Unit 2 Reading Comprehension &...

Dr. Nazmi Al-Masri Vocabulary & Reading skills for Educational Study [email protected] Faculty of Education- IUG –Sept 2011

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Unit (2)

1) The Personal Qualities of a Teacher

1. Education has several functions or goals. Try to list 3 purposes.

1.1

1.2

1.3

2. There are several basic qualities that make a teacher successful. List 3 qualities. 2.1

2.2

2.3

3. Find the "odd one out" There may be more than one answer. Give your reasons.

No A B C 1. single sex schools mixed sex schools coeducational schools

2. Low achievers Fast learners high achievers

3. nursery primary secondary

4. gifted children talented children Slow learners

5. evaluation assessment homework

6. short tests objective tests subjective tests

7. PhD = Doctorate of Philosophy

Ed. D.= Doctorate of Education

M.S. = Master of Scien

4. Look at the title of the text below “The Personal Qualities of a Teacher” and answer these questions.

1.1 Identify the key word in the title.

1.2 Predict what the text will discuss.

1.3 Guess 3 qualities you may find in the text.


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5. How many paragraphs does the text include? Why?

6. How many qualities are mentioned? Do not worry about words you do not know

7. If you need more details about these qualities, what should you do?

8. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

9. Why the words at the beginning of each paragraph is underlined?

The Personal Qualities of a Teacher

Here I want to try to give you an answer to the question: What personal qualities are

desirable in a teacher? Probably no two people would draw up exactly similar lists, but

I think the following would be generally accepted.

First, the teacher’s personality should be pleasantly live and attractive. This does not

rule out people who are physically plain, or even ugly, because many such have great

personal charm. But it does rule out such types as the over-excitable, . . . sarcastic,

frustrated, and [arrogant]: I would say too, that it excludes all of dull or purely negative

personality. . . .

Secondly, it is not merely desirable but essential for a teacher to have a genuine capacity

for sympathy - in the literal meaning of that word; a capacity to tune in to the minds and

feelings of other people, especially, since most teachers are school teachers, to the

minds and feelings of children. Closely related with this is the capacity to be tolerant -

not, indeed, of what is wrong, but of the frailty and immaturity of human nature which

induce people, and again especially children, to make mistakes.

Thirdly, I hold it essential for a teacher to be both intellectually and morally honest.

This does not mean being a plaster saint. It means that he will be aware of his

intellectual strengths, and limitations, and will have thought about and decided upon the


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moral principles by which his life shall be guided. There is no contradiction in my going

on to say that a teacher should be a bit of an actor. That is part of the technique of

teaching, which demands that every now and then a teacher should be able to put on an

act - to enliven a lesson, correct a fault, or award praise. Children, especially young

children, live in a world that is rather larger than life.

Additionally, a teacher must remain mentally alert. He will not get into the profession if

of low intelligence, but it is all too easy, even for people of above-average intelligence,

to stagnate intellectually - and that means to deteriorate intellectually. A teacher must be

quick to adapt himself to any situation, however improbable and able to improvise, if

necessary at less than a moment's notice. (Here I should stress that I use 'he' and 'his'

throughout the book simply as a matter of convention and convenience.)

On the other hand, a teacher must be capable of infinite patience. This, I may say, is

largely a matter of self-discipline and self-training; we are none of us born like that. He

must be pretty resilient; teaching makes great demands on nervous energy. And he

should be able to take in his stride the innumerable petty irritations any adult dealing

with children has to endure.

Finally, I think a teacher should have the kind of mind which always wants to go on

learning. Teaching is a job at which one will never be perfect; there is always something

more to learn about it. There are three principal objects of study: the subject, or subjects,

which the teacher is teaching; the methods by which they can best be taught to the

particular pupils in the classes he is teaching; and - by far the most important - the

children, young people, or adults to whom they are to be taught. The two cardinal

principles of British education today are that education is education of the whole

person, and that it is best acquired through full and active co-operation between two

persons, the teacher and the learner. (From Teaching as a Career, by H. C. Dent)

http://www.uefap.com/reading/readfram.htm


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10. Look again at the structure/organization of the text above. Do you agree with the

structure shown in the table below?

