Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the ease, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive ears, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult. For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution: stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well Rude words, namecalling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy for conflict resolution : listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are hearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.
【小题1】This article is mainly about ________.

A.the lives of school children
B.the cause of arguments in schools
C.how to analyze youth violence
D.how to deal with school conflicts
【小题2】From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ________.
A.violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime
B.a small conflict can lead to violence
C.students tend to lose their temper easily
D.the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight
【小题3】Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
A.To find out who is to blame.
B.To get ready to try new things.
C.To make clear what the real issue is.
D.To figure out how to stop the shouting match.
【小题4】After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that ________.
A.there was a decrease in classroom violence
B.there was less student cooperation in the classroom
C.more teachers felt better about themselves in schools
D.the teacher-student relationship greatly improved
【小题5】The writer's purpose for writing this article is to ________.
A.complain about problems in school education
B.teach students different strategies for school life
C.advocate teaching conflict management in schools
D.inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence

Alice Walker makes her living by writing, and her poems, short stories, and novels have won many awards and fellowships for her. She was born in Eatonton, Georgia. She went to public schools there, and then to Spelman college in Atlanta before coming to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence college, from which she graduated in 1966. For a time she lived in Jackson, Mississippi, with her lawyer husband and a small daughter. About Langston Hughes, American Poet, here first book for children, she says, “After my first meeting with Langston Hughes I vowed I would write a book about him for children someday. Why? Because I, at 22, knew next to nothing of his work , and he didn’t scold me; he just gave me a stack of his books. And he was kind to me; I will always be grateful that in his absolute warmth and generosity he fulfilled my deepest dream ( and need) of what a poet should be.?”
“To me he is not dead at all. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of him or speak of him. Once, just before he died, when he was sick with the flu, I took him a sack full of oranges. The joy I felt in giving that simple gift is undiminished by time. He said he liked oranges, too.”
【小题1】What is the main topic of the passage?

A.Alice Walker’s reflection on Langston Hughes.
B.The influence of Alice Walker on the writing of Langston Hughes.
C.Langston Hughes’ book about Alice Walker.
D.A comparison of the childhoods of Alice Walker and Langston Hughes.
【小题2】In the passage, Alice Walker is described as _____.
A.a research fellow at Spelman College
B.a professor at Sarah Lawrence College
C.a prize-winning writer of prose and poetry
D.an author of plays for children
【小题3】Before attending college, Alice Walker went to school in _____.
A.Atlanta, GeorgiaB.Eatonton, Georgia
C.Jackson, MississippiD.Lawrence, Massachusetts
【小题4】The word “vowed” the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A.shoutedB.believedC.refusedD.promised
【小题5】It can be inferred from the passage that Alice Walker was 22 years old when _____.
A.she moved to Jackson, Mississippi
B.she moved to New York
C.she first met Langston Hughes
D.Langston Hughes died

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