Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University scholar.
The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of class size over a period and for all levels of students. The study appears in the American Journal of Education.
He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education’s Instiute of Education Sciences that will give official advice on class size to the states. He said the advice will mirror his research: the best plan is to provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students) for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first grade.
“For a logn time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the benefits,” He said. “I don’t believe that. I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later.”
His research used data from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school. He found that students who had been in small classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than students who been in larger classes early on.
Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found. “But low-achievers benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap with high –achievers in science, reading and math, ” he said.
Although the study didn’t consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers.
“This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with more disadvantaged and low-performing students, ” he said.
【小题1】The professor argues about ________ .

A．the size of the class	B．the period of the class
C．the attention from teachers	D．the achievements of students

【小题2】The result of the research shows that _________.

A．small classes for one year in early grade are enough

B．continuous small classes help students achieve more

C．it’s best to attend small classes in kindergarten

D．small classes do equal good to students of all levels

【小题3】What can we infer from the passage?

A．High achievers will not benefit from small classes.

B．Continuous small classes have not been widely accepted.

C．Low-achievers should be separated from high-achievers.

D．Teachers’ attention matters less than classroom practices.

【小题4】The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

A．the gap between low and high achievers	B．continuous small classes
C．classroom practices in later grades	D．the Project Star Sturdy

Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University scholar.

The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of class size over a period and for all levels of students. The study appears in the American Journal of Education.

He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education’s Instiute of Education Sciences that will give official advice on class size to the states. He said the advice will mirror his research: the best plan is to provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students) for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first grade.

“For a logn time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the benefits,” He said. “I don’t believe that. I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later.”

His research used data from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school. He found that students who had been in small classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than students who been in larger classes early on.

Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found. “But low-achievers benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap with high –achievers in science, reading and math, ” he said.

Although the study didn’t consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers.

“This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with more disadvantaged and low-performing students, ” he said.

1.The professor argues about ________ .

A．the size of the class	B．the period of the class
C．the attention from teachers	D．the achievements of students

2.The result of the research shows that _________.

A．small classes for one year in early grade are enough

B．continuous small classes help students achieve more

C．it’s best to attend small classes in kindergarten

D．small classes do equal good to students of all levels

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A．High achievers will not benefit from small classes.

B．Continuous small classes have not been widely accepted.

C．Low-achievers should be separated from high-achievers.

D．Teachers’ attention matters less than classroom practices.

4.The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

A．the gap between low and high achievers	B．continuous small classes
C．classroom practices in later grades	D．the Project Star Sturdy

 

For all dinner tables, a glass of milk seems to be a must. At least it was when I was growing up. It is widely believed that milk is a must in building strong bones and teeth. There’s no doubt that dairy products, especially milk, are high in protein and calcium, and Vitamin D and Vitamin A are added to most milk products.

While it’s well known that our bones need calcium, some studies suggest that high calcium intake doesn’t necessarily lower a person’s risk for fractures（骨折）. A Harvard study found that people who drank two or more glasses of milk had no greater protection from breaking a bone than those who drank a glass or less a week.

There is no doubt that we need calcium. Some anti-dairy supporters claim dairy products can lead to heart disease. Much of this claim is based on high-fat dairy products, like cheese and cream, which may indeed lead to some health problems. Some studies have linked high milk intakes with a risk of prostate cancer; this seems also to be caused by high-fat dairy products, but not by dairy products in general.

Although milk has always been regarded as the most important thing we need for our bones, one of the most important things in strengthening bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis（骨质疏松）is weight-bearing exercise, such as jogging, walking, and weight lifting.

Perhaps we should think of dairy products as less like a nutrient and more like a food. If you like it, eat it. If not, find something else to eat. Some claims may not be completely true. When I eat cream, I’m not thinking about calcium, protein, or any such thing. I’m thinking it is delicious.

1.What is the best title for this passage?

A．Milk: is it really necessary for children?      B．The disadvantages of drinking milk.

C．Milk causes health problems.              D．Milk: is it really good for the body?

2.For people who want to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, we can infer that the writer may suggest that they ________.

A．avoid milk with Vitamin D and Vitamin A added

B．spend some time exercising

C．take in as much calcium as possible

D．drink more than two glasses of milk every day

3.Based on the passage, we learn the writer may agree that ________.

A．milk is the most important thing that we need for our bones

B．children should not be permitted to eat cream

C．milk should be considered more like a food than a nutrient

D．children should drink milk whether they like it or not

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Some dairy products may harm our health.

B．Milk has the highest level of protein of any food.

C．The writer seldom drank milk when he was young

D．People who drink milk every day are at a high risk of getting a heart disease.

 

A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors．

On one side stand those who see clothes dryers （干衣机） as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment．As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what–I –can–do environmentalism（环境保护主义）．”

On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at．They have persuaded Homeowners Associations （HOAs） access the U．S．to ban （禁止） outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood．This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines．

So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline．Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more．

Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious （有生态意识的） person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants．His family also uses a clothesline．But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline．The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard．“Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck．The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them．

North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do．But HOA and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods．They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall．

Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change．As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”．Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged．We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming．”

1．One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that____________．

       A．clothes dryers are more efficient

       B．clothesline drying reduces home value

       C．clothes dryers are energy-saving

       D．clothesline drying is not allowed in most U．S．states

2．Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

       A．He is a kind-hearted man．                  B．He is an impolite man．

       C．He is an experienced gardener．            D．He is a man of social responsibility．

3．Who are in favor of clothesline drying?

       A．housing businesses．                      B．Environmentalists．

       C．Homeowners Associations．                 D．Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors．

4．What is mainly discussed in the text?

       A．Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money．

       B．Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered．

       C．Opposite opinions on clothesline drying．

       D．Different varieties of clotheslines．

Of all the novels , I like this one _______ . It’s not worth reading at all.

A．most               B．best                 C．worst                            D．least