1、专业英语八级（早期教育类阅读理解）模拟试卷 1及答案与解析 0 While early literacy skills are important for a childs growth, there are some who question whether we are forcing our kids to read too early. Some intense early intervention programs make promises about teaching even babies to read. Is that really reading? How young i
2、s too young to start learning? Typically, children just dont pick up a book one day and start reading. At around 4 or 5 years old, average youngsters learn pre-reading skills. This is when they learn to write letters and short words, start rhyming, develop a vocabulary and read simple, one-syllable
3、words. For some children, these skills come more easily and at a younger age, while for others, its a struggle. For a child to learn to read, he or she needs to understand the link between letters and sounds and then sounds and words. This connection is necessary to develop accurate reading skills.
4、However, when or how a child learns this depends on the individual and his or her parent and teacher. Its important to remember there is a distinction between naturally learning to read at a young age and introducing too much too soon where what seems like reading is more like memorization. Children
5、 usually learn about reading at home, long before preschool or kindergarten. As babies and toddlers, parents introduce a variety of activities to stimulate language skills that in turn enhance literacy or reading. Parents can influence these skills with a variety of activities including: making book
6、s readily available; having child watch parent read; visiting the library; reading books together; turning off the television and offering a book to read instead. When exposed to but not pushed to do these activities, a child progresses at a natural pace. A report by the U.S. Department of Education
7、 states that “the foundation for learning to read is in place long before children enter school and begin formal reading instruction. You and your family help to create this foundation by talking, listening and reading to your children every day and by showing them that you value, use and enjoy read
8、ing in your lives.“ However, theres a difference between a young child grasping the concepts of reading at an early age (before 4 or 5 years old) and introducing a variety of early intervention activities that may teach the child to read, but the techniques and results are questionable if not contro
9、versial. This is known as forced reading. Children, some as young as babies, are supposedly taught to read through a variety of programs that use DVDs, flashcards and books. The parents spend several hours a day repeating the same pictures and words until their young ones learn and read the cards or
10、 books themselves. Another style of forced reading is scheduling a child sit to read a book for a certain amount of time. It could be for 15 minutes, 45 minutes or more. The parents or educators set a timer and the child finishes reading when it goes off. This type of reading starts at around kinder
11、garten and continues up through middle school. There are arguments on both sides of this debate. Some feel forced reading or intense early intervention programs give young children an edge and better prepare them to succeed in school. They also feel that early reading: lightens the burden from learn
12、ing to read in school; helps children outperform and achieve success throughout their school career; builds self-esteem; develops broader vocabulary and writing skills; enhances critical thinking skills; improves memory and concentration levels. A report by the National Early Literacy Panel concurs
13、to a point with this thinking, stating that conventional reading skills developed within a childs first five years have a strong relationship to his or her later literacy skills. However, those against forced reading feel young children arent mature enoughemotionally and intellectually to understand
14、 the concept of putting letters and sounds together so forcing them to do so will do more harm than good. They also believe that young children, if exposed to a constant repetition of words, symbols and pictures, will memorize what is before them and not truly read it. A report by NBC News discovere
15、d that “child development experts from coast to coast were of the collective opinion that while young children can be made to recognize or memorize words, the brains of most infants and toddlers are just not developed enough to actually learn to read at the level the way the enticing television ads
16、claim they can.“ Opponents agree that forced reading: seems more like memorization in babies and toddlers; causes children to get easily discouraged; seems more like a chore instead of a fun, leisure activity; doesnt guarantee an edge in the classroom. Deciding how your child learns to read is a ver
17、y personal decision. Whether forced reading is the answer or not, the bottom line is that every child needs to read at some point in his or her young life. As a parent or educator, its your job to decide if forcing your child to read early is beneficial or destructive to his or her literacy developm
18、ent. From Brighthub 1 What is the difference between natural and forced reading? （ A） How children learn to read, exposed or pushed. （ B） What kind of books children should read. （ C） What activities children should do. （ D） When they learn to read. 2 Parents usually resort to several materials to t
19、each babies to read EXCEPT_. （ A） DVDs （ B） flashcards （ C） TV programs （ D） books 3 According to the article, which of the following does not belong to the pros of forced reading? （ A） Giving young children a privilege which helps them succeed in school. （ B） Lessening childrens burden in school. （
20、 C） Developing self-esteem. （ D） Knowing how to read books effectively beforehand. 4 The attitude of the author towards how a child learns to read is_. （ A） objective （ B） positive （ C） negative （ D） indifferent 4 A Canadian study has shown that kids who are home-schooled are, on the whole, smarter
21、than kids who attend public school. These findings are not surprising, but they do support the decision one will make to home-school their kids. Learn why you should make the jump to teaching your kids at home. I dont mean to brag, but I receive compliments on my kid all the time for two things: his
22、 intelligence and his good character. Many parents around the time their kids turn into teenagers are biting their nails hoping for the best. I dont worry. I know my kid is comfortable enough in his own skin to hold his own out in the world. I attribute both of these compliments to a simple fact: I
23、have chosen to home-school him. Before getting into a discussion of the Canadian study that supports what home-school parents already know, Id like to offer a few reasons why that I believe that home-schooled kids perform better on tests and why they tend to be more intellectually inclined. First, h
24、ome-schooled kids dont learn to hate learning. In the public school environment, with the system of punishments and rewards, the fun intrinsic to learning new things about the world around us is diminished. Instead, public school needs to demonstrate an adherence to a certain body of knowledge. If y
25、our kid finds that he or she is excited by the study of the solar system, theres no room for that in the classroom once the class has moved on. Sure, the student can pursue the study in his or her “free time“ but when the student is home-schooled, the student could get as in-depth about this study a
