0
Hela Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
comprehension: alternative schools
0 Dear teachers, 02 br
02 br
00 Here is a extract of a text on differences of opinion about state and public schools: 02 br
02 br
00 Would you please help me understand the underlined parts? 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: I think kids have got to be faced with the real world. It’s like all these sort of high-falutin, hoity-toity alternative schools. I mean... they are not doing the kids any favour. 02 br
02 br
00 Alison: Well, that’s a load of rubbish, sorry, if you think about it really, because at ordinary State schools they’re going to be able to (1) 01 u 00 learn to manipulate the system 02 u 00 . I mean 01 u 00 they are never going to be able to see how to change it 02 u 00 . 02 br
02 br
00 ... 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: In alternative schools you don’t get different types of children because all parents are (2) 01 u 00 identikits 02 u 00 . 02 br
02 br
00 ... 02 br
02 br
00 John: (talking about a boy who was first in a State school) ...He was absolutely unhappy at that place. Well, he was unhappy with the people (the pupils ?) that were around him and what he was being taught (the curriculum ?). He was unhappy with (3) 01 u 00 what was expected of him 02 u 00 (= the kind of work he had to do? or the use he was going to make with what he was taught, the work he was asked to do in his working life?). He said now that he felt that he can do anything he wants with his life. He said “I know exactly what I want to be, or what exactly I want to do and I am going to be able to do just that.” 00 02 br
02 br
00 ... 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: Well, it must be a very exceptional alternative school because all the (4) 01 u 00 products 02 u 00 (pupils ?) of any single alternative school that I know or whaterver description: public schools, (5) 01 u 00 direct grant shcools 02 u 00 ... all the products of these schools had incredible difficulty in integrating back in normal life. No, I’m not saying that normal life is good, what I’m saying is that alternative schools don’t help kids. 02 br
02 br
00 John: That’s a sweeping generalisation. I mean, I know of exceptions. I know people who went to Summerhill and who are exceptional people now. 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: But no more than would have been exceptional people if they’d come out of a normal State system! But they’re not, you will admit, (6) 01 u 00 the normal run-of-the-mill cross-section of society 02 u 00 ? 02 br
02 br
00 Alison: Well, what is normal? 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: (7) 01 u 00 A cross-section of society 02 u 00 where wohoever is around goes to that school. 02 br
02 br
00 Thank you very much for your help. 02 br
02 br
00 Hela 0-
02 br
00 Here is a extract of a text on differences of opinion about state and public schools: 02 br
02 br
00 Would you please help me understand the underlined parts? 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: I think kids have got to be faced with the real world. It’s like all these sort of high-falutin, hoity-toity alternative schools. I mean... they are not doing the kids any favour. 02 br
02 br
00 Alison: Well, that’s a load of rubbish, sorry, if you think about it really, because at ordinary State schools they’re going to be able to (1) 01 u 00 learn to manipulate the system 02 u 00 . I mean 01 u 00 they are never going to be able to see how to change it 02 u 00 . 02 br
02 br
00 ... 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: In alternative schools you don’t get different types of children because all parents are (2) 01 u 00 identikits 02 u 00 . 02 br
02 br
00 ... 02 br
02 br
00 John: (talking about a boy who was first in a State school) ...He was absolutely unhappy at that place. Well, he was unhappy with the people (the pupils ?) that were around him and what he was being taught (the curriculum ?). He was unhappy with (3) 01 u 00 what was expected of him 02 u 00 (= the kind of work he had to do? or the use he was going to make with what he was taught, the work he was asked to do in his working life?). He said now that he felt that he can do anything he wants with his life. He said “I know exactly what I want to be, or what exactly I want to do and I am going to be able to do just that.” 00 02 br
02 br
00 ... 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: Well, it must be a very exceptional alternative school because all the (4) 01 u 00 products 02 u 00 (pupils ?) of any single alternative school that I know or whaterver description: public schools, (5) 01 u 00 direct grant shcools 02 u 00 ... all the products of these schools had incredible difficulty in integrating back in normal life. No, I’m not saying that normal life is good, what I’m saying is that alternative schools don’t help kids. 02 br
02 br
00 John: That’s a sweeping generalisation. I mean, I know of exceptions. I know people who went to Summerhill and who are exceptional people now. 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: But no more than would have been exceptional people if they’d come out of a normal State system! But they’re not, you will admit, (6) 01 u 00 the normal run-of-the-mill cross-section of society 02 u 00 ? 02 br
02 br
00 Alison: Well, what is normal? 02 br
02 br
00 Jean: (7) 01 u 00 A cross-section of society 02 u 00 where wohoever is around goes to that school. 02 br
02 br
00 Thank you very much for your help. 02 br
02 br
00 Hela 0-
Top answer
0 1) 'the system' - I take this to mean the way that the society works in general. So kids learn to work within the system to their best benefit. 02 br 02 br 00 2) Parents who send their children to 'alternative' schools (I take this to mean those with ideas/schooling different to mainstream private or state schools) tend to have similarities.
- 0 1) 'the system' - I take this to mean the way that the society works in general.
- So kids learn to work within the system to their best benefit.
- 02 br 02 br 00 2) Parents who send their children to 'alternative' schools (I take this to mean those with ideas/schooling different to mainstream private or state schools) tend to have similarities.
- 02 br 02 br 00 7) a random representative sample of the population - not selected 0-
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
0 1) 'the system' - I take this to mean the way that the society works in general. So kids learn to work within the system to their best benefit. They won't be able to change 'the system', so this is the best thing for them. 02 br
02 br
00 2) Parents who send their children to 'alternative' schools (I take this to mean those with ideas/schooling different to mainstream private or
02 br
00 2) Parents who send their children to 'alternative' schools (I take this to mean those with ideas/schooling different to mainstream private or
00
0 Dear Nona, 02 br
02 br
00 1) Would you have an example in mind to illustrate the first point? 02 br
02 br
00 2) Same for #2, in what way "alternative schools" are different from public and state schools? 02 br
02 br
00 Best regards 0-
02 br
00 1) Would you have an example in mind to illustrate the first point? 02 br
02 br
00 2) Same for #2, in what way "alternative schools" are different from public and state schools? 02 br
02 br
00 Best regards 0-
00
0 1) 'The system' - a term for 'the authorities' 'the way the society works' etc. An idiom is 'you can't buck the system' or 'you can't beat the system'. 02 br
02 br
00 2) I suggest you google the example given, Summerhill school, for more of an idea. Basically they are schools that don't follow mainstream formal educational ideas. At Summerhill, for example, the school is run de
02 br
00 2) I suggest you google the example given, Summerhill school, for more of an idea. Basically they are schools that don't follow mainstream formal educational ideas. At Summerhill, for example, the school is run de
00
Related Questions