PASSAGE 22 Do you think education is better now than it was in your grandparents’ time? Many older people in the UK believe the opposite “Schools were better in our day,” they complain “There isn’t enough discipline these days Kids don’t work as hard as we did, either The syllabus isn’t as challenging, so clever students aren’t being stretched enough They need to study things in greater depth Exams are much, much easier now as well.” Were schools better years ago? Some British teenagers travelled back in time to a 1950s boarding school They got a big surprise! The first shock came when the teenagers met their new teachers Dressed in traditional black gowns, they look so frosty and uncaring! They were really authoritarian, too, so anyone caught breaking the rules – talking in classes, mucking about in the playground or playing truant – was in big trouble! Punishments included writing ‘lines, or staying after class to detention The naughtiest kids were expelled Things were just as bad after class At meal times the students had to endure a diet of plain, no-nonsense, healthy food Homework was obligatory and it took ages! Copying essays off the Internet wasn’t an option, as personal computers didn’t exist in the 1950s! At the end of ‘term’ everyone sat 1950s-style exams The old exams were much longer than their twentyfirst century equivalents and involved learning huge amounts of facts by heart History papers were all dates and battles Math’s papers were trickier, too; calculators weren’t around in the 1950s, so the students had to memories multiplication tables and master long division Our candidates found this really difficult The exam results surprised a lot of people Students predicted to well in their real-life, twenty-first century exams often got low grades in the 1950s exams Does this prove modern exams are too easy? Do twenty-first century kids rely too much on modem technology, like calculators and computers? The TV series of That‘ll teach ‘me! focused on a 1960s vocational school UK school-kids study a range of academic subjects these days But in the 1960s, children judged to be less ‘able’ went to vocational schools These helped them learn job skills Boys studied subjects like metalwork, woodwork or gardening In some classes, they even learned how to milk goats! The girls’ timetables included secretarial skills They also learned to cook, clean and sew – probably not much fun for most girls (Source: Activate! B2) Question What criticism is sometimes made about modem education in the first paragraph? A Teachers aren’t strict enough B The syllabus is out of date C There’s too much stress on exams D The teaching methods are not good enough Question The word “authoritarian” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _ A inexperienced B impolite C unreasonable D strict Question Which of the following statements is TRUE about the food the students ate at school? A It wasn’t cooked properly B It wasn’t delicious C It wasn’t nutritious D There wasn’t much of it Question The word “obligatory” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to A compulsory B difficult C long D complicated Question According to the passage, how did exams in the 1950s differ from those in the twenty-first century? A They covered more subjects B It took students less time to them Page C There was more to remember D They were less difficult Question What was surprising about the students’ results after taking the 1950s-style exams? A All the students found the exams difficult B Students didn’t as well as expected C Students who were predicted to fail did rather well D Students did better than twenty-first century exams Question The word “these” in the last paragraph refers to _ A School-kids B subjects C series D vocational school Question Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A Vocational schools provided poorer children with equipment B Vocational schools took children who were good at studying C Vocational schools prepared students for employment D Vocational schools were a complete waste of time Page ĐÁP ÁN 1-A 