I. BEFORE YOU READ

Read the facts below and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). Then compare your results with your partner’s.

(Đọc những sự kiện dưới đây và sau đó quyết định những câu nói đúng (T) hay sai (F), sau đó so sánh kết quả của em với kết quả của bạn cùng học.)

Facts about schools 

(Sự thật về trường học)

1. Children start Grade 1 when they are 6 years old.

(Trẻ em bắt đầu lớp 1 khi các em 6 tuổi.) 

II. WHILE YOU READ 

Read the passage and do the tasks that follow.

(Đọc đoạn văn và làm bài tập kèm theo.)

Schooling is compulsory for all English children from the age of 5 to 16. The academic year in England runs from September to July and is divided into 3 terms. Autumn Term is from the beginning of September to mid-December. Spring Term is from the beginning of January to mid-March and Summer Term from early April to mid-July. Each term is separated by a one-week break called half term, usually at the end of October, mid-February and the end of May.

There are two parallel school systems in England. The first is the state school system, which is free for all students and paid for by the state. The second category is the ‘independent’ or ‘public’ school system, which is fee-paying. The state school system, which educates 93% of the pupils in England, can be divided into two levels of education: primary education and secondary education.

See the Table below for more information about the school education system in England.

The National Curriculum is set by the government and must be followed in all state schools. It is made up of the following subjects: English, Design & Technology, Geography, Maths, Information Technology, Music, Science, Arts, Physical Education, History, and a Modern Foreign Language. English, Maths and Science are core subjects, which are compulsory in the national examinations at certain stages of the school education system.

Task 1: Find words or phrases in the reading passage which have the same following meanings.

(Tìm những từ hoặc cụm từ trong bài đọc có cùng những nghĩa sau.)

1. Schools in which all children can attend without paying tuition fees

2. A stage of study for children aged from 5 to 10

3. A stage of study for children aged from 11 to 16

4. Put into force by the law

5. The examinations children sit at the end of compulsory education

6. A detailed plan for a course of study offered in a school or college

Task 2: Answer the questions.

(Trả lời các câu hỏi.)

1. When do children in England start their compulsory education at school?

(Khi nào trẻ em ở Anh bắt đầu học bắt buộc ở trường?)

2. How many terms are there in a school year in England?

(Có bai nhiêu học kì trong một năm học ở Anh?)

3. What are the two school systems in England?

(Hai hệ thống trường học ở Anh là gì?)

4. Do children have to pay fees if they go to “independent” or “public” schools?

(Trẻ em có phải trả phí nếu đi đến các trường dân lập không?)

5. How many core subjects are there in the national curriculum?

(Có bao nhiêu môn học chính trong chương trình giảng dạy quốc gia?)

6. When can students take the GCSE examination?

(Khi nào học sinh có thể thi GCSE?)

III. AFTER YOU READ

Work in groups. Tell the others one of the most difficult school subjects you are studying and what you would like your friends and your teacher to dc to help you learn that subject more effectively.

(Làm việc từng nhóm. Kể cho các bạn khác một trong những môn học khó nhất ở trường em đang học và những gì em muốn các bạn em và giáo viên của em làm để giúp em học môn đó hữu hiệu hơn.)