Listening Challenge

U n it 5

Ex. 10

Formal grammar is not an effective way of teaching children to write, say researchers at the University of York.

The government-funded study claims this resolves the longstanding debate as to whether drilling pupils in grammar improves their writing skills.

«There are better ways of teaching writing,» says Richard Andrews of the university's English Review Group.

The findings are based on what is claimed as the largest review there has been of research on the subject.

«This does not mean to say that the teaching of formal aspects of grammar is not interesting or useful in its own right», says Professor Andrews.

«However, in a pressured curriculum, where the development of literacy is a high priority, there will be better ways of teaching writing and our findings suggest that the teaching of ‘sentence combining' may be one of the more effective approaches».

The teaching technique of «sentence combining» is defined as «combining short sentences into longer ones, and embedding elements into simple sentences to make them more complex».

The study is based on an analysis of previous research produced since the beginning of the last century - and it concludes that teaching formal grammar is not the best way to develop children's writing.

The university says this review «discovered no evidence that the teaching of traditional grammar, specifically word order or syntax, was effective in assisting writing quality or accuracy among five to 16 year olds».

The study has been funded by the Department for Education and Skills, via a unit at the Institute of Education in London.

But it concludes that the national curriculum, which promotes the study of grammar, should be revised.

At present the literacy strategy in England teaches primary school pupils about nouns, verbs and pronouns and other parts of speech.

The report concludes that «the teaching of formal grammar (and its derivatives) is ineffective». The Department for Education and Skills said: «We don't expect teachers will use any single

teaching method in isolation. The national strategies give teachers the tools to personalise the teaching according to the purpose of the writing pupils are engaged in».

The Shadow Education Secretary Tim Collins said it was surprising that this report should come to a different conclusion to the «tried-and-trusted methods» of helping children to improve their writing skills.

«At the very least parents should have the choice of sending their children to schools where traditional approaches to literacy have been adopted,» he said.

27.Our manager being out, Ileft him a message.

28.Late though it was the sun was still in the sky.

29.Only in special cases do the waves reinforce one another.

30.If you read this newspaper, you will laugh.

3.

A Sunday In London

In a preceding paper I have spoken of an English Sunday in the country, and its tranquillizing effect upon the landscape; but where is its sacred influence more strikingly apparent than in the very heart of that great Babel, London? On this sacred day, the gigantic monster is charmed into repose. The intolerable din and struggle of the week are at an end. The shops are shut. The fires of forges and manufactories are extinguished; and the sun, no longer obscured by murky clouds of smoke, pours down a sober, yellow radiance into the quiet streets. The few pedestrians we meet, instead of hurrying forward with anxious countenances, move leisurely along; their brows are smoothed from the wrinkles of business and care; they have put on their Sunday looks, and Sunday manners, with their Sunday clothes, and are cleansed in mind as well as in person.

And now the melodious clangor of bells from church towers summons their several flocks to the fold. Forth issues from his mansion the family of the decent tradesman, the small children in the advance; then the citizen and his comely spouse, followed by the grown-up daughters, with small morocco-bound prayer-books laid in the folds of their pocket-handkerchiefs. The housemaid looks after them from the window, admiring the finery of the family, and receiving, perhaps, a nod and smile from her young mistresses, at whose toilet she has assisted.

Now rumbles along the carriage of some magnate of the city, peradventure an alderman or a sheriff; and now the patter of many feet announces a procession of charity scholars, in uniforms of antique cut, and each with a prayer-book under his arm.

The ringing of bells is at an end; the rumbling of the carriage has ceased; the pattering of feet is heard no more; the flocks are folded in ancient churches, cramped up in by-lanes and corners of the crowded city, where the vigilant beadle keeps watch, like the shepherd's dog, round the threshold of the sanctuary. For a time every thing is hushed; but soon is heard the deep, pervading sound of the organ, rolling and vibrating through the empty lanes and courts; and the sweet chanting of the choir making them resound with melody and praise. Never have I been more sensible of the sanctifying effect of church music, than when I have heard it thus poured forth, like a river of joy, through the inmost recesses of this great metropolis, elevating it, as it were, from all the sordid pollutions of the week; and bearing the poor world-worn soul on a tide of triumphant harmony to heaven.

The morning service is at an end. The streets are again alive with the congregations returning to their homes, but soon again relapse into silence. Now comes on the Sunday dinner, which, to the city tradesman, is a meal of some importance. There is more leisure for social enjoyment at the board. Members of the family can now gather together, who are separated by the laborious occupations of the week. A school-boy may be permitted on that day to come to the paternal home; an old friend of the family takes his accustomed Sunday seat at the board, tells over his well-known stories, and rejoices young and old with his well-known jokes.

On Sunday afternoon the city pours forth its legions to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine of the parks and rural environs. Satirists may say what they please about the rural enjoyments of a London citizen on Sunday, but to me there is something delightful in beholding the poor prisoner of the crowded and dusty city enabled thus to come forth once a week and throw himself upon the green bosom of nature. He is like a child restored to the mother's breast; and they who first spread out these noble parks and magnificent pleasure-grounds which surround this huge metropolis, have done at least as much for its health and morality, as if they had expended the amount of cost in hospitals, prisons, and penitentiaries.

