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Creating art or engaging in artistic efforts has numerous benefits for young people—from fewer disciplinary infractions to better academic performance and increased likelihood of struggling for post-secondary education.
And yet students’ participation in arts classes varies by what school they attend. Higher-poverty schools in King County have lower enrollment in arts classes.
That’s one data point evident in a new dashboard released by the cultural funding agency 4Culture and the state superintendent’s office. It shows the percentage of high school students taking different kinds of arts classes in individual schools within King County’s 19 school districts. It’s intended to let anyone in the public research arts classes participation and compare schools. For example, more than two-thirds of students at Bellevue’s International School took a music class compared with just 12 percent at Kent-Meridian High School in the Kent School District in the 2018-19 school year.
“We strongly believe the arts can make for a happier, healthier education in every single way, ” said Charlie Rathbun, director of arts programs with 4Culture. “So we will be looking at outcomes around the dropout rate, discipline rate, graduation rate, things like that. ”
Overall, the dashboard shows higher participation in visual arts and music classes than in theater or dance. “Dance, for example, being almost non-existent in our schools — we have to ask why and think about those students who might respond quite positively to dance, ” Rathbun said.
Alternative schools and dropout re-engagement programs have very low participation in arts classes. Students across the state are required to take two arts courses to graduate.
【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。创造艺术或从事艺术活动对年轻人有很多好处——从较少的违纪行为到更好的学业表现, 再到努力接受高等教育的可能性增加。文章介绍了参与艺术课程的重要性及意义。
1. What does the underlined word “infractions” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?
A. Obedience. B. Offence.
C. Sense. D. Authority.
【解析】选B。词义猜测题。根据画线词所在句的前半部分Creating art or engaging in artistic efforts has numerous benefits for young people(创造艺术或从事艺术活动对年轻人有很多好处)及画线词后better academic performance and increased likelihood of struggling for post-secondary education. (更好的学业表现, 再到努力接受高等教育的可能性增加)可推知, 更少的人违反纪律。由此推知, 画线词意为“违反”。
2. Why will Charlie Rathbun be looking at the outcomes?
A. To know about students’ academic performance.
B. To understand the reason for his students’ dropout.
C. To prove the function of arts education at school.
D. To encourage students to take dance, not other arts.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。注意第四段文章前后的逻辑关系, 先说艺术有助于愉快而健康的教育, 所以Charlie Rathbun看辍学率、违纪率、毕业率等就是为了证明学校艺术教育的作用。
3. Which can best describe the conclusion Charlie Rathbun will make about arts participation?
A. Reliable. B. One-sided.
C. Personal. D. Abstract.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。阅读文章可知, 本文中Charlie Rathbun关于艺术参与的结论是建立在实地调查和数据分析的基础上的, 所以是值得信赖的。
4. What is the best title for the text?
A. Arts Class Participation At School: Yes Or No
B. New Dashboard: Participation In Arts Classes
C. New Dashboard For King County High Schools
D. Low Participation In Arts Classes At High School
【解析】选B。主旨大意题。全文主要讲可视化数据图表显示的 King County 中学学生参与艺术课程的情况。C项太广泛, 没有给出关键信息。B项符合题意。
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【知识拓展】词汇积累
1. engage in 加入
2. struggle for 为……努力
3. participation 参与
4. enrollment 登记, 签到
5. alternative 可选择的, 可供选择的
6. dropout 辍学
句式积累
We strongly believe that. . .
我们坚信……
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