26、s he or she likes. With one-on-one instruction, students excel. Theres a reason parents hire tutors for struggling students the one-to-one ration works when it comes to learning. When there is only one (or a handful) of students, there is more attention focused on knowing whether a student understan
27、ds material or not. If the student doesnt understand something, the parent-teacher can then stick on that topic until mastery is obtained. In the classroom, this is not possible. Teachers need to cover a set curriculum over the course of the year. The converse is true as well, if a student demonstra
28、tes mastery quickly, there is no need to have him or her study that topic longer. Home-schoolers dont learn to fear tests. They learn how to learn about anything. Even if my son doesnt know what something is, he knows how to find references that will support his learning about that subject. These ar
29、e key skills for lifelong learning. The Canadian study, originally reported in The Canadian Journal of Behavioral Health, followed 74 students 37 were home-schooled and 37 attended public school. The findings showed that while public school kids would test at grade levels, home-schooled children far
30、 above grade level. Generally, the home-schooled children would perform at least half a grade ahead when it came to math and two grades ahead when it came to reading. This may sound great but there are some things to keep in mind. Home-schooling is not about competition. When youre home-schooling yo
31、ur child, please try to avoid comparing him or her to other kids! Even if youre teaching a fourth grader reading at a tenth grade level, but his or her friend is reading on an 11th grade level, do not look at home-schooling as a competition. If you start treating learning like a game to be won, for
32、most children, this will take the love of learning out of the activity. When it becomes about besting the members of your home-schooling group, youre losing focus on the real goal: making sure that the student has the tools he or she needs to be a successful adult. Really, thats what all schooling i
33、s about its not about who crosses the finish line first. Its not about who is smarter your kid or the kid living down the street going to public school each morning. Its about making sure that our children have the tools they need in order to get along in the world. Its good to set goals. Its unheal
34、thy to use your child as a pawn to boost your self-esteem. Not all kids progress at the same rate. Dont freak out if your child is “behind“ where you think he or she should be. One of the reasons that youre choosing this method of education is that it allows for greater flexibility. This means that
35、you can cater studies to your child. If he or she struggles in spelling, but excels in math, then you can adapt to that! Thats the beauty of it. You also have a better understanding of his or her strengths and weaknesses. Dont push your kid just because you want to be ahead. Make sure that at every
36、step of the way, youre focused upon helping your child receive the education he or she needs. From Brighthub 5 According to the author, why is his kid smarter than those at the same age? （ A） Because he is born smarter. （ B） Because he is home-schooled. （ C） Because he is not biting his nails. （ D）
37、Because he always receives compliments. 6 By “biting their nails“, the author tends to say_. （ A） many parents have the bad habit （ B） many parents are worried about their children （ C） many parents hope their kids will become successful （ D） many parents pray for their childrens future 7 Which of t
38、he following is NOT the characteristic of the public school? （ A） Public schools own the system of punishments and rewards. （ B） In public schools, kids should stick to a set body of knowledge. （ C） Kids boast the nature of learning new things in public schools. （ D） Public schools give kids no room
39、 for their own interest. 8 Which of the following is NOT the skill for a kids lifelong learning? （ A） Learning not to fear tests. （ B） Learning how to learn about anything. （ C） Knowing how to find references. （ D） Supporting his own learning by testing himself. 9 The Canadian study tells us to keep
40、 some things in mind EXCEPT_. （ A） that parents should not compare their kids to others （ B） that parents should focus on the real goal of learning （ C） that not all kids progress at the same rate （ D） that parents use their kids to build their own self-esteem 9 We are in a national crisis of childc
41、are costs. Without affordable childcare, many parents cannot work, or have their working hours severely constricted. Childcare is often prohibitively expensive, and quality is uneven, depending on the caregiver. Why and why should we care as a nation? There is a severe crisis of early childhood care
42、 in the US and in a number of other first world countries. Early childcare costs on average more per child, per year, than average tuition in a public university in the US. According to the 2011 Study released by NACCRRA (the National Association of Child Care Resource classes are larger than ideal.
43、 It is still a large percentage of a lower-income familys expenses, and is not a negligible amount for the middle class family, especially if more than one child needs care. The US performs dismally in the worldwide ranking for education in math, the sciences and reading. We are also not well ranked
44、 for child health. A 15-year longitudinal study of children, beginning in early childhood, showed there is a direct correlation between those children who have early childcare and academic performance, likelihood of staying in school, schooling beyond secondary school, and the likelihood they will n
45、ot become involved in criminal activities. Those children who do not have early childcare are all the more likely to have difficulties with academic performance, a lower chance of staying in school, a lower percentage getting schooling beyond secondary school, and an increased likelihood they will b
46、ecome involved in criminal activities. On average, yearly costs for someone in the state prison system average nearly twice as much as the cost for early childcare for a year. Governmental assistance does help some families with childcare costs, but there is a limited amount of money in government p
47、rograms, and it has been cut already. Government programs are not able to help numerous families, even if they are income qualified for assistance. Many families are likely to have to spend a disproportionate part of their income on childcare costs, and so will choose the least expensive option they
48、 can find. Childcare subsidies are likely to be among the new budget expenses cut in government spending. This translates to both fewer children receiving assistance for childcare, and increased costs borne by the families of children who are getting care. The annual amount allocated for childcare a
49、ssistance was cut last year too. Additional studies have found that for every dollar spent on early childcare, the cost to society is amply repaid in increased earning power of those children as they grow up, and in the cost of criminal conduct society does not need to bear. The RAND corporation has done some studies, and in “What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy?“ RAND says, Probably the most widely recognized intersection between economics and early childhood policy is in the analysis of the costs and b
