[Life ★★]
(P1) People in the USA have different ideas about what school is for. A poll found that 45 percent of people in the USA said the main goal was for students to take exams. Around a quarter of people said it was for kids to get a job. Just over 26 percent said the biggest reason for school was to teach citizenship.
(P2) A writer once said the purpose of school is, “to ask questions of the universe.” Students had different ideas about school. Elena Brankov, 15, said it was to teach creativity and share ideas. Lyndon Bailey, also 15, said school, “is just to make poor kids into robots who work and make rich people richer”.
WORDS: 116
SOURCE: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1609/160903-school-0.html
VOCABULARY: poll, quarter, citizenship, creativity, robots
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Why do you think children go to school?
- Do you like to take tests? Why or why not?
- What is or was your favorite subject in school? Why?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- Where did the study take place?
- 25% of the US citizens said the main purpose of school is to get a job. (T or F)
- Who said going to school is, “to ask questions of the universe?
- Who said going to school is to share thoughts?
- How old is Lyndon Bailey?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- take exams (P1)
- just over 26 percent (P1)
- once said (P2)
- make rich people richer (P2)
Image source: http://downloadclipart.org/f/kids-running-in-school-clipart-449