Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (男子气概), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to be consistent to a stereotype, a US study says.Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their abilities to express their emotions, rather than feeling they had to obey to the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The findings of the study are against the received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being ignored by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys’learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes,” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to give in to a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys feel pressed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reported.
【小题1】The author believes that a single-sex school would ____ .

We all know that regular physical exercise is good for a girl’s body, mind, and spirit ．Here are a few:

       Research shows that girls who play sports do better in school and are more likely to graduate than those who don’t．Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage when it comes to the classroom．

       Some benefits of sports are clear — like improving fitness and maintaining a healthy weight．Girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke．But girls who play sports in school also continue to see the benefits later in life, with reduced chances of getting breast cancer．Sure, you can get these benefits from any type of exercise．

       Working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals is great practice for the real world, where teamwork is a key to success．For years, boys learned these skills through sports while girls sat on the sidelines．But as more and more women hit the field, they’re joining boys in both the classroom and the boardroom．

       Girls involved in sports feel better about themselves, both physically and socially．Practicing, improving skills, and gradually achieving goals help to build confidence．

       Pressure is a big part of life．Playing sports can help you deal with it, since exercise is a natural mood lifter and a great way to reduce pressure．Plus, when you are on a team, you have friends who support you both on and off the field．

       Other benefits of doing sports include getting in shape, and making new friends．

When is the right time to get kids involved in teamwork and what does it mean to be part of a team? There are many great ways to introduce kids to team building. Use team building games and activities to get kids to understand the meaning of being in a team.
Try to find some games that have kids work together on some kind of problem solving. Children naturally have a shorter attention span (一段时间) than adults so present it in a funny way. Create a reward system for teams that are able to work together in order to reach a common goal. When they solve the problem and receive a reward, it gives them initiative to keep working hard and cooperating with others. The best games are those that require direct communication between team members.
Organize a game of 20 questions for the kids to play while building a team. Draw up a series of cards with different questions on each. Have each child select a card and then ask another question on it casually. It’s a great way for the kids to share and discover common interests. Kids need to be entertained and social when in a large group. This will lighten the mood greatly and help the quieter team members to come out of their shells.
Have the kids sit in a circle or around a table and share their favorite things. Start with something like movies or books and move on to anything from toys to animals. Sharing interests creates discussion. When you share interests with someone, it is easier to relate to them. Kids finally want to be friends with most other kids. Encouraging them to get along socially is always positive. By sharing interests they can form valuable bonds that will serve them as both individuals and as a team.
【小题1】What’s the main idea of the passage?

C