Test 6 ( intermediate level)

1. Reading. Read the text and do the exercises.

Working Class Children at a Grammar School

During the first weeks at grammar school, the pupils showed a strange mixture of types behaviour. There were those children for whom those days were the exciting prelude to promised satisfactions.

Whole new areas of study presented themselves -algebra, physics, French, Russian,..........

«I took to grammar school like a duck to water», said Ronald Turnbull. He had to break most friendships and connexions with the old neighbourhood - but here were fresh children , fresh clubs and societies, and the school scouts to join. The invitation was irresistible, and many were glad to accept it in full . Their enthusiasm was naturally reflected in their first successful pieces of work, and finding themselves soon well placed in class, they became conscious of power hidden until then, and of their ability to cope with new and more testing situations.

The majority of the children , however, unlike Ronald, did not feel as if they were catered for by the grammar school. They were to a greater extent aware of being without the securities, expectations that they had received in their former neighbourhood - with nothing in return. « I had the feeling of belonging nowhere», said Patricia Joy. She and her friends found themselves surrounded by more middle-class children than they ever met before. These children spoke better, seemed more confident, some already knew bits of French and Latin, their fathers had told them what 'physics' was all about, a few even knew the teachers. They obviously, seemed to belong.

The insecurity of Patricia and her friends was increased by confusion over getting the right books, the right sports equipment, the right uniform. «I didn't like it», said Rita Watson. «My uniform seemed too big all round - long sleeves- I suppose my mother had to do it like that so it would last longer, but I felt awful».

On top of this came the new subjects, the new vocabulary (not 'kept in', but 'detention'; not 'play

time', but "break')

Some schools made a practice of teaching the new children 'aggressively' for the first week ( a lot of homework, difficult tests......), probably to avoid behaviour problems from the very beginning. Even highly gifted middle-class children could be so robbed of confidence in the first three months as to be able to meet the requirements. For some of the working class children, confused by a genuine loss of part of their social life, conscious of new social barriers thickening the normal barriers between pupil and teacher, and unable to turn to parents for explanations, because mum and dad were at a loss themselves - for these children the risk was great that they would soon start staying away from school sometimes and, eventually, drop out.

Exercise 1. Comprehension. Answer the questions on the text. (Avoid its vocabulary as fur as possible)

1) How does Ronald Turnbull describe his change from one school to another?

2) How did successful integration influence some pupils' school life?

3) Why did some schools set rather high standards at once?

4) How does the author try to prove that these standards were unfair?

5) What might, according to the author, happen to those children who cannot adapt themselves to the life at a grammar school?

Exercise 2. Vocabulary. Choose the correct answer.

6) « I took to grammar school like a duck to water» means......

a) that Ronald got used to grammar school and learnt easily

b) that it was rather hard for Ronald to get used to grammar school.

7) ......but here were fresh children. «Fresh» means.....

a) not friendly b) new, different

8) The invitation was irresistible. «Irresistible» means......

a) so unexpected that students didn't have time to think

b) so attractive that it was impossible to refuse

9) ........to cope with new and difficult testing situations. It means......

a) to deal successfully with...... b) to deal unsuccessfully with.......

10) to be catered for....... It means.....

a) to provide what is wanted b) to be unable to study at........

11) They seemed more confident. «Confident» means......

a) to be unintelligent b) to be assertive

12) 'detention' means.......

a) to be kept in school after lessons as a punishment

b) to slay away from school without permission

13) 'break' means......

a) PE lesson b) a period of rest between lessons

14) 'highly gifted children ' means...

a) quick-tempered children b) talented children

15)' to drop out' means.......

a) to stop attending school b) to stop to have some rest