1 . Middle school students in Valdosta are learning the importance of agriculture.
Lowndes County Extension agent (代理人) Joshua Dawson, helped seventh-grade students attending J. L. Newbern Middle School build raised bed plant boxes to grow crops. Dawson’s work with the school gardens began in 2014 as a part of the Valdosta School Garden and Orchard Project. Through support from local businesses and members of the community, it is used to introduce Valdosta elementary and middle school students to gardening and agriculture.
Some of the crops grown in the gardens include sweet potatoes, collards, carrots and kale. The harvested (收获的) produce is served by the schools’ dining rooms during lunch and students are allowed to take produce home depending on the harvest size.
Helping Dawson with the gardens are members of the local Master Gardener program. With his daily responsibilities as a County Extension agent, Dawson depends heavily on their support. “Without the Master Gardeners, I don’t know if any of this would be possible. They look after the gardens and work with the teachers more closely than I, and provide necessary feet on the ground for a lot of things,” Dawson said.
At the beginning, the students expressed worries about working in the garden, but Dawson said those doubts disappeared quickly. “I like watering the plants and working with the soil” said Anthony Aikens, a seventh-grader Anthony, who said his favorite subject is science, wants to be a zoologist or a full-time gardener when he grows up.
Dr Elena Ponder, principal of J. L. Newbern Middle School, said this project has attracted many students. She said working in the garden provides students with a cross-curriculum (交叉课程) where they apply different skills to solve problems. “Once you plant a garden, you have to attend to that garden. That shows you have the work ethic (职业道德), patience and time to put into something. That will translate into work-related skills they can apply to jobs in the future,” she said.
1. What is the purpose of the Valdosta School Garden and Orchard Project?| A．To serve students healthy lunches with home-grown vegetables. |
| B．To share the latest agricultural information with local farmers. |
| C．To let students know more about gardening and farming. |
| D．To build new school gardens in Valdosta. |
| A．By introducing him to Dr. Elena Ponder. |
| B．By helping him take care of the gardens. |
| C．By training him in gardening. |
| D．By raising money for him. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uninterested. | D．Hopeful. |
| A．It has changed public opinion on the agricultural industry. |
| B．It is beneficial to students’ future development. |
| C．It took up too much of students’ study time. |
| D．It needs more public attention |
2 . The world celebrates Earth Day every year on April 22. But one school in Potomac, Maryland tries to honour Earth Day every day. Very young children are learning about the environment and taking action to show their love for the Earth.
A child’s world is the world of playing. They love being outside in the open air, playing hide-and-seek, sliding and swinging on playground equipment. But children at St. James Children’s School also add to that fun by picking up rubbish in the school yard. Inside, they learn to save water and electricity. They also recycle and reuse the waste. And every spring they get the soil ready to plant flowers and vegetables in the school garden.
The children at St. James range from six weeks to six years old. The environmental study begins at age two. Rebecca Boker teaches the children the importance of taking care of the Earth. Boker says every day at St. James is Earth Day. She mentioned some books, which contain materials that ask children to do something to help the environment and protect the Earth.
At St. James, children observe the growth of plants from seeds to sprouts (新芽) in cups kept in the classroom. Then they watch the plants continue to grow after placing them in the garden.The students also observe the life cycle of insects. After that, they know it is their job to respect the Earth just like they want others to respect their home.
But do these young children really get the message that their teachers try to communicate? Ms. Boker says yes. A few days later, the kids at St. James will go out to the school garden for the yearly clean-up. But for them, Earth Day will continue for the schooldays ahead as well.
1. What can we know about the children at St. James Children’s School?| A．They learn to save water and electricity at home. |
| B．They often go out to pick up rubbish in the street. |
| C．They are not allowed to use playground equipment. |
| D．They can help prepare the soil to plant flowers and vegetables. |
| A．To help the children write better reports. |
| B．To let the children enjoy the growth of life. |
| C．To enrich the children’s knowledge of agriculture. |
| D．To teach the children the importance of respecting the Earth. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Positive. | C．Proud. | D．Anxious. |
| A．Children’s love and respect for life. |
| B．The protection of the environment. |
| C．Earth Day at St. James Children’s School. |
| D．The celebration of Earth Day in schools. |
3 . It was August in the US，and the school year had just started，when one parent received an unexpected phone call.
Stacie Dunn had been called to Woodford County High School because her teenage daughter had been caught going against the dress rules. But the offense left Dunn shocked.
She arrived to find her daughter in a set of pretty ordinary clothes：a cardigan，a tank top and jeans. The trouble，administrators indicated，lay with her daughter's exposed collarbone (锁骨)．Bare shoulders and naked collarbones are illegal under Woodford County High School's dress rules. Students who break these rules can receive detention (the punishment of being kept at school for a time after school)—or after multiple violations (违纪)，be prevented from going to school entirely.
Dunn was very shocked and angry.“Parents are being called away from their important jobs，and students are missing important class time because they are showing their collarbones，” she wrote on the social media site Facebook，attaching a picture of her daughter in the offending clothes.“Something needs to change！”
Dress rules vary by school districts and are often decided by teachers and school administrators. Yoga pants and skinny jeans are banned. Certain dress rules also require kneelength pants and skirts.
Some school administrators argue they are simply supporting having a professional standard of dress to prepare their students for their future careers. But others have told students that their clothes present a “distraction” to others.
Certain schools have chosen to reevaluate their dress rules，with input from parents and students. Even Woodford County High School—home of the “collarbone” ban—is reconsidering its policies this month. But，at least for now，the dress rule debate is far from over.
1. Why was Stacie Dunn called to Woodford County High School?| A．Her daughter went to school with bare shoulders. |
| B．Her daughter broke her collarbone. |
| C．Her daughter broke the dress rules of the school. |
| D．Her daughter received detention. |
| A．Skinny jeans | B．Long skirts. |
| C．Yoga pants. | D．Short pants. |
| A．She wasn't in favor of what the school did. |
| B．She turned to Facebook for help. |
| C．She bought a standard dress for her daughter. |
| D．She accused the school of wasting her time. |
| A．the debate between parents and students will never be over |
| B．few schools will take measures to change their policy |
| C．the problem of “clothes distractions” will last |
| D．the argument on what to wear and how to dress will continue |
