1. (P3) 武汉市第二中学 丁 文 霞

2. Curriculum focus Cross-cultural awareness: exploring the British high school education system Language skills: learning to compose a well-structured article

3. In Britain,students are faced with lots of choices after they take their GCSEs at 16. They can start work, or stay on at their school’s sixth form, or they can go to a college. At school and sixth form, they take A levels before going to university, and/or more vocational qualifications called NVQs. Cultural notes:

4. Pre-reading 1. Do you know what choices Chinese students are faced with after high school? What about the choices of British students?

5. 2. Compare the different education systems of the two countries. What are the advantages of each system? What is the ideal one for you?

6. While reading 1. Skim the text for a word or a phrase with a meaning similar to the one underlined: 1. He got more and more nervous as the day came close. ( ) 2. I am thankful for your help. ( ) 3. It is of no value to argue with such a man. ( ) neared appreciate insignificant

7. 4. We need less talk and more work if we’re going to finish this job today. ( ) 5. Among his many interests is a great fondness for Eastern music. ( ) 6. I’m attracted by Buddhist ceremonies. ( ) chat enthusiasm fascinated

8. 7. They won a prize to travel abroad but would never have been able to go without the additional effort of their firm. ( ) 8. He won the game by only luck.( ) 9. I put your suggestion into my plan. ( ) 10. I have taken a 10-week Chinese course on Wednesday afternoons. ( ) supportive sheer integrate enrolled in

9. 1. What’s the main subject of the passage? A. The school experiences of a British student at Sixth Form. B. How British students take A levels. C. Ways to arrange a social party. D. Part-time jobs for British students. (a) 2. Read the passage again and choose the best answer from the four choices.

10. 2. Why does the writer start to appreciate the little things when she is in Sixth Form? A. Because she is suffering more pressure from studies. B. Because she could never do those little things now. C. Because she is so old that she would like to live in the good old days. D. Because she realizes that those little things help her get higher grades. (a)

11. 3. According to the passage, the writer did the following things while at Sixth Form EXCEPT _____. A. arrange a social party B. take A level course C. study English, French, Maths, History and General studies D. work in a clothes shop (a)

12. 4. According to the passage, what is the writer’s true feelings about her Sixth Form? A.Relief that she will not have to take any more tests. B. Pride that she will go to university having taken A levels. C. It is a pity that her childhood will be over. D. Stress because she is coming of age. (c)

13. Writing workshop By ordering information in a composition, we may develop the three main sections in it---the beginning, middle, and ending. Each section has its own function and, therefore, its own type of content. Yet each section is a part of the whole composition and is closely related to the other parts.

14. The beginning of a composition The beginning should give the reader a sense of what you intend to cover in the rest of the paper. What we say in the beginning should help the reader grasp quickly the main idea and the scope of the composition. Beginning with unusual details or facts Beginning with a question Beginning with a statement of opinion Beginning with narration Beginning with a description

15. The Middle of a Composition The middle of a paper is the place to cover the ideas introduced in the beginning. In the middle, you present supporting evidences for opinions, explanations of ideas, and answers to questions to clarify your thesis statement. Chronological or sequential order Classification Order of importance

16. The ending of a composition An effective ending grows smoothly from the middle and brings the paper to a natural conclusion. Ending that summarize the main ideas Ending that echo the beginning

17. Discussion Compared with British high school students, Chinese students are faced with less choices after graduation. Going to a college seems to be their only way out. What do you think of the educational system? Post-reading

18. Ending