WhentheleadersoftheClassof2003assembleinLawrenceHigh'sfluorescent-lit1meetingrooms,mostoftheboysarenowheretobeseen.Theseniorclasspresident?Agirl.Thevice-president?Girl.
Headofstudentgovernment?Girl.Captainofthemathteam,chiefoftheyearbook,andeditorofthenewspaper?Girls.ThefemalelockonpoweratLawrenceisemblematicofastunninggenderreversalinAmericaneducation.Fromkindergartentograduateschool,boysarefastbecomingthesecondsex.
Itmaystillbeaman'sworld.Butitisnolonger,inanyway,aboy's.Fromhisfirstdaysinschool,anaverageboyisalreadydevelopmentallytwoyearsbehindthegirlsinreadingandwriting.Yethe'softenexpectedtolearnthesamethingsinthesamewayinthesameamountoftime.Whileeverynerveinhisbodytellshimtorun,hehastositstillandlistenforalmosteighthoursaday.Biologically,heneedsaboutfourrecessesaday,buthe'sluckyifhegetsone,sincesomelawsuit-leeryschoolshavebannedthemaltogether.Hugagirl,andhecouldbelabeleda"toucher”andswiftlysuspended—aresultofwhatsomesayisanincreasinglyanti-boyculturethatpathologizestheirbehavior.
Overall,moreboysandgirlsareincollegethanagenerationago.Butwhenadjustedforpopulationgrowth,thepercentageofboysenteringcollege,master'sprograms,andmostdoctoralprograms—exceptforPhDs2infieldslikeengineeringandcomputerscience—hasmostlystalledout,whereasforwomenithascontinuedtoriseacrosstheboard.ThetrendismostpronouncedamongHispanics,AfricanAmericans,andthosefromlow-incomefamilies.
Insteadofcateringtoboys'learningstyles,othersargue,manyschoolsareforce-fittingthemintoanunnaturalmold.Thereigningsit-still-and-listenparadigmisn'tidealforeithersex.
Expertssayeducatorsshouldfocusonhelpingboysfeellesslikemisfits.Expertsaredesigningnewdevelopmentallyappropriate,child-initiatedlearningthatconcentratesonproblem-solving,notjusttest-taking.Thisapproachbenefitsbothsexesbutespeciallyboys,giventhattheytendtolearnbestthroughaction,notjusttalk.Activitiesaregearedtowardthechild'sinterestlevelandtemperament.Boys,forexample,canlearnmaththroughcountingpinecones,biologythroughmuckingaroundinapond.TheycanreadHarryPotterinsteadofLittleHouseonthePrairie,andwriteaboutaliensattackingahospitalratherthanabouthowtocareforpeopleinthehospital.
Indeed,brainresearchshowsthatboysareactuallymoreempathic,expressive,andemotiveatbirththangirls.Buttheboycode,whichbathestheminacultureofstoicismandreticence,oftensocializesthoseaptitudesoutofthembythesecondgrade."Wenowhaveexecutivespaying10,000aweektolearnemotionalintelligence,"saysPollock."Theseareactuallytheskillsboysarebornwith."
Anewworldhasopenedupforgirls,butunlessasymmetricaleffortismadetohelpboysfindtheirfooting,itmayturnoutthatit'salonelyplacetobe.
练习题：
Ⅰ.Completethefollowingsentenceswiththewordsgiven:
bannedgearedlabeledrevealed
1.Wouldyoupleasehandmethebottlewisdom.
2.Manyclassicalbookswereoncecriticizedandthusbytheauthorities.
3.Researchhashowhugethegapbetweenthepoorandtherichis.
4.Thisgameistowardabetterandfasterresponse.
Whydidexpertsdesignnewdevelopmentallyappropriate,child-initiatedlearning?
答案：
Ⅰ.1.labeled2.banned3.revealed4.geared
Ⅱ.Becausethatconcentratesonproblem-solving,notjusttest-taking.
参考译文：
在劳伦斯中学里,当2003届的学生干部在灯火通明的会议室开会时,男生们大都无处可觅。毕业班班长是女生,副班长是女生,学生自治会主席是女生,数学组组长、年鉴主编、校报
U551791651
U948348070
