Where have all the boys gone? You may be able to find them in the gym, at work or hanging out, but there is one important place where boys are under-represented, and the problem seems to be getting worse. These days, at high school graduation ceremonies, there are a lot more girls than boys.
In fact, every year, 10 percent more girls graduate from high school than boys. “I think that there’s a tendency to focus on boys as problems at this point, rather than recognizing that boys have problems,” says Joanne Max, PhD. Experts say the problems start in grade school, where there’s often an emphasis on sports instead of reading, for example. “I think that with boys there’s some idea that it’s not masculine(男子汉的)to read,” says Rob Jenkins, an English professor.
There’s also a shortage of male teachers as role models. “I think boys need role models, so if you’re a boy and you don’t have a dad in your home and then you have one male teacher and he’s your athletic coach, then I don’t think you have a message that education is very important,” says Carol Carter, another expert. In addition, classrooms often have too little activity and too much passive listening, which is not conducive (有益的) to boys’ learning.
Experts say parents can fight back in many ways. Read to your sons early and often; show by your action that you value their education. Ask them about their schoolwork, offer help, drop by their classroom and, finally, appeal to their competitive spirit, challenge them to do better and help them understand that their future depends on it.
1. According to the passage, boys have the problem that they think _____________.
A. reading is more important than sports           B. it is shameful for boys to read
C. boys should not work as a teacher              D. boys lack the gift for reading
2. Carol Carter’s words in the third paragraph implies that ______________.
A. parents play an important role in education
B. athletic coaches contribute a lot to education
C. lack of role model affects boys’ attitudes to school work
D. classrooms lack enough activities that are suitable for boys
3. The passage is written mainly for _____________.
A. parents               B. boys              C. teachers      D. experts