Tell the joke.

A teacher asks one student: “Why does a train run faster than a car?” The student answers: “Because it has more wheels than the car.”

Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs, teachers find students' posture (姿势) and attention improve.

Dottie Pownall, a fifth-grade teacher in West Virginia, USA, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. "The students love them", she says. Pownall took a survey of her students. She found that 80% of the students thought sitting on the balls helped them pay more attention to what they were learning.

The teacher, Pisa Witt, felt so strongly about the use of balls as chairs, she started Witt Fitt. This company encourages the use of the balls. And the company educates not only teachers but also students on how to use them. "Our products are used in 24 states, three provinces in Canada, Puerto Rico ('波多黎各) and Japan," says Witt. "Research shows that sitting on the balls makes them sit up straighter. You can slouch (低头垂肩地坐) on a ball," says Witt, "but it feels awful." Because the students are moving, their blood (血液) increases. That carries more oxygen (氧气 to the brain (大脑), so the kids have more energy and can focus longer.

"Furthermore, they're fun." says Pownali.

1. What will happen if a student sits on a chair all day in school? The student will _________.

A. pay more attention to his lessons                B. be fun

C. like to move around                         D. sit up straighter

2. How long has Dottie Pownall used the balls?

A. About three years.                       B. Only one year.

C. In 2008.                                 D. Since he was a fifth-grade teacher.

3. In how many countries are the balls used as the students' chairs?

A. Four.        B. Three.           C. Two.         D. One.

4.Teachers choose balls instead of chairs because sitting on balls helps the kids___________.

A. improve the students' posture and attention         B. slouch on the chairs

C. have fun                                    D. Both A and C are correct answers.

5.Which is better for kids to study in class, sitting on a chair or sitting on a ball?

 A. Sitting on a chair.     B. Sitting on a ball.

C. They are the same.    D. We don't know.

 

Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs, teachers find students' posture (姿势) and attention improve.
Dottie Pownall, a fifth-grade teacher in West Virginia, USA, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. "The students love them", she says. Pownall took a survey of her students. She found that 80% of the students thought sitting on the balls helped them pay more attention to what they were learning.
The teacher, Pisa Witt, felt so strongly about the use of balls as chairs, she started Witt Fitt. This company encourages the use of the balls. And the company educates not only teachers but also students on how to use them. "Our products are used in 24 states, three provinces in Canada, Puerto Rico ('波多黎各) and Japan," says Witt. "Research shows that sitting on the balls makes them sit up straighter. You can slouch (低头垂肩地坐) on a ball," says Witt, "but it feels awful." Because the students are moving, their blood (血液) increases. That carries more oxygen (氧气 to the brain (大脑), so the kids have more energy and can focus longer.
"Furthermore, they're fun." says Pownali.
【小题1】 What will happen if a student sits on a chair all day in school? The student will _________.

A．pay more attention to his lessons	B．be fun
C．like to move around	D．sit up straighter

【小题2】 How long has Dottie Pownall used the balls?

A．About three years.	B．Only one year.
C．In 2008.	D．Since he was a fifth-grade teacher.

【小题3】 In how many countries are the balls used as the students' chairs?

A．Four.

B．Three.

C．Two.

D．One.

【小题4】Teachers choose balls instead of chairs because sitting on balls helps the kids___________.

A．improve the students' posture and attention	B．slouch on the chairs
C．have fun	D．Both A and C are correct answers.

【小题5】Which is better for kids to study in class, sitting on a chair or sitting on a ball?

A．Sitting on a chair.	B．Sitting on a ball.
C．They are the same.	D．We don't know.

Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs, teachers find students' posture (姿势) and attention improve.
Dottie Pownall, a fifth-grade teacher in West Virginia, USA, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. "The students love them", she says. Pownall took a survey of her students. She found that 80% of the students thought sitting on the balls helped them pay more attention to what they were learning.
The teacher, Pisa Witt, felt so strongly about the use of balls as chairs, she started Witt Fitt. This company encourages the use of the balls. And the company educates not only teachers but also students on how to use them. "Our products are used in 24 states, three provinces in Canada, Puerto Rico ('波多黎各) and Japan," says Witt. "Research shows that sitting on the balls makes them sit up straighter. You can slouch (低头垂肩地坐) on a ball," says Witt, "but it feels awful." Because the students are moving, their blood (血液) increases. That carries more oxygen (氧气 to the brain (大脑), so the kids have more energy and can focus longer.
"Furthermore, they're fun." says Pownali.
【小题1】 What will happen if a student sits on a chair all day in school? The student will _________.

A．pay more attention to his lessons	B．be fun
C．like to move around	D．sit up straighter

【小题2】 How long has Dottie Pownall used the balls?

A．About three years.	B．Only one year.
C．In 2008.	D．Since he was a fifth-grade teacher.

【小题3】 In how many countries are the balls used as the students' chairs?

A．Four.

B．Three.

C．Two.

D．One.

【小题4】Teachers choose balls instead of chairs because sitting on balls helps the kids___________.

A．improve the students' posture and attention	B．slouch on the chairs
C．have fun	D．Both A and C are correct answers.

【小题5】Which is better for kids to study in class, sitting on a chair or sitting on a ball?

A．Sitting on a chair.	B．Sitting on a ball.
C．They are the same.	D．We don't know.

Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will, say "Yes". Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.
Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of schools bags being too heavy for them.
"It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy, "said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US.
Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps(带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling(有滚轮的)bags.
But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.
But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight(重量).
Scott Bautch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10 % . But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15 %, because their bodies are still growing. "Children are losing their balance(平衡) and falling down with their school bags, "he said.
Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.
One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!
【小题1】 From the passage we can know that      .

A．only children in China carry too heavy school bags

B．children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags

C．both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags

D．only children in the US carry too heavy school bags

【小题2】Children feel it hard for them to go upstairs because

A．they are too young

B．their school bags are too heavy

C．they don’t know how to go upstairs

D．their parents don’t always go upstairs with them together

【小题3】If a child carries a heavy school bag,        .

A．his back and neck will be hurt

B．his head and arms will be hurt

C．his hands will be hurt

D．his feet will be hurt

【小题4】According to the doctor, Scott Bautch, if a child in Grade 5 weighs(重) about 30 kilos, the school bag he carries should not be over               

A．5 kilos

B．3 kilos

C．5. 5 kilos

D．4, 5 kilos

【小题5】Some students think the best answer to his problems is that             . .

A．they should have a little homework to do after they get home

B．their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework

C．they should only take home library books they will read that night

D． they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones