Question

    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

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.B

【解析】

本文是说明文。说明了越来越多的学校放弃了指定的座位，并以Riverdale Heights小学为例。文章主要围绕“学生是否应该坐在指定的座位上”展开阐述。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中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.可知当学生走进Jenny Umland的课堂时，他们不会自动回到前一天坐过的座位上。在她位于Riverdale Heights小学的教室里，Lowenstein被允许在教室里随便坐。由此可知，Umland让班上的学生自己选择座位。故选D。

2.词义猜测题。根据下文Many teachers say letting kids choose where to sit helps them learn how to make good choices.(许多教师表示，让孩子选择座位有助于他们学会如何做出正确的选择)由此可知，越来越多的学校放弃了指定的座位，Riverdale Heights就是其中之一。故可推知，ditch意为“废除，抛弃，摆脱”。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据最后一段中Being allowed to sit wherever I want makes me more enjoyable, because I can sit where I'm most comfortably.可知被允许坐在任何我想坐的地方会让我更享受，因为我可以坐在最舒服的地方。由此可知，Jack认为班上设置的座位很舒适。故选A。

4.主旨大意题。根据第二段中Riverdale Heights is one of a growing number of schools that have ditched assigned seats.可知越来越多的学校放弃了指定的座位，Riverdale Heights小学就是其中之一。结合文章主要围绕“学生是否应该坐在指定的座位上”展开阐述，故B项为最佳标题。故选B。