Question

【题目】根据短文内容，填写表格。

A great many parents send their children to pre-schools - educational programs for children under the age of five. It has been said that this is the time period when the brain does over fifty percent of its growing. This could mean that the learning process should be introduced during these years.

However, the views that different societies hold regarding the purpose of early childhood education are not same. Whereas Chinese parents tend to see preschools primarily as a way of giving children a good start academically, parents in the United States regard the primary purpose of preschools as making children more independent and self-reliant.

Preschools can operate under a guiding philosophy of play-based or academic learning. Play-based programs are guided by the central belief that children learn best through play. Play is thought to build children’s interest and love of learning. Academic programs emphasize reading, math and science, and use structured, teacher-directed activities to promote foundational skills in these areas. In the United States, the best-known program designed to promote future academic success is Head Start. The program, which stresses parental involvement, was designed to serve the “whole child”, including children’s physical health, self-confidence, social responsibility, and social and emotional development.

A recent evaluation suggests that preschoolers who participate in Head Start are less likely to repeat grades, and more likely to complete school in future. Furthermore, graduates of Head Start programs show higher academic performance at the end of high school, although the gains are modest. In addition, results from other types of preschool readiness programs indicate that for every dollar spent on the program, taxpayers saved seven dollars by the time the graduates reached the age of 27.

Not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing. In fact, according to developmental psychologist David Elkind, United States society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel stress and pressure at a young age. Elkind argues that academic success is largely dependent upon factors such as inherited abilities and a child’s rate of maturation, which parents can do nothing about. Consequently, children of a particular age cannot be expected to master educational material without taking into account their current level of cognitive development. In short, children require development appropriate educational practice, which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.

Early Childhood Education
Reasons for attending preschools	The 【1】 of the brain matures under the age of five. Parents’ expectations of preschools 【2】 greatly.
【3】 of preschools	Some programs 【4】 on play activities while others on academic activities. Parents are 【5】 in some preschool programs.
Benefits of attending preschools	Graduates are better 【6】 for future schooling. Graduates may achieve higher grades at high school. It can be 【7】 for households in the long term.
【8】 about preschools	Children feel pressured at a young age. Factors determining academic success are 【9】 parents’ control. Early childhood education must be 【10】 with children’s development and characteristics.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】majority

【2】differ/vary

【3】Mechanisms/Functions/Operation

【4】focus/concentrate

【5】involved

【6】prepared

【7】economical/cheap

【8】Doubt(s)

【9】beyond

【10】consistent

【解析】

本文为议论文。文章主要对学前教育是否有好处进行了论述。

【1】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。第一段“A great many parents send their children to pre-schools - educational programs for children under the age of five. It has been said that this is the time period when the brain does over fifty percent of its growing.”可知，许多父母在孩子5岁以前送孩子送到学前教育机构，据说这段时间是大脑的50%以上的发育是在5岁以前。由此可推断出大部分的大脑是在五岁以前形成的。因此文中的over fifty percent of its growing即大脑开发的大部分，也就是“the majority of the brain”，故填majority。

【2】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。第二段第一句“However, the views that different societies hold regarding the purpose of early childhood education are not same. Whereas Chinese parents tend to see preschools primarily as a way of giving children a good start academically, parents in the United States regard the primary purpose of preschools as making children more independent and self-reliant.”可知，不同社会对幼儿教育目的的看法不尽相同，中国的父母倾向于学前教育是学习的良好开端，而美国父母认为上幼儿园的主要目的是让孩子更独立、更自立。由此可推断出父母对学前教育的期望不同。本句“Parents’ expectations of preschools ___2___ greatly”中缺少动词。即填differ/vary。

【3】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。本空格是对第三段的一个总结。主旨句是第一句“Preschools can operate under a guiding philosophy of play-based or academic learning.” 可知，学龄前儿童可以在游戏或学术学习的指导思想下运作。由此可推断出本段叙述的是学前教育是如何动作的。故可填Mechanisms /Functions /Operation。

【4】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。根据第三段中的“Play-based programs are guided by the central belief that children learn best through play. Play is thought to build children’s interest and love of learning. Academic programs emphasize reading, math and science, and use structured, teacher-directed activities to promote foundational skills in these areas..”以游戏为基础的课程的主导思想是认为让孩子通过游戏学得最好。游戏玩耍被认为能培养孩子的学习兴趣和爱好。学术课程强调阅读、数学和科学，并使用结构化的系统的、教师指导的活动提高孩子们在这些领域的基本技能。由此可知，一些课程以游戏玩耍为基础而另一些则侧重于学习。句子some programs ___4___ on play activities while others on academic 中的some programs ___4___ on是对“play-based programs”的转化，因为空格处缺少动词，“focus/concentrate on...”意为“注重......”。本句的主语是复数，故填focus/concentrate。

【5】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。第三段中的“The program, which stresses parental involvement, was designed to serve the “whole child”, ...” 该学前课程强调父母的参与，旨在为“整个儿童”服务，...。由此可推断出父母是参与到这种学前教育课程。“be involved in...”为固定描述，意为“参与到......”，因此句子Parents are ___5___ in some preschool programs.中的空格处填involved 。

【6】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。第四段中的“ preschoolers who participate in Head Start are less likely to repeat grades, and more likely to complete school in future” 参加学前教育的学龄前儿童很少复读，将来更有可能完成学业。由此可推断出，学前教育毕业的孩子为未来上学做好了充分的准备。这句对应了Graduates are better ___6___ for future schooling， “be prepared for...”意为“为......做好了准备”。故本空格填prepared。

【7】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。第七小题对应第四段最后“results from other types of preschool readiness programs indicate that for every dollar spent on the program, taxpayers saved seven dollars by the time the graduates reached the age of 27.”其他类型的学前教育项目的结果表明，在该项目上每花费1美元，纳税人在毕业生27岁时就节省了7美元。由此可推断在学前教育方面每多花1美元，在27岁时会节省7美元。即学前教育对家庭来说，更便宜，更省钱。句子It can be ___7___ for households in the long term中缺少了一个形容词，通过对比可知，此处应填“便宜的（cheap）”，或填“economical（节约的，省钱的）”。故填 economical/cheap 。

【8】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。本小题是对最后一段或是说对第6和第7小题的总结。尤其是最后一段的第一句“Not everyone agrees that programs that seek to enhance academic skills during the preschool years are a good thing.”可知，本段主要叙述了不赞成学前教育的人对学前教育（好处）的怀疑。本空填一个名词，名词“doubt”是“怀疑”的意思。故本小题填写 Doubt(s) 。

【9】考查推理判断能力及转化能力。最后一段“academic success is largely dependent upon factors such as inherited abilities and a child’s rate of maturation, which parents can do nothing about”学业上的成功在很大程度上取决于遗传和孩子的成熟速度等因素，而父母对此无能为力。由此可推断出，决定学业成功的因素是父母无法控制的。 “beyond one’s control”意为“无法控制”，是对原文中“parents can do nothing about”的转述，故本空格填beyond。

【10】考查归纳理解，提取信息的能力。最后一段最后一句“children require development appropriate educational practice, which is education that is based on both typical development and the unique characteristics of a given child.”儿童的教育发展要恰当，教育要以独立典型的发展和儿童的个性的独特性为基础。由此可推断出儿童教育要符合儿童的发展和特点。“be consistent with...”为固定搭配，意为“......与......是一致的/相符的”。故填consistent。