Common sense would tell us that physically active children may be more likely to become active and healthy adults.
In the United States, elementary and middle schools are advised to give students two and a half hours of physical activity a week. That is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association recommend. They say high schools should provide about four hours of physical activity each week.
Yet many schools across the country have reduced their physical education programs. Just this week, a study reported that life expectancy has fallen or is no longer increasing in some parts of the United States. The situation is worst among poor people in the southern states, and especially women. Public health researchers say it is largely the result of increases in fatness, smoking and high blood pressure. They also blame differences in health services around the country.
In 2006, a study found that only four percent of primary schools provided daily physical education all year for all grades. This was true of eight percent of middle schools and two percent of high schools. The study also found that twenty-two percent of all schools did not require students to take any P.E.
Charlene Burgeson , a health expert says one problem for P.E. teachers is that schools are under pressure to put more time into academic subjects. Also, parents may agree that children need exercise in school. Yet many parents today still have bad memories of being chosen last for teams because teachers favored the good athletes in class.
But experts say P.E. classes have changed. They say the goal has moved away from competition and toward personal performance, as a way to build a lifetime of activity. These days, teachers often lead activities like weight training and yoga.
Some parents like the idea of avoiding competitive sports in P.E. class. Yet others surely dislike that idea. In the end, schools may find themselves in a no-win situation.
小題1: The underlined word “expectancy” in Paragraph 3 probably means “ ”
A．quality
B．length
C．exception
D．depth
小題2:According to the passage which of the following may not lead to poor health?
A．Fatness.
B．Smoking
C．High blood pressure.
D．Health service
小題3: What can be inferred after you read this passage?
A．Physical activities are becoming more and more popular in American schools.
B．All the schools provided daily physical education all year for all students.
C．Parents think children need physical education for their bad memories.
D．Students spent less time on physical education for academic pressure.
小題4: What is the main idea about this passage?
A．P.E. is the most important subject for all students.
B．P.E has changed its goal for some reasons in America.
C．It introduces us the present situation of P.E in American schools and its cause.
D．P.E can help students improve their academic subjects.
