Nowadays, there’s a lot of debate about single sex education since it has begun to regain its popularity recently. According to long term studies of children from around the world, students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools.

An Australian study of 270,000 students found that both boys and girls performed much higher on standardized(標準化) tests when they attended separate schools. During an experiment in Virginia in 1995, 100 eighth graders were separated just for math and science courses. Almost immediately, the girls began to achieve more, become more confident and take part more often in class activities.

In 2001, a British study concluded that nearly every girl regardless of (不論) her ability or socio-economic status performed better in single sex classrooms than co-ed ones. The study of 2,954 high schools and 979 primary schools showed that while boys at the lowest levels in study improved the most in single sex schools, single sex education was particularly beneficial (有益的) to girls. Every one of the top 50 private elementary schools and top 20 private high schools in Britain are single sex schools.

Girls became more confident in themselves as students and earned higher scores on their College Board and Advanced Placement examinations. A quarter of the female members of the US Congress and one-third of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women’s colleges.

While the statistics are not as dramatic for boys, however, boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single sex setting. They can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think.

Single sex education has a pleasant way of encouraging children to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic --- in short, to just be themselves. Children are subjected (屈從于) to pressures from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social atmosphere is just the right answer for many children.

1.With the experiment in Virginia in 1995, the writer wants to show that       .

A．single sex education has become popular in recent years

B．the effect of single sex education on girls is immediate

C．students at separate schools are better prepared for standardized tests

D．both boy and girl students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools

2.According to the article, which of the following statements about single sex education is TRUE?

A．Girls’ performances in single sex classrooms are determined by their ability and socioeconomic status.

B．In all-boys schools boys with the worst academic performances improved the most.

C．Single sex education was particularly helpful for boys.

D．There are more single sex schools than co-ed schools in Britain.

3. In the article, the underlined phrase “soften their competitive edge” probably means        .

A．act in a kindly manner                    B．become less competitive

C．lose interest in something                 D．take advantage of something

4. What is the main point of the article?

A．Ways to reduce pressure and help children grow.

B．The reason why girls perform better than boys at school.

C．The advantage of single sex education.

D．The development of single sex education in different countries.

Nowadays, there’s a lot of debate about single sex education since it has begun to regain its popularity recently. According to long term studies of children from around the world, students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools.
An Australian study of 270,000 students found that both boys and girls performed much higher on standardized(標準化) tests when they attended separate schools. During an experiment in Virginia in 1995, 100 eighth graders were separated just for math and science courses. Almost immediately, the girls began to achieve more, become more confident and take part more often in class activities.
In 2001, a British study concluded that nearly every girl regardless of (不論) her ability or socio-economic status performed better in single sex classrooms than co-ed ones. The study of 2,954 high schools and 979 primary schools showed that while boys at the lowest levels in study improved the most in single sex schools, single sex education was particularly beneficial (有益的) to girls. Every one of the top 50 private elementary schools and top 20 private high schools in Britain are single sex schools.
Girls became more confident in themselves as students and earned higher scores on their College Board and Advanced Placement examinations. A quarter of the female members of the US Congress and one-third of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women’s colleges.
While the statistics are not as dramatic for boys, however, boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single sex setting. They can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think.
Single sex education has a pleasant way of encouraging children to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic --- in short, to just be themselves. Children are subjected (屈從于) to pressures from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social atmosphere is just the right answer for many children.
【小題1】With the experiment in Virginia in 1995, the writer wants to show that       .

C.O.P.D(慢性障礙性肺病) blocks air flow through the lungs. It makes breathing difficult. The leading cause of C.O.P.D. is cigarette smoking. Experts at the National Institutes of Health in the United States say there is no cure to the damage to the lungs.

Dawn Demeo is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. She said, “By 2020, C.O.P.D. may be the third leading cause of death across the world.”

C.O.P.D. is a new name for emphysema（肺氣腫） and chronic bronchitis（慢性支氣管炎）. These are the two most common forms of the disease. Many people with C.O.P.D. have both of them. And Doctor Demeo says more women than men now die from the disease.

