When students walk into Jenny Umland's class, they don't automatically go to the same seat they sat in the day before. In her classroom at Riverdale Heights Elementary School, Lowenstein’s are allowed to sit wherever they want. Umland doesn't assign seats. In fact, she has done away with most of the regular desks and uses beach chairs, standing desks, and rocking chairs instead.
Riverdale Heights is one of a growing number of schools that have ditched assigned seats. Many teachers say letting kids choose where to sit helps them learn how to make good choices. Some teachers point out that students are often more comfortable speaking up when they're sitting near kids, they like the most.
“If kids are happy and comfortable, they are more willing to learn,” says Umland. After 19 years of teaching, she tried non-assigned seating for the first time this year. She says she'll never go back.
But not all teachers are ready to do away with their seating charts. Some say having assigned seats helps students focus on their work, instead of where they'll sit. One teacher from Texas thinks letting students sit wherever they want can create chaos. Assigned seating helps keep classrooms under control. Without specific seats to go to, students may argue over who gets to sit in the best spots. He often finds it hard to work in that environment. A more controlled classroom leads to better learning. Maybe what he says is reasonable. A 2012 study by Montana State University found that high school students did better on tests when a teacher assigned their seats.
A student, Jack, from Lowa, thinks he and his classmates should be comfortable when they learn. He says, “My teacher, Mrs. Umland, allows us to choose our own seats, and it's great! I used to be terrified of sitting in the same seat every day, which made me uncomfortable all over. Being allowed to sit wherever I want makes me more enjoyable, because I can sit where I'm most comfortably.” And Umland says, “The setup in my class helps kids get along better. If two students want to sit in the same spot, they have to talk it out and compromise”.
1.What do we know about Umland?
A.She insists on arranging regular desks.
B.She is strongly against non-assigned seating.
C.She has failed in teaching in the past 19 years.
D.She lets students in her class choose their own seats.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “ditched” in paragraph 2?
A.tried on B.looked forward to
C.got rid of D.prepared for
3.What does Jack think of the Umland's seat setup in her class?
A.It is cozy. B.It is terrifying.
C.It is controversial. D.It is uncomfortable.
4.What's the best title for the text?
A.What Role Do Students Play in Class?
B.Should Students Have Assigned Seats?
C.Students Are Required to Listen Carefully in Class
D.Assigned Seats in the Classroom Are Popular Now
Located in Los Angeles, University of Southern California is in the heart of a leading city. Although LA ranks highly in The Economist’s Safe Cities Index, navigating and city calls for certain safety precautions (预防措施) along with practicing common sense.
♦ Mobile Safety App Powered by LiveSafe
The Mobile Safety App powered by LiveSafe, manage by the USC Department of Public Safety and the USC Department of Emergency Planning, is a free downloadable app that mobile users can use to initiate contact with emergency responders around the campus. Features include: immediate “push button” calls to DPS, easy reporting for suspicious activity or crimes in progress, and location services to notify friends of your route through campus.
♦ Blue Light Phone Locations
The University Park has multiple blue light phones that are strategically placed throughout campus. Take note of where the closest ones are on your route. They come in handy in case you lose your phone or in an emergency. These phones are directly connected to USC’s Department of Public Safety’s 24-hour communications center. Besides emergency needs, it can also be used to report suspicious activity, request for an escort (护送) if you feel unsafe and to report a crime.
♦ Trojans Alert
Trojans Alert is an emergency notification system that allows university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message or email. When an emergency occurs, authorized USC senders will instantly notify you with real-time updates, instructions on where to go, what to do (or what not to do), whom to contact and other important information. All members of the USC community, as well as parents and regular visitors to campus, are strongly encouraged to sign up for Trojans Alert.
1.What do blue light phones do for students?
A.Guide students through campus.
B.Alert students to crime activities.
C.Light up the way if students feel unsafe.
D.Connect them with the safety department.
2.How does USC send out instructions during an emergency?
A.With blue light phones.
B.Via text message or email.
C.Through mobile safe app.
D.By calling all USC members.
