Question

Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. However, scientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important. New evidence suggests that the link between handwriting and educational development is deep.

Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they are also better able to create ideas and remember information. In other words, it’s not only what we write that matters — but how.

A study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, gave support to that view. A group of children, who had not learned to read and write, were offered a letter or a shape on a card and asked to copy it in one of three ways: draw the image on a page but with a dotted outline（虚线）, draw it on a piece of blank white paper, or type it on a computer. Then the researchers put the children in a brain scanner and showed them the image again.

It was found that when children had drawn a letter freehand without a dotted outline or a computer, the activity in three areas of the brain were increased. These three areas work actively in adults when they read and write. By contrast, children who chose the other two ways showed no such effect. Dr. James attributes the differences to the process of free handwriting: Not only must we first plan and take action in a way but we are also likely to produce a result that is variable. Those are not necessary when we have an outline.

It’s time for educators to change their mind and pay more attention to children’s handwriting.

1.What do scientists mean by saying “it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important”?

A. Handwriting is not very important to children.

B. Handwriting has nothing to do with education.

C. Handwriting should not be ignored at present.

D. Handwriting can not be learned in a short time.

2.What does “that view” in Para. 3 refer to?

A. Children read quickly when they write by hand.

B. How we write is as important as what we write.

C. Children create ideas and remember information.

D. A group of students should know what to write.

3.Which is NOT the children’s task in the experiment?

A. Copy the image on a page but with a dotted outline.

B. Draw the image on a piece of blank white paper.

C. Type the image directly on a computer.

D. Put a brain scanner and show the image again.

4.According to the passage, the author obviously  _______  giving up handwriting.   

A. is for                 B. is against

C. is responsible for       D. doesn’t care about

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文是一篇议论文，论述了用手书写对孩子来说是否重要的问题。文中提出，一些教育学家认为书写并不十分重要，但科学研究证明，比起用电脑和提供虚线的临摹，用手书写能促进人的阅读和写作能力，也有助于大脑进行创造性思考和存储信息。作者提出教育者应该重视孩子书写练习。

1. 推理判断题。根据首段中“Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. However, scientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important.”可知，教育学家认为用手书写并不十分重要，而科学家持不同观点，认为放弃用手书写为时过早。故该题正确选项是C。

2.“that view”指代的内容，D选项并未提到，因此是错误的。“that view”指代上文，即第二段结尾处“…it’s not only what we write that matters — but how.”，意为“怎样书写和写什么都很重要”。故该题正确选项是B。

3.“They were then placed in a brain scanner and shown the image again.”可知受测学生被置于脑部扫描仪前，而不是使用脑部扫描仪，故该题正确选项是D。

4.“It’s time for educators to change their mind and pay more attention to children’s handwriting.”，认为教育学家应该重视孩子的书写训练，不应该放弃用手书写。题目问的是作者对“giving up handwriting”的观点是什么，故该题正确选项为B。

考点：考查科普文章的阅读