Yours,
Li Hua.
| at a loss base on count on draw out get over hang out look forward to make it pick up the pieces take on |
The COVID-19 pandemic began in late 2019 and for the best part of two years, children were forced to learn at home, staring at computers. As they start the 2023-24 school year, a terrifying proportion still seem barely to be back.
According to a study published in early August, in the 2021-22 academic year 28% of schoolchildren missed at least three and a half weeks of school. The study, conducted by Thomas Dee, an education professor at Stanford University, found that “chronic (长期的) absenteeism”, defined as when a pupil misses 10% of the school year, almost doubled overall between 2018-19 and 2021-22. In Alaska, nearly half of all pupils missed enough school to be counted.
Explaining this is tricky. Students skip school for many reasons: lack of transport, poverty, the weather. But these are unlikely to have worsened recently. A more reasonable explanation for the lasting rise is that, having experienced remote learning, some students — and perhaps their parents — no longer think it necessary or even worthwhile to sit in a classroom. “It’s the same thing as in the workplace,” says a teacher in New Orleans. “Once you’ve gone down to only being there two or three days a week, coming back all five is hard.”
Attending school in person is important. Studies show that children who skip more school get significantly worse grades. One published by the Institute of Labour Economics by three American academics found that missing ten maths classes reduced the chance of a high school student graduating on time by 8%. Schools also connect pupils to important services. In Baltimore, schoolchildren can get free meals or be fitted for glasses through school, and their parents can be hooked up with social services. Educators can also spot if a child is being ill-treated or neglected. Pupils develop social skills in school, take part in after-school programmes and learn sports.
There are few easy fixes, though some look for them. Chicago Collegiate is encouraging attendance by giving pupils individual rewards and by holding class pizza parties. In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott plans to award the school with the most improved attendance rate. Most teachers, however, are simply trying to adapt. “Our youngsters, the competition for their attention has never been more difficult,” sighs a teacher in a New York City middle school. The challenge, he says, is to “attract kids to school”.
1．What’s the real reason for the rise in chronic absenteeism after the pandemic?| A．Economic challenges. | B．Worsening transportation. |
| C．Online learning experience. | D．Irresponsible school teachers. |
| A．It lowers the risk of falling ill. |
| B．It improves academic performance. |
| C．It offers access to important services. |
| D．It promotes the development of social skills. |
| A．Effects. | B．Origins. | C．Responses. | D．Solutions. |
| A．Various measures have been taken to improve school attendance. |
| B．In-person attendance at school is beneficial to students’ development. |
| C．Chronic absenteeism in schools saw a significant rise after the pandemic. |
| D．Online learning is gaining in popularity among students and parents. |
WorldStrides Gap Year
Calling all adventurers and go-getters. College isn’t going anywhere, but you can. WorldStrides Gap Year makes it possible to broaden your horizons—all while taking that well-deserved break from school.
With WorldStrides Gap Year, you’ll visit Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Morocco. The program has three sessions in Athens, Florence, and Seville and each session will earn you 3 credits. At the end of each session, you’ll travel with your peers to excursions (远足) in Rome, Paris, Fez, and Meknes taking in the sites, culture, and adventure that each city has to offer. Throughout the entire program is another 12-week classes that provides another 3 credits.
This course explores the theme of immigration, combining an anthropological perspective of causes and trends and links those trends with political decisions, policies and governments.
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and culture scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities and encourage the discussion of the historical influence of its storied past on the food culture of today.
This course provides an overall view of the art history of Spain from the pre-Roman period to the present, dealing in more detail with the particular socio-cultural and historical realities in which the studied creative manifestations are created.
1．How many credits can you earn through the WorldStrides Gap Year program in total?| A．6 credits | B．9 credits | C．12 credits | D．15 credits |
| A．Athens | B．Florence | C．Seville | D．Fez |
| A．Each session lasts at least 3 weeks. |
| B．They take place in the same country. |
| C．The courses in all sessions focus on art history. |
| D．Excursions are offered at the beginning of each session. |
National parks are an excellent way to explore all the beauty that the world has to offer: whether it’s endangered species, erupting volcanoes and snowy mountains, or rainforests and lakes. Of the thousands of national parks that exist in the world, these are the ones that should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Contrary (相反) to the popular link of national parks with the wilderness, it is filled with winding valleys, hills and villages where over 24,000 people live and work. Visitors can walk through grassland, visit waterfalls or explore underground caves, but Yorkshire Dales is also home to several food shops, and the park hosts cheese festivals and farmers markets regularly, so it’s best to go hungry.
It is a delight for those who like a bit of history mixed with the biodiversity of national parks. While it houses thousands of species of wildlife, there’s more to the national park than that.
It is surrounded by striking natural beauty and can be explored by land. But the river national park, as the name suggests, is best explored through leisurely boat rides that take visitors through many ancient towns that come along the way of the river.
Here’s a surprising fact: The whole of Vatnajökull National Park makes up 14% of Iceland’s territory! The park is usually open for hikes around the glaciers; boat rides through glacier lakes, and tours that take visitors through the park’s many ice caves, waterfalls, and icebergs. Vatnajökull is also where two of Iceland’s most active volcanoes are located.
1．What is recommended for a trip to Yorkshire Dales?| A．Recording local customs. |
| B．Skiing in the snowy mountains. |
| C．Going with an empty stomach. |
| D．Watching the eruption of volcanoes. |
| A．Yorkshire Dales. |
| B．Kakadu National Park. |
| C．Vatnajökull National Park. |
| D．Guilin and Lijiang River National Park. |
| A．There are many ancient towns. |
| B．There are various ice caves inside. |
| C．They are aimed at protecting rivers. |
| D．They can be explored through boats. |
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