Question

Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, “In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence”. Given that this is the case, why aren’t students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?

First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.

Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决): stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, name­ calling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.

After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy (策略) for conflict resolution: listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non­threatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.

Finally, students need to consider what they are bearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these：How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual（彼此共同的）solution.

There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.

1.This article is mainly about ________.

A. the lives of school children

B. the cause of arguments in schools

C. how to analyze youth violence

D. how to deal with school conflicts

2.From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ________.

A. violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime

B. a small conflict can lead to violence

C. students tend to lose their temper easily

D. the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight

3.Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?

A. To find out who is to blame.

B. To get ready to try new things.

C. To make clear what the real issue is.

D. To figure out how to stop the shouting match.

4.The writer’s purpose for writing this article is to ________.

A. complain about problems in school education

B. teach students different strategies for school life

C. advocate teaching conflict management in schools

D. inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文属于说明文，文章介绍了在学校中一些小矛盾会给学生带来很多的问题，故要对学生处理这种冲突的技能要进行教育。

1.D 主旨大意题。根据文章2-4段首句First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决): stay calm. After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy (策略) for conflict resolution: listening. Finally, students need to consider what they are bearing.可知本文主要介绍的是如何处理校园中的冲突的四个步骤。故D项正确。

2.B 推理判断题。根据本段第二句A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult.可知在学校中的学生冲突都是由一些小事情引起的。故B项正确。

3.C 推理判断题。根据第五段第三句It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish.可知我们要让学生明白真正的问题是什么以及双方想要得到什么样的目的。所以才会让学生问那些问题。故C项正确。

4.

【名师点睛】

本文5. sentence）或主旨大意(main idea)的概括：

一篇文章一般表达一个中心内容或主题。这个中心内容或主题通常用一个句子来概括。此句叫做主题句。一般来说，说明文和议论文都有主题句，而且多位于文章的开头，有时也位于文章的中间或末尾。但有时不能在文中直接找到主题句，要求读者把握每段的主题句，弄清段于段之间逻辑关系的基础上自己归纳总结。主题句必须能简洁明了地概括全文的主要内容，具有高度的综合性和概括性。文章或段落的其他句子都是对主题句的进一步解释,说明,论证或扩展. 常见的主题句和主旨型题干：

1) What is the topic sentence of the passage?

2) This article/text/passage mainly tells that _____________.

3) Which of the following gives a general idea of the passage?

4) Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

Joshua Bingham studied 4 years at the University of Paris and decided to leave his graduation. He transferred to the University of Berlin and graduated with honors. Harvard Law School and, later, Boston College provided him with an excellent legal background. He is presently a corporation lawyer in Miami, Florida.

Q: What is the main idea of the passage?

A. How Joshua Bingham became a lawyer.

B. Bingham is a diligent student.

C. Joshua Bingham received an excellent education.

D. A good lawyer needs good education.

【解题思路】 此文没有主题句。全篇共四句，只陈述了四个细节(detail)性的事实。因此就答案本身看，个个都对。读者只能将所有的details综合起来，进行逻辑推理，才能构成一个没有言明的主题思想(unstated main idea)。由于文中主要涉及了Joshua Bingham接受教育的情况，即作者想告诉我们的是：Joshua Bingham接受过良好的教育，所以答案是 Ｃ。

考点：考查说明文阅读