Thesis: Exercise and education go hand-in-hand says Bradley Gordon. Students who exercised did academically well in class.

 

Antithesis: Don Epstein said exercise is not part of an academic education

 

Support for Thesis: Dr. John Ratney

 

Using the drop-down menu (↓), choose the best option (to complete the sentences) according to the information given on the website.

 

!. This article is about:

1. A conventional high school teacher with an unconventional idea
2. An ADHD expert teacher in Carleton High School
3. A partnership between a gym and a French teacher
4. A program introduced by Carleton’s High School principal

 

It is considered unconventional (not normal procedure in school) to combine exercise and study, so (i) is the correct answer. An expert teacher on the subject of ADHD is never mentioned, so answer (ii) is wrong. A partnership is not mentioned between a French Teacher and a gym, so answer (iii) is wrong. Finally, answer (iv) is wrong because the program was introduced by a French teacher, not a principal of the school (The principal thought the program would increase ADHD.

*NOTE: You have to be sure of the meaning of what you read as the test answers will always try and mislead you 3 out of 4 times.

 

2. Gordon’s invention

1. is part of medical treatment for overweight children with ADHD.
2. was inspired by his own successful experiment as a student.
3. was designed to make students lose weight in one year.
4. Diminished exercising to focus on academic performance

 

Answer (ii.) is correct since there is a personal example that Gordon refers to while working on his bachelor’s degree (“I didn’t have time…”). Nowhere is there mentioned Gordon’s idea is used as a ‘medical treatment as in (i), or that the use of exercise was designed to ‘lose weight in one year as found in (iii.) Yes, ADHD tend to be overweight, and they might need to lose weight, but the meaning of the passage is clear that Gordon’s ‘invention was based on his own experience from a time when he was a student. Finally, Gordon’s idea was to use or ADD exercises to study in his classes to help students score academically higher scores, NOT diminish exercise because there was no exercise in the classroom before he used his ‘idea’ of exercise.

 

 

3. The intervention was not

1. initially well received by the school principal.
2. Supported by medical research professionals
3. Appealing to his high school students
4. Conducted in the student’s educational setting

 

The negative ‘NOT’ is introduced in the statement, so be careful to understand the possible answers. The correct answer is (i) because it was the principal, Don Epstein (antithesis) who was ‘not convinced of that exercise and academics should be amalgamated’. In answer (ii.) the research of Dr. John Ratney supported Gordon’s idea, so this answer to ‘The intervention was not’ supported… is wrong. Also, (iii.) high school students enjoyed the class as quoted by Gordon “They are fit and eager to learn”, so this answer is incorrect. Finally, exercise and study were combined in the same classroom – in an educational setting, so this answer is incorrect as well.

 

4. According to Dr. Ratney, exercising

1. increases physical agitation and diminishes attention.
2. diminishes hyperactivity and increases attention.
3. increases ADHD symptoms, especially impulsivity.
4. is more important than sustaining attention.

 

#4 is asking about Dr. Ratney who did the research that supported Gordon’s idea, so the correct answer should be consistent with Gordon and Ratney’s experience. Therefore answer (ii.) is correct since the symptoms of ADHD go down (diminish) as the attention span increases. This is consistent with students getting higher grades. All other answers (i.), (iii.), and (iv.) are incorrect because they present negative attributes away from the support of Dr. Ratney.

 

5. At the one-year mark, the intervention

1. produced the results Mr. Gordon expected.
2. confirmed Mr. Epstein’s initial reaction.
3. contradicted Professor Ratney’s expectations.
4. yielded undesirable effects on Mr. Gordon’s students.

 

As a test-taker, you might scan the text looking for the term ‘one year’ and intervention to help locate the answer. Answer (ii.) is correct because at the one-year mark Gordon is quoted as saying: “My students’ endurance, both physical and mental, has improved.” This confirms answer (i.). Answer (ii.) is wrong because the experiment was a success or the opposite of Epstein’s ‘initial reaction’. Dr. Ratney’s research confirmed Gordon was correct, so this answer (iii.) is wrong because there was no ‘contradiction’, both Ratney and Gordon believed in the experiment. Finally, as found in #4, the students were ‘fit and eager to learn’, so there were no undesirable or bad effects upon the students – their grades improved as did their health, so (iv.) is wrong as well.

