Urbancongestionwouldgreatlyberelievedifthe____chargedonpublictransportweremorereasonable.
PartIVTranslation
Asthesourceofaluminumisalmostinexhaustible,wecanexpectthatmoreandmoreuseswillbefoundforthisversatilemetal.(PassageTwo)
Letchildrenlearntojudgetheirownwork.Achildlearningtotalkdoesnotlearnbybeingcorrectedallthetime;ifcorrectedtoomuch,hewillstoptalking.Henoticesathousandtimesadaythedifferencebetweenthelanguagesheusesandthelanguagethosearoundhimuse.Bitbybit,hemakesthenecessarychangestomakehislanguagelikeotherpeople.Inthesameway,whenchildrenlearntodoalltheotherthingstheylearntodowithoutbeingtaught-towalk,run,climb,whistle,rideabicycle-comparethoseperformanceswiththoseofmoreskilledpeople,andslowlymaketheneededchanges.Butinschoolwenevergiveachildachancetofindouthisownmistakesforhimself,letalonecorrectthem.Wedoitallforhim.Weactasifwethoughtthathewouldnevernoticeamistakeunlessitwaspointedouttohim,orcorrectitunlesshewasmadeto.Soonhebecomesdependentontheteacher.Lethimdoithimself.Lethimworkout,withthehelpofotherchildrenifhewantsit,whatthiswordsays,whatansweristothatproblem,whetherthisisagoodwayofsayingordoingthisornot.
Ifitisamatterofrightanswers,asitmaybeinmathematicsorscience,givehimtheanswerbook.Lethimcorrecthisownpapers.Whyshouldweteacherswastetimeonsuchroutinework?Ourjobshouldbetohelpthechildwhenhetellsusthathecan’tfindthewaytogettherightanswer.Let’sendthisnonsenseofgrades,exams,marks,Letusthrowthemallout,andletthechildrenlearnwhatalleducatedpersonsmustsomedaylearn,howtomeasuretheirownunderstanding,howtoknowwhattheyknowordonotknow.
Letthemgetonwiththisjobinthewaythatseemssensibletothem.Withourhelpasschoolteachersiftheyaskforit.Theideathatthereisabodyofknowledgetobelearntatschoolandusedfortherestofone’slifeisnonsenseinaworldascomplicatedandrapidlychangingasours.Anxiousparentsandteacherssay,“Butsupposetheyfailtolearnsomethingessentialtheywillneedtogetintheworld?”Don’tworry!Ifitisessential,theywillgooutintotheworldandlearnit.
1.Whatdoestheauthorthinkisthebestwayforchildrentolearnthings?
A.bycopyingwhatotherpeopledo.
B.bymakingmistakesandhavingthemcorrected.
C.bylisteningtoexplanationsfromskilledpeople.
D.byaskingagreatmanyquestions.
2.Whatdoestheauthorthinkteachersdowhichtheyshouldnotdo?
A.Theygivechildrencorrectanswers.
B.Theypointoutchildren’smistakestothem.
C.Theyallowchildrentomarktheirownwork.
D.Theyencouragechildrentomarktocopyfromoneanother.
3.Thepassagesuggeststhatlearningtospeakandlearningtorideabicycleare___.
A.notreallyimportantskills.
B.moreimportantthanotherskills.
C.basicallydifferentfromlearningadultskills.
D.basicallythesameaslearningotherskills.
4.Exams,grades,andmarksshouldbeabolishedbecausechildren’sprogressshouldonlybeestimatedby___.
A.educatedpersons.
B.thechildrenthemselves.
C.teachers.
D.parents.
5.Theauthorfearsthatchildrenwillgrowupintoadultswhilebeing___.
A.tooindependentofothers.
B.toocriticalofthemselves.
C.incapabletothinkforthemselves.
D.incapabletousebasicskills.