FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (Health Day News) -- Middle school students who are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities, a new study has found. And, the average scores went up in connection with levels of fitness, the findings showed.
“The more physically fit kids were, the higher their scores,” said the study’s lead author, Trent Petrie, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. “Parents should encourage their kids to be physically active. There are some real cognitive (認(rèn)知的) and academic benefits that come from physical fitness”, Petrie said.
Results of the study are scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Orlando, Fla. The study included more than 1,200 middle school students from five schools in a suburban area of Texas, with 561 boys and 650 girls. About 57 percent of the children were white, and nearly one-quarter were Mexican American. Nine percent were black and about 2 percent were of Asian descent.
The school district provided the researchers with information on the children’s race, age, grade level and whether they qualified for the free school lunch program, which was an indicator of the family’s socioeconomic status. The schools also provided scores to the tests, which were given between one and four months after the researchers had assessed the children’s levels of fitness. Fitness tests were administered during physical education classes to determine the youngsters’ heart and lung health (cardiorespiratory fitness), as well as their body mass index (BMI), an indicator of how much body fat a person has. The children also filled out questionnaires that helped the researchers determine factors such as self-esteem and social support.
After accounting for factors such as age, sex, family income and self-esteem, the researchers found that for both boys and girls, higher levels of heart and lung health predicted better scores on both the math and reading tests.
For boys, perceived (感觀的) social support also seemed to increase their reading scores, the investigators found. In girls, while being physically fit predicted higher reading scores, so too did a higher BMI-- which indicates more body fat. “We were a little surprised by this finding,” Petrie said.
“It was not as strong an association as the one with physical fitness,” he added. The authors suspect it may have something to do with girls this age entering adolescence, which may be related to a higher BMI and slightly higher brain development. He said he plans to make great effort to look for this relationship again in larger studies to see if it was a chance finding, or if the association holds up.
“While we can’t say 100 percent that physical fitness causes better academic performance, we can say that there is a strong and predictive relationship between physical fitness and academic performance,” Petrie said.
“It’s hard to tease apart (梳理) the exact reason for this association,” said Becky Hashim, an attending clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Montefiore, in New York City.
“It may be that the children are getting more oxygen. When the heart and lungs are working at a higher capacity, it may allow the brain to work at peak performance. Children who are less fit may be sleepier during school,” she noted. “I personally feel that there’s probably a strong relationship between the confidence you get from being able to do something physical well and academic performance.”
Whatever the reason behind this association may be, “there’s certainly no harm in pushing physical fitness,” Hashim added. “Physical fitness may make you feel better, give you more confidence and improve your performance across the board,” she said.
Petrie agreed. “Physically fit kids are happier, have higher self-esteem and, tend to have better relationships, and now we’re beginning to see that there also seem to be benefits cognitively and academically. Our study sends a strong warning to policymakers to reconsider the service program of physical education classes for kids,” he said.
小題1:How did the school district help the researchers carry out the study?

A．By analyzing the data of fitness tests.

B．By giving some basic information.

C．By completing some questionnaires.

D．By offering a certain amount of Money.

小題2:According to the passage, the result of the study will be published ______.

A．in a book

B．in a journal

C．a(chǎn)t a conference

D．on the Internet

小題3:What’s the suitable title of the passage?

A．Parents should be aware of the benefit of fitness.

B．Fitter kids are likely to make better grades.

C．Fitness affects kids’ social behavior greatly.

D．Teachers should value physical education classes.

小題4:What’s Becky Hashim’s attitude towards the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance?

A．Supportive

B．Indifferent

C．Critical

D．Doubtful

小題5:What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph refer to?

A．The BMI.

B．The body fat.

C．The brain development.

D．The test score.

小題6:From the last paragraph we can infer that physically fit kids ______.

A．deserve to be treated well	B．live much longer than others
C．get along well with others	D．enjoy a peaceful life

