni, whose current ages range from 18 to 36, were invited to find out how they viewed their participation years after the fact.
Among the alumni surveyed, 75 percent of them thought the teen art program experience had the most favorable impact on their own lives, beating the family, school and their neighborhoods. Nearly 55 percent thought that it was one of the most important experiences they had ever had, regardless of age. And two-thirds said that they were often in situations where their experience in museums affected their actions or thoughts.
It turns out that participating in art programs also helps keep teens keen about culture even after they reach adulthood: Ninety-six percent of participants had visited an art museum within the last two years, and 68 percent had visited an art museum five or more times within the last two years. Thirty-two percent of alumni work in the arts as adults.
Though the study is the first of its kind to explore the impact of teen-specific art programs in museums, it reflects other research on the important benefits of engaging with the arts. A decade of surveys by the National Endowment for the Arts found that the childhood experience with the arts is significantly associated with people’s income and educational achievements as adults. Other studies have linked arts education to everything from lower dropout rates to improvement in critical thinking skills.
1. What is the main function of paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To propose a definition. |
| C．To provide the background. | D．To present the subject. |
| A．To change the course of alumni’s lives. |
| B．To introduce the art museums. |
| C．To explore the impact of teen art programs. |
| D．To invite people to participate in the art programs. |
| A．Students are more influenced by the family and school. |
| B．Teen art programs in museums are highly beneficial. |
| C．Many teens fail to realize the great value of art programs. |
| D．Most experiences in museums are boring for today’s teens. |
| A．They are intended to attract more adults. |
| B．They are designed to support art museums. |
| C．They create adults who are culturally aware. |
| D．They provide many job opportunities for adults. |
| A．All prove the good effects of art education. |
| B．All suggest the need to improve museum programs. |
| C．All show the growing popularity of art programs. |
| D．All focus on the link between art and education. |
Morning or night? Which time of day do you enjoy the most and are more mentally alert?
Early birds or morning larks (云雀), as you can guess, are morning people. They have more energy in the morning and are happy to greet the day.
Night owls are the opposite of morning larks. These people have
While all birds
People
Though it may be challenging. start your morning with as much light as possible. Open the curtains. Turn on the lights. See what
To make the change from owl to lark you need to be consistent and rise early every day. Don’t work hard to rise early during the week only
For the night owls out there, hopefully these tips
