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　　Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.

　　Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.

　　“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US.

　　Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps(带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling(有滚轮的) bags.

　　But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.

　　But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight(重量).

　　Scott Batch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing.

　　“Children are losing their balance(平衡) and falling down with their school bags,” he said.

　　Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.

　　One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!

　　1. From the passage we can know that _______.

　　A. only children in China carry too heavy school bags

　　B. children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags

　　C. both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags

　　D. only children in the US carry too heavy school bags

　　2. Children feel it hard for them to go upstairs because _______.

　　A. they are too young B. their school bags are too heavy

　　C. they don’t know how to go upstairs D. their parents don’t always go upstairs with them together

　　3. If a child carries a heavy school bag, _______.

　　A. his back and neck will be hurt B. his head and arms will be hurt

　　C. his hands will be hurt D. his feet will be hurt

　　4. According to the doctor, Scott Batch, if a child in Grade 5 weighs(重) about 30 kilos, the school bag he carries should not be over _______.

　　A. 5 kilos B. 3 kilos C. 5.5 kilos D. 4.5 kilos

　　5. Some students think the best answer to this problem is that _______.

　　A. they should have a little homework to do after they get home

　　B. their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework

　　C. they should only take home library books they will read that night

　　D. they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones

　　【答案与解析】这篇文章谈到了由于沉重的家庭作业导致书包超重给儿童带来的一些问题。

　　1. C。根据第1段中的Not only the students...but children in the United States… 可推知答案为 C。

　　2. B。从第3段我们得知他们无法上楼的原因是因为书包太重了。

　　3. A。文章第5段说Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags，我们便可知道一个学生如果背太重的书包，他们的后背和颈部就会受伤。

　　4. D。根据第7段第2句可计算出问题的答案是：30×15%= 4.5 kilos。

　　5. B。文章最后一句呼吁不要再有家庭作业。据此可知答案B正确。