Believe it or not, oceans and seas are easy to be harmed by the development of human society. They are also influenced by man-made pollution easily. It is human beings that do great harm to the ocean ecosystems(生態(tài)系統(tǒng)).
The coral reefs(珊瑚礁)are fine ecosystems that provide food and protection for many ocean creatures. The coral in almost all of the oceans is in danger from pollution.Chemicals from factories end up in the seas and oceans and destroy coral reefs. If the coral systems die some ocean creatures will be sure to die out.
Protecting the ocean also has something to do with the protection of ocean wildlife like dolphins. The fishing industry depends on modern ways to catch many fish in order to earn more money. But the nets for fishing also seize other sea animals. The fishing boat workers are advised to check their nets and set other ocean animals free. But the boats are in a hurry to make money and often other ocean animals are caught with fish.
Offshore oil spills(近海石油泄露) can destroy the ocean environment because oil kills all ocean life. The world depends on oil and because there is a great amount of oil off the shore of many countries, the need for oil is more important than the risk of the oil spill. However, the fact is that one human mistake can lead to an ocean environmental accident that will cause years of damage to the fine ocean ecosystems. Oil spills will kill all the creatures in the area of the spill. The oil will be washed up on shore and destroy the ecosystems along the shore including birds.
Everyone who cares about the environment should be interested in protecting the ocean, and all of us should do something for the protection of the ocean.
小題1:According to the passage, the ocean is harmed easily as a result of      .

A．the overuse of the oceans

B．the change of natural conditions

C．the increase of population by the sea

D．the increasing activities of humans

小題2:What does the second paragraph mainly tell readers?

A．How ocean creatures depend on coral reefs.

B．Coral reefs are home to ocean animals.

C．The great harm caused by factory pollution.

D．The importance of protecting coral systems.

小題3:The underlined work “seize” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced with“      ”.

A．catch

B．a(chǎn)ttract

C．place

D．cover

小題4:Why do people continue to get oil in the sea at the risk of oil spills?

A．Because they believe the oil spill can be stopped.

B．Because there is a large amount of oil in the sea.

C．Because they are in great need of oil.

D．Because getting oil in sea is easier than on land.

Going back to school is a very exciting event for my two boys. It means getting new school bags and books, and seeing friends again after the summer holiday.
My oldest son, 9-year-old Salem, asked me several times where we would go to buy a backpack, while my other son, 6-year-old Abdullah, asked what school would be like this year.
For the last three years, school was a nightmare for many children and their parents as violence increased and there were more attacks on schools and teachers. As a result, many parents prevented their children from going to school. One of six children in this country did not attend primary school in 2009. Many kids who did attend school were accompanied by a parent for the entire day to make sure nothing happened to their children.
For poor families or those with large families, back to school can be an expensive time. The government gives some help to those living in poor neighborhoods, and school bags, note books and other items(商品) are given for free.
Most of the merchants who sell notebooks and pens now sell their products out on the street instead of in stores. They sit on the ground and lay their items on the ground or they have a small table to sell their goods.
The bags cost between $10 and $20, while clothes and shoes cost between $20 and $30. I found all the things I needed for my sons and even bought something for myself. I spent about $50 on each of them, including school uniforms.
At the end of the day, we returned to our home carrying many shopping bags filled with items that made my children happy and excited to go back to school. I just hope this school year will be a peaceful one.
小題1:The author’s children are ________ to go to school.

A．eager

B．a(chǎn)fraid

C．unwilling

D．surprised

小題2:The underlined word “nightmare” is the closest in meaning to ________.

A．fantasy

B．dream world

C．prison

D．terrible situation

小題3:Many children are not going to school mainly because of ________.

A．the terrible education system	B．security problems and poverty
C．parents’ distrust in schools	D．the government’s inability

小題4:As a parent, the author ________.

A．is unable to afford his kids’ schooling	B．is unwilling to send his kids to school
C．hopes his kids have a happy school life	D．complains school education costs too much

小題5:Which of the following statement is NOT true?

A．Many parents prevented their children from going to school for great study pressure.

B．School bags, note books and other items(商品) are given to those living in poor neighborhoods for free.

C．The author spent about $100 for her two sons.

D．The items the author bought made her children happy and excited to go back to school.

Many ESL (English as a Second Language) students in the United States enroll in (注冊學(xué)習(xí)) academic preparation programs and are in their late teens or early twenties. This is often a time when students are looking back on childhood in a different way. Their childhood memories and their viewpoint on those memories can be very useful for the production of wonderfully creative writing.
For this project, the students began in class by closing their eyes and trying to return to their childhood years in order to bring early memories to their mind. After imagining for a few minutes, they began to tell each other what they remembered about those years and tried to describe a particular incident that stood out in their memories.
That evening they wrote in their journals about the incident, embellishing (潤飾) the story as much as possible. The next day, they read the story to a different partner and got feedback (反饋意見). The partner’s job was to: ask more questions to bring back the writer’s memory; help the writer make sure that past tense verbs were used correctly, focusing on the difference between those things that were still true and needed present tense and those things that belonged specifically to the past. Two days later, students made necessary changes or additions and turned in a typed copy of their story. I then made my own comments about their work and asked them to revise their work. The third draft (稿子) produced some very good work.
小題1:The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to _____.

