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  3. Twelve years ago, as a first-year language-arts teacher at a middle school in Houston, I had 50 minutes a day with each of my cl

Twelve years ago, as a first-year language-arts teacher at a middle school in Houston, I had 50 minutes a day with each of my cl

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问题     Twelve years ago, as a first-year language-arts teacher at a middle school in Houston, I had 50 minutes a day with each of my classes. That might sound like a decent amount of time, but after taking roll and checking homework, I was lucky to have even 40 minutes left to teach my students, the majority of whom were low income or just learning to speak English. I had to take a triage(分类)approach — one that’s familiar to most public-school teachers. I focused on the basics of reading and writing to prepare them for the state assessment test, and I was barely able to devote any time to analytical writing, lis-tening comprehension, or persuasive speaking. It felt as if I was shortchanging the students, and my frustration was compounded by the fact that after summer vacation they forgot much of what they’d learned, coming back even less prepared than they were three months earlier.

    Six years ago I founded KIPP Heartwood Academy, a public charter school in San Jose, part of a network of 99 KIPP schools nationwide. KIPP(Knowledge Is Power Program)students spend more than 50 percent more time learning, with a school day that typically goes from 7: 30 a. m. to 5 p. m., along with a mandatory three-week summer-school program. The added time is getting results. With a student population that’s more than 85 percent low income, Heartwood has ranked in the top 10 percent of all California public schools every year since its inception, and it was named a Blue Ribbon School this year by the U. S. Department of Education. The idea of extending the school day — and year — is gaining momentum. President Obama recently joined other political and academic leaders who are calling for a new look at our outdated custom of halting instruction in July and August.(Sorry, kids.)But while I’m pleased there’s more attention being devoted to time management, I’m wary(谨慎的)that the notion of tacking on hours will become a passing fad. Improving the country’s education system will take a lot more than simply extending the school day and year.
    For starters, we shouldn’t spend all that extra class time only teaching academics. With budget cuts affecting schools nationwide, fewer are able to offer music and extra-curriculars, but if kids are drilled in math and reading all day, they’ll lose interest in learning. Schools should extend their hours if they have the funding for both academics and extracurriculars. They need to provide time not only for remediation but also for sports, languages, performing-arts groups, and clubs for activities like debating that improve creativity and leadership skills.
    I commend the hundreds of schools nationwide that are beginning to embrace extended school hours and academic calendars. But if they don’t account for some of the potential pitfalls, I fear the plan could be discarded like so many other quick fixes. No cure, particularly when it comes to education, is quite so simple.
What does the author think of the idea of extending school time?
选项 A、It is great and has done a lot good to Heartwood.
B、It erases the author’s worry of insufficient class time.
C、It inspires the government to reform time management.
D、It isn’t enough to improve the country’s education system.
答案D
解析 观点态度题。第二段末作者指出完善国家教育系统不仅仅是延长在校学习时间这么简单，还有许多事情要做，故[D]项正确。延长在校时间确实帮助heartwood学校获得了荣誉，但是原文没有谈到作者认为这种想法很好，而是表示担心，故[A]项错误。原文没有提到这种做法消除了作者对课堂时间不足的担心，故排除[B]项。原文只是提到奥巴马总统也加入呼吁重新审视在七八月份结束教育活动这一老旧传统的队伍，但并没有说政府受到延长学习时间这一想法的激励而改革时间安排，故[D]项错误。
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