For a growing number of students across the country, every weekend is a three-day weekend — some educators say it’s even helping students learn more. While these shorter weeks have helped school much, there is still a lack of data to show whether it is beneficial or harmful to students. While some districts experimented with shorter school weeks, they became very popular in the 1970s during the energy crisis. In Colorado, Garfield School District No. Re-2 was able to save $480,000 each year by cutting one day out of each school week.

Schools in 21 different states, including Arizona, Utah, Oregon and Wyoming, have schools that only operate four days a week. These schools are typically found in small, rural communities that have fewer students. 

Those in favor of four-day school weeks argue their students are more rested and teachers are more prepared to teach. Teachers, who are salaried employees, are able to use their extra time to prepare more thorough lesson plans and prepare for each week more fully. Schools have also seen a decline in absences because students have a full day off of school to schedule doctor appointments and compete in athletic events, which usually happen on Fridays.

The best ways to measure the success of four-day school weeks are test scores, but so many other factors can account for increases or decreases in scores, too. This makes evaluating the four-day workweek difficult.

Some school districts in Idaho have returned back to five-day school weeks for many reasons. In certain areas, educators have seen students struggle with longer school days and worry about students receiving free or reduced lunches.

It is said that parents voted to take elementary students off the four-day week schedule because it created so many issues. “I really doubt the fact that we did this,” he says. “What we’ve done is taken five days and compressed them into four and made busy lives even busier.”

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1.What can schools benefit from a three-day weekend?

A They can find better teachers.

B They attract more and more students.

C They can reduce cost of schools.

D They can spend time collecting data.

解析：选C。C。推理判断题。根据文章第1段最后1句的In Colorado, Garfield School District No. Re-2 was able to save $480,000 each year by cutting one day out of each school week可知一星期上四天的学能让学校省很多钱，也就是节约了办学成本。

2.Why do some people support four-day school weeks?

A Because the teachers will not get paid during that time.

B Because the teachers can prepare the lesson plans better.

C Because the students can compete in the events in schools.

D Because the students can go to see the doctor on Thursday.

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。根据文章第3段第2句的...are able to use their extra time to prepare more thorough lesson plans and prepare for each week more fully可知有那么长的周末能让老师备课更加充分。

3.What worries people most in carrying out the four-day school weeks？

A It is difficult to tell the four-day workweek’s effect.

B People all think highly of the four-day workweek.

C There are many factors deciding students’ progress.

D What is the best way to measure the school success.

解析：选A。A。推理判断题。根据第4段第2句的This makes evaluating the four-day workweek difficult可以得知实施一星期上四天课的做法让人们很难评估其效果。

4.Where was the five-day school weeks returned?

A In Colorado

B In Arizona

C Utah.

D Idaho.

解析：选D。D。细节理解题。根据第5段第1句的Some school districts in Idaho have returned back to five-day school weeks for many reasons可知爱达荷州的一些校区已经恢复了一星期上五天学的做法。

5.What Idaho said in the last paragraph means _____.

A the four-day week schedule was necessary

B the students got interested in the schedule

C many issues were solved by the schedule

D students had difficulty in adapting schedule

解析：选D。D。推理判断题。从文章最后1段最后1句的What we’ve done is taken five days and compressed them into four and made busy lives even busier可知把五天的学习压缩到四天，学生们会更忙，据此可推知学生很难适应这个日程变化。