 

Reader’s comment

The following is a comment by a visitor to the website page. Complete the comment by choosing the best option to fill in each blank.

 

Interesting article! I’ve been a high school teacher for fifteen years and I am quite dubious of Mr. Gordon’s attempt to (6.) _____. Although Dr. Ratney claims that this project (7.) ____, I often find the opposite is true. Indeed, it is the students that play soccer or basketball at lunchtime that (8.) ____ in the afternoon. It would be a mistake to (9.) ____ prior to the end of a busy school day. There is also the question of time management. It simply is not possible to get through the curriculum while the students are (10.) ____.

 

Method: Upon first reading of the ‘Comment’, decide if the response is ‘positive’ or supportive of Gordon’s idea, or ‘negative’ which does not support Gordon’s idea. This will help your understanding and keep your answer consistent throughout the 5 questions that follow.

 

In this section, the answers are either too specific or too general. The correct answer should always be consistent with the opinion of the writer of the response.

 

6. I’ve been a high school teacher for fifteen years and I am quite dubious of Mr. Gordon’s attempt to (6.) _____.

1. reduce the weight of his students
2. bring exercise into the classroom
3. develop a cure for ADHD
4. finish university while teaching

 

The writer’s opinion is negative as he or she uses the word ‘dubious’ or doubts the outcome of his experiment. Thus, answer (ii.) is correct. Answer (i.) and (iii.) are far too specific to weight and ADHD – Gordon teaches French and implemented exercise to improve grades not weight loss or cure ADHD. Finally, answer (iv.) is just wrong and is misleading. Test-takers must make inferences at times to disprove answers. Gordon obviously finished university because he has been teaching French for at least 2 years now (inference).

 

 

7. Although Dr. Ratney claims that this project (7.) ____.

 

1. was be implemented at Harvard for a year
2. was more important than academic study
3. will improve students’ concentration
4. will reduce unpremeditated aggression

 

Answer (iii.) is correct because this is the only claim mentioned by Ratney: “Sustained physical exertion causes kids to be less impulsive and more prone to learn.” All other claims (i.) (ii.), and (iv.) are not mentioned and, therefore, are false

 

 

8. Indeed, it is the students that play soccer or basketball at lunchtime that (8.) ____ in the afternoon,

1. are most likely to fade
2. are the best students
3. will exercise more
4. have the best behaviour

 

Difficult to understand for most test-takers because the writer’s response uses slang or informal language usage. The use of ‘fade’ in the correct answer (i.) refers to students that lose attention in class because they are tired at the end of a school day. This usage can easily be confused with the formal meaning of ‘fade’ that refers to the ‘fade’ of a colour – whereby a test-taker might look for another answer. The test-taker has to pay close attention to the meaning of the previous sentences to gain the proper understanding to continually get correct answers. Because the writer’s response is negative he finds the ‘opposite’ is true from his experience as a teacher, so exercise – the responds writer thinks – makes students more tired and less likely to pay attention in class.

 

9. It would be a mistake to (9.) ____ prior to the end of the busy school day.

 

1. limit students’ diet
2. overwork the students
3. provide too many assignments
4. distract youths with ADHD

 

Likewise, if we continue the argument from 8 above, answer (ii.) is correct here because it logically follows this writer’s response that students who exercise too much will be too tired to study and pay attention, so exercise is a mistake in this writer’s opinion. Answers (i.), (iii.), and (iv.) are too specific and are not consistent with the writer’s opinion.

 

10. It simply is not possible to get through the curriculum while the students (10.) ____.

 

1. are too unfit to focus properly
2. bouncing around on yoga balls
3. really need to get more exercise
4. don’t have time to do assignments

 

Answer (ii.) is correct even though it exaggerates the situation in the classroom. Answer (i.) and (iii.) are incorrect because they are not consistent with the writer’s opinion and are too specific (too unfit and need to get more exercise?). Answer (iv.) is incorrect because the article does not mention the time to do an assignment.