Question What are the desirable personal qualities in a teacher? paragraph 1

Answer

Quality 1. personality should be pleasantly live and attractive paragraph 2

Quality 2. essential to have a genuine capacity for sympathy paragraph 3

Quality 3. essential to be both intellectually and morally honest paragraph 4

Quality 4. must remain mentally alert paragraph 5

Quality 5. must be capable of infinite patience paragraph 6

Quality 6. should have the kind of mind which always wants to go on learning paragraph 7

11. Try to find the meaning of the 6 teacher qualities mentioned in the table above.

12. Scan the text, find the words in bold and answer these questions.

2.1 What is common about these words?

2.2 Can you guess their meaning?

2.3 Try to use these words in a similar way and see how meaning changes.

2.3.1 Accept ……………… suggestion

2.3.2 Teach …………………. subject

2.3.3 Learn ………………… subject

2.3.4 Work …………………….plan


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2) Reasons for becoming a teacher

1 Skimming: The main idea of this passage is a. There are many negative perceptions associated with a teaching career

b. "Love of teaching" is the most common reason given for becoming a teacher.

c. People enter the teaching profession for a variety of reasons.

d. Some parents do not support their children's decision to become teachers.

Reasons for becoming a teacher

The most compelling reason given for becoming a teacher involves the interpersonal

interactions resulting from continuous contact with children and young people.

Specifically, teachers mention that they like to work with children and youth, make a

difference in their lives, and see the look of joy when a student finally "gets it."

Reasons such as these are given by teachers who view teaching as a special mission

in our society and consider teaching a valuable service and a way to make a lasting

contribution to society. One teacher explained her career choice by saying, "I want

to be a difference in somebody's life. I want to mean something...change something.

I would choose teaching again in a minute if I had the chance. It's what I want to

do."

Other reasons people mention when discussing the decision to be a teacher include

ease of entry, exit, and reentry into the profession, flexibility of time, and material

benefits. The teaching career is accessible to individuals who start their careers in

other fields and develop a second career. Parents enjoy the hours that parallel their

children's hours, including the time off during holidays and in the summer.

Satisfying salaries, job security, and benefits also attract individuals into teaching

careers. Nevertheless, without fail, surveys continue to demonstrate that teachers

who indicate that they are not likely to leave the profession give "love of teaching"


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as the reason they will continue.

Perhaps due to the influences of family, teaching often continues as a family

tradition. One future teacher in five reports a mother or father who taught at one time

or is still teaching. Parents serve as models and have a great influence on their

children's decision to become teachers. As one future teacher wrote, "I never had the

opportunity to have my Dad as a teacher, but I have always heard wonderful things

about him from his ex-students....I guess you could say I am in the 'family'

business."

Despite the statistics, some parents may not support their children's decision to

become teachers. Many beginning teachers report that family members tried to

dissuade them from entering the teaching profession. Future teachers are often

aware of the negative perceptions associated with a teaching career but are not

daunted by them. One future teacher admitted, "When I made it to college—

graduating at the top of my high school class—my whole family said I shouldn't go

into teaching. 'You're too smart to teach,' they said. 'You need to be a doctor or

lawyer and make some money.' I was the only one in my extended family to ever get

a degree, so everyone was pushing me to do different things. I looked at business,

but nothing excited me like being a teacher." Wiseman, Donna L., Knight, Stephanie L., and Cooner, Donna D. Becoming a Teacher in a Field-Based Setting, pages 6-7

2 According to the passage, what is the main reason why teachers stay in the profession?

a. retirement benefits

b. Job security

c. love of teaching

d. long vacations


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3 The overall organizational pattern for this passage is a. Cause and effect

b. Definition

c. Process

d. Comparison

4 According to the passage, what percent of future teachers indicate that a parent was a teacher? a. 20%

b. 30%

c. 50%

d. 10%

5 Identify the relationship between the first two sentences of the passage.

a. statement and clarification

b. listing

c. cause and effect

d. generalization and example

6 A conclusion that can be drawn from this passage is that a. society highly esteems the teaching profession.

b. parents who have been teachers discourage their children from entering the

teaching profession

c. girls who want to have families may be especially drawn to the teaching

profession.

d. it is rare for older adults to enter the teaching profession.


