Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive ears, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决) : stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well Rude words, name-calling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy (策略) for conflict resolution : listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are hearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, "64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student co-operation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves'. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.
小题1:From Paragraph 2 we can learn that_______
A．violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime
B．a small conflict can lead to violence
C．students tend to lose their temper easily
D．the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight小题2:Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
A．To find out who is to blame.
B．To get ready to try new things.
C．To make clear what the real issue is.
D．To figure out how to stop the shouting match.小题3:After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that______
A．there was a decrease in classroom violence
B．there was less student cooperation in the classroom
C．more teachers felt better about themselves in schools
D．the teacher-student relationship greatly improved小题4:The writer's purpose for writing this article is to_______
A．complain about problems in school education
B．teach students different strategies for school life
C．favor teaching conflict management in schools
D．inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence
小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:A
小题4:C
题目分析：小题1:B 细节题。根据第二段2,3行most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱).说明细小的冲突会引起暴力，故B正确。
小题1:C 细节题。根据第五段2,3行It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish.说明这样做是为了搞清楚真正的问题在哪里，故C正确。
小题2:A 细节题。根据最后一段3,4,5行"64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student co-operation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves'.说明教室里的暴力现象在变少，A正确。
小题3:C 主旨大意题。根据文章最后三行Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.说明了教育学生如何处理这些小矛盾对学生的重要作用，是支持在学校中教育学生如何处理冲突，故C正确。
点评：文章介绍了在学校中一些小矛盾会给学生带来很多的问题，故要对学生处理这种冲突的技能要进行教育。本文要求考生抓每段的段落大意和文章的主旨大意如66题的考查就十分到位，另外细节题的考查仍然是重点。
