Why aren’t you at school, sonny?
This is a question that many British schoolchildren may hear at some point in their school careers, when they are 'playing truant', 'bunking off, or absent without permission. The government thinks that absenteeism is getting out of control in England, but what can they do to make sure children go to school? Here are some of the reasons they are worried:
One million children a year bunk off school (go absent without a reason). In primary schools (5-11) the average time missed per absent pupil is over five days in the year. For secondary schools (11-16), it is 10 days.
Why is it such a problem? The evidence shows that truancy is linked to crime and failure at school. When children are out of school they might be committing crime and they certainly aren't learning.
What is the answer then? Some people think it is electronic registration: this is a chip in a card that the children have to swipe at the beginning of the school day. When the children put the card in a machine the headmaster can see immediately who is in the school and who is absent.
The best way of improving attendance is to make school, and the gaps between the lessons more interesting. Some schools which have had attendance problems in the past have started lunchtime radio stations, sport, music and a breakfast club with morning TV and aerobics.
Other schools have resorted to more extreme methods when pupils don't turn up. Last year 9000 children were expelled from schools in England, a big rise in figures. Many children were excluded for violence and criminal behaviour. Of course, throwing children out of school solves one problem but immediately creates many more. Some teachers want corporal punishment brought (beating children with sticks) back into the classroom (it was banned in the 1970s), but the government didn't agree.
One parent knows very well the cost of truancy, not only to her children's education, but to her own freedom too. A mother of five, Patricia Amos, was the first person in Britain to be sent to jail for failing to send her children to school. She was sent to prison for 60 days after being found guilty in Oxford. She served 28 days in a very dangerous and violent women's prison in London. Mrs Amos said, 'the whole horrible thing worked. It has brought me to my senses.'
В 1 The government thinks that absenteeism is getting out of … in England
В 2 …. children a year bunk off school (go absent without a reason).
В 3 In primary schools (5-11) the average time missed per absent pupil is over ….
В 4 The best way of improving attendance is to make school, and the gaps between the lessons more…
В 5 Last year … children were expelled from schools in England
В 6 Some teachers want … brought back into the classroom.
В 7 Patricia Amos, was the first person in Britain to be sent to… for failing to send her children to school.
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Повышенный уровень
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Установите соответствие между заголовками A - G и текстами 1 – 6. Занесите ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую букву только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний. Если вы затрудняетесь соотнести какой-нибудь текст с темой, то ставьте в таблице знак Х под номером этого текста. |
A I’m in love with me!
B Too cool to so drugs.
C Your shoe size
D Teen irritations
E Wizard school
F Will you marry me?
G It’s never too late
1. At first it seemed like a good idea. An antidrug group in New York distributed free pencils to school kids with the antidrug message, 'Too Cool to Do Drugs.' It started out well, but got worse and worse when the kids actually used the pencils. As the pencils were worn down and sharpened, the message changed to 'Cool to Do Drugs' and then to 'Do Drugs.'
2. Jennifer Hoes, a Dutch artist, is getting ready for the biggest day in her life. She has already bought a wedding dress and ordered a wedding party and marriage certificate. She is going to marry... herself! "I want to celebrate with others how much I'm in love with myself," she told the reporters.
3. The UK's oldest recorded bride was 100-year-old Winifred Clark who married her 80-year-old boyfriend Albert Smith in 1971. The country's oldest bridegroom was 102-year-old George Jameson, who married 53-year-old Julie Robinson in 1995.
4. According to a survey conducted among British teens, the top ten things they hate about being teenagers are:
Spots
School
Lack of pocket money
Exams
Being treated like a kid
Being bossed around
No independence
No rights
Parent angst
Lack of respect
5. Cinderella was lucky to have little feet. Today, only three percent of young women wear shoe size less than 36. Mankind is growing! Young people have longer and narrower feet than old people. According to a recent study, 36 percent of customers buy 39 size, 24 percent wear 38, 13 percent have 40, and 10 percent wear 37.
6. The average person is born with a set of genes that would allow them to live to 80-85 years of age and even longer. One hundred and twenty years is the longest that anyone has ever lived. Our life expectancy is influenced by a number of factors. Women live 8-10 years longer than men. Recently the scientists have come to the sensational conclusion: married women survive their husbands by 2 or 3 years, while married men live 6 or 8 years longer than bachelors.
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Вы услышите 4 текста. Ответьте на вопросы по содержанию высказываний, выбрав один из предложенных вариантов ответа. Вы услышите каждое высказывание дважды. Во время прослушивания в заданиях В 8-В14 обведите номер ответа, который вам кажется наиболее верным |
George Washington
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. When he was born, America was not a country yet. It belonged to England, a country across the ocean. People in America didn't want to belong to England so they fought a war to become a separate country. George Washington was an American general in the war. America won the war and picked a new name for itself: the United States of America. George Washington was elected to be its first president.
A legend is told about Washington as a boy. Young George had a new hatchet and with it he cut down a small cherry tree. When his father saw the tree, he was angry. 'George,' he said. 'Did you do that?' George was afraid to admit that he did.
But the boy decided to tell the truth. 'Yes, Father,' he said, 'I cut down the cherry tree with my hatchet. I cannot tell a lie.'
George Washington's father was proud of George for telling the truth.
How it all began
Two of America's greatest leaders, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, were born in February. Until the 1970s, there were two holidays celebrated in the US: George Washington's birthday (February 22), and Abraham Lincoln's birthday (February 12).
In 1971, President Richard Nixon decided that one celebration would do and changed it into one federal holiday called President's Day. So now American kids have only one day off school instead of two!
The symbol of a nation
The White House is the official residence of the US President. It is situated at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, the capital city of the United States. American presidents have been living and working in the White House for over 200 years.
Letters to the President
On President's Day, lots of American kids write letters to the President. It usually takes 6-8 weeks to get a reply, but it's worth waiting. Each kid will get a packet from the President with a sticker that says, 'I wrote to the President and he wrote back,' a booklet about the history of the White House plus lots of pictures and posters.
So everyone is excited, especially the parents!
В 8. George Washington was born on …
1. February 12, 1732
2. February 20, 1733
3. February 22, 1732
В 9. People in America didn't want to belong to England so they fought a war to….
1. become a separate country
2. become a independent country
3. become a prosperous country
В 10. George Washington's father was proud of George for…
1. telling the truth.
2. asking questions
3. telling the story
В 11. Until the…, there were two holidays celebrated in the US
1. 1960s
2. 1970s
3. 1980s
В 12. American presidents have been living and working in the White House …
1. for over 200 years.
2. for over 300 years.
3. for over 400 years.
В 13. On President's Day, lots of American kids….
1. write telegrams to the President
2. write postcards to the President
3. write letters to the President
В 14. Each kid will get a packet from the President…
1. with astamp
2. with a sticker
3. with a sign
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