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7 Guessing meaning from context: Use context to help you guess the best meaning

for words in bold.

a. Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism which could result in

expulsion or failing the course.

b. Plagiarism includes submitting any paper to satisfy an academic requirement,

which has been copied either in whole or in part from someone else’s work

without identifying that person;

c. Cheating includes obtaining or giving unauthorized help during an examination,

getting unauthorized information about the contents of an examination before it is

administered.

d. Bullying is when someone, continually insults or hurts you. Many young people

are bullied at school. But most bullies are stopped by the school or by the kids

themselves.

e. One of the major processes that takes place in schools, of course, is that students

learn. In addition to learning specific skills, they also undergo a process of

cognitive development wherein their mental skills grow and expand. They learn

to think critically, to weigh evidence, to develop independent judgment.

f. Studies show conclusively that if large groups of children watch a great deal of

televised violence, they will be more prone to behave aggressively. In other

words, not all children will become more aggressive, but many will.

g. Pupils and students should give more importance to their mental and

intellectual abilities than having false degrees


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3) Half of Europe’s citizens are bilingual

1. Look at the title of the unit above and try to guess what ideas will be discussed in the text below.

2. LANGUAGE OPINIONS: How far do you agree with these opinions on language?

a. The number of languages you speak is the number of times you are human.

b. If the whole world learned English, there’d be fewer communication problems.

c. It’s a sin for any nation not to make its citizens at least bilingual.

Half of Europe’s citizens are bilingual

Residents of the European Union (EU) are becoming better and better at

languages. Almost 50 percent of the EU population say they can speak at least

one foreign language very well. That figure rises to nearly 80 percent for

students. To celebrate its linguistic diversity, September 26 has become the

official European Day of Languages. The day’s website shows a Slovak proverb

that says: “The number of languages you speak is the number of times you are

human”. This is to encourage all Europeans to brush up on their language skills.

The results of the “Eurobarometer” survey put Luxembourgers at the top of the

language ability list. An amazing 99 percent of Luxembourg’s population is at

least bilingual. Those with the poorest language skills are the Hungarians (29

percent) and British (30 percent). English is the most widely spoken foreign

language, used by more than a third of the population. German (12 percent) is in

second place followed by French (11 percent). European enlargement means

Russian has risen to fourth place – tied with Spanish. The EU spends $36 million

a year on language programs.

URL: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0509/050925-bilingual-e.html


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3. Read again and find out whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F): a. Europeans are become increasingly better at other languages. T / F

b. Eighty percent of European students are bilingual. T / F

c. September 26 is the official European Day For the English Language. T / F

d. A European proverb says you are not human unless you are bilingual. T / F

e. Ninety-nine percent of Luxembourgers are at least bilingual. T / F

f. Britons are amongst the top of bilingual speakers. T / F

g. French is the most widely spoken foreign language among Europeans. T / F

h. Fewer and fewer Europeans are speaking Russian. T / F

4. What does each of the words in bold refer to in the text?

a. they:

b. that figure:

c. their:

5. Match the following synonyms from the text:

a. residents Worst b. Almost Improve c. Figure Expansion d. diversity Equal e. brush up on Nearly f. amazing Annually g. Poorest Incredible h. enlargement Citizens i. tied Variety j. a year Number


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6. Find words in the text that mean the opposite of these:

a. worse

b. bottom

c. decreases

d. discourage

7. Match the following phrases from the text (sometimes more than one

combination is possible):

a. residents to nearly 80 percent

b. are becoming better Enlargement

c. That figure rises Diversity

d. linguistic the language ability list

e. brush skills are the Hungarians

f. at the top of up on their language skills

g. an amazing of the European Union

h. Those with the poorest language spoken foreign language

i. English is the most widely and better at languages

j. European 99 percent

8. Test each other: Choose 10 expressions you learned and test your partners if

he/she knows them. The one who knows more is the winner.

9. Use 5 expressions you learned from this lesson in 5 meaningful sentences.


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4) Cut-and-paste essays a problem in schools

1. What do you think when you read the unit title?

2. What ideas come to your mind when you hear the word ‘cheating’?

Cut-and-paste essays a problem in schools

A survey by Britain’s Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has revealed

that 58 percent of British teachers believe online plagiarism (copying work from

the Internet) is a serious problem. Estimates are that over a quarter of students’

work includes writing that was cut-and-pasted directly from a website. ATL

general-secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: "Teachers are struggling under a

mountain of cut-and-pasting to spot….plagiarism." One shocked teacher explained

she had work “so blatantly cut-and-pasted that it still contained adverts from the

Web page!" Dr Bousted added that putting so much emphasis on passing tests

meant students were not learning. "Unsurprisingly, pupils are using all the means

available to push up their coursework marks, often at the expense of any real

understanding of the subjects they are studying," she said.

To tackle this issue, many high schools are trying out software that can easily spot

plagiarized work. The Turnitin programme is used by universities across the world.