2-D 3-B 6-B 7-D 8-C 4-A 5-C LỜI GIẢI CHI TIẾT Question 1: A Những lời trích đơi đưa giáo dục đại đoạn đầu tiên? A Giáo viên khơng đủ nghiêm ngặt B Giáo trình hết hạn C Có nhiều căng thẳng kỳ thi D Phương pháp giảng dạy không đủ tốt => Dẫn chứng: “Schools were better in our day,” they complain “There isn’t enough discipline these days Kids don’t work as hard as we did, either The syllabus isn’t as challenging, so clever students aren’t being stretched enough They need to study things in greater depth Exams are much, much easier now as well.” Dịch: Trường học ngày tốt so với thời đại chúng tơi, họ phàn nàn Có nhiều kỷ luật ngày Trẻ em không làm việc chăm Các giáo trình khơng phải thử thách, học sinh không kéo dài thông minh họ Họ cần nghiên cứu thứ độ sâu lớn Các kỳ thi dễ nhiều Question 2: D Từ ngữ “Độc đoán” đoạn thứ hai có nghĩa gần với _ A thiếu kinh nghiệm B bất lịch C không hợp lý D nghiêm ngặt Question 3: B Phát biểu sau ĐÚNG thực phẩm mà học sinh ăn trường? A Nó nấu chín cách B.Nó khơng ngon C Nó khơng dinh dưỡng D Số lượng thức ăn không nhiều => Dẫn chứng Things were just as bad after class At meal times the students had to endure a diet of plain, no-nonsense, healthy food Dịch: Mọi thứ thật tồi tệ sau học Trong bữa ăn, sinh viên phải chịu đựng chế độ ăn uống đơn giản, không vô nghĩa, thực phẩm lành mạnh Question 4: A Từ “Bắt buộc” đoạn thứ ba có nghĩa gần với A bắt buộc B khó C dài D phức tạp Question 5: C Theo đoạn văn, kỳ thi năm 1950 khác với kỷ hai mươi mốt nào? A Họ bao quát nhiều đối tượng B Học sinh thời gian để làm chúng C Có nhiều thứ để nhớ D Họ khó khăn Dẫn chứng: The syllabus isn’t as challenging, so clever students aren’t being stretched enough They need to study things in greater depth Exams are much, much easier now as well.” Các giáo trình khơng Page phải thử thách, học sinh khơng kéo dài thông minh Họ cần nghiên cứu thứ độ sâu lớn Các kỳ thi dễ nhiều Question 6: B Điều đáng ngạc nhiên kết học sinh sau tham dự kỳ thi theo phong cách thập niên 1950? A Tất học sinh thấy thi khó B Học sinh không làm tốt mong đợi C Những sinh viên dự đoán thất bại làm tốt D Học sinh làm tốt kỳ thi kỷ hai mươi mốt => Dẫn chứng: The exam results surprised a lot of people Students predicted to well in their real-life, twenty-first century exams often got low grades in the 1950s exams Does this prove modern exams are too easy? Dịch; Kết thi khiến nhiều người ngạc nhiên Các sinh viên dự đoán làm tốt kỳ thi thực tế, thi kỷ 21 thường có điểm thấp tham dự kỳ thi năm 1950 Điều chứng tỏ kỳ thi đại dễ dàng? Question 7: D “these” đoạn cuối đề cập đến A Học sinh-trẻ em B môn học C loạt D trường dạy nghề => Dẫn chứng: UK school-kids study a range of academic subjects these days But in the 1960s, children judged to be less ‘able’ went to vocational schools These helped them learn job skills Dịch: Những đứa trẻ trường học Anh học loạt môn học ngày Nhưng vào thập niên 1960, trẻ em đánh giá có khả đến trường dạy nghề Các trường giúp họ học kỹ công việc Question 8: C Phát biểu sau ĐÚNG theo đoạn văn? A Trường dạy nghề cung cấp cho trẻ em nghèo với thiết bị B Trường dạy nghề đưa trẻ học giỏi C Trường dạy nghề chuẩn bị cho sinh viên làm D Trường dạy nghề lãng phí hồn tồn thời gian => Dẫn chứng: But in the 1960s, children judged to be less ‘able’ went to vocational schools These helped them learn job skills Boys studied subjects like metalwork, woodwork or gardening In some classes, they even learned how to milk goats! The girls’ timetables included secretarial skills They also learned to cook, clean and sew – probably not much fun for most girls Nhưng vào thập niên 1960, trẻ em đánh giá có khả đến trường dạy nghề Những điều giúp họ học kỹ công việc Chàng trai học môn kim loại, đồ gỗ làm vườn Trong số lớp học, họ chí cịn học cách vắt sữa dê! Thời khóa biểu cô gái bao gồm kỹ thư ký Họ học nấu ăn, dọn dẹp may vá - có lẽ khơng có nhiều niềm vui hầu hết cô gái Page ... series D vocational school Question Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A Vocational schools provided poorer children with equipment B Vocational schools took