A．show readers the difficulty he had in his work

B．explain his idea of English learning

C．show readers how ESL students live and study

D． tell readers how he taught his ESL students to write

小題2:What did the author ask his students to write about?

A．What they saw around them.

B．Their predictions for the future.

C．Their childhood memories.

D．Their opinions of the United States.

小題3:In what order do the students write their compositions according to the passage?
a. share their writing with their classmates
b. exchange their memories
c. write their stories
d. ask for others’ feedback
e.  make some changes to their compositions and have them typed
f.  corrected by the teacher
g.  recall their stories

A．g-b-c-a-d-e-f	B．g-c-a-d-b-f-e
C．e-f-b-c-a-g-d	D．d-e-f-g-a-c-b

小題4:A partner may help do the following things EXCEPT _____.

A．make the memory more complete

B．find spelling mistakes

C．check the tense of the verbs

D．give some feedback

Summer school is something a kid will never forget. For some, it’s a way to advance past their classmates. For most, summer school is a requirement in order to graduate with their classmates. I can remember being forced into taking a summer school course. It was not the school that forced me into this awkward situation; it was my mother.
I was a 16-year-old kid in a new school. My school did not offer summer courses so I had to take my course at an alternative school in the city. It was an experience I will never forget. I was not concerned with making friends. I was there to get credit (學(xué)分) for a course that I should have received credit for the previous semester. It was my doing that landed me in the situation and it was important that I understood this.
The fees were lowest but the experience was amazing. I enjoyed. I didn’t miss the day. The course was from Monday to Friday for an entire month. I passed the course with an A. I was thrown into an awkward situation and actually enjoyed it. My friends didn’t even know I took the course. Most of them were still sleeping by the time my course ended each day.
Awkward situations are so important for personal growth. This situation made me feel more independent. I made friends. I finally understood what sacrifice and hard work were all about. While attending college, I remembered how much I enjoyed summer school and I chose to take summer school in my first three years of college. Some kids get pushed too much but some don’t get pushed enough. I was never pushed enough.
Enable your children to struggle for success. If your child needs summer school you explain to them why it’s important. Some parents are surprised by the situation and may want to be more involved in their children’s education. Follow through and follow up.
小題1:Most students go to the summer school in order to ______.

A．find good jobs after graduation	B．become top students in their class
C．have a chance to make more friends	D．graduate successfully on time

小題2:What made the author go to summer school for the first time?

A．What he had done .	B．His mother’s wish.
C．His own requirement.	D．Study competition.

小題3:Which of the following was NOT the benefit got by the author through attending summer school?

A．It helped him get rid of bad habits.

B．It helped him make new friends.

C．It helped him understand what sacrifice and hard work were.

D．It increased his independence.

小題4:From the last paragraph we can learn that the author ______.

A．does not like summer school at all even though it is useful

B．thinks summer school is unnecessary for children

C．encourages parents to make their children attend summer school

D．is against forcing children to attend summer school

小題5:What does the author think of summer school?

A．He thinks it is awkward.	B．He thinks it is significant.
C．He doesn’t think it is suitable.	D．He thinks nothing of it.

Would you want a doctor who got high marks in medical school just for trying hard? Apparently many college students would have no problem with that. They believe students are owed a good grade simply because they put a lot of effort into a class.
The researchers asked more than 800 undergraduates if they agreed or disagreed with some statements. For example: "If I have completed most of the reading for a class, I deserve a B in that course." And: "A professor should not be annoyed with me if I receive an important call during class."
Just 16 percent thought it was OK to take that phone call. But 66 percent agreed that a professor should consider effort and not just the quality of a student's work when deciding grades. And 40 percent thought they should get a B, the second highest mark, just because they did most of the reading for class.
Some experts are not surprised that students often see no difference between effort and results. Social critics like to say that in children's activities these days everyone gets an award just for trying, so no one will feel rejected.
Yet competition to get into the best colleges is fiercer than ever. Students may worry that low grades will keep them out of graduate school or a good job.
And there may be another explanation: pressure from parents to get a good return on the family's investment. These days, college can cost more than a house.
A former teaching assistant recently wrote to the New York Times about his experience with grade expectations. He would try to explain it this way when students asked for a top grade just for studying hard in chemistry class:
What if a baseball player came to spring training and worked harder than all the others, but still could not play well? Would the team accept him anyway, just because he tried so hard?
The students would say no. But most of them would still ask for an A.
小題1:What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．How students can get a good grade in the course.