Teachers can highlight a block of text they believe was copied and the software

searches the Internet to see if it is already online. William Murray, a Turnitin

spokesman, said the Internet made it easy for students to cheat. He pointed to the

hundreds of sites that offer sample essays and essay-writing services. He added that

students often do not know they are cheating when they copy-and-paste from the

Web. This view is supported by teacher Diana Barker, who said: "I think the

majority of students who engage in plagiarism do it more out of ignorance than the

desire to cheat.” Dr Bousted noted that: “Pupils are the real losers because they lack

the skills they appear to have.”


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3. Work with your partner(s) about the points below. Are they examples of

cheating? Rank them: 10 = very serious, 1 = not at all serious.

a. _____ looking at the answers in the back of the book

b. _____ using an Internet essay-writing service

c. _____ looking at the answers of the person next to you in an exam

d. _____ copying and pasting text from an Internet site for use in your essay

e. _____ stealing the answer key to a test from the teacher’s drawer

f. _____ asking a friend about the questions to a test they had just taken

g. _____ sharing answers to the exam using Bluetooth

h. _____ writing spellings and grammar rules on your arm

4. Teacher problems: Talk with your partner(s) about these problems teachers

struggle with. Agree on the 3 biggest and smallest.

• students cheating

• in-class violence

• marking homework

• classroom noise

• technology

• too many students in a class

• discipline

• salary

• school management

• resources and materials

5. True/False: read the text and say whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F)

a. Many British teachers are worried about cheating students. T / F b. Over half of students’ work has been copied from the Internet. T / F c. Some students forget to remove the Web ads from what they copy. T / F d. An expert suggested cheating can lead to more understanding . T / F e. Schools are now using software to detect work copied online. T / F f. A company spokesman said the Internet made cheating difficult. T / F g. One teacher said many students don’t know that copying is wrong. T / F h. An expert said that schools are the real losers when pupils cheat . T / F


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a. she

b. they

c. this issue

d. it

e. he

7. Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. survey a. Shown

2 revealed b. Do

3. struggling c. deal with

4. blatantly d. highlighted

5. emphasis e. Battling

6. tackle f. obviously

7. spot g. lack of knowledge

8. pointed to h. importance

9. engage in i. questionnaire

10. ignorance j. Find


8.1 covered up

8.2 not important/ minor

8.3 minority

8.4 winners


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9. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes

more than one combination is possible):

1. online a. to cheat

2 copying work b. Plagiarism

3. Teachers are struggling under a mountain c. they believe was copied

4. so much emphasis on passing tests meant d. their coursework marks

5. using all the means available to push up e. of cut-and-pasting

6. To tackle this f. Losers

7. Teachers can highlight a block of text g. Issue

8. He pointed to the hundreds of sites that h. from the Internet

9. more out of ignorance than the desire i. students were not learning

10. Pupils are the real j. offer sample essays

10. CORRECT WORD: Put the correct words from a–d below in the article.

A (1) ____ by Britain’s Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has revealed

that 58 percent of British teachers (2) ____ online plagiarism (copying work from the

Internet) is a serious problem. Estimates are that over a quarter of students’ work (3)

____ writing that was cut-and-pasted directly from a website. ATL general-secretary

Dr Mary Bousted said: "Teachers are struggling (4) ____ a mountain of cut-and-

pasting to spot….plagiarism." One shocked teacher explained she had work “so

blatantly cut-and-pasted that it still contained adverts from the Web page!" Dr

Bousted (5) ____ that putting so much emphasis on passing tests meant students were

not learning. "Unsurprisingly, pupils are using all the (6) ____ available to push up

their coursework marks, often at the expense of any real understanding of the subjects

they are studying," she said.


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To tackle this issue, many high schools are trying (7) ____ software that can easily

spot plagiarized work. The Turnitin programme is used by universities across the

world. Teachers can highlight a (8) ____ of text they believe was copied and the

software searches the Internet to see if it is already online. William Murray, a Turnitin

spokesman, said the Internet (9) ____ it easy for students to cheat. He pointed to the

hundreds of sites that offer sample essays and essay-writing services. He added that

students often do not know they are cheating when they copy-and-paste from the

Web. This view is supported (10) ____ teacher Diana Barker, who said: "I think the

majority of students who engage in plagiarism do it more out (11) ____ ignorance

than the desire to cheat.” Dr Bousted noted that: “Pupils are the real losers because

they (12) ____ the skills they appear to have.”

