Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University scholar.

The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of class size over a period and for all levels of students. The study appears in the American Journal of Education.

He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education’s Instiute of Education Sciences that will give official advice on class size to the states. He said the advice will mirror his research: the best plan is to provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students) for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first grade.

“For a logn time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the benefits,” He said. “I don’t believe that. I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later.”

His research used data from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school. He found that students who had been in small classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than students who been in larger classes early on.

Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found. “But low-achievers benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap with high –achievers in science, reading and math, ” he said.

Although the study didn’t consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers.

“This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with more disadvantaged and low-performing students, ” he said.

1.The professor argues about ________ .

2.The result of the research shows that _________.

3.What can we infer from the passage?

4.The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph refers to _______.

(2013·高考陕西卷)To celebrate the end of our exams，my friends and I went to a fast food restaurant.We____hamburgers and Coca Cola at the counter.When our____came，I started walking towards an empty table.By bad luck，my purse strap(带子)got____on a chair and the tray(托盘)that I was holding slipped___my hands and went flying in the air.The tray，and its contents，____on a man who was just about to____a bite of his sandwich.I stared，greatly____，as the drinks soaked(浸湿)his white shirt.

Then I___my eyes and prepared myself for his burst of____.Instead，he said“It’s OK”to____me before he disappeared into the washroom.

Still shaky and unsure____to do next，my friends and I went to a table and sat there，trying our best to look____.A moment later，the man came out of the washroom and___our table.My heart almost stopped____.I thought he was going to ask for my father’s__and call him.

To my surprise，he merely smiled at us，handed us some cash and said，“____yourself new hamburgers.”He then walked____without even finishing his food.

He could have made what was already an uncomfortable situation worse，____he chose a different way and gave us a reason to believe that there is still____in this world.I’ll never____his actions.

1.A.ordered　　　　　　　B．made

C．arranged? D．demanded

2.A.food? B．turn

C．bill? D．menu

3.A.fixed? B．caught

C．cut? D．tied

4.A.by? B．in

C．from? D．out

5.A.knocked? B．fell

C．stood? D．hung

6.A.take? B．taste

C．swallow? D．chew

7.A.discouraged? B．disappointed

C．shocked? D．annoyed

8.A.rolled? B．rubbed

C．narrowed? D．closed

9.A.bitterness? B．anxiety

C．anger? D．sorrow

10.A.satisfy? B．comfort

C．encourage? D．praise

11.A.how? B．who

C．what? D．which

12.A.mild? B．honest

C．calm? D．modest

13.A.pushed? B．approached

C．drew? D．laid

14.A.beating? B．breaking

C．sinking? D．trembling

15.A.help? B．position

C．number? D．job

16.A.Prepare? B．Buy

C．Find? D．Cook

17.A.on? B．around

C．up? D．away

18.A.so? B．since

C．although? D．but

19.A.kindness? B．happiness

C．politeness? D．brightness

20.A.forget? B．refuse

C．oppose? D．ignore

To celebrate the end of our exams, my friends and I went to a fast food restaurant.We__26__hamburgers and Coca Cola at the counter. When our__27__came,I started walking towards an empty table. By bad luck, my purse strap (带子) got__28__on a chair and the tray (托盘) that I was holding slipped__29___my hands and went flying in the air. The tray, and its contents,__30___on a man who was just about to__31___a bite of his sandwich. I stared,greatly___32__,as the drinks soaked (浸湿) his white shirt.
Then I___33__my eyes and prepared myself for his burst of__34__.Instead,he said “It’s OK” to_ 35__me before he disappeared into the washroom.
Still shaky and unsure___36__to do next, my friends and I went to a table and sat there, trying our best to look___37__.A moment later, the man came out of the washroom and___38__our table, my heart almost stopped
___39__.I thought he was going to ask for my father’s_ 40 __and call him.
　　To my surprise, he merely smiled at us, handed us some cash and said,“__41___yourself new hamburgers. ”He then walked_ 42___without even finishing his food.
　　He could have made what was already an uncomfortable situation worse,___43__he chose a different way and gave us a reason to believe that there is still__44___in this world. I will never___45__his actions.

Songs that make our hearts happy can make them stronger too, US researchers reported on Tuesday.

They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels (血管) dilated in much the same way as when they are laughing, or taking blood medications.

    "We have a pretty impressive effect," said Dr Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology (心脏病学) at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

    "Blood vessel diameter improved," he said. "The vessel opened up pretty significantly. You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise." A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins.

When blood vessels open up more, blood flows more smoothly and is less likely to form the clots (凝块) that cause heart attacks and strokes. "We are not saying to stop your statins or not to exercise but rather to add this to an overall program of heart health," said Miller, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.

    Miller's team tested 10 healthy, non-smoking men and women, who were told to bring their favorite music. They spent half an hour listening to the recordings and half an hour listening to music they said made them feel anxious while the researchers did ultrasound tests designed to show blood vessel function.

Compared to their normal baseline measurements, blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent on average when the volunteers heard their joyful music. Listening to music they disliked — in most cases in this group heavy metal — blood vessels narrowed by six percent, Miller said.

    Miller said he came up with the idea after discovering that laughter caused blood to literally flow more smoothly. "I asked myself what other things make us feel really good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course. Music came to mind. ... It makes me feel really good," he said.

    Most of the volunteers chose country music but Miller said the style is not so important rather than what pleases each individual.

1. The underlined word dilate (in paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to “_____”.

A. widen             B. move               C. change              D. increase    

2. According to the passage, which of the following will NOT cause blood vessels to open up?

A. Taking exercise.                              B. Listening to unpleasant music.

C. Bursting into laughter.                         D. Taking drugs like statins.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. blood clots are caused by heart attacks and strokes

B. music is better than chocolate for your health

C. the style of music has different effects on different people

D. a person’s overall health is more influenced by how much exercise he gets

4. What is the passage possibly taken out from?

A. A scientific journal.                        B. A school textbook.

C. A medical brochure.                             D. A local newspaper.

5. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Pleasant Music Cures               B. Research into Blood Vessel

C. Music and Heart Attack                   D. Music and Happiness 

After spending a year in Brazil on a student exchange program, her mother recalled, Marie Colvin returned home to find that her classmates had narrowed down their college choices. “Everyone else was already admitted to college,” her mother, Rosemarie Colvin, said from the family home. “So she took our car and drove up to Yale and said, ‘You have to let me in.’?”

Impressed—she was a National Merit(全国英才) finalist who had picked up Portuguese in Brazil—Yaledid, admitting her to the class of 1978, where she started writing for The Yale Daily News “and decided to be a journalist,” her mother said.

On Wednesday, Marie Colvin, 56, an experienced journalist for The Sunday Times of London, was killed as Syrian forces shelled the city of Homs. She was working in a temporary media center that was destroyed in the attack.