中级英语听力教程Lesson 18 Why Go to School.docx

中级英语听力教程Lesson 18 Why Go to School.docx

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中级英语听力教程Lesson18WhyGotoSchool

WhyGotoSchool?

TextA

MATTHEW:

  Lesley,you'reateacher.HowdoestheEnglishschoolsystemwork?

LESLEY:

  Um,well,firstofallmostchildrenstartschoolattheageoffiveandthey  can'tleaveschooluntiltheageofsixteen,whichisjust,youknow,theagetheageoffiveuntileleven...um,and previously theyusedtotakeane~even

  plusexaminationwhichwouldthendeterminewhethertheywouldgotoagrammarschooloralternativelyasecondarymodernschool.Butnowwehavea...anewsystenwherechildrenaren'tdividedoffattheageofelevenandwillgointoa

  comprehensivesystemof schooling,and...willdothethingsthatthey'rebest abletodoatcertainagesandiftheywanttotaketheexamstheyareabletat...attheageofsixteen.

MATTHEW:

  Doyouthinkthat'sa...animprovementtothsystem?

LESLEY:

  Well,...mm,theoretically...it'ssupposedtbemuchbetterbecauseitgives...itstopsseparatingchildrenoffattheageofelevenandgivesthemabetterchance,andinfactwhatusuallyhappensisthatthosechildrenwho

  wouldn't...erwhowouldhavegonetoagrammarschooltendtobeatthetopendofthecomprehensivesystem,andthosethatwouldhavegonetosecondarymodernschoolfindthemselvesatthelowerlevelsoftheschool.

MAT'THEW:

  Doyouthinkthatthepresentschoolsystemisanefficientwayofeducatingchildren?

LESLEY  Mm...wellifyou,ifyouacceptthat,youknow,therehavetobeschools,  itseemstoworkfairly efficiently.OfcourseoneofourgreatproblemsinEnglandisthatwehaveverylargecl'assesand...um,itwouldbeverynice

  inaclass,thereareonlytwenty...mmandsothateachchildgetsmoreindividualattentionsothattheirownparticularneedsjustaren'tpassedover.

MATTHEW  Doyouthinkthe...thesubjectsthater...childrenstudytodayareadaptedtopresent-daysociety?

LESLEY  Itwouldbeverygoodif...er,morechildrenatschoolhadtheopportunityoflearningaboutthesocietytheylivein...ineconomictermsandinsocialterms,sothattheyaremuchmoreawareoftheproblemsthatwefacetoday.

  ButIalsothinkthateducationisn'tonlysomethingthathastobe...hastoberelevant...um,Ithinkeducationcanbejusta...agradual  extensionofoneself,andIdon'tthinkit'sum...importaritforsubjectstobeseenonlyintermsofhowusefultheyarewhenyouleaveschool...buthowmuchyouenjoythemandhowmuchtheymeantoyou.

MATTHEW  David,whatwouldyoudoinanaveragedayatschool?

DAVID  Um...itmainlyconsistsofEnglishandMaths,whichtakesupalotofthelessontimeandthen...um...likeonMondays,forexample...er,wewoulddo...er,Idon'tknow,Maths,English,Art,HistoryandthenTuesdayswouldbesomemoreEnglish,probably...um,History,Reiigious  

  studies,Physics,whatevertakingnowwhichis`O'level,whichis...isninesubjectsinall.

MATTHEW  Isee,soyoucanchoose...thesubjectyouwanttotakefor'O'level...Youdon'thavetotake...everysubjectintheschdol?

DAVID  No,....no,no.

MATTHEW  Whataboutgames...eranddramaandthingslikethat?

DAVID  Wehaveaboutanhourandahalfofgamesaweek,andforaboutanhouraweek we...doa...athingknownaser...socialstudies,whichisum...it'sakindofacross-sectionof...erwhatlifewilibeafterwe

  weleaveschool...Um...wherewedodrama...a...westudy

  ecology,sociologyetcetera...Um,it'snot'O'level,wedon'ttakean'O'

  levelinit,it'sjustforer...expersence.

MATTHEW  janet,doyou...thinkthatyourdaughtersgainatremendousamountfromtheireducation?

JANET  Ithinkthey...theygainacertainamountofum...necessaryknowledge,yes,butIwishitwasbroader.Iwishthatinsteadofbeingdriven    towardspassingexamsthattheyhad,certainlyatthisstageof adolescence',thechancetoreallybroadentheiroutlook'completelyandnotfeelthis

  necessitytoreadtowardspassinganexam,tocollectingapieceofpaperattheendofit.

MATTHEW  Er...doyouhaveanyspecificwaysinwhichyouthink...timeatschoolcouldbeimproved?

JANET  Yes,Ithinktherecouldbea...alotmoreencouragementindoingthingsfortheirownsake,forgettingthesatisfactionoutof  them...um,ratherthanthis'ratrace'thateverybody'sforcedinto...um...forwhat

  isachievedattheend.Ithink...alotmoreshouldbedonetoencourage

  peopletogetthevalueoutofitthemselves.

MATTHEW  Doyouthinkthater...educationisjustsomethingthattakesplace  insideaschoolbuilding,oris.ita...anactivitywhichtakesplacenotonlyoutsidebutrightthewaythroughyourlife?