1. (a) surveillance (b) scurvy (c) surfing (d) survey

2. (a) believe (b) belief (c) believes (d) beliefs

3. (a) include (b) includes (c) including (d) inclusion

4. (a) over (b) on top of (c) under (d) inside

5. (a) divided (b) subtracted (c) added (d) multiplied

6. (a) meanings (b) means (c) mean (d) meant

7. (a) in (b) for (c) of (d) out

8. (a) block (b) black (c) back (d) book

9. (a) done (b) made (c) did (d) make

10. (a) with (b) out (c) in (d) by

11. (a) from (b) in (c) of (d) for

12. (a) lack (b) lacks (c) lacking (d) lacked

11. Test each other: Choose 10 expressions you learned and test your partners if

he/she knows them. The one who knows more is the winner.



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5) Misbehaving students punished with Mozart

1. What ideas come to your mind when you read the title? 2. How many of these words are you familiar with?

a. bad behavior

b. classical music

c. truant

d. noisy students

e. deterrent punishment

Misbehaving students punished with Mozart

A school in England is using classical music to cut down on students’ bad behaviour.

The head teacher Brian Walker at the West Park School in Derby runs two-hour

detention sessions after school on Fridays. He forces his students to listen to Mozart

and other classical music. He also makes them copy his favourite poems and they

have to watch educational videos. Mr. Walker says his main aim is to stop noisy pupils

spoiling lessons for well-behaved students who want to study. He said the students

staying behind are “not the smokers, the truants or the people who are late… It's those

who have slowed the learning process in class for everyone”. Mr. Walker explained

this was unacceptable “because it is robbing the rest of opportunities”.

Brian Walker believes the detention reminds students that education is something to

value. "It helps them see they are part of something bigger that will enhance their life

chances,” he said. The head teacher thinks students actually learn from being kept

behind after school: "Hopefully, I open their ears to an experience they don't normally

have and…don't want to have again, so it's both educational and acts as a deterrent."

Music has had success elsewhere in reducing bad behaviour. In 2004, it reduced crime

on London’s subway by 25 per cent. Researchers from a Belfast university found it

helped stop elephants misbehaving. However, one West Park student called Kieran

said: “An hour of Mr. Walker's music is a real killer.”


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3. Are these good deterrents to stop students misbehaving? Complete this table with your partner(s).

Deterrents Reasons why ‘yes’ Reasons why ‘no’

2 hours of Mozart

No mobile for a week

Writing 1,000 lines

Being hit

Standing in the corner

No break for a week

4. School hates: What are the worst things about school? Rate these.

• Noisy students in class

• Homework

• Boring teachers

• School uniform

• Canteen food

• Rules

• English lessons

• Starting time


a. Mozart was a bad student at school and was punished a lot. T / F

b. A teacher forced students to write poetry and listen to classical music. T / F

c. Students received detention for smoking and skipping class. T / F

d. A head teacher was worried good students were losing studying time. T / F

e. The head teacher believes his method helps students value education. T / F

f. The teacher said he wanted students to open their ears and eyes. T / F

g. Music on London’s subway system cut crime by a quarter in 2004. T / F

h. One student said he really liked the music by the band The Killers. T / F


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a. he

b. them

c. it

d. they

7. Match the following synonyms from the article. 1. cut down on a. students

2 Forces b. usually

3. Pupils c. detained

4. Spoiling d. chances

5. Robbing e. reduce

6. Enhance f. in other places

7. Opportunities g. stealing from

8. kept behind h. makes

9. Normally i. improve

10. Elsewhere j. Ruining


8.1 acceptable

8.2 smaller

8.3 failure

9. Phrase Match: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. cut down a. sessions after school

2 two-hour detention b. deterrent

3. stop noisy pupils spoiling lessons c. the learning process

4. those who have slowed d. of something bigger

5. it is robbing the rest e. on students’ bad behaviour


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6. education is something f. after school

7. they are part g. of opportunities

8. being kept behind h. misbehaving

9. acts as a i. for well-behaved students

10. it helped stop elephants j. to value

10. Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

A school in England is using classical music to cut (1) ____ on students’ bad behaviour.

The head teacher Brian Walker at the West Park School in Derby (2) ____ two-hour

detention sessions after school on Fridays. He forces his students to listen to Mozart and

other classical music. He also makes them copy his favourite poems and they have to

watch educational videos. Mr. Walker says his main (3) ____ is to stop noisy pupils (4)

____ lessons for well-behaved students who want to study. He said the students staying

(5) ____ are “not the smokers, the truants or the people who are late… It's those who

have slowed the learning process in class for everyone”. Mr. Walker explained this was

unacceptable “because it is (6) ____ the rest of opportunities”.

