Question

Recently, we’ve been talking about how we need better teachers. There’s no doubt that great teacher can help in a student’s learning but here’s what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents.

Every three years, the organization called O.E.C.D. organizes exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment(评估), or PISA, which tests 15-year-olds on their abilities to deal with real problems. America’s 15-year-olds have not done as well as students in Singapore, Finland and Shanghai in the PISA exams.

To better understand the reasons, the PISA team, starting with four countries in 2006, and then adding 14 more in 2009, went to the parents of 5,000 students. They interviewed them about how they raised their kids and then compared it with the test results for each of those years. Two weeks ago, the PISA team published the main finding of its study.

Fifteen-year-olds whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school get much higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents don’t often read with them or not at all. Parents’ concern for their children is strongly connected with better results in PISA.

According to Schleicher, the leader of the team, just asking your children how their school    day was and showing great interest in their learning can help a lot. It is something every  parent can do, no matter what their education level is.

The study found that getting parents concerned about their children’s learning at home is more powerful than parents attending parent-teacher meetings, volunteering in classrooms,   taking part in money-raising, and showing up at back-to-back nights.

To be sure, nothing can replace a good teacher. But let’s stop putting the whole duty on teachers. We also need better parents. Better parents can make teaching more beneficial.

1.What can we learn about the organization O.E.C.D ?

A. It tests teenagers’ learning skills.

B. It calls for better teachers.

C. It organizes PISA exams every 3 years.

D. It compares parents from different countries.

2.Why does the PISA team interview some parents?

A. To understand students better.

B. To get along well with parents.

C. To help students with bad test results.

D. To find out why students have different test results.

3.According to the study, parents are advised to      .

A. try to search for better teachers

B. put the whole duty on teachers

C. care about their children’s school life

D. ask their children to read more books.

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Better Parents Are Needed    B. Better Teachers Are Appreciated

C. A Study by the PISA Team    D. An Interview with Parents.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.A

【解析】通过本文可知，没有什么可以替代一个好老师，但我们也需要更好的父母，更好的父母可以使教学更有益。

1.C

细节理解题。根据第二段第一句Every three years, the organization called O.E.C.D. organizes exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment(评估), or PISA,可知， O.E.C.D每三年组织一次PISA考试。故答案为C。

2.D

细节理解题。根据第三段第一句To better understand the reasons, the PISA team, starting with four countries in 2006, and then adding 14 more in 2009, went to the parents of 5,000 students.可知，采访父母是为了找出学生为什么会有不同的测试结果。故选D。

3.C

细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“The study found that getting parents concerned about their children’s learning at home is more powerful than parents attending parent-teacher meetings, volunteering in classrooms, taking part in money-raising, and showing up at back-to-school nights.”可知，父母多关心孩子在学校的生活对于孩子更有好处。故选C。

4.A

主旨大意题，根据第一段最后一句话与最后一段中“We also need better parents. Better parents can make teaching more effective (有效的).”可知，更好的父母可以使教学更有益。答案为A。