外刊阅读——学会地道英语 孩子们应该自学吗？
How can it be that there is a “no-teacher day” at school? Pupils can have their own ideas on how to spend their day and what they want to learn. Some can go to practise football skills. 1. And some would just chat with their friends. This is what “unschooling” is, a system where children choose how, what and where they want to learn.
Some parents say yes to letting their children educate themselves and they say that it lets their children follow their interests and takes the stress away from schooling. Others say it’s impossible for children to have a useful education without teachers and time-tables. What do you think of it? 2.
Teaching themselves makes children creative. From their first day of life, they try to learn and understand the world around them. Very young children learn to see colors, recognize voices and smile, but no one teaches them to do these things. This instinctive learning goes on in the early years, so why shouldn’t people go on to learn in this natural way? 3. With no teacher around, children must make themselves try to learn, and this is a really important skill in later life. It’s also a creative way to learn. Children can learn subjects they are really interested in, so they will learn more quickly.This could also help them find what they want to do when they grow up.
4. Teachers, not the students’ parents, are there to guide students and help them get as much knowledge as they can—even if they are difficult or boring subjects. Unschooling sounds too good to be true. It puts too much responsibility on a child. Not everybody likes math or reading but they are life skills. Education with teachers also gives children a routine, teaching the importance of time-keeping and rules. 5. And school prepares children for this. What’s more, school is important for socializing, too. Unschooling goes at home, so children don’t have the good of playing with others of their age. This means they could feel out of life.
Word Bank
1. stress /stres/ n. 压力 2. instinctive /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/ adj. 本能的 3. responsibility /rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti/ n. 责任
4. routine /ruːˈtiːn/ n. 常规 5. socialize /ˈsəʊʃəlaɪz/ v. 交际
一、好词句深练
（一）根据语境用所给单词的适当形式填空
1. Children can teach (them) English without help.
2. Most children are (interest) in storybooks.
3. They now know the (important) of exercise, so they go for a walk after supper every day.
（二）用方框中词的正确形式替换下列句子中的黑体部分（有一个词多余） chat choose repeat
1. You can have your own idea on how you spend this afternoon.
2. We have great fun talking with each other in the park after school.
（三）根据所给汉语，完成下列句子
1. He （自学）English at home last year.
2. I can’t go to your party, Danny. I have to （为……做准备）the exams.
（四）仿写句子
This could also help them find what they want to do when they grow up. (when 引导时间状语从句)
仿写：她拜访朋友时总是带礼物。

二、根据短文内容，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项（有两项多余）
A. Should children educate themselves?
B. In fact, teachers prepare us for adult (成年人) life.
C. Why do children teach themselves?
D. Sometimes, some schools are short of teachers.
E. Adults can’t just do what they like in most jobs.
F. Perhaps others would like to read or play a video game.
G. Also, unschooling teaches children to be responsible for themselves.

一、（一）1. themselves 2. interested 3. importance
（二）1. choose 2. chatting
（三）1. taught himself 2. prepare for
（四）She always brings a gift when she visits her friends.
二、【主旨大意】本文主要讨论了在没有老师在场的情况下，孩子们自主学习的利与弊。
1. F【点拨】上文提及有些人可能会去练习足球技巧，选项F“也许其他人想要阅读或玩电子游戏。”符合语境。故选F。
2. A【点拨】下文提及“自学的好处”与“学校教育的好处”，空处应引出下文，选项A“孩子们应该自学吗？”符合语境。故选A。
3. G【点拨】根据下文“With no teacher around, children must make themselves...in later life.”可知，G选项“此外，学生完全自主的教育方式教孩子们要对自己负责。”符合语境。故选G。
4. B【点拨】根据下文可知，本段提及学校教育中老师对学生的帮助，空处应概括本段，B选项“事实上，老师教育我们为成年生活做准备。”符合语境。故选B。
5. E【点拨】下文提及学校让孩子们做好了这方面的准备，选项E“大多数工作中，成年人不能只做他们喜欢的事。”符合语境。故选E。