Adding math talk to story time at home is a winning factor for children's math achievement, according to a new research from the University of Chicago. The study from psychologists Sian Beilock and Susan Levine shows a marked increase in math achievement among children whose families used Bedtime Math, an iPad app that delivers engaging math story problems for parents and children to solve together.
Even children who used the app with their parents as little as once a week saw gains in math achievement by the end of the school year. The app's effect was especially strong for children whose parents tend to be anxious or uncomfortable with math.
Previous research from this group has demonstrated the importance of adults' attitudes about math for children's math success. For example, a recent study found that math-anxious parents who help their children with math homework actually weaken their children's math achievement.
The new findings demonstrate that structured, positive interactions around math at home can cut the link between parents' uneasiness about math and children's low math achievement.
"Many people experience high levels of anxiety when they have to solve a math problem, with a majority of adults feeling at least some worries about math," said Beilock, professor in Psychology and author of Choke, a book about stress and performance. "These math-anxious parents are probably less likely to talk about math at home, which affects how competent their children are in math. Bedtime Math encourages a dialogue between parents and kids about math, and offers a way to engage in high-quality math interactions in a low-effort, high-impact way."
Study participants included 587 first-grade students and their parents. Families were given an iPad installed with a version of the Bedtime Math app, with which parents and their children read stories and answer questions involving math, including topics like counting, shapes and problem-solving. A control group received a reading app that had similar stories without the math content and questions related to reading comprehension instead. Children's math achievement was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. Parents completed a questionnaire about their nervousness with math.
The more times parents and children in the math group used the app, the higher children's achievement on a math assessment at the end of the school year. Indeed, children who frequently used the math app with their parents outperformed similar students in the reading group by almost three months in math achievement at year's end.
1.Bedtime Math is an iPad app that ________.
A. requires parents and children to answer reading comprehension questions
B. assesses children's math achievement and parents' nervousness with math
C. encourages children together with their parents to solve math story problems
D. teaches children how to count, recognize shapes and solve practical problems
2.The previous study found that ________.
A. help from math-anxious parents improves children's math achievement
B. interactions around math at home will cut off the family relationship
C. children's math achievement is related to parents' attitude about math
D. children can achieve more success if they see the importance of math
3.We can infer from the passage that ________.
A. it is the math problems related to the stories that make the great difference
B. children whose parents are uneasy about math outperform other students
C. children using the app for three months can see gains in math achievement
D. the frequency of using the app has nothing to do with children's achievement
4.Which does the author want to tell us?
A. High-anxiety parents influence children's attitude about math.
B. Frequent use of app can develop problem- solving ability.
C. Low-effort activities create good parent-child relationship.
D. High-quality math interactions improve children's performance.
Bertie knew there was something in the wind. His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie's feet, when Father cleared his throat and began, "You'll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We've found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England."
His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. "But the lion," he cried, "What about the lion?"
"I'm afraid there's something else I have to tell you," his father said. Looking across at Bertie's mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.
"No! You can't send him to a circus!" said Bertie. "People will come to see him. He'll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He'd rather die. Any animal would!" But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.
Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father's deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he crept downstairs in his pyjamas, took down his father's rifle from the rack and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion's neck. The time had come.
"Be wild now," he whispered. "You've got to be wild. Don't ever come home. All my life I'll think of you, I promise I will." He buried his head in the lion's neck. Then, Bertie clambered down off the hill and walked away.
When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.
There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion's head.
1.Bertie's mother was sad probably because she _______.
A. had been seriously ill recently
B. had decided to send Bertie to school
C. knew selling the lion would upset Bertie
D. knew Bertie would hate to go to England
2.The underlined word "they" in Para. 4 probably refers to _______.
A. some audience B. other animals
C. Bertie's parents D. circus's owners
3.In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle at the lion to _______.
A. kill the lion out of fear B. threaten the lion back to the wild
C. protect himself from the lion D. show his anger towards his father
4.The passage intends to show that _______.
