Reading is the key to school success and,like any skill,it takes practice. A child learns to walk by practicing until he no longer has to think about how to put one foot in front of the other. An excellent sportsman practices until he can play quickly, correctly and without thinking. Educators call it “automaticity(自动性)”.
A child learns to read by sounding out the letters and finding the meaning of the words. With practice, he stumbles less and less, reading by the phrase. With automaticity, he doesn’t have to think about the meaning of words, so he can give all his attention to the meaning of the text.
It can begin as early as first grade. In a recent study of children in Illinois schools, Alan Rossman of Northwestern University found that automatic readers in the first grade not only read almost three times as fast as the others, but also got better results in exams.
According to Rossman, the key to automaticity is the amount(数量)of time a child spends reading, not his IQ. Any child who spends at least 3.5 to 4 hours a week reading books, magazines or newspapers will probably reach automaticity. It can happen if a child turns off TV just one night for reading at home.
You can test yourself by reading something new which is suitable for your level. If you read aloud with expression, with a sense of the meaning of the sentences, you probably are an automatic reader. If you read brokenly, one word at a time, without expression or meaning, you need more practice.
1. “ Reading is the key to school success” means that reading______.
A. helps school develop faster B. is a key to a successful school
C. helps students go to a key school D. can improve students’ learning results
2.Children with “automaticity” can read faster because they______.
A. know how to read the words B. do not have to think while reading
C. read by themselves without any help D. pay attention to the meaning of the text
3. The underlined word “stumble” in the passage means “______” in Chinese.
A. 结结巴巴地读 B. 全神贯注地读 C. 心不在焉地读 D. 声情并茂地读
4. The best title for the passage is “______”.
A . IQ is the Key to the Automaticity B.TV is Bad for Children’s Reading
C. Automaticity Depends on Practice D. Automatic Readers Will Be Successful
1D 2B 3A 4C
‘USA? Britain? Which country is better to study in?’ We often hear such discussions. As China opens its door, it is a dream for many Chinese students to study abroad. They want to learn about the outside world.
It’s true that studying abroad can help students develop themselves. Their foreign language skills will be improved and it may be easier to find jobs.
But there are problems that should be considered. Language is the first. Students must spend a lot of time learning another language.
Students must also learn to live without parents’ care and deal with all kinds of things they haven’t had to do before, like looking after themselves. There are reports about Chinese students abroad running into an ocean of difficulties and giving up finally. When they have to take care of themselves, it is hard for students to study well.
Finally, studying abroad brings a heavy burden(负担)to the family. For most Chinese parents, the cost of studying abroad is very high. But is it worth it?
We know that there are many famous people who have achieved success through their hard work in China. Liu Xiang is a good example. Once an American teacher invited him there, but he refused. He kept training hard with his Chinese teacher. He surprised the world when he won a gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games. So when you wonder which country is better to study in, think again.
Title: Studying at 56 or abroad | |
Phenomenon(现象) | Studying abroad has become a 57 for Chinese students. |
Advantages | ◆ It is helpful to the future 58 of Chinese students. |
◆ It helps to 59 foreign language skills. | |
◆ It enables Chinese students to find jobs more 60 . | |
61 | ◆ It 62 Chinese students too much time to learn a foreign language. |
◆ It’s hard for Chinese students to get used to the life abroad 63 parents’ care. | |
◆ Parents may be under pressure(压力)because the cost of studying abroad is very 64 . | |
Purpose: To tell us studying abroad is not the only way to be 65 by describing Liu Xiang’s example. |