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     Each weekday, come rain or shine, a group of children, aged 3 to 6, walk into a forest outside

Frankfurt to sing songs, build fires and roll in the mud.

     The birthplace of kindergarten is returning to its roots. While schools and parents elsewhere are

pushing young children to read, write and surf the Internet earlier in order to prepare for an increasingly

cutthroat(竞争激烈的) global economy, some little Germans are taking a less traveled path-deep into

the woods.

     Germany has about 700 Wald kindergartens, or forest kindergartens, in which children spend their

days outdoors all year round. Blackboards replaced by the Black Forest. Erasers give way to pine

cones(松果). Hall passes aren't required, but bug repellent(驱虫剂) is a good idea.

     The schools are a throwback(返回) to Friedrich Froebel, the German educator who opened the

world's first kindergarten, or children's garden, more than 150 years ago. Mr. Froebel advised that

young children should play in nature, free from too many numbers and letters.

     Only a small number of German children attend Wald kindergarten, but their numbers have been

rising since local parent groups began setting up these programs in the mid1990s, following the lead of

a Danish community. Similar schools exist in smaller numbers in Scandinavia, Switzerland and Austria.

The concept is arousing interest far afield-even in the U. S., whose first Wald kindergarten opened in

Portland, Ore., last fall.

     Academic studies of such schools are in their infancy(初期). Some European researchers believe

Wald kindergarten kids exercise their imaginations more than their brickandmortar_peers do and are

better at concentrating and communicating. Despite dangers, from insects particularly, the children

appear to get sick less often in these freshair settings. Studies also suggest their writing skills are less

developed, though, and that they are less skills than other children at distinguishing colors, forms and sizes.

1. The passage mainly talks about ________.

A. forest kindergartens          

B. a great German educator

C. the birthplace of kindergarten  

D. education in Germany

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The kids in the Wald kindergarten spend their days outdoors once a week.

B. There are more than 700 Wald kindergartens in Europe.

C. Friedrich Frobel opened the world's first forest kindergarten.

D. Nearly all the German children attend Wald kindergarten.

3. What might NOT be found in the "forest kindergartens"?

A. Black Forest.      

B. Pine cones.

C. Bug repellent.      

D. Many numbers and letters.

4. From the last paragraph, we can learn that "brickandmortar peers" refers to ________.

A. kids who stay at home        

B. kids who study in the classroom

C. kids who like brick and mortar  

D. kids who suffer from illness

5. Kids in the Wald kindergarten may ________.

①be more imaginative

②be good at exchanging ideas with other kids

③face more dangers in the forest

④be skillful at writing

A. ①③④      

B. ②③④       

C. ①②③      

D. ①②④