Brian Walker believes the detention (7) ____ students that education is something to

value. "It helps them see they are part of something bigger that will enhance their life

chances,” he said. The head teacher thinks students actually learn (8) ____ being

kept behind after school: "Hopefully, I open their ears to an experience they don't

normally have and…don't want to have again, so it's (9) ____ educational and acts

as a deterrent." Music has had success (10) ____ in reducing bad behaviour. In 2004, it

reduced crime on London’s subway by 25 per cent. Researchers from a Belfast university

found it helped stop elephants misbehaving. However, one West Park student called

Kieran said: “An hour of Mr. Walker's music is a real killer.”


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1. (a) up (b) across (c) down (d) in

2. (a) jogs (b) runs (c) strides (d) leaps

3. (a) aim (b) aimed (c) aiming (d) aims

4. (a) spoilt (b) spoiler (c) spoils (d) spoiling

5. (a) beneath (b) below (c) behind (d) because

6. (a) robber (b) robs (c) robbing (d) robbery

7. (a) remains (b) reminds (c) remainders (d) remnants

8. (a) from (b) for (c) far (d) of

9. (a) all (b) both (c) whole (d) every

10. (a) elsewhere (b) anywhere (c) where (d) whereas

11. Test each other: Choose 10 expressions you learned and test your partners if he/she knows them. The one who knows more is the winner.



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6) Parents face fines in new school rules

1. Read the following text and answer the questions below.

Parents face fines in new school rules

British parents could soon face a fine and prison if their children misbehave at school.

Britain’s government wants to introduce tough new laws to improve discipline in

schools. They want to make parents more responsible for their sons and daughters.

Some of the new measures include making parents attend parenting courses, paying a

$1,700 fine or going to prison. The Schools Secretary Ed Balls said current policies on

unruly behaviour are not strict enough. Many British schools suffer from high levels

of bullying, truancy and low academic achievement. He wants parents to play their

part in making sure their children achieve. "Every parent has a responsibility to back

our teachers and make sure the rules are [followed]," he said.

The measures are part of a new focus on the relationship between schools and parents.

Mr. Balls also has plans to help parents and students. He proposes to give pupils private

tutors if they are doing badly in reading and maths. He also wants doctors, health

workers and social workers in schools to provide better community services. Under Mr.

Balls’ plans, parents will have a bigger voice in how schools operate. They will

complete satisfaction surveys on how their children’s school performs. Critics say the

plans are unlikely to be popular with parents. There are also fears about poorer parents

not having enough money to pay the fines and whether they should go to prison for their

children’s actions.

\


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a. British parents may have to pay penalties if their children misbehave. T / F

b. Some parents could go to prison if their children are unruly. T / F

c. There is very little bullying and truancy in British schools. T / F

d. The British Schools Secretary said teachers must follow the new rules. T / F

e. The Secretary has plans for some students to have private lessons. T / F

f. The Secretary wants parents to speak more loudly. T / F

g. The majority of parents are fully behind the new plans. T / F

h. There are concerns that some parents are too poor to pay fines. T / F

2. Match the following synonyms from the text:

1. Misbehave a. Students

2 Tough b. Orderliness

3. Discipline c. Behavior

4. Unruly d. Perform

5. Achieve e. Suggests

6. Measures f. (be) naughty

7. Proposes g. Input

8. Pupils h. Strict

9. Voice i. Actions

10. Actions j. Uncontrollable


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a. they

b. he

c. they

d. they


4.1 behave well

4.2 irresponsible

4.3 dissatisfaction

4.4 unpopoular

5. Phrase Match: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more

than one. combination is possible):

1. parents could soon face a a. Behavior

2 introduce tough new laws b. with parents

3. current policies on unruly c. back our teachers

4. He wants parents to play d. private tutors

5. Every parent has a responsibility to e. fine and prison

6. the relationship between f. their children’s actions

7. He proposes to give pupils g. schools and parents

8. parents will have a bigger voice in h. to improve discipline

9. the plans are unlikely to be popular i. their part

10. they should go to prison for j. how schools operate


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British parents could soon (1) ____ a fine and prison if their children misbehave at

school. Britain’s government wants to introduce (2) ____ new laws to improve discipline

in schools. They want to make parents more responsible for their sons and daughters.

Some of the new (3) ____ include making parents attend parenting courses, paying a

$1,700 fine or going to prison. The Schools Secretary Ed Balls said current policies on

(4) ____ behaviour are not strict enough. Many British schools (5) ____ from high levels

of bullying, truancy and low academic achievement. He wants parents to play their part in

making sure their children achieve. "Every parent has a responsibility to (6) ____ our

teachers and make sure the rules are [followed]," he said.

