The end of the school year is in sight - Christmas cards， candy canes and of course， end of year reports．
While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance， they do not expect their own input to be evaluated． But a school in the UK is changing that． As well as assessing their students， they are dishing out grades to mums and dads． Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A， and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D．
The school， Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire， uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade． The school's principal， Donna Chambers， said that the scheme had been well received．
"There were some critics． In spite of it， between 15 percent and 20 percent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent，" she explained．
Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement． "The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one． That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life"， she said．
But while the scheme may be well intentioned， it is likely to be connected with parent shaming． There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments， looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives．
And of course， being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school． There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered． And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute？ Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!
【小题1】What do schools usually do at the end of the school year？ ______| A．Evaluating kids' performances． |
| B．Making Christmas cards． |
| C．Dividing candies． |
| D．Grading parents． |
| A．It uses a new way to evaluate kids． |
| B．It has gained much acceptance． |
| C．It gives parents further education． |
| D．It improves kids' motivation for learning． |
| A．It adds to parents' burden． |
| B．It brings shame to parents． |
| C．It means far more than being graded． |
| D．It increases parents' commitment to education． |
| A．There is too much stress for parents about their children's academic life． |
| B．Parents as well as their children are on the list of the year school report． |
| C．Parents should be involved in children's school life． |
| D．Whether a parent is excellent depends on the grade he gets． |
To: (happylizijun) yaboo. com. cn
Subject: My school
Hi, Li Zijun,
Thanks very much for your email. I really enjoyed reading it. I think we have a lot in common. I wonder if our school life is similar too.
I go to a big high school in Sydney called Maylands High School. There are about 1000 students and 80 or so teachers. My class has 25 students in it, which is normal for a Year 11 class. In the junior school there are about 30 students in a class.
In the senior high school we have lots of subjects to choose from, like maths, physics, chemistry, biology, history, German, law, geography, software design, graphic arts and media studies. (Different schools sometime have different optional subjects.) English is a must for everyone and we have to do least three other subjects in Year 11 and 12. At the end of Year 12 we sit for a public exam called the High School Certificate.
As well as school subjects, most of us do other activities at school such as playing a sport, singing in the choir or playing in the school band. We can also belong to clubs, such as the drama club, the chess club and the debating society.
We have a lot of homework to do in senior school to prepare for our exam, so unless I have basketball practice, I usually go straight home and start studying. I arrive home about 4 pm, make myself a snack and work till 6. Then I help the family to make dinner and we all eat together. I’m usually back in my room studying by 8 pm. I stop at about 10 o'clock and watch TV or read a book for half an hour to relax. On Saturdays, I usually go out with my family or with friends and I sleep in till late on Sunday morning. Then it’s back to the books on Sunday afternoon.
How about you? What’s your school life like? Do you have a lot of homework? What do you do to relax when you’re not studying? I’m looking forward to finding out.
Your Australian friend
Terrie
【小题1】How many subjects do the students have to do at least in Year 11 and 12?| A．11 | B．3 |
| C．4 | D．6 |
| A．pass | B．take |
| C．go for | D．hold |
| A．read books | B．play in the school band |
| C．play basketball | D．helps her family to prepare dinner |
History Fair Competition
Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. It is an essential part of who we are today and who we will become. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!
This Year’s Theme
All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.
Individuals or groups may enter one of the following categories:
· Performance
· Documentary
· Essay Writing
Category Requirements
Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.
Documentary: A visual presentation (such as a video, slide show, or computer project) no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.
Essay Writing: An academic paper of 2, 000 to 2, 500 words. No illustrations (图解) are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.
Important Dates
January 5Submit a topic proposal to your history teacher. The teacher may require a second proposal if the first is off-topic or unclear.
February 5 Submit a first draft of your essay, performance script, or documentary highlights.
February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.
March 9 Submit a final draft of your essay.
March 15 Performance and documentary committee preview
March 24 Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition
7:00A. M-9:00A. M Participants signing in at the gym
10:00A. M. -6:00PM. Competition and judges’ review
7:00P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic
【小题1】According to Paragragh 1, what is the major goal of understanding history?| A．To preserve national traditions. | B．To prepare for a history competition. |
| C．To better know the present and future. | D．To further explore historical mysteries. |
| A．How has technology developed in America. | B．How has science interacted with technology. |
| C．How has science made the study of history easy. | D．How has technology improved the life of Americans. |
| A．Include more information in the essay. | B．Remove the references. |
| C．Provide a cover for the essay. | D．Explain the details with illustrations. |
| A．Preview performances and documentaries. | B．Make comments on the materials. |
| C．Improve the participant’s first draft. | D．Collect a second proposal from the participant. |
One morning Fan Xing discovered that her classroom had changed. The 13-year-old saw that the desks were no longer in rows, but pushed together to make six bigger desks.
The new arrangement was part of a reform at Fan’s school, Changsha Daotian Middle School in Hunan. About five weeks ago, more than 2, 000 junior students at the school began studying in this way, with six to eight students sitting in groups.
“This reform is designed to provide students with easier ways to study and more chances for discussion,” said Liu Xu, a school head teacher. “Our school hopes it can improve students’ abilities for self-study as well as teamwork.”
The new arrangement took some time for students to get used to. “I was too curious about it for the first two days,” said Fan. But soon she and her classmates got used to it. “Now our class is quieter because we can stop loud students with some simple gestures,” said Fan. “What’s more, we can express our own ideas and learn others’ through discussion. It’s a better way to study.”
Feng Yu likes this new classroom arrangement very much and has made some progress in studying. The 14-year-old said, “Group members first discuss, and then explain the solutions or answers to difficult questions in front of the whole class.”
“The discussion gives us more confidence to make speeches,” said Feng. “We can also improve our friendships.”
The reform has asked for more from teachers. They have no
more than 15 minutes to teach in class. “It is a big challenge to teach in such a short time the lessons which should be taught in 45 minutes,” English teacher Wang Jing said. “We have to improve methods to teach better. We must prepare some interesting topics and exercises before class so that students can discuss them.”
Wang said that some students always talk. The teachers have to move continuously in the classroom to keep them quiet and get them to concentrate on class. “It demands more, but I believe it will pay off,” Wang added.
【小题1】From the first paragraph of the passage, we know that .| A．Fan Xing was a 13-year-old student |
| B．Fan Xing’s classroom was changed in rows |
C．Fan Xing’s desk was no lo nger in her classroom |
| D．six big desks were moved into Fan Xing’s classroom |
| A．make the students feel fresh and interested |
| B．divide big classes into small classes |
| C．make more room for new students |
| D．provide students with more chances for teamwork |
| A．The teachers have to improve their studying methods. |
| B．The teachers must prepare more interesting topics for exercises. |
| C．The teachers are only given 15 minutes to teach in one period of the class. |
| D．The teachers have to move about in the classroom to keep the students quiet. |
| A．The students in Changsha Daotian Middle School are sitting in groups when having classes. |
| B．The reform in the school is aimed at improving the students’ abilities for self-study. |
| C．Studying in groups gives the students more confidence to concentrate on class. |
| D．The new classroom arrangement also brings some new challenges to the teachers. |
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