She is the lead author of a study by a team from Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the University of Bergen in Norway. The new study adds to findings that women may be more at risk than men from the damaging effects of smoking.

The team examined results from a Norwegian study of 954 people with C.O.P.D. Inga-Cecilie Soerheim co-wrote the team’s findings. Doctor Soerheim says they show that women suffered the same level of C.O.P.D.as men. But the female smokers were younger and had smoked a lot less.

The team also looked at two groups among the people in the study. These were people under the age of 60 and those who had smoked for less than 20 years. In both cases, women had more serious C.O.P.D. and a greater loss of lung function (功能）than men.

1.Which of the following statements about C.O.P.D is NOT true ______.

A. Cigarette smoking is likely to cause C.O.P.D.

B. C.O.P.D. makes it hard for a person to breathe

C. C.O.P.D will be one of the most life-threatening diseases.

D. Many people with C.O.P.D. have either emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

2.It can be known from the study that_____.

A. female smokers die faster than male ones.  

B. women are more likely to suffer from the damaging effects of smoking than men.

C. women who suffer the same level of C.O.P.D as men were older and weaker.

D. in the group of people under the age of 60, men suffered more from C.O.P.D than women.

3.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A .Smoking Kills

B. Smoking Triggers Diseases

C. The Leading Causes of C.O.P.D.

D. Women Suffers More from C.O.P.D. than Men  

4.In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage?

A. Science      B. Health report      C .Education      D. Business report

Nowadays, there’s a lot of debate about single sex education since it has begun to regain its popularity recently. According to long term studies of children from around the world, students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools.
An Australian study of 270,000 students found that both boys and girls performed much higher on standardized(標準化) tests when they attended separate schools. During an experiment in Virginia in 1995, 100 eighth graders were separated just for math and science courses. Almost immediately, the girls began to achieve more, become more confident and take part more often in class activities.
In 2001, a British study concluded that nearly every girl regardless of (不論) her ability or socio-economic status performed better in single sex classrooms than co-ed ones. The study of 2,954 high schools and 979 primary schools showed that while boys at the lowest levels in study improved the most in single sex schools, single sex education was particularly beneficial (有益的) to girls. Every one of the top 50 private elementary schools and top 20 private high schools in Britain are single sex schools.
Girls became more confident in themselves as students and earned higher scores on their College Board and Advanced Placement examinations. A quarter of the female members of the US Congress and one-third of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women’s colleges.
While the statistics are not as dramatic for boys, however, boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single sex setting. They can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think.
Single sex education has a pleasant way of encouraging children to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic --- in short, to just be themselves. Children are subjected (屈從于) to pressures from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social atmosphere is just the right answer for many children.

1. 1.

      With the experiment in Virginia in 1995, the writer wants to show that        .

   1. A.
      single sex education has become popular in recent years
   2. B.
      the effect of single sex education on girls is immediate
   3. C.
      students at separate schools are better prepared for standardized tests
   4. D.
      both boy and girl students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools
2. 2.

   According to the article, which of the following statements about single sex education is TRUE?

   1. A.
      Girls’ performances in single sex classrooms are determined by their ability and socioeconomic status.
   2. B.
      In all-boys schools boys with the worst academic performances improved the most.
   3. C.
      Single sex education was particularly helpful for boys.
   4. D.
      There are more single sex schools than co-ed schools in Britain.
3. 3.

     In the article, the underlined phrase “soften their competitive edge” probably means        .

   1. A.
      act in a kindly manner
   2. B.
      become less competitive
   3. C.
      lose interest in something
   4. D.
      take advantage of something
4. 4.

     What is the main point of the article?

   1. A.
      Ways to reduce pressure and help children grow.
   2. B.
      The reason why girls perform better than boys at school.
   3. C.
      The advantage of single sex education.
   4. D.
      The development of single sex education in different countries.