I am a psychologist. I first met Timothy, a quiet,
overweight eleven-year-old boy, when his mother brought him to me to discuss
his declining grades. A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that
his self-esteem(自尊) and general happiness were falling right
along with them. I asked about Timothy’s typical day. He awoke every
morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home
around four thirty each afternoon. He then had a quick snack, followed by
either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor. He finished dinner at 7
pm, and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours. Quickly doing
the math in my head, I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a
day at a writing desk.
What if Timothy spent thirteen hours a day at a sewing
machine instead of a desk? We would immediately be shocked, because that would
be called children being horribly mistreated. Timothy was far from being
mistreated, but the mountain of homework he faced daily resulted in a similar
consequence —he was being robbed of his childhood. In fact, Timothy had no time
to do anything he truly enjoyed, such as playing video games, watching movies,
or playing board games with his friends.
Play, however, is a crucial part of healthy child
development. It affects children’s creativity, their social skills, and even
their brain development. The absence of play, physical exercise, and freefrom
social interaction takes a serious toll on many children. It can also cause
significant health problems like childhood obesity, sleep problems and
depression.
Experts in the field recommend the minutes children
spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their
grade level. As a fifthgrader, Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes
a day of homework (instead of three times that amount). Having an extra two
hours an evening to play, relax, or see a friend would soundly benefit any
child’s life quality.
1.What does the underlined word “them” in the first
paragraph probably refer to?
A. Timothy’s parents. B.
Timothy’s grades.
C. Psychologists.
D.
The students.
2.What did the writer think of Timothy after learning
about his typical day?
A. Timothy was very hardworking.
B. Timothy was being mistreated.
C. Timothy had a heavy burden.
D. Timothy was enjoying his childhood.
3.Which of the following statements best describes the
writer’s opinion?
A. Children should be allowed enough time to play.
B. Playing board games works better than playing video
games.
C. The more they play, the more creative children will
become.
D. The depression caused by homework makes children
unwilling to play.
4.According to the passage, how long should a
thirdgrader spend a day doing homework?
A. About ten minutes.
B. No more than twenty minutes.
C. No more than thirty minutes.
D. About fifty minutes.