2.

1.Unfortunately Iwas unaware of those simple things.

2.The moment I heard of my sister's arrival Itold our family about it.

3 .1wonder whether it's possible to get to that show before the beginning.

4.When he gave me a long, close look I wanted to disappear.

5.How did your manage to stay dry and clean if they forecast rain all day long?

6.The results were very disappointing since there was no change in the amount of payment.

7.Bertram still sat looking at the pictures, unable to move.

8.Some airlines decided to reduce the fare for their regular clients when the total cost of flights went up.

9.Once Miss Carrington became a star she never went to see her old mother.

10.Tourism satisfies a person's secondary needs when the primary needs are met.

11.One day the people who have studied management will manage the accountancy for some kind of agency.

12.Could envy ever do anyone a favour?

13.It was not in the doctor's power to save the child as the parents didn't pray for that.

14.Mr. Brown pointed out again that the matter had been under formal consideration.

15. 1can tell you that I shall never be able to hear that serenade without a strange mixture of happiness and pain.

16. 1did not know that a human voice could produce such poor sound.

17. 1put on a special performance, which was to be played for my foreign guests.

18.If Iwere responsible for the matter I'd study the approach more carefully. 19. 1like her freckled face always smiling.

20.He even promised to turn the whole railway inside out to please the important passenger.

21. 1was so angry with my cat that I locked it in the bathroom.

22.Everybody who sees his collection is surprised.

23.The large house nearby seems to have a welcoming hostess.

24.Our chairman, having neglected his duties, wasn't reelected.

25.His word being law in the house was normal in their family.

26.Her loyalty surprises even our manager who is known to be a very democratic person.

27.One of our early experiences was finding out the hard way, that an ocean view room does not necessarily mean a beach front hotel.

28. If there had been more schools in the area, the Burnells would not have allowed their girls to mix with poor children.

29.The couple explained that they wanted to experience the feeling of the wind against their bodies.

30.Can you guess which of these scandalous tales is untrue?

3.

From Farmer Giles of Ham (by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Aegidius De Hammo was a man who lived in the midmost parts of the Island of Britain.

In full his name was Aegidius Ahenobarbus Julius Agricola de Hammo; for people were richly endowed with names in those days, now long ago, when this island was still happily divided into many kingdoms. There was more time then, and and folk were fewer, so that most men were distinguished. However, those days are now over, so Iwill in what follows give the man his name shortly, and in the vulgar form: he was Farmer Giles of Ham, and he had a red beard. Ham was only a viHage, but villages were proud and independent still in those days.

Farmer Giles had a dog. The dog's name was Garm. Dogs had to be content with short names in the vernacular; the Book-lati.n was reserved for their betters. Garm could not talk even dog-latin; but he could use the vulgar tongue (as could most dogs of his day) either to bully or to brag or to wheedle in. Bullying was for beggars and trespassers, bragging for other dogs, and wheedling for his master. Garm was both proud and afraid of Giles, who could bully and brag better than he could.

The time was not one of hurry or bustle. But bustle has very little to do with business. Men did their work without it; and they got through a deal both of work and of talk. There was plenty to talk about, for memorable events occurred very frequently. But at the moment when this tale begins nothing memorable had, in fact, happened in Ham for quite a long time. Which suited Farmer Giles down to the ground; he was a slow sort of fellow, rather set in his ways, and taken up with his own affairs. He had his hands full (he said) keeping the wolf from the door: that is, keeping himself as fat and comfortable as his father before him. The dog was busy helping him. Neither of them gave much thought to the Wide World outside their fields, the village, and the nearest market.

But the Wide World was there. The forest was not far off, and away west and north were the Wild Hills, and the dubious marches of the mountain-country. And among other things still at large there were giants; rude and uncultured folk, and troublesome at times. There was one giant in particular, larger and more stupid than his fellows. I find no mention of his name in the histories, but it does not matter. He was very large, his walking-stick was like a tree, and his tread was heavy. He brushed elms aside like tall grasses: and he was the ruin of roads and the desolation of gardens for his great feet made holes in them as deep as wells: if he stumbled into a house, that was the end of it. And all this damage he did wherever he went, for his head was far above the roofs of houses and left his feet to look after themselves. He was near-sighted and also rather deaf. Fortunately he lived far off in the Wild, and seldom visited the lands inhabited by men, at least not on purpose. He had a great tumbledown house away up in the mountains; but he had very few friends owing to his deafness and his stupidity, and the scarcity of giants. He used to go out walking in the Wild Hills and in the empty regions at the feet of the mountains, all by himself.

One fine summer's day this giant went out for a walk, and wandered aimlessly along, doing a great deal of damage in the woods, Suddenly he noticed that the sun was setting, and he felt that his supper time was drawing near: but he discovered that he was in a part of the country that he did not know at all and had lost his way. Making a wrong guess at the right direction he walked and he walked until it was dark night. Then he sat down and waited for the moon to rise. Then he walked and walked in the moonlight, striding out with a will, for he was anxious to get home.