y of the kids in those classed are intelligent, but never actually realize their potential because of the way they are treated very early on in their education. Problems Results Educators just want to give standardized Kids lose interest in learning. tests. They only focus on academic performance but neglect students‘ abilities and interests in other areas.
Educators often exert a lot of pressure on Some intelligent kids can‘t enter good students to be as well-rounded as colleges. possible. ―Weak‖ students are separated from the Their grades go from bad to worse. rest of the school.
Task 2: The Final Exam Script
At a university, there were four sophomores taking a chemistry course. They were doing so well on all the quizzes, midterms, labs, that each had ―A‖ so far for the semester. These four friends were so confident that on the weekend before finals, they decided to go up to the University of Virginia and party with some friends there. They had a great time, but after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn‘t make it back to school until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, they decided to find their professor after the final exam and explain to him why they mis
sed it. They explained that they had planned to come back in time for the final exam, but, unfortunately, they had a flat tire on the way back, didn‘t have a spare, and couldn‘t get help for a long time. As a result, they missed the final. The professor thought it over and then agreed they could make up the final the following day. The guys were relieved and elated. The next day, the professor placed them in separate room, hand each of them a test booklet, and told them to begin. They took at the first problem, worth five points. It was a simple question on a chemical reaction. ―Cool,‖ they thought at the same time, each one in his separate room, ―This is going to be easy.‖ Each finished the problem and then turned the page. On the second page was a question worth 95 points: ―Which of the tires was flat?‖
Task3: Harvard University Script
Harvard University is the oldest institute of highest learning in her United States. Founded 16years after the arrival of the Pilgrim at Plymouth, the university has grown from 9 students with a single master to the present enrollment of more than 18,000students, including undergraduates and students in 10 graduate and professor schools. Over14, 000 people wor
k at Harvard, including more than 2,000 faculties. Harvard has produces six presidents of the United States and 34 Noel winners. During its early years, Harvard offered a classic academic course based on the model of English universities, but consistent with the prevailing Puritan philosophy. Although many of its graduates became ministers in Puritan church throughout New England, the university never formally affiliated with a specific religious group. Under President Pusey (1953-1971), Harvard started what was then the largest fund-raising campaign in the history of American higher education. It was an 82.5 million dollar program for the university. The program increased faculty salaries, broadened student aid, created new professorships, and expanded Harvard‘s physical facilities. Neil L. Rudenstine took office as Harvard‘s 26th president in 1001. As part of an overall effort to achieve greater coordination among the university‘s school and faculties, Rudenstine encouraged academic planning and identified some of Harvard‘s main intellectual priorities. He also stressed the important of the university‘s excellence in undergraduate education, the significance of keeping Harvard‘s doors open to students from families of different economic backgrounds, the task of as aping the research university to an era of both r
apid information growth and serious fund shortage. 1. What is main idea of the passage? 2. How many teachers did Harvard have at the very beginning? 3. What was the ralationship between Harvard University and religion during its early years? 4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an achievement of President Pusey‘s fund-raising program? 5. What did President Rudenstine do?
Keys: 1.B 2.A 3.C 4.D 5.D
Viewing and speaking University budget cuts Script Host: Well, David Lammy, the University Minister, joins us from Westminster. Now thanks for joining us this lunchtime, Mr. Lammy. How do these cuts... tie in with your much trumpted commitment to increasing higher education?
Interviewee: Well, I think it's important to remind views that we will speng well over 12 billion pounds on higher education this year and to say that there will be more students at university next year than ever before in our history. But what is important is that when they get to university, is that they have good facilities, good buildings, that they have good contact with their lecturers and, for students from poorer backgrounds that they receive a grant. And you know 40% of students who are going to university are in receipt of some g
rants. So we have to plan... Host: But there's going to be less money next year. That's the bottom line, isn't it? Interviewee: Er, we are asking universities to make a one percent cut in their teaching grant. That's 51 million out of a total budget of over 5 billion. Look, I think there are families across the country preparing for Christmas spending a lit less and they are, you know, it's a lot more than one percent that they're, they're feeling. So I think this is reasonable to ask universities if we are to ensure that we can continue to send more young people to university and we remain committed to that. Host: And briefly, what about these two-year degrees? This is a reduction in standards, isn't it? Interviewee: Well, we, we, we... It's important in this country that we remember that students aren't just the classic 18-to-21-year-old undergraduates. We want mature students. We want more parttime students and over the last few years we've been growing the number of foundation degree, two-year degrees that ensure that transition into high university and high level skills. That's what we want to support and that's what we are indicating in the grant letter that we've sent to universities over the last few days. Host: OK. David Lammy, thank you so much for joining us. Interviewee: Thank you.
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