B．Whether students are allowed to answer calls in class.

C．Whether students deserve high marks just for trying hard.

D．Why students put a lot of efforts in their studies.

小題2:According to the research, most of the students _______.
A. thought it was all right to answer the call during class.
B. objected to deciding grades only by the quality of a student’s work.
C. thought they did most of the work for class and should get a B.
D. agreed that they should be given top grades because of their hard work.
小題3: Which of the following opinions do social critics agree to about children’s activities?

A．Those who are active in the activities can get an award.

B．Only by playing an important role in the activities can you get an award.

C．An award is prepared for anyone who performs best in the activities.

D．Whoever takes part in the activities can get an award.

小題4:From the sixth paragraph we can learn that _____.

A．it costs much more to build a college than to buy a house.

B．the costs of studying at college are much more than staying at home.

C．the costs of sending a child to college are much more than buying a house.

D．it is difficult for parents to send a child to college.

小題5:What does the former assistant want to tell students with the example of the baseball player?

A．Effort can lead to good results.	B．Effort is very necessary.
C．Effort and results are quite different.	D．No good results, effort is unnecessary.

D
Life is difficult.
It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult.
Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties stand for a special kind of suffering especially forced on them or else on their families, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear.
These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes a lot of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we want to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct(指導(dǎo)).” It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.
小題1:Which sentence best express the central point of the passage?

A．Problems and difficulties represent a special kind of suffering.

B．We become stronger by facing and solving problems of life.

C．Life is difficult because our problems bring us pain.

D．People like to complain about their problems.

小題2:The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ___.

A．save space	B．persuade readers
C．make readers laugh	D．get readers’ attention

小題3:The main idea of paragraph 3 is that _________.

A．most people feel life is easy

B．the writer feel life is easy

C．the writer likes to complain about his problems

D．most people complain about how hard their lives are

小題4:According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in  order to ______.

A．encourage them to learn

B．teach them to fear the pain of solving the problems

C．help them learn to deal with pain

D．teach them how to respect problems

小題5:The saying from Benjamin Franklin “Those things that hurt, instruct” suggests that ______.

A．we do not learn from experience

B．we do not learn when we are in pain

C．pain teaches us important lessons

D．pain cannot be avoided

A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, say researchers from Germany．
The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.
Visual and mental clutter（阻塞） forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.
Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl have been notorious（聲名狼藉的） for their untidy desks.
“Messy desks may not be as detrimental（有害的） as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can improve work efficiency or increase employees' creativity in problem solving,” say the authors.
“Business and government managers often promote 'clean desk' policies to avoid disorganized offices and messy desks, for the purpose of boosting work efficiency and productivity,” writes lead researcher Jia Liu of the University of Groningen in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“This practice is based on the conventional wisdom that a disorganized and messy environment can clutter one's mind and complicate one's judgments.”
“However, not all evidence supports this conventional link between a messy environment and a messy mind.”
The scientists tested people's response in various 'messy' environments - including a messy shop front, a disorganized desk, and even a work environment where a language task 'reminded' people of messiness.
The authors found in the series of six studies people tended towards simplicity in their thinking.
“They categorized （分類） products in a simpler manner, were willing to pay more for a T-shirt that shows a simple-looking picture, and sought less variety in their choices.” said the researchers.
小題1: The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that _____．

A．A messy desk cannot contribute to clearer thinking

B．People thought more clearly about a messy desk and a shop front

C．People will feel confused when all around are chaos

D．People manage to simplify the tasks in messy environments

小題2: Why does the author take Albert Einstein as an example?

A．to support the idea that clearer thinking comes from messy environment．

B．to tell the fact that Einstein was known for his untidy desks．

C．to stop us from learning from Albert Einstein．

D．to call on us to develop a good habit．

小題3:How do people look at messy environment according to the conventional wisdom?

A．Messy environment will create clearer thinking．

B．Messy environment will simplify one' s judgment．

C．Messy environment can promote work efficiency．

D．Messy environment can block one' s mind．

小題4: What does the last paragraph imply?

A．People believe messy environment creates clearer thinking．

B．People sought more simplicity in the choices．

C．People were not willing to choose those complicated products．

D．Not all the people accept messy environment and complicated things