3.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To encourage students to fight crime.
B.To introduce USC’s safety department.
C.To provide safety services for USC students.
D.To inform parents of safety risks on campus.
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Peter得知你寒假在家每天进行网络课程学习，对此很感兴趣。请给他写封邮件回复，内容包括：
1. 网络课程的内容；
2. 对网络课程的感受。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（Λ），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删减：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
It was a Sunday afternoon. My parents and I were watching TV excited when suddenly I spotted the pigeon on the balcony. It was a white pigeon with a ring around one of its foot. It rested there quietly, refuse to fly away. Realizing it must have been lost its way back home, I managed call the Pigeon Association up for help. In the same time, my parents brought the pigeon inside and gave it some bird food, what helped refresh it. Before long, the owner got the message but came to take the pigeon back. He thanked us a lot. My parents and I both felt happy for what we had done.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Eggs are great for breakfast and can1.(cook) in different ways. One topic of debate, however, is why brown chicken eggs usually cost more than white ones. According to Sharman Hickman, the director of community outreach and education for Hickman's Family Farms, it's first important to know the reason2.chickens have various egg colors.
The chicken breed(品种) and their genetics decide whether hens possess pigment genes, the natural chemical during the egg laying process that coats the egg and results3.a colored shell. Hens who produce colored eggshells tend to be4.(large) and require more feed and energy5.(create) that painted layer. Since those breeds cost more to feed, their eggs6.(be) more expensive.
Although eggs sometimes look and are priced7.(different) , it's important to know the color of the eggshell is related to the breed of the hen, not the egg's nutrient content, flavor profile,8.shell thickness, according to Malina Linkas Malkani, media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “9.(choose) between brown and white eggs is a matter of personal10.(prefer) ,” she says. Whatever you prefer, don't judge an egg by its shell color.
Curtis Whitson, a regular rafter(漂流者), was trapped at the top of a waterfall with his son, Hunter.
This year,________snow and spring rains had turned the usually manageable falls into something________. Telling from the increasing sound of water, Whitson knew there was no way to go down the rocks as________.
They had no cell service, and they hadn't seen a________person in the past three days. As Whitson was thinking about what to do, he heard________coming from the other side of the waterfall. He________, but the sound of the rushing water________his cry.
“We have to get these people a________,” Whitson thought. Meanwhile, he grabbed his water bottle and pulled out his pocket knife to________“Help!” on it. Hunter found a pen and paper to write a note. Then Whitson________threw the bottle over the waterfall. But he________no response for a long time.
With no reasonable________that their message in a bottle would find its way to anyone, they had another________: They spelled out SOS in white rocks. As the evening wore on, they________a flashing headlamp aside so that it could be seen from overhead. Soon after, they heard a________coming with the________words: “This is Search and Rescue. You have been found.” After________the helicopter, they got the whole story that two hikers________the bottle and handed it to the campground.
This________rafting made Whitson and his son realize that with strong faith we will get a stone of________out of the mountain of despair(绝望).
1.A.permanent B.frozen C.heavy D.soft
2.A.fierce B.small C.unique D.splendid
3.A.tracked B.ordered C.presented D.planned
4.A.responsible B.single C.helpful D.skilled
5.A.news B.sigh C.voices D.advice
6.A.complained B.cheered C.struggled D.yelled
7.A.stopped B.covered C.strengthened D.answered
8.A.call B.notice C.message D.warning
9.A.strike B.carve C.sign D.form
10.A.perfectly B.quietly C.casually D.repeatedly
11.A.received B.showed C.made D.required
12.A.decision B.arrangement C.choice D.expectation
13.A.throw B.trouble C.tool D.try
14.A.placed B.pushed C.deserted D.dropped
15.A.car B.helicopter C.person D.ship
16.A.crazy B.grateful C.magic D.gentle
17.A.searching B.spotting C.following D.boarding
18.A.glanced at B.picked up C.looked for D.dug out
19.A.unusual B.exciting C.normal D.pleasant
20.A.success B.scare C.hope D.misfortune
