Question

    Children with attention problems in early childhood were 40% less likely to graduate from high school, says a new study from Duke University.

The study included 386 kindergarteners from schools in the Fast Track Project, a multi-site clinical trial in the U.S. that in 1991 began tracking how children developed across their lives. With this study, researchers examined early academic attention and socio-emotional skills and how each contributed to academic success into young adulthood. They found that early attention skills were the most consistent predictor of academic success, and that likability by peers (同龄人) also had a modest effect on academic performance.

By fifth grade, children with early attention difficulties had lower grades and reading achievement scores than their peers. As fifth-graders, children with early attention problems obtained average reading scores at least 3% lower and grades at least 8% lower than those of their peers. This was after controlling for IQ, socio-economic status and academic skills at school entry.

Although these may not seem like large effects, the impact of early attention problems continued throughout the children’s academic careers. Lower reading achievement scores and grades in fifth grade contributed to reduced grades in middle school, thus contributing to a 40% lower high school graduation rate.

Social acceptance by peers in early childhood also predicted grades in fifth grade. Children not as liked by their first-grade peers had slightly lower grades in fifth grade, while those with higher social acceptance had higher grades.

“This study shows the importance of so-called non-cognitive’ or soft skills in contributing to children’s positive peer relationships, which, in turn contribute to their academic success,” said Kenneth Dodge, director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy.

The results highlight the need to develop effective early interventions (干预) to help those with attention problems stay on track academically and for educators to encourage positive peer relationships, the researchers said.

“We’re learning that student success requires a more comprehensive approach, one that includes not only academic skills but also social, self-regulatory and attention skills,” Dodge said. “If we ignore any of these areas, the child’s development struggles. If we attend to these areas, a child’s success may strengthen itself with positive feedback.”

1.What is the focus of the new study from Duke University?

A.The contributors to children’s early attention.

B.The predictors of children’s academic success.

C.The factors that affect children’s emotional well-being.

D.The factors that determine children’s development of social skills.

2.What do we learn from the findings of the Duke study?

A.Modest students are generally more attentive than their peers.

B.There are more children with attention difficulties than previously thought.

C.Attention problem accounts for most academic failures.

D.Children with worse attention skills are less likely to succeed academically.

3.What does the Duke study find about children better accepted by peers?

A.They do better academically. B.They are teachers’ favorites.

C.They are easy to get on with. D.They care less about grades.

4.What can we conclude from the Duke study?

A.Children’s success is related to their learning environment.

B.School curriculum should cover a greater variety of subjects.

C.Social skills are playing a key role in children’s development.

D.An all-round approach should be adopted in school education.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】

本文是说明文。一项新研究表明，儿童早期有注意力问题的孩子，高中毕业时成绩可能比同龄人要低40%。学生的成功需要一种更全面的方法，这种方法不仅包括学术技能，还包括社交、自我调节和注意力技能。学校教育应采取全方位的方法。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段Children with attention problems in early childhood were 40% less likely to graduate from high school, says a new study from Duke University. 和第二段的With this study, researchers examined early academic attention and socio-emotional skills and how each contributed to academic success into young adulthood. 可知，Duke大学的一项新研究表明，儿童早期注意力问题儿童从高中毕业的可能性降低了40%，该研究调查了儿童早期特征如何影响学业成绩。其中，The predictors of children’s academic success.是对examined early academic attention and socio-emotional skills and how each contributed to academic success into young adulthood.的概括，故答案为B。故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中的As fifth-graders, children with early attention problems obtained average reading scores at least 3% lower and grades at least 8% lower than those of their peers.（五年级时，有早期注意力问题的孩子的平均阅读分数比同龄人低至少3%，成绩比同龄人低至少8%）可知，注意力较差的孩子在学业上取得成功的可能性较小。故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据第六段Children not as liked by their first-grade peers had slightly lower grades in fifth grade, while those with higher social acceptance had higher grades.（不被一年级同学喜欢的孩子在五年级的成绩略低，而那些社会接纳度高的孩子成绩更高）可知，被同龄人接受的孩子的学习成绩可能会更好一些。故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“We’re learning that student success requires a more comprehensive approach, one that includes not only academic skills but also social, self-regulatory and attention skills,” Dodge said.（道奇说:“我们发现，学生的成功需要更全面的方法，不仅包括学术技能，还包括社交、自我调节和注意力技能。”）可知，学生的成功需要一种更全面的方法，这种方法不仅包括学术技能，还包括社交、自我调节和注意力技能。由此推知，学校教育应采取全方位的方法。故选D。