READING

Objectives
- Summary Completion
+ Use text structures to follow ideas

EXERCISE 1 - IDENTIFY TOPICS

- Read the title & Introduction
- What is it about?

Chinese approach to learning Read the title & the introduction

A recent experiment carried out by the BBC to bring Chinese teachers → What is it about?
to the UK is a little unusual. China is a country with a different culture
and set of expectations of behaviour in class. It was perhaps only
inevitable that the teachers would be shocked by the behaviour they
found. The young people themselves admitted to behaving worse than
they usually would. Coming from an educational culture where shame
and social pressure are the main method of controlling the class,
Chinese educators were never going to introduce their methods without
protest. Why would anybody expect anything different?

EXERCISE 2 - IDENTIFY TOPIC SENTENCES AND FOCUS OF PARAGRAPHS

- Work individually
- Each paragraph contains one idea. Read the first sentence of each paragraph and
match the paragraphs (A-D) to the topics (1-4).

A The reasons behind the experiment were obvious. Chinese students regularly 1. the differences in discipline
come near the top in international comparison tests of students around the planet.
They triumph in Maths, Reading and Science, while in the UK, young people have that they observed
been getting lower marks in recent years. Many in Britain have been wondering if it is
time to adopt Chinese methods of education here. 2. a description of how they
B In the experiment five teachers were brought from China and put in a UK school. carried out the experiment
They taught a group of 50 students maths, reading, science and modern languages.
The students in the study group, and another control group who received regular 3. the different attitudes to
lessons, were tested at the end of the period and an analysis of the results was creative thinking that they
carried out. In addition, both teachers and students who participated in the
experiment were given interviews with one of the researchers on how they felt about observed
what happened.
4. the reasons for carrying out the
C The biggest difference between the two cultures was the lack of discipline in British
schools. One Chinese teacher pointed out, 'In China we don't need classroom experiment
management skills because everyone is disciplined by nature, by families, by
society.' Interestingly, students admitted that they found themselves behaving worse A.
during the experiment than they normally would for their British teachers. Many
pointed to the fact that the unfamiliarity of the teacher made them feel less B.
comfortable than they normally would. The 'survive or die' approach to education
was so unfamiliar that many students reacted negatively to it.
C.
D.
D Another key issue was that of the role of creativity in a classroom where discipline
is king. While it was obvious that the British students would benefit from settling
down and paying more attention to their lessons, it was also clear that the UK
education system does, sometimes, encourage students to think outside of the box,
be risk-takers, ask questions and challenge ideas. The Chinese teachers were
uncomfortable with any attempt to ask questions, as it would stop the flow of the
lesson they had planned in which there was no opportunity for free-thinking.

EXERCISE 3 - LOCATE INFORMATION

- Work individually
- Use text structure and focus of each para to locate the information

The BBC introduced an experiment to bring Chinese teachers to a British Exercise 3

school because of the 1………………………. Read the summary.
of Chinese students in exams. The test results of students with the Chinese Does it summarize the whole passage
teachers were compared to the results of a 2………………………., and they or part of the passage? Why?
were asked about their 3. ………………………. at the end of the Look at the 1st gap
experiment. Chinese teachers thought their students were better Which paragraph do you think will
4.………………………. than the British children. However, the British contain this answer? Why?
children 5. ………………………. that they were particularly naughty because
they felt uncomfortable. In
addition, the class rules meant that the children felt well.
unable to use their 6.……………………….

EXERCISE 4 - GAPS
- Work individually
- Identify Word form and Kind of information of the gap
- Look for Synonyms in the passage

The BBC introduced an experiment to bring Chinese teachers to a British Read the 1st paragraph and Look
school because of the 1……………………….
at the 1st gap
of Chinese students in exams. The test results of students with the
Chinese teachers were compared to the results of a The missing word is
2………………………., and they were asked about their 3.
A. Effort
………………………. at the end of the experiment. Chinese teachers
thought their students were better 4.………………………. than the British B. Success
children. However, the British children 5. ………………………. that they
were particularly naughty because they felt uncomfortable. In What synonyms in the passage tell
addition, the class rules meant that the children felt well.
unable to use their 6.………………………. you the answer? → Highlight

synonyms
A The reasons behind the experiment were obvious. Chinese
students regularly come near the top in international comparison tests of
students around the planet. They triumph in Maths, Reading and
Science, while in the UK, young people have been getting lower marks in
recent years. Many in Britain have been wondering if it is time to adopt
Chinese methods of education here.