The measures are (7) ____ of a new focus on the relationship between schools and

parents. Mr. Balls also has plans to help parents and students. He (8) ____ to give pupils

private tutors if they are (9) ____ badly in reading and maths. He also wants doctors,

health workers and social workers in schools to provide better community services.

Under Mr. Balls’ plans, parents will have a bigger (10) ____ in how schools operate.

They will complete satisfaction surveys on how their children’s school performs. (11)

____ say the plans are unlikely to be popular with parents. There are also fears about (12)

____ parents not having enough money to pay the fines and whether they should go to

prison for their children’s actions.

1. (a) Pace (b) race (c) face (d) Lace

2. (a) Rough (b) tough (c) bough (d) Cough

3. (a) measures (b) measured (c) measuring (d) Measurement

4. (a) Really (b) unripe (c) rally (d) Unruly

5. (a) suffers (b) suffering (c) suffer (d) Sufferer

6. (a) Front (b) side (c) back (d) Top

7. (a) Partly (b) part (c) partner (d) Parts

8. (a) proposes (b) proposal (c) proposition (d) Proposing

9. (a) Does (b) doing (c) do (d) Did


26

10. (a) Voice (b) speech (c) tongue (d) Sound

11. (a) Creatures (b) Critters (c) Croutons (d) Critics

12. (a) poverty (b) poorly (c) poorest (d) Poorer

7. Test each other: Choose 10 expressions you learned and test your partners if he/she knows them. The one who knows more is the winner.



27

Assignment (2)

A) Read the following text and answer the questions below. Write only the

answers on the answer only.

Teacher on trial for attacking student

A teacher in England is on trial for attacking a teenage student with a metal

dumbbell. Peter Harvey, 50, is facing charges of attempted murder for the attack,

which took place in July, 2009. The student, who cannot be named for legal reasons,

suffered a fractured skull and severe cuts to his face. The boy, then 14, was

repeatedly hit on the head with the 3kg weight. He was left unconscious and rushed

to hospital. Students who witnessed the attack said Harvey’s anger seemed to give

him extra power. They told the court that he was screaming, “die, die, die” as he was

hitting the youngster. Harvey denies attempted murder but has admitted causing

serious bodily harm. The case is a huge talking point among teachers and students in

England.

The media reports the boy was a leading troublemaker in the class. He has a long

record of disrupting lessons. The court heard the boy received a disciplinary warning

nine times last year. Reports are he would try to make Mr Harvey angry and then use

his mobile phone to take videos of him. He then mailed the video around the school.

The constant bad behaviour caused Harvey to take time off work with mental health

problems. He told a colleague he wanted to harm someone. A counselor told him he

was too passive and needed to let his anger out. The judge asked the boy whether he

thought it was funny to try to make a teacher angry who had been off ill. The boy

replied: "There was nothing funny about him. What was funny was we were just

having a good time with our friends."


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a. A teacher attacked a student with a bell from a clock. T / F

b. The teacher is accused of trying to kill the student. T / F

c. The boy was wide awake when he went to hospital. T / F

d. The teacher denied causing serious bodily harm. T / F

e. Journalists say the boy attacked was the quietest member of the class. T / F

f. The student distributed videos of the teacher to his school friends. T / F

g. The teacher suffered from mental health problems. T / F

h. The boy told the court he thought the teacher was very funny. T / F


a. he

b. they

c. the case

d. he

e. he

3. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the text.

1. on trial a. Disturbing

2 Suffered b. Saw

3. Witnessed c. Amusing

4. Denies d. Experienced

5. Huge e. in the dock

6. troublemaker f. Continual

7. Disrupting g. Enormous

8. Constant h. Rage

9. Anger i. Rejects

10. Funny j. Ringleader


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a. illegal

b. conscious

c. less

d. Top/ chief

e. active

5. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. on trial for a. having a good time

2 facing charges b. among teachers and students

3. He was left unconscious c. attempted murder

4. Harvey denies d. Behavior

5. a huge talking point e. of attempted murder

6. the boy was a leading f. Warning

7. the boy received a disciplinary g. attacking a teenage student

8. constant bad h. was too passive

9. A counsellor told him he i. and rushed to hospital

10. we were just j. troublemaker


A teacher in England is on trial for attacking a teenage student with a metal dumbbell.

