A recent online poll (民意调查) asked kids what they hated most about school. “Classes are boring” came in first. “Too much homework” was a close second. Since all activities remain interesting for only so long, too much homework can lead to ennui. So, why are some kids getting homework overload? Teachers give two reasons. First, they say, the government now requires schools to meet higher-than-ever achievement goals for students. If students don’ t succeed, the school faces punishment. Second, many parents want their children to be able to get into the best colleges and universities. These parents believe homework is a way to ensure that students are learning as much as possible.
People who favor homework argue that it can have many beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits. Homework can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. It can help develop their independent learning and responsible character traits(性格特征).
But studies show that middle school students doing 60 to 90 minutes of homework a night are doing just as well in school as those doing more than 90 minutes. And homework can have negative effects. Homework can deny students access to leisure(休闲) activities that also teach important skills. For example, sports teams teach cooperation and leadership, in addition to helping kids stay physically active. Another problem with too much homework is that parents can get too involved. They can put too much pressure on their kids.
So what should be done? Good homework assignments in the proper amount will have positive effects. Too much homework, however, will have negative effects. The bottom line: Students in grades three through six should do no more than 30 to 60 minutes of homework each night.
小题1:The underline word “ennui” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “______” .
A．relaxation
B．fancy
C．boredom
D．intelligence小题2: According to Paragraph 1, the kids are given much homework because ________.
A．schools are evaluated in terms of students’ achievement.
B．the government doesn’t take the problem seriously
C．it is a good way to improve the students’ ability
D．time will be made full use of in this way小题3:Those who are in favor of homework think that _______.
A．homework helps students to succeed
B．it’s good for kids to help each other in learning
C．parents are a great help when kids do homework at home
D．homework helps children to learn independently小题4: Which of the following is NOT a negative effect of too much homework?
A．Kids have little time to do leisure activities.
B．There is a lack of sleeping time.
C．The chances of learning other skills are lost.
D．Kids are under pressure from their parents.小题5: The author’s purpose in writing the passage is _______.
A．to criticize the school teachers
B．to attract public attention to kids’ study
C．to offer more help to today’s kids
D．to call for proper amounts of homework