德国小学鼓励学生上课嚼口香糖

 　　上课嚼口香糖大概是很多老师都不会允许的行为。不过，德国南部的一所小学却鼓励学生这样做，并表示嚼口香糖有助于孩子们的健康同时还能提高他们的成绩。这所小学的校长称，没有人会强迫学生嚼口香糖，不过他指出嚼口香糖能够帮助孩子们集中注意力，还能帮他们减压，在考试过程中尤其如此。他表示，孩子们来学校学习的前提就是不要让他们感觉恐惧，而应该让他们开心。为了防止学生们把口香糖粘在座位上，每张课桌都配了一个由学生自己设计的口香糖收纳盒。

　　A Bavarian primary school is encouraging pupils to chew gum in class in an attempt to improve their grades.

　　Wolfgang Ellegast from the Education Ministry¹ in the southern German state, says children at the Volkenschwand school are being allowed to chew gum because it "is good for the children's health and improves their cognitive² performance".

　　Hans Dasch, the school's headmaster, said no one was being forced to chew gum.

　　"But it helps the children concentrate and deal with stress, particularly during written tests", he said.

　　"The prerequisite³ for learning with fun is that kids come to school without fear and that they feel happy ... Therefore we are encouraging them to chew gum in break and in lessons."

　　Organisers of the pilot scheme also argue that chewing gum is good for dental health, particularly after meals.

　　In order to avoid gum being stuck to the bottom of seats however, each desk has a special container decorated by the children.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

3 prerequisite   

n.先决条件；adj.作为前提的，必备的

参考例句：

• Stability and unity are a prerequisite to the four modernizations.安定团结是实现四个现代化的前提。
• It is a prerequisite of entry to the profession that you pass the exams.做这一行的先决条件是要通过了有关的考试。