Peter Harvey, 50, is (1) ____ charges of attempted murder for the attack, which took

place in July, 2009. The student, who cannot be named for (2) ____ reasons,

suffered a fractured skull and severe cuts to his face. The boy, then 14, was repeatedly

hit on the head with the 3kg weight. He was (3) ____ unconscious and rushed to

hospital. Students who witnessed the attack said Harvey’s (4) ____ seemed to give

him extra power. They told the court that he was screaming, “die, die, die” (5) ____

he was hitting the youngster. Harvey denies attempted murder but has admitted


30

causing serious bodily harm. The case is a huge (6) ____ point among teachers and

students in England.

The media reports the boy was a leading troublemaker in the class. He has a long (7)

____ of disrupting lessons. The court heard the boy received a disciplinary warning

nine times last year. Reports (8) ____ he would try to make Mr Harvey angry and

then use his mobile phone to take videos of him. He then mailed the video around the

school. The (9) ____ bad behaviour caused Harvey to take time off work with mental

health problems. He told a colleague he wanted to harm someone. A counsellor told

him he was too passive and needed to let his anger (10) ____. The judge asked the

boy whether he thought it was funny to try to make a teacher angry who had been

(11) ____ ill. The boy replied: "There was nothing funny about him. What (12) ____

funny was we were just having a good time with our friends."

1. (a) heading (b) eyeing (c) mouthing (d) facing

2. (a) legalize (b) legality (c) legal (d) legally

3. (a) right (b) left (c) centred (d) middling

4. (a) anger (b) angrily (c) angers (d) angered

5. (a) was (b) has (c) as (d) ease

6. (a) talk (b) talked (c) talkative (d) talking

7. (a) recording (b) record (c) recorder (d) recorded

8. (a) are (b) do (c) be (d) have

9. (a) constantly (b) constant (c) constants (d) constable

10. (a) up (b) in (c) out (d) down

11. (a) off (b) on (c) in (d) across

12. (a) be (b) did (c) had (d) was


31

B) Read and answer

Many people believe that private schools have more successful educational outcomes

that do public schools, due to less bureaucracy, more family involvement, smaller

classes, and students' backgrounds. Families who send their children to private school

must pay both tuition and school taxes for public schools. There was much political

pressure, beginning in the 1970s in various states, to give public financial support to

private schools. One mechanism is the voucher—a coupon in the amount the school

district normally spends on an individual child's education—to be "spent" at whatever

school the family chooses, public or private. The argument is that in a free-market

system private schools should have as much right as public schools to be supported

by the government and that the best schools will attract more students, thereby

thriving, while the worst schools will improve to attract "customers."

The voucher system came under legal scrutiny in a court case in Cleveland, Ohio, in

1997, when the system was declared unconstitutional because of inappropriate

church-state separation; most of the vouchers (public money) were being used for

religious schools. However, the concept of vouchers as a school choice option is still

viable, as evidenced by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which tries to balance

flexibility with accountability in schools receiving federal funds under Title I of the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The act grants parents certain

rights, such as to inspect instructional material and assessments; it provides guidelines

for school choice and vouchers, and for school prayer; and it stipulates requirements

for funding school improvements, teacher qualifications, and testing. Berns, Roberta M. Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support. 6th Edition, page 216


32

1. The main idea of this passage is

a. the voucher system is one method of providing for school choice.

b. private schools have more successful educational outcomes than public schools.

c. political pressure has forced states to allow vouchers.

d. the voucher system was declared unconstitutional in Ohio.

[[

2. In the second paragraph, the word scrutiny means

a. Acceptance

b. Organization

c. Close examination

d. Approval

3. According to the passage, why was the voucher system ruled unconstitutional in

Ohio?

a. It was found to discriminate against minorities.

b. It allowed public funds to be spent on religious schools.

c. It did not require accountability for schools.

d. It cost too much taxpayer money.

4. The main purpose of the passage is to

a. discuss the voucher system.

b. persuade parents to send their children to religious schools.

c. explain the historical development of American education.

d. condemn Ohio courts for declaring vouchers unconstitutional.


33

5. An inference that can be made from the passage is that

a. Ohio courts are more conservative than courts elsewhere in America.

b. parents who send their children to private schools do not have to pay taxes to

support public schools.

c. a large number of Americans are dissatisfied with how public education is being

managed.

d. American schools may receive federal funding through Title I of ESEA.

6. The author's claim that "...the concept of vouchers as a school choice option is

still viable..." is

a. inadequately supported because it depends on personal opinion.

b. adequately supported by factual evidence.

Unit 2 Reading Comprehension &...

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