王英杰

孩子们对周围的世界充满好奇，并有探索事物如何运作的动力。因此，应该利用这种好奇心，尽早开始引导他们产生对探索科学的热情。

1 Young children are naturally curious， full of questions about the world around them and the drive to find out how things work. It follows， therefore， that we should take advantage of their curiosity and start channeling their enthusiasm for scientific discovery as early on as possible. In this article， well explore some of the reasons why science education is so important in early childhood， and how you can support this in your childcare setting.

2 Providing opportunities for scientific discovery in early years settings is beneficial to young children in many ways.

3 It can foster a lifelong love of science. Children are programmed to explore and expe?

riment right from the start， even as babies. On the other hand， research suggests that by the age of 7， most children have developed either a positive or negative attitude towards science education that will remain entrenched （根深蒂固的）. So by tapping into their natural trends early on， during this key developmental phase， we can nurture and establish a positive approach to science education that will stay with them into the future.

4 It gives a basic grounding in scientific concepts and scientific thinking. Even the very simplest activities can introduce children to scientific concepts and stimulate scientific thinking. Early years science education can provide a strong foundation in terms of both what is learned， and how its learned， which will stand them in good stead. By encouraging and directing their natural curiosity， and familiarising them with basic scientific vocabulary， early years educators can help children begin to make sense of the world around them， and gain some understanding of how things work.

5 It supports the development of other skills and attributes （品質）. Science education activities provide children with opportunities to develop and practice many different skills and attributes. These include communication skills， collaborative skills， team working and perseverance， as well as analytical， reasoning and problem?solving skills. Help them expand their vocabulary by using scientific terms that are appropriate for their age group. Encourage them to extend and embed （嵌入） their learning through related literacy， numeracy and creative activities.

1. Whats the function of the first paragraph？

A. To lead in the main topic.

B. To describe how science education works.

C. To tell how important science education is.

D. To explain the meaning of science education.

2. Why is the age of 7 important for childrens science education？

A. Its a key period that decides childrens future.

B. Most children have built confidence in science learning by the age of 7.

C. Most children have developed a positive attitude towards science education by the age of 7.

D. Its a key period when a positive approach to science education can be established.

3. What does the underlined phrase “stand them in good stead” in paragraph 4 mean？

A. Bring them much convenience.

B. Be useful to them.

C. Impress them with a good promise.

D. Guarantee them to have a better future.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about？

A. Scientific terms.

B. Important opportunities.

C. Science education activities.

D. Other benefits of science education.

Ⅰ. Discover useful structures in the text

1. The reason why... ……的原因是

In this article， well explore some of the reasons why science education is so important in early childhood， and how you can support this in your childcare setting. 在這篇文章中，我们将探讨科学教育在童年早期如此重要的一些原因，以及你如何在你的儿童保育环境中支持这一点。

2. 动名词短语作主语

Providing opportunities for scientific discovery in early years settings is beneficial to young children in many ways. 在早期环境中提供科学发现的机会在很多方面都对幼儿有好处。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

find out 找出；发现；查明

take advantage of 利用

on the other hand 另一方面

in terms of 谈及；在……方面；就……而言

make sense of 理解；弄懂

as well as 除……之外；也；还