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.The students may be unhappy because _____.

A.they have to exchange desks with each other

B.the officials show no sympathy to them at all

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

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

2.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】

本文为说明文。文章介绍了教育家在学校进行了一项让学生站着上课的研究，站着上课有助学生的身体健康，而且学生上课更专心，注意力更集中。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中的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!(如果你听到世界各地的学校正在认真考虑把传统课桌换成没有座位的课桌，你一定会不高兴的——是的，这意味着你将被鼓励站着读完那些已经太长时间的数学和科学课！)可知，学生们可能会不高兴，因为课堂上没有座位让他们坐着。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段中的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.(他们认为，这可能与多年来被要求“坐着不动”的事实有关，年龄稍大的孩子很难适应这种意想不到的自由)可知，年龄大一些的学生可能不喜欢站立式课桌，因为他们已经养成了坐着的习惯。故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段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.( 这些研究和之前的其他研究结果似乎都表明，允许孩子在教室里走动对学生和老师来说是双赢的——它有助于孩子们变得更健康，也为教育者提供了更有参与性的观众)可推知，七周的试验最有可能的结果是学生使用站立式课桌是有益的。故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据第三段中的All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand.(参与这项研究的25名教师都表示，允许学生站着上课，他们看起来更机敏，注意力更集中)和最后一段中的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.(所有这些似乎都意味着，允许孩子们在教室里走动对学生和老师来说是双赢的——它有助于孩子们变得更健康，并为教育者提供了更有参与性的观众)可推知，老师们喜欢立式课桌，因为立式课桌能让学生们上课更专心，注意力更集中。故选D。