Question

【題目】Encouraging pupils to keep noise to a minimum should be a valuable part of all children’s education, according to a new research.

Dr. Helen Lees, from Stirling University’s school of education, says that “enforced (強制的) silence” is seen as a punishment and often acts to suppress children’s natural ability. But she says that teaching children about the benefits of “enforced silence” — deliberate stillness that gives them the opportunity to focus and reflect in a stress-free environment — can have a significant effect on pupils’ concentration and behaviour.

It is the latest in a string of researches to establish a link between the classroom environment and pupils’ academic ability.

A study almost a decade ago in London found that children’s exam results were cut by as much as a third if they taught in noisy classrooms. Teaching unions have also called for a limit of 26℃ to be put on classroom temperatures because teachers and pupils struggle to work in hot conditions and some educationalists claim that too much clutter(雜亂的東西) on classroom walls can prevent children from concentrating.

Dr. Lees said: “When we take some research on school settings and put it all together, what we see is that education without silence does not make much sense. In areas of better learning outcomes, better self-confidence and well-being measures, enforced silence in a person’s life and an individual’s education is shown throughout the relevant research to be a benefit.”

Dozens of schools across Britain already introduce periods of “reflective silence” into the timetable.

Kevin Hogston, head of Sheringdale Primary, south London, has just introduced a minute’s silence at the start of twice-weekly meetings in which children are taught breathing techniques and encouraged to reflect. The school plans to introduce it into classrooms every day.

【1】According to Dr. Helen Lees, “enforced silence” _____________.

A. is an effective way of punishment

B. does not make much sense in class

C. can improve pupils’ confidence

D. can make pupils more creative

【2】The underlined word, “suppress”, in the second paragraph probably means “_________”.

A. prevent something from developing

B. make something better than before

C. get something back

D. unite with something.

【3】What can be inferred from the research on school settings?

A. Students are more creative if taught in noisy classrooms.

B. Silence makes a great difference to pupils.

C. Clutter on the walls can help students concentrate.

D. Most schools are not satisfactory in terms of classroom temperatures.

【4】What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to arrange classroom settings.

B. How to achieve silence in class.

C. Encouraging pupils in class is beneficial.

D. Keeping quiet in class can improve academic ability.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】B

【4】D

【解析】研究表明強制的沉默是孩子教育的重要組成部分，它能提高學習成績，使孩子集中注意力。

【1】推理判斷題。根據(jù)第二段she says that teaching children about the benefits of “enforced silence” — deliberate stillness that gives them the opportunity to focus and reflect in a stress-free environment — can have a significant effect on pupils’ concentration and behaviour.可知Dr. Helen Lees認為強制的沉默能讓學生在沒有壓力的環(huán)境中集中注意力和思考——這對學生的注意力和行為有顯著的影響。故選C.

【2】猜測詞義題。句意：強制的沉默被視為一種懲罰手段，它常常被認為會抑制兒童的自然能力。劃線詞語“suppress”意為“抑制”指prevent something from developing，故選A.

【3】推理判斷題。根據(jù)第五段When we take some research on school settings and put it all together, what we see is that education without silence does not make much sense.可知對學校設(shè)置調(diào)查后發(fā)現(xiàn)沒有沉默的教育沒有多大意義，故選B.

【4】主旨大意題。文章首段Encouraging pupils to keep noise to a minimum should be a valuable part of all children’s education, according to a new research.提出了強制的沉默是孩子教育的重要組成部分。下文“enforced silence” ……can have a significant effect on pupils’ concentration and behaviour.和that education without silence does not make much sense.介紹了沉默教育的重要性，強制的沉默能提高學習成績，集中注意力。故選D.

概括主旨的方法是：先看首尾或各段開頭再看全文找主題句，若無明顯主題句，就通過關(guān)鍵詞句來概括(如議論文中尋找表達作者觀點態(tài)度的詞句，記敘文尋找概括情節(jié)和中心的動詞或反映人物特點的形容詞)。文中出現(xiàn)兩種或兩種以上的不同觀點時，務(wù)必牢記作者的觀點才是體現(xiàn)全文中心的。該文是介紹一個研究結(jié)果的，該類文章的中心一般就在第一段。因此，考生直接抓住第一段中的Encouraging pupils to keep noise to a minimum should be a valuable part of all children’s education, according to a new research得知強制的沉默是孩子教育的重要組成部分。