Grammar Schools

英国大使馆文化教育处

Activity 1

In your language/country ...

a. What do you call the first school that children go to？

b. Are there schools for which children have to pass an examination at the end of their first school？ What do you call them？

c. Are there schools that children go to if they don't pass an examination at the end of their first school？ What are they called？

d. What do you call schools which are open to all children after the age of eleven？

e. What do you call something you will receive if you pass an exam？

Now read the words below. Decide which word goes with which meaning a-e above. If you are not sure， read the article to find out.

qualification    secondary modern school    comprehensive school

primary school    grammar school

Activity 2

An opinion is something you think or believe but it may or may not be true.

If you are fair， you think about different people in the same way.

In sentences 1 and 2 decide if the answer is a） or b）.

1. My parents are never a） fair b） unfair！ They let my brother go out in the evening but not me！

2. You're saying he's the best singer ever？ Well， that's a） a fact b） your opinion. I don't agree.

The British have different opinions about the best way to teach their children， and schools have changed over the years. In Britain， children go to primary school from the age of five to eleven. Almost all children from one town or village go to the same school after primary school. These schools are called comprehensive schools.

In the past， things were different. Here's an example： fifty years ago， two children， Paul and Baz， took an examination called the Eleven-plus at their primary school. Paul passed the examination and went to a grammar school. Like most children at grammar school， Paul left school at 18 and went to university. Baz failed the Eleven-plus examination. He went to a secondary modern school. Like all the students in his school， Baz left at 16. Many secondary modern students did not get the same qualifications as students in grammar schools. Baz and Paul say Paul was not taught as well as Baz.

Some people say grammar schools are good because they help children from poorer homes who are clever. Other people say comprehensive schools are fairer because all children are taught well. Now grammar schools are coming back to the UK. What's your opinion？

Activity 3

Find：

a. the age children start primary school.

b. the age children used to take an examination at the end of primary school.

c. the age children start comprehensive school.

d. the age children used to leave the secondary modern school.

e. the age students usually start university.

Example： the age students usually leave university： 21

Activity 4

For sentences 1-5， complete the spaces with a name or names： Paul， Baz or Paul and Baz.

Example： studied together until they were eleven （PB）

1.________ did very well in the Eleven-plus.

2.________ think（s） teaching was better at the grammar school.

3.________ was thought to be not as clever as his friend.

4.________ studied after the age of 18.

5.________ started work earlier.

參考答案：

Activity 1    a. primary school; b. grammar school;

c. secondary modern school;

d. comprehensive school; e. qualification

Activity 2    1. a; 2. b

Activity 3    a. 5; b. 11; c. 11; d. 16; e. 18

Activity 4    1. Paul; 2. Paul and Baz （think）; 3. Baz; 4. Paul; 5. Baz