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1. Homework has never been terribly popular with students and even many parents, but in recent years it has been particularly scorned.
词汇
homework [‘həʊmwɜːk] n. （学生的）家庭作业；准备工作
never [‘nevə(r)] ad. 从不；绝不；未曾
terribly [‘terəbli] ad. 很，非常
popular [pɒpjələ] a. 受大众喜爱的，受欢迎的；大众化的
student [‘stjuːd(ə)nt] n. 学生；研究者
parent [‘peərənt] n. 父亲（或母亲）；母公司
recent [‘riːs(ə)nt] a. 近来的；新近的
particularly [pə’tɪkjələli] ad. 特别；非常，尤其
scorn [skɔːn] v. 鄙视；嘲笑；批评
2. School districts across the country, most recently Los Angeles Unified, are revising their thinking on this educational ritual.
词汇
district [‘dɪstrɪkt] n. 地区，区域；行政区
accross the country 全国各地
recently [‘riːs(ə)ntli] ad. 最近，不久前
Los Angeles Unified 洛杉矶的联合学区
revise [rɪ’vaɪz] v. 修正；修改；改变
thinking [‘θɪŋkɪŋ] n. 想法；思维 a. 思想的；有理智的
educational [ˌedʒu’keɪʃən(ə)l] a. 教育的；有教育意义的
ritual [‘rɪtʃuəl] n. 惯例；程序；（尤指）宗教仪式
3. Unfortunately, L.A. Unified has produced an inflexible policy which mandates that with the exception of some advanced courses, homework may no longer count for more than 10% of a student’s academic grade.
词汇
unfortunately [ʌn’fɔːrtʃənətli] ad. 遗憾地；不幸地；可悲地
produce [prə’duːs] v. 制定；生产；引起
inflexible [ɪn’fleksəb(ə)l] a. 死板的；顽固的；缺乏弹性的
policy [‘pɑːləsi] n. 政策；方针；策略
mandate [‘mændeɪt] v. 命令；授权；强制执行
with the exception of… 除了……以外
advanced [əd’vɑːnst] a. 高等的，高级的 ；先进的
course [kɔːs] n. 课程；过程
no longer 不再
academic [ˌækə’demɪk] a. 学业的，学术的；学校的
grade [ɡreɪd] n. 分数，成绩；等级
4. This rule is meant to address the difficulty that students from impoverished or chaotic homes might have in completing their homework.
词汇
rule [ruːl] n. 规定；规章；条例 v. 裁定；判决
be meant to do... 旨在做……；意在做……
address [ə’dres] v. 设法解决；处理；演讲
difficulty [‘dɪfɪkəlti] n. 困难；难题；困境
impoverished [ɪm’pɒvərɪʃt] a. 贫困的，赤贫的；不名一文的
chaotic [keɪ’ɑtɪk] a. 混乱的；杂乱的；紊乱的
complete [kəm’pliːt] v. 完成，结束；使完整
5. But the policy is unclear and contradictory.
词汇
unclear [ˌʌn’klɪər] a. 不清楚的；不确定的；难以掌握的
contradictory [ˌkɒntrə’dɪktəri] a. 相互矛盾的；对立的；不一致的
6. Certainly, no homework should be assigned that students cannot complete on their own or that they cannot do without expensive equipment.
词汇
certainly [‘sɜːt(ə)nli] ad. 的确；无疑；确定
assign [ə’saɪn] v. 布置，分配；派遣
on one’s own 独立地
expensive [ɪk’spensɪv] a. 昂贵的；花钱多的；价格高的
equipment [ɪ’kwɪpmənt] n. 设备，用具
7. But if the district is essentially giving a pass to students who do not do their homework because of complicated family lives, it is going riskily close to the implication that standards need to be lowered for poor children.
词汇
essentially [ɪ’senʃəli] ad. 本质上；大体上
pass [pɑːs] n. 通过：及格；合格
complicated [‘kɒmplɪkeɪtɪd] a. 复杂的；难懂的
family life 家庭生活
riskily [‘rɪskɪli] ad. 冒险地
close [kləʊz] a. 接近 v. 关闭；结束
implication [ˌɪmplɪ’keɪʃn] n. 暗示；含意；可能的影响
standard [‘stændəd] n. 标准；水平；规范
lower [‘ləʊə(r)] v. 减少 ，降低
poor [pɔː(r)] a. 贫穷的；清贫的
children [‘tʃɪldrən] 孩子们（ child 的复数）
8. District administrators say that homework will still be a part of schooling; teachers are allowed to assign as much of it as they want.
词汇
administrator [əd’mɪnɪstreɪtə] n. 管理部门，行政部门；政府
a part of 一部分
schooling [‘skuːlɪŋ] n. 学校教育；学费
allow [ə’laʊ] v. 允许；准许
assign [ə’saɪn] v. 布置；分配；指定
want [wɒnt] v. 要；想要；希望 n. 需要的东西；缺乏
9. But with homework counting for no more than 10% of their grades, students can easily skip half their homework and see very little difference on their report cards.
词汇
no more than 不超过，仅仅
easily [‘iːzəli] ad. 轻易地；不费力地；很可能
skip [skɪp] v. 逃避；蹦蹦跳跳地走；略过
very [‘veri] ad. 很，非常 a. 正是的，恰好的
little [‘lɪt(ə)l] a. 少量的；几乎没有的 ad. 稍许；略微
difference [‘dɪfrəns] n. 差异；不同（之处）
report card 成绩报告单
10. Some students might do well on state tests without completing their homework, but what about the students who performed well on the tests and did their homework?
