Work Your Mind

Here’s something to think about the next time you ask your teacher for help: struggling with schoolwork on your own can help you learn. According to a recent study, the more you struggle while you are learning new information, the better you can remember it later.

This theory might surprise you. When teachers are presenting new information, they often give students lots of help. But a new study shows this may not be the best way to support learning. “Don't be too quick to get help when learning something new,” education expert Manu Kapur told TFK. “Try to work on it yourself even if it means trying different ways.”

Kapur came up with the idea that struggling can lead to better learning. Then he tested it out on students in Singapore. He separated students into two groups. In the first group, students were asked to solve math problems with the teacher’s help. In the second group, students were asked to solve the same problems by helping one another, instead of getting help from the teacher.

With the teacher’s help, students in the first group were able to find the correct answers. Students in the second group did not solve the problems correctly. But they did come up with a lot of good ideas. The students were then tested on what they had learned. The group without any help from a teacher scored much higher than the group who had help. Kapur said working to find the answers helped students understand the process, not just the solution.

Kapur’s advice for kids is to put a lot of effort into learning something new rather than going to your teacher for help. “Simply doing a little work or nothing at all won’t work,” says Kapur. “The struggle needs to be a genuine attempt to figure out or solve a problem in as many ways as possible.”

1．When you have doubt on schoolwork, you’d better ____________.

A．ask your teacher for help

B．make it clear by yourself

C．ask your classmates to help you

D．ask your parents for help

2．What’s Manu Kapur educational idea on learning new knowledge?

A．Give students much help as soon as possible.

B．Let students learn it on themselves in one way.

C．Let students learn it by themselves in the same way.

D．Let students learn it for themselves in different ways.

3．How did Kapur check his idea on better learning?

A．By asking questions.

B．By solving art problems.

C．By group comparations.

D．By solving science problems.

4．What is the most important in learning knowledge?

A．Getting the teacher’s help.

B．Getting the student’s help.

C．Grasping the learning course.

D．Receiving the final solution.

答案

1．B

2．D

3．C

4．C

【分析】

这是一篇说明文，研究表明在学习中学习新知识、遇到难解决的问题时越是努力的思考而不是急于求助于老师是解决难题的最好解决方法，学习知识最重要的是掌握学习课程，而不是简简单单地寻求答案。

1．细节理解题。根据第一段的struggling with schoolwork on your own can help you learn可知，自己努力思考可以帮助你学习。所以如果你对功课有疑问，你应该自己思考。故选B项。

2．细节理解题。根据第二段Don't be too quick to get help when learning something new,” education expert Manu Kapur told TFK. “Try to work on it yourself even if it means trying different ways.可知，教育专家曼努卡普尔（Manu Kapur）对TFK表示：“学习新事物时，不要太快寻求帮助。“即使这意味着要尝试不同的方法，也要自己动手。所以曼努卡普尔学习新知识的教育理念是让学生以不同的方式自学。故选D项。

3．推理判断题，根据第三段Then he tested it out on students in Singapore. He separated students into two groups. In the first group, students were asked to solve math problems with the teacher’s help. In the second group, students were asked to solve the same problems by helping one another, instead of getting help from the teacher可知，然后他在新加坡的学生身上进行了测试。他把学生分成两组。在第一组，学生们被要求在老师的帮助下解决数学问题。在第二组，学生被要求通过互相帮助来解决同样的问题，而不是从老师那里得到帮助。由此判断出普尔是通过两组不同的学生进行比较来证实他的观点的。故选C项。

4．细节理解题，根据倒数第二段最后一句Kapur said working to find the answers helped students understand the process, not just the solution可知，卡普尔说，努力寻找答案有助于学生理解这个过程，而不仅仅是解决答案。所以学习知识最重要的是掌握学习课程。故选C项。