Question

    For much of the past hundred years, classrooms have been designed with the teacher seated in front of desks for students. But many educators now say children can do better in a less structured environment.

Bob Pearlman works as an education consultant in the United States. He told The Associate Press that traditional classrooms are a thing of the past. Now students work in ''extended learning areas" that in elude project planning rooms, workrooms, and laboratories, as well as learning spaces for groups and individuals. Pearlman points to Albemarle County Public Schools, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school system invited teams from all its schools to develop learning spaces that would help students deal with complex ideas and work on creative building projects. Now, its elementary school classes have exchanged traditional desks for things like soft seating and connectable tables.

Another change to the design of classrooms is the ability to connect to the Internet. " Classrooms, libraries, and laboratories used to be the only spaces where students spent their school hours. Wireless, laptops and project learning have changed that," Pearlman said. He noted that this has made all school spaces into possible extended learning areas.

David Thornburg, who wrote the book From the Campfire to the Holodeck, said Pearlman's concept catered to the students' need. He said schools should provide spaces based on how humans learn. That could mean one room is used in different ways at different times, or in different ways at the same time.

Earp is with Teacher magazine, a publication of the nonprofit Australia n Council for Educational Research. She noted that in the 1970s, American Robert Sommer, a psychologist, was urging a critical look at traditional classroom designs. Earp said that in addition to newer "freeform" classroom designs, some teachers could find good results with designs that combine new and old ideas. They could try lining up desks at the start of the year and then placing them in groups as the classroom relationships become clearer and project work begins.

1.What change happened to Albemarle County Public Schools?

A.Classroom furniture. B.Learning materials.

C.Teaching Strategy. D.Studying time.

2.What does the underlined word "that" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A.The new design. B.The existing classroom.

C.The application of the Internet. D.The limitation on learning spaces.

3.What' s David' s attitude towards Pearl man' s classroom design?

A.Objective. B.Neutral.

C.Supportive. D.Disapproving.

4.What^’s the ideal classroom in Earp's eyes?

A.It should be designed by teachers.

B.It should provide freedom for students.

C.It should focus on comfortable learning environment.

D.It should be combined with both modern and conventional ideas.

5.What's the passage mainly about?

A.Different opinions about classroom designs.

B.The considerations in classroom designing.

C.Shortcomings of traditional classrooms.

D.The ways to enlarge learning spaces.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.C

4.D

5.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。很多教育家指出学生在不那么结构化的环境中会学得更好。文章列举了几个教育家对教室设计的不同看法。

1.

细节理解题。根据第二段的Now, its elementary school classes have exchanged traditional desks for things like soft seating and connectable tables.(现在，它的小学教室已经把传统的桌子改成了柔软的座位和可连接的桌子)可知，Albemarle County 公立学校改变了小学教室的家具。A. Classroom furniture.(教室家具)符合语境，故选A项。

2.

词义猜测题。根据第三段的" Classrooms, libraries, and laboratories used to be the only spaces where students spent their school hours. Wireless, laptops and project learning have changed that," Pearlman said. 可知，Pearlman说，教室、图书馆和实验室曾经是学生们学习的唯一场所。无线、笔记本电脑和项目学习改变了那个。根据句意可知，划线部分指代上文提到的学习空间有限的情况。D. The limitation on learning spaces.(有限的学习空间)符合以上说法，故选D项。

3.

推理判断题。根据第四段的David Thornburg, who wrote the book From the Campfire to the Holodeck, said Pearlman's concept catered to the students' need. He said schools should provide spaces based on how humans learn. ( From the Campfire to the Holodeck一书的作者David Thornburg说，Pearlman的想法迎合了学生们的需求。他说，学校应该根据人们的学习方式来提供空间。)可推测，David Thornburg赞成Pearlman对教室的设计。C. Supportive.(支持的)符合以上说法，故选C项。

4.

推理判断题。根据最后一段的Earp said that in addition to newer "freeform" classroom designs, some teachers could find good results with designs that combine new and old ideas. (Earp说，除了更新的“自由形式”的教室设计，一些教师可以通过结合新旧思想的设计找到好的结果)可知，在Earp看来教室应该是新思想和传统思想的结合。D. It should be combined with both modern and conventional ideas.(它应该是现代思想和传统思想的结合)符合以上说法，故选D项。

5.

主旨大意题。根据文章的主要内容，尤其是第一段的But many educators now say children can do better in a less structured environment.(但是，很多教育家现在说孩子们在一个不那么结构化的环境中会学得更好)第二段的He told The Associate Press that traditional classrooms are a thing of the past. (他告诉美联社，传统的课堂已经成为过去。)第四段的David Thornburg, who wrote the book From the Campfire to the Holodeck, said Pearlman's concept catered to the students' need. ( From the Campfire to the Holodeck一书的作者David Thornburg说，Pearlman的想法迎合了学生们的需求。他说，学校应该根据人们的学习方式来提供空间。)和第五段的Earp said that in addition to newer "freeform" classroom designs, some teachers could find good results with designs that combine new and old ideas. (Earp说，除了更新的“自由形式”的教室设计，一些教师可以通过结合新旧思想的设计找到好的结果)可知，本文主要介绍了几个教育家对教室设计的不同看法。A. Different opinions about classroom designs.(对于教室设计的不同看法)符合以上说法，故选A项。