词汇
well [wel] ad. 好地；令人满意地 a. 健康的；状态良好的
state [steɪt] n. 州；国家；状态
test [test] n & v. 测验；考查；检测
without [wɪ’ðaʊt] prep. 没有；缺乏；不用；无
complete [kəm’pliːt] v. 完成，结束；使完整
perform [pə’fɔːm] v. 做；履行；执行
11. It is quite possible that the homework helped.
词汇
quite [kwaɪt] ad. 很；相当；非常
possible [‘pɑːsəb(ə)l] a. 可能的；合理的；可接受的
help [help] v. 帮助；援助
12. Yet rather than empowering teachers to find what works best for their students, the policy imposes a flat, across-the-board rule.
词汇
yet [jet] conj. 但是；然而 ad. 还，尚，仍
rather than 而不是
empower [ɪm’paʊər] v. 授权；给予（某人）权力
find [faɪnd] v. 找到；发现；查明
work [wɜːk] v. 奏效；产生预期的结果；劳动
best [best] ad. 最好地；最出色地 a. 最好的；最出色的
policy [‘pɑːləsi] n. 政策；方针；策略
impose [ɪm’pəʊz] v. 强制实行； 推行，采用（规章制度）
flat [flæt] a. 绝对的；单调的；水平的
across-the-board [ə’krɒs ðə bɔːd] a. 一刀切的；全面的
13. At the same time, the policy addresses none of the truly thorny questions about homework.
词汇
at the same time 同时
policy [‘pɑːləsi] n. 政策；方针；策略
address [ə’dres] v. 设法解决；处理；演讲 n. 地址；演讲
none of 没有一个；毫无
truly [‘truːli] ad. 真正地；确切；诚恳地
thorny [‘θɔːni] a. 棘手的；麻烦的；引起争议的
question [‘kwestʃən] n. 问题；疑问
homework [‘həʊmwɜːk] n. （学生的）家庭作业；准备工作
14. If the district finds homework to be unimportant to its students’academic achievement, it should move to reduce or eliminate the assignments, not make them count for almost nothing.
词汇
unimportant [ˌʌnɪm’pɔːrt(ə)nt] a. 不重要的；次要的；无足轻重的
academic [ˌækə’demɪk] a. 学业的，学术的；学校的
achievement [ə’tʃiːvmənt] n. 成就；成绩；功绩
move [muːv] v. 采取行动；移动；变化
reduce [rɪ’djuːs] v. 减少，缩小
eliminate [ɪ’lɪmɪneɪt] v. 免除；清除；消灭
assignment [ə’saɪnmənt] n. 作业；任务
count for nothing 毫无价值，毫无意义，不起作用
15. Conversely, if homework matters, it should account for a significant portion of the grade.
词汇
conversely [‘kɒnvɜːsli] ad. 相反地；反过来
matter [‘mætər] v. 事关紧要；要紧；有重大影响
account for 占比；解释；说明；对……负责
significant [sɪɡ’nɪfɪkənt] a. 相 当数量的；重大 意义的；显著的
portion [‘pɔːʃ(ə)n] n. 一部分；分享的部分；分担的责任
grade [ɡreɪd] n. 分数，成绩；等级
16. Meanwhile, this policy does nothing to ensure that the homework students receive is meaningful or appropriate to their age and the subject, or that teachers are not assigning more than they are willing to review and correct.
词汇
meanwhile [‘miːnwaɪl] ad. 与此同时，在此期间
ensure [ɪn’ʃʊə(r)] v. 确保；保证
receive [rɪ’siːv] v. 收到，得到；接受
meaningful [miːnɪŋfl] a. 意义明显的；严肃的；重要的
appropriate [ə’prəʊpriət] a. 合适的；恰当的
age [eɪdʒ] n. 年龄 v. 变老；使成熟
subject [‘sʌbdʒɪkt] n. 课程，学科；主题
assign [ə’saɪn] v. 布置，分配；派遣
willing [‘wɪlɪŋ] a. 自愿的；乐于相助的；积极肯干的
be willing to do sth . 愿意做某事
review [rɪ’vjuː] v. 检查；重新考虑；审核
correct [kə’rekt] v. 批改；纠正 a. 精确的；正确的
17. The homework rules should be put on hold while the school board, which is responsible for setting educational policy, looks into the matter and conducts public hearings.
词汇
homework [‘həʊmwɜːk] n. （学生的）家庭作业；准备工作
rule [ruːl] n. 规定；规章；条例 v. 裁定；判决
put on hold 搁置；延期；暂停
school board 学校董事会
responsible [rɪ’spɑːnsəb(ə)l] a. 负责的；有责任；承担义务
be responsible for 对……负责，是造成……原因
set [set] v. 制定；树立；布置
educational [ˌedʒu’keɪʃən(ə)l] a. 教育的；有教育意义的
policy [‘pɑːləsi] n. 政策；方针；策略
look into 调查；观察；研究
matter [‘mætə(r)] n. 事情；问题；课题
conduct [kən’dʌkt] v. 执行；组织；安排
public hearing 听证会；公开审理
18. It is not too late for L.A. Unified to do homework right.
词汇
late [leɪt] a. 晚的，迟的；晚期的
right [raɪt] ad. 正确地；正好