A. animal-hunting is popular in Africa
B. parents are sometimes cruel to their children
C. animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses
D. people and animals can be faithful to each othe
Northern Ireland Visitor Guide | |
Passport/Visa Requirements Passport Advice Line (UK) T: 0300 222 0000 www.ips.gov.uk UK nationals can travel without a passport but will need photographic identification. Passports are not required for travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic. For further information, contact the British Embassy in your country of origin. | Money Sterling currency. Most large stores accept Euro. Main credit cards are in general use but bring cash too. In main towns, bank hours are 09:30-16:30. Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) dispense cash at hundreds of locations, banks, garages and shopping centres. Bureau de Change are in larger bank branches, travel agents, the Belfast Welcome Centre, some other tourist information centres, big hotels and at a few visitor attractions. |
Telephone To call Northern Ireland from abroad, dial 0044 + area code (without 0) + local number. From the Republic of Ireland, dial 048 + area code (without 0) + local number. From elsewhere in UK or to make an internal call, dial area code (with 0) + local number. To call the Republic from Northern Ireland, dial 00353 + the area code (without 0) + local number. | |
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Public Holidays Banks are closed and transport services | |
are reduced on public holidays. See www.discovernorthernireland.com for up-to-date details. New Year's Day January St. Patrick's Day March Good Friday start April Easter Monday start April May Bank Holiday start May May Bank Holiday end May July Holiday mid July August Bank Holiday end August Christmas Day December Boxing Day December | |
Emergency Services Dial 999 for emergency services. If your passport is lost or stolen, contact the local police station, embassy or consulate. | |
All Ireland Information For details on the rest of Ireland visit: www.diseoverireland.com. | |
1.If Jack wants to call his friend in Northern Ireland from London, he should dial _______.
A. 0044 + area code (without 0) + local number
B. 048 + area code (without 0) + local number
C. area code (with 0) + local number
D. 00353 + the area code (without 0) + local number
2.While travelling in Northern Ireland, you _______.
A. can shop until 21:00 on Thursdays
B. needn't leave a tip after receiving service
C. can use American dollars to buy what you want
D. can draw money from banks from 9:00 to 16:30 every day
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the above Visitor Guide?
A. A German needn't a passport to travel in Northern Ireland.
B. A visitor can dial 999 in emergency situations while in Northern Ireland.
C. Any European can get healthcare in Northern Ireland at a reduced cost or free of charge.
D. A visitor will be charged ￡3 for leaving luggage in Belfast Welcome Centre for 6 hours.
On a trip to California, my family stopped for lunch. As we walked toward the entrance to the restaurant, a man, with a ______ beard and dirty hair, jumped up from a bench and opened the door for us. Regardless of his ______, he greeted us in a friendly way.
Once inside, my daughters whispered, "Mom, he ______." After we ordered our lunch, I explained, telling the kids to look ______ the dirt. We then watched other customers approach the restaurant but many ______ him. Seeing this rudeness truly upset me. The day I became a mother, I had resolved to set a good ______ for my children. Yet sometimes when things didn't go right, being a good example was ______ . When our meal arrived, I realized I had left the car－sick pills in the truck. With the windiest trip ahead, the kids needed them, so I ______ myself from the meal and went for them.
Just then, the "doorman" was opening the door for a couple. They rushed past him without even acknowledging his ______ Letting them in first, I said a loud "thank you" to him as I _____.
When I returned, we talked a bit. He said he was not allowed inside ______ he purchased food. I went back and told my family his ______. Then I asked our waitress to add one soup and sandwich. The kids looked ______ as we had already eaten, but when I said the order was for the "doorman", they smiled. When it was time to ______ our trip, I noticed the "doorman" enjoying his meal. Upon seeing me, he stood up and thanked me heartily. He then _____ his hand for a handshake and I gratefully accepted. I suddenly noticed his tears in eyes－tears of ______.
What happened next drew great astonishment: I gave the doorman a _____ ! He pulled away, with tears _____ down his face.
Back in truck, I fell into deep thought. While we can't choose many things in life, we can choose when to show gratitude. I said thanks to a man who had ______ held open a door for me, and also said thanks for that _____ to teach my children by example.
1.A. heavy B. long C. messy D. grey
2.A. service B. appearance C. status D. attitude
3.A. smokes B. smiles C. sniffs D. smells
4.A. beyond B. over C. around D. into
5.A. hated B. ignored C. missed D. refused
6.A. target B. rule C. record D. example
7.A. stressful B. accessible C. awkward D. tough
8.A. excused B. freed C. prevented D. withdrew
9.A. company B. presence C. effort D. attempt
10.A. quitted B. marched C. exited D. approached
11.A. before B. unless C. though D. since
12.A. story B. deed C. experience D. demand
13.A. concerned B. shocked C. puzzled D. bored
14.A. make B. start C. take D. continue
15.A. extended B. washed C. raised D. waved
16.A. approval B. affection C. sympathy D. gratitude
17.A. hug B. nod C. lift D. clap
18.A. slipping B. streaming C. rushing D. breaking
19.A. firmly B. constantly C. simply D. politely
20.A. journey B. wisdom C. opportunity D. coincidence
Just hang the towel _______ the back of the chair so that it will dry soon.
A. over B. behind
C. with D. from
－ Can I pay the bill by check?
－ Sorry, sir. But it is the rules of our hotel that payment _______ be made in cash.
A. can B. will
C. shall D. need
