When children in the Columbus, Ohio, education system start their school year this Wednesday, they will likely be studying online, as the school district’s nearly 4,500 teachers hit the picket lines. For the first time in nearly 50 years, the district’s teachers are striking, the Columbus Education Association (CEA) announced.
On Sunday, the union voted to go on strike after weeks of negotiations over new contract language with Columbus City Schools went nowhere. The union says it was pushing for guaranteed air conditioning, “appropriate class sizes” and full-time art, music and physical education teachers in the city’s elementary schools.
Jennifer Adair, the Board of Education president, said in a statement that the decision by the union to strike is an “unfortunate situation” for families, the community and children. “Our offer to CEA put children first and prioritized their education and their growth. We offered a generous compensation(补偿) package for teachers and supplies that would have a positive impact on classrooms,” Adair said in the statement. “Our offer was also responsive to the concerns that have been raised by CEA during the negotiations process. Our community’s children are the Board’s priority, and our offer reflected that fact.”
The fact that students will be starting the new year with online schooling “is not ideal,” Adair said. “But,” she added, “it’s our duty to continue educating and supporting students despite the current circumstances.”
This strike comes as schools across the U.S. are struggling to fill vacancies(空缺) brought on by a teacher shortage. The country is facing a shortage of 300,000 teachers, according to the National Education Association. After dealing with two years of illness and disruption(扰乱) brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about school safety and a feeling of lack of respect, teachers have reported being worn out, discouraged and downhearted.
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1.What does the underlined part “hit the picket lines” mean?
A Negotiated with schools.
B Went on a strike.
C Teaching online.
D Quit their jobs.
解析：选B。B词义猜测题。根据第一段划线部分下文“the district’s teachers are striking”可知，老师们正在进行“罢工”。故选B。
2.What did teachers in Columbus, Ohio require?
A Postponing the school.
B Having online classes at home.
C Starting a negotiation with the government.
D Getting better equipment and more teachers.
解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第二段可知，老师们呼吁保障空调，改变班级规模，以及配备美术、音乐和体育等科目的全职老师。故选D。
3.According to Adair, what is the most important thing for the Board of Education?
A Children and their education.
B Families and communities.
C Teachers and their incomes.
D CEA and its interest.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第三段第二句中的“Our offer to CEA put children first and prioritized their education and their growth.”可知，Adair认为最重要的是孩子和孩子们的教育。故选A。
4.What can be learned from the last paragraph?
A No more one teachers can be added to schools in the U.S.
B Many teachers are infected with COVID-19.
C Teachers are not in high spirits at present.
D There are strikes all across the U.S.
解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句的“teachers have reported being worn out, discouraged and downhearted”可知，老师疲惫且灰心，由此可知他们情绪不高。故选C。
