“The failure to play is now a serious issue and it calls for action for change，” says Sir Ken Robinson, a leading expert in education, creativity and human development. This is the driving force behind Outdoor Classroom Day—a global teacherled campaign, supported by Dirt is Good, a company producing daily chemical products.
Outdoor Classroom Day, taking place on 17th May and 1st November this year, will see schools around the world swap the inside for the outside and take learning into the playground and beyond to make playtime a key part of the school day. This might involve using natural objects like stones to do sums, or going on an insect hunt to encourage curiosity. By now, Outdoor Classroom Day has grown from a grassroots movement to a global campaign that is expected to benefit five million children and over 40,000 schools from all around the world in 2018.
This is helping to change the trend that sees many schools selling up or building on their playgrounds and cutting back on playtime to make more room for academic studies, while at home children's lives are increasingly filled with organized activities intended to help them learn. Today globally 61% of parents surveyed in the Dirt is Good Qualitative Study said that children don't know how to play without using technology.
Outdoor Classroom Day is making playing time happen, with 22% of participating schools having increased their playtime since joining the campaign. 93% of teachers surveyed saw improvements in children's creativity after playing outside, and 97% believe that time outdoors is necessary for children to reach their full potential.
Scientific studies show that real play—the active, physical, selfdirected play—is essential for children to develop key life skills that are not taught elsewhere. Few would question the value of developing creativity, leadership, resourcefulness, and curiosity.
本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了Outdoor Classroom Day，这是一项全球范围的教育活动，旨在于鼓励孩子到户外活动，在实践中学到知识。
1．What do children do on Outdoor Classroom Day?
A．Have a day off and go playing anywhere.
B．Have P. E．classes on the playgrounds.
C．Learn and play by using natural things outside.
D．Play on their own without the teachers' guidance.
答案：C
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段前两句see schools around the world swap the inside for the outside and take learning into the playground and beyond to make playtime a key part of the school day. This might involve using natural objects like stones to do sums, or going on an insect hunt to encourage curiosity.可知在这一天孩子们从室内到室外去学习，通过自然界的物体学习相关知识。A、B项与主题无关，D项中“without the teachers' guidance.”在文章中并没有涉及。故C项正确。
2．Why do children spend less time outdoors?
A．Technology helps children learn better at home.
B．Parents prefer to home school their children.
C．Schools stop providing playgrounds.
D．Adults ignore the importance of playtime.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。根据第三段第一句This is helping to change the trend that sees many schools selling up or building on their playgrounds and cutting back on playtime to make more room for academic studies可知目前的趋势是大人只把学校当成学习文化知识的场所，削减了孩子室外玩耍的时间。所以主要是由于大人忽视了玩耍的重要性。故D项正确。
3．How are children's key life skills developed?
A．They are taught by their teachers.
B．They are learnt from their parents.
C．They are gained by doing surveys.
D．They are acquired through real play.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。根据第二段第二句This might involve using natural objects like stones to do sums, or going on an insect hunt to encourage curiosity.以及第五段第一句Scientific studies show that real play—the active, physical, selfdirected play—is essential for children to develop key life skills可知在户外活动中，孩子们通过自然界中的真实物体学到了实用技能。也就是说孩子们在真正的玩耍中学到了知识。故D项正确。
4．What's the author's purpose in writing this passage？
A.To inform. B．To persuade.
C．To entertain. D．To advertise.
答案：A
解析：写作意图题。本文主要介绍了Outdoor Classroom Day，这是一项全球范围的教育活动，旨在于鼓励孩子到户外活动，在实践中学到知识。本文的作用是“告知”，而非说服、娱乐和宣传广告。故A项正确。
