Nobody likes home economics (家政学). But restoring the program could help us in the fight against obesity and chronic (慢性的) diseases today.
The home economics movement was founded on the belief that housework and food preparation were important subjects that should be studied scientifically. The first classes occurred in the agricultural and technical colleges that were built in the 1860s. When most departments of universities rejected women, home economics was a back door into higher education.
Indeed, in the early 20th century, home economics was a serious subject When few people understood germ (微生物) theory and almost no one had heard of vitamins, home economics classes offered vital information about washing hands regularly, eating fruits and vegetables and not feeding coffee to babies.
However, today we remember only the fixed ideas about home economics, forgetting the movement’s most important lessons on healthy eating and cooking. Too many Americans simply don’t know how to cook. Our diets, consisting of highly processed foods made cheaply outside the home, have contributed to many serious health problems. In the last decade, many cities and states have tried to tax junk food heavily or to ban the use of food stamps (食品券) to buy soda. Clearly, many people are doubtful about any governmental steps to promote healthy eating. But what if the government put the tools of obesity prevention in the hands of children themselves by teaching them how to cook?
My first experience with home economics happened two decades ago when I was a seventh grader in a North Carolina public school. A year later, my father’s job took our family to Wales, where I attended a large school for a few months. It was the first time I had ever really cooked anything. I remember that it was fun, and with an instructor standing by, it wasn’t hard. Those lessons stuck with me when I first started cooking for my husband and myself after college and they still do. Teaching cooking in public schools can help solve some problems facing Americans today. The history of home economics shows it’s possible.
小题1:Home economics______.
A．is a subject becoming more and more popular with Americans
B．is often used to help fight against obesity and chronic diseases
C．once offered women a. special approach to university education
D．was first taught in the agricultural and technical colleges in the early 1900s小题2:The third paragraph mainly tells us______ .
A．the importance of regular hand washing
B．the health benefits of fruits and vegetables
C．the contents of home economics classes in the early 20th century
D．the significance of teaching home economics in the early 20th century小题3: In the opinion of the author, how should we fight against childhood obesity?
A．Children should be taught how to cook.
B．A heavy tax should be put on junk food
C．Healthy eating should be promoted at school
D．Using food stamps to buy soda should be banned小题4:What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A．Her family moved frequently in her childhood.
B．Cooking classes have a far-reaching influence on her later life.
C．To receive a better education, she went to a large school in Wales.
D．Teaching cooking is the key to solving Americans’ health problems.
— Good afternoon!