JANET  Ithinkitstartsthemomentyou'reborn,and...er...thatit'sgoingon allaroundyou.It'snotjusttakingplaceinaschoolbuilding...umitshouldbe...partofyourwholelife.

                                TextB

  In1967,TheObserver,oneofBritain'sleadingSundaynewspaperspapers,organizedacompetitionforsecondaryschool-children;theyhadtowriteabout"TheSchoolthatI'dLike".Thismeant,ofcourse,thattheyalsohadtosaywhatwaswrongwiththeschoolstheyhad.

David,15

Butwhatisthemainpurposeofschoolstoeducateyoungpeoplesothatwhentheygooutintothewvorldtheywillbepreparedfor~t?

Butarethey?

WelearnourMathematics,English,Physics,etc.,butwhatdoyoulearnaboutsex,marriageandthingslikethis?

Thesearejustasimportantbutwedon'tlearnverymuchaboutthem.

Carol,17

Giveusmorevariety!

Giveusthechancetovisitfactoriesmorefrequently,totalkwithminers,dustmen,doctors,lawyers,jail-birdsanddrug addicts,too.Giveusthechancetovisitremandmandhomesandprisons.Wewanttoknowmoreaboutlifeandlessaboutbooks.

Robin,16

Whataboreschoolisnowadays,thesameasithasbeenforhuniredsofyears.Whatwegetisthesameoldthing:

teacher,outdated

textbooks,andaclassfeduptotheteethwiththeteacherandtheschool.Whatweneedisonegreatchangeintheeducationalsystemofthecountry.Childrendonotwanttobetaughtat,butwanttofindthingsforthemselves.Ifachildisinterestedinthewayarabbit'sheartworks,lethimgoandfindout,bycuttingoneup.

Irena,15

Homeworkshouldnotbegiven.Manyofuswouldratherspendanotherhouratschoolthantwohoursathomedoinganhour'shomework,whereweareconstantlybeingdistractedbytelevision

andsuchthings.

Sidney,15

Thefirststepmustsurelybetoraiseteachers'salariesbyatleastfiftypercentsoastoattractfirst-classpeopletotheprofession.Andtheonlymeansofdoingthisisbyofferingsalariesequaltotheirresponsibilityinshapingthehopesoftomorrowandcompetitivewiththoseofferedbyindustry.

Christopher,16

Thedisciplineandlifeoftheschoolwouldbebasedonfreedomforthepupil.Sofreedomandaminimumofcontrolwouldbeimportantandthepupils,maleandfemale,wouldbetreatedasadultsandallowedtoseeiftheycanlivetogetherinacommunitylikeintelligentpeople.Giventhisresponsibilityandfreedom,thepupilsobviouslywouldnotalwaysbewell-behavedandsensible,buttheywould,Ibelieve,growuptobematureandintelligentadultswhoaresociallyandinallotherways,usefultothecommunity.

Margaret,14...allthis（i.e.freedominschools）suggeststhattheschoolwouldalwaysbe chaotic,whichwouldgiveallthe.pupilsaninsihgtintowhatlife,afterschool,islike:

 chaos.

                               AdditionalInformation

   Iambeginningrofeelthepressureofwork.Noneofthecoursesareassimpleastheyappeartobe.TherearealotofreferencebookstoconsultandyoucanconsideryourselfluckyifyoumanagetogethalfofthemfromtheIibrary.Mostcopiesseemtobe permanently lentout.Thereadingroomsarealwayscrowdedandyouhavetogetthereearlyinordertofindaplace.

   Thebiggestheadacheisourdormitory.Thoughtherearedesksforustoworkat,nobodyeverworksthere.Foronething,theroomissocrowdedthatthereislittleelbowroom,anditissodarkthatweneedtheelectriclightevenindaytime.Theworstisthehumanelement-therearealwaysthosewhodon'twanttoworkandwon'tletothersworkeither.Theyeitherchat,sing,playtheguitarorlistentotapes.HowImissmylittle cubicle10 ofaroomathome!

   Perhapsit'sonlyareactionagainstmyearlyexcitement,butanywayIamoftenovercomebylowspirits.SometimesIeventhinkIamwastingmytimehereandwishIhadnotcomehereatall.ButofcourseIknowtheyareonlypassingmoodscausedbymydisillusionment.Ifindsomeoftheteachersjusthopelessandtotallyirresponsible.Alltheyareinterestedinistoearnsomeextramoneybymoonlighting.Inoneway.theyaretobesympathizedwithbecausetheydoneedtheextramoneywhat.withtheirlowsalariesandtherisingprices.Butsurelytheyshouldn'tletussufferasaresult.

   Mybiggestdisappointmentisinmyfellowstudents.OfcourseIamceferringonlytosome,andperhapstheyareonlyaminority.Theyareafarcryfrommyoldimageofcollegestudents.Theydressandbehavenobetterthanthehooligansweoftenseeinthestreets.Ireallydon'tknowhowtheymanagedtogetintotheuniversity,fortheydon'tseemtobeinterestedintheirstudiesatall.

 Alltheycareforistohaveagoodtime,asthoughtoenteruniversityisanendinitself.TheyholddanceseverySaturdayeveningorplaycardsinthedormitoriesdeepintothenight,drinkingandsmokingheavily.What'smor