LESSON 2: COMPREHENSION

EXERCISES

1.- Match the words and definitions.

1) graduate 2) head teacher 3) nursery school

4) private school 5) pupil 6) state school 7) student

a) A school paid for by the government which gives free education. ______
b) A non-government school where you have to pay. ______
c) A school for very young children. ______
d) The “boss” of a school ______
e) A person who is studying at a college or university. ______
f) A child who is at school. ______
g) A person who has finished university and has a degree. ______

2.- Complete the with the verbs:

behave cheat do fail learn leave pass revise start study take

a) When she was at school, she used to_________ for hours every evening.
b) I must __________ tonight. I have an exam tomorrow.
c) Our history teacher was terrible. We didn’t _________ anything.
d) If you don’t ___________ your homework, you can’t watch TV later.
e) The teacher was angry because some of the pupils had tried to __________ in the
exam.
f) If you want to be a doctor, you have to __________ a lot of exams.
g) In the UK children ___________ school when they are four and can’t ________ before
they are 16.
h) I hope I’m going to __________ my exams. My parents will be furious if I _________.
i) He was a rebel at school. He used to ________ very badly.
3.- Reading

Description of a School

Swarthmore-Rutledge Elementary School (SRS) is located in suburban

Pennsylvania. This school serves approximately 450 students with 23 classroom
teachers. The teaching methods and philosophies vary widely from teacher to
teacher. Most of the teachers employ progressive methods, though to quite
different extremes. The school-wide curriculum is not rigidly enforced, thus,
teachers have time for both independent projects and creative methods. In addition
to its classroom teachers, the school has a strong group of support teachers and
non-classroom staff. All staff members are in constant contact and collaboration
with respect to students and learning environments.

Most students in the school are involved in extracurricular activities, including

going to Hebrew school, attending foreign language classes, playing sports
activities including football, soccer, basketball, ice skating and hockey, and playing
musical instruments. Many of the students are engaged in at least two different
activities outside of school. In general, these students are looking to succeed, and in
the fourth grade all are already concerned with the grades they are receiving on
tests and papers. In general, the students come to school with the expectation that
they will succeed in school.

Parents are constantly in the school environment. Whether they are volunteering
for school trips, helping in a classroom party, or bringing in something that their
children forget, parents figure strongly in the day-to-day life of the school. They
also wield a lot of power over teachers and administrators with their not
infrequent requests of changes in curriculum and methods.

Swarthmore-Rutledge Elementary School Website

3.1.- The conditions in which you live, work, etc.

a) Environment
b) Widely
c) Support

3.2.- Not part of the normal course or studies in a school or college

a) Methods
b) Changes
c) Extracurricular
3.3.- Using skill or imagination to make or do new things
a) Project
b) Creative
c) Involved

3.4.- A way of doing something

a) Method
b) Wield
c) Curriculum

4.- Read again the description of the Swarthmore-Rutledge Elementary School and answer
the following quiz with True, False or It doesn’t tell

a) The teaching methods and philosophies are very different __________

b) The school wide curriculum is very strict. __________
c) Some students in the school go to Hebrew school
d) Parents are involved in school environment. __________
e) The neighborhoods that are zoned for the school are primarily white middle and
upper-class. __________
 5.- Crossword
1 2

3 4 5

7 8

9 10 11

12

13 14

15

16

17

18

ACROSS DOWN

3. Everybody waits anxiously for the exam_________ 1. The study of numbers, etc.
5. Schools often have a ___________ board for 2. For example, to copy in a test.
announcements, marks, etc.
4. A plan or classes, days and times
7. Another name for a test.
6. After primary school you go to ____________ school
8. To read or study to prepare for an exam
9. The way of controlling pupil’s behavior
10. The opposite of a state school
12. Mark for an exam (e.g. A, B, C,)
13. A school which has a lot of rules is ______________
15. A period of time that the school is divided into
14. University graduates have a D________
16. You _____________ to speak a foreign language
15. The person whose job is to teach in a school
18. The opposite of pass a test or exam.
17 The subject in which you study novels and
poetry