Question

Love to sink into your chairs and relax when you get to school? Then you will not be happy to hear that schools all over the world are seriously considering exchanging traditional desks for ones with no seats at all — Yes, that means you will be encouraged to stand through those already too long math and science lessons! Why would anyone even think of putting kids to such cruelty? Experts say it improves their health and helps fight obesity. While that may seem a little far-fetched (牵强的) the officials at the few schools around the world seem to agree.

Among them are educators from the College Station Independent School District in Texas, who recently completed a week-long experiment involving 480 students across three elementary schools. The 374 kids that agreed to participate in the study were provided a device that helped record step count and calorie consumption over the entire period.

All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand. The one thing that did surprise the researchers was that younger kids were more willing to stay standing than kids in higher grades. They believe this may have something to do with the fact that after years of being asked to “sit still”, older kids have a harder time adjusting to this unexpected freedom.

American schools are not the only ones reporting success with stand-up desks. Four Catholic schools in Perth, Australia, which have been testing them since October 2013, have seen similar results. In May 2014, Grove House Primary School in Bradford, West Yorkshire, became Europe’s first test one, with a seven-week trial that involved the use of desks made by Ergotron in their fifth-grade classrooms. While official results are not out yet, early reactions from both teachers and students, have been extremely encouraging.

The findings of these studies and others done previously, all seem to mean that allowing kids to move around in classrooms is a win-win for students and teachers — it helps kids get healthier and provides educators with a more engaged audience.

1.According to the first paragraph, what may make the students at school unhappy is that ________.

A. they have to exchange desks with each other

B. they have to exchange traditional desks for ones with no seats

C. there are no seats for them to sit in class

D. the officials show no sympathy to them at all

2.According to the teachers, older students may not like stand-up desks because ________.

A. they are cleverer than younger students

B. they are easily tired of standing long

C. they have formed the habit of sitting

D. they do badly in class while standing

3.What is most likely to be the result of the seven-week trial?

A. The standing desks can’t be used at all.

B. It is good for students to use stand-up desks.

C. More tests should be done in other schools.

D. The students are different in personality.

4.Why do the teachers like the standing desks?

A. Because the educators can draw the students’ attention.

B. Because the teachers can keep the students healthy.

C. Because the students can have a walk in the classroom.

D. Because the standing desks can keep the students concentrated.

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.B

4.D

【解析】试题分析：本文为说明文，介绍教育家在学校进行了一项让学生站着上课的研究，从初期反馈来看，站着上课有助于学生的身体健康，也让学生们上课更专心，注意力更集中。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段第二、三句schools all over the world are seriously considering exchanging traditional desks for ones with no seats at all — Yes, that means you will be encouraged to stand through those already too long math and science lessons!可知，教室没有座位坐，学生要站着上课，这一点会让学生不高兴。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句They believe this may have something to do with the fact that after years of being asked to “sit still”, older kids have a harder time adjusting to this unexpected freedom.可知，年纪大一点的学生不喜欢站立式办公桌是因为他们习惯坐着，故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据第一段Experts say it improves their health and helps fight obesity.第三段All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand.第四段American schools are not the only ones reporting success with stand-up desks.和最后一段内容可知，使用这种桌子对学生有好处，故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据第三段All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand和最后一句it helps kids get healthier and provides educators with a more engaged audience.可知，老师们喜欢这种桌子是因为学生们上课更专心，注意力更集中，故选D。

【名师点睛】

做推理题时，有时需要在弄懂全文意思的基础上，整合与题目相关的有用信息，综合起来去推理判断，确定最佳结论。本文第3小题就是此类型题。根据第一段Experts say it improves their health and helps fight obesity.第三段All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand.第四段American schools are not the only ones reporting success with stand-up desks.和最后一段内容可知，使用这种桌子对学生有好处。这也是七周实验的结果。