文章大意：这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了马里兰州巴尔的摩市专门为患有自闭症和其他残障的学生设计了一家游乐场，旨在帮助他们学习、成长和获得独立性，使他们能够更好地融入社会并提高生活质量。
10 . At first look, the playground at the Children’s Guild-Transformation Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, looks like any other. It has swings, slides, and places for children to climb and crawl. But the playground is not just a place for fun. It is also a place where students can learn, grow and gain independence. Everything — from the kind of surface it sits on, to the color of its sitting areas, to the placement of the surrounding fence — is specifically designed for kids with autism (自闭症).
Mark Rapaport is the managing director of autism services at the Transformation Academy. He told VOA Learning English the school accepts students aged 5 to 21 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are lower- functioning.
Rapaport said the goal of Transformation Academy is to make the students as independent as possible in an effort to help them prepare for adult life. The school aims to provide help with developing communication and social skills, as well as practical abilities like cleaning or cooking.
“The playground, designed by Maryland company Sparks@Play, using structures manufactured by Landscape Structures, Inc., took months to develop,” said Dan Hack. He works for Sparks@Play and helped lead the playground’s design. Hack said he and others spent weeks getting to know the students and understanding their needs before any building was started. The design process involved physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specialists. The $500,000 project was funded with support from the state of Maryland and the nonprofit Orokawa Foundation.
Parts of the playground that seem small are very important for children with autism and other disabilities. The surrounding fence extends into a wooded area to make it seem more open, And the ground under the play areas is made of soft, but solid materials to support students using wheelchairs or crutches. The benches on the outside of the playground look simple from far away, but are “one of our most inclusive sensory” elements, Hack said. They have many different colors that bring about feelings of calm and curiosity. They are also made with smooth material that can be felt and moved. The academy’s Rapaport said if a child starts to feel uneasy, they can sit down and feel the bench, which can help them relax.
1. Why is the playground at the Transformation Academy different from any other?
| A．It has equipment and places for kids to climb and crawl. |
| B．Kids can become healthy mentally and physically in the playground. |
| C．Only students aged 5 to 21 are allowed to play in the playground. |
| D．It is designed with special materials for ASD kids. |
2. What does the Transformation Academy intend to do?
| A．Provide practical life skills for students with ASD. |
| B．Teach students with ASD to exercise gradually. |
| C．Help students with ASD get ready for their adulthood. |
| D．Sharpen the communication skills of students with ASD. |
3. How did Sparks@Play design the playground?
| A．By launching a fundraising campaign in the state of Maryland. |
| B．By figuring out and considering students’ special needs at first. |
| C．By decreasing the size of the playground to ensure students’ safety. |
| D．By asking specialists to gather advice from students and teachers. |
4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．The surrounding fence is made of wooden materials. |
| B．The ground under the play areas avoids the falling of students. |
| C．The benches can relieve students’ stress and nervousness. |
| D．The playground is small but open enough for students. |