EXERCISE 4 - Summary Completion

- Work individually
- Choose words in the box to complete the summary
 A The reasons behind the experiment were obvious. Chinese students The BBC introduced an experiment to
regularly come near the top in international comparison tests of students bring Chinese teachers to a British
around the planet. They triumph in Maths, Reading and Science, while in the school because of the
UK, young people have been getting lower marks in recent years. Many in 1……………………….
Britain have been wondering if it is time to adopt Chinese methods of of Chinese students in exams. The
education here.
test results of students with the
B In the experiment five teachers were brought from China and put in a UK
Chinese teachers were compared to
school. They taught a group of 50 students maths, reading, science and
modern languages. The students in the study group, and another control the results of a
group who received regular lessons, were tested at the end of the period and 2………………………., and they were
an analysis of the results was carried out. In addition, both teachers and asked about their 3.
students who participated in the experiment were given interviews with one of ………………………. at the end of
the researchers on how they felt about what happened. the experiment. Chinese teachers
C The biggest difference between the two cultures was the lack of discipline in thought their students were better
British schools. One Chinese teacher pointed out, 'In China we don't need 4.………………………. than the
classroom management skills because everyone is disciplined by nature, by British children. However, the British
families, by society.' Interestingly, students admitted that they found children 5. ………………………. that
themselves behaving worse during the experiment than they normally would they were particularly naughty
for their British teachers. Many pointed to the fact that the unfamiliarity of the because they felt uncomfortable. In
teacher made them feel less comfortable than they normally would. The
addition, the class rules meant that
'survive or die' approach to education was so unfamiliar that many students
reacted negatively to it.
the children felt well.
D Another key issue was that of the role of creativity in a classroom where unable to use their
discipline is king. While it was obvious that the British students would benefit 6.……………………….
from settling down and paying more attention to their lessons, it was also clear admitted behaved
that the UK education system does, sometimes, encourage students to think
outside of the box, be risk-takers, ask questions and challenge ideas. The control group denied
Chinese teachers were uncomfortable with any attempt to ask questions, as it educated experiences
would stop the flow of the lesson they had planned in which there was no
opportunity for free-thinking. imagination study group
instructors time

EXERCISE 5 - Summary Completion

- Work individually
- Choose words in the box to complete the summary

All of this suggests that an obsession with testing does not exist in the UK, The author believes the British
which would be untrue. The purpose of the experiment was to see if British have an excessive 1__________
students would benefit from the Chinese approach. However, the message in student results. Students felt
that the test result is the only thing that matters may not be getting through that the positive results of Chinese
to students. One young person commented that "Their teaching methods educators was thanks to their
did get results but we didn't always feel we were learning much. They get teaching 2 ________ more than
results because we are in school for so long.' anything else. In India, some
educational experts have seen a
It is not just the contrast between Chinese and British education systems. In disorderly classroom as a
India, a far more radical approach is being taken. At the cutting edge of 3.________ In one project,
educational research is the idea that a little chaos in the classroom is not researchers have tried removing
necessarily a bad thing. Professor Sugata Mitra has introduced the 4.________ from classrooms with
'Classroom in the Cloud' based on his 'Hole in the Wall' experiments, which some success. The author
have shown that students can teach themselves and each other through concludes that education systems
self- instruction. In fact, his research suggests that the presence of tend to be the result of the
someone in charge is neither essential nor desirable. This minimally 5________ around them.
invasive education is a practical example of the argument that 'the mind is
not a pot to be filled, but a fire to be started', but is yet to be tested. A unnecessary B technology
From the experiment we can draw two conclusions. Firstly, no one has the C styles D hours E interest
monopoly on what is right and wrong with teaching and learning (not even F environment G teachers
the Finns, currently the world's leaders in education). Secondly, each
country has an educational approach which is unique and reflects the H benefit I classmates
values and expectations of its society, after decades, if not centuries, of
experiment and practice. If nothing else, this experiment proves that point to
be true.