Boring lessons, unsupportive teachers and restrictive school regimes are to blame for soaring levels of truancy, according to the evidence of children who regularly bunk off from class.
Evidence from the panels showed truants appreciated the value of education, but felt school had failed them. "Many pupils reported that initial and occasional truanting started as a result of 'boring' lessons, where copying from a book or a board was common."
A pupil who has returned to school to get his GCSEs said: "It is unbelievable. It just bores you."
Another said: "If the teachers had respect for the students, I suppose... there would be respect back. But they don't give respect".
A third added: "They should know how to be able to deal with individuals... You just sit at the back of the classroom like a complete prat not doing anything, and the teachers do nothing about it. They just have a go at you and that's it. You might have problems or something and they don't know that".
The truants thought good teachers were young (25-35), relaxed and not intimidated by young people. They used innovative methods with lots of class participation and a spirit of mutual respect.
One teacher was praised for allowing pupils to talk to each other for 10 minutes at the start of class so that they would then give full attention to the lesson. Another played music of the pupils' choice to create a relaxed atmosphere.
The truants saw schools as "controlling, regimented environments". Many wanted to wear their own clothes: one pupil said his uniform "looks like I'm going to a funeral".
The panels said it was hard to return after truancy. "I felt all the teachers were extremely sarcastic and I didn't feel any of them wanted to help me... I was just so far behind and I didn't have any confidence," a student said.
There is an overriding need to improve teaching methods, to make learning more participatory, relaxed, fun and innovative.
TIME FOR A LAUGH
Everybody loves a good joke. Even children at a very early age start telling jokes to their friends. They especially like to tell riddles such as "What has four legs but cannot walk?"
Some people are very good at telling funny stories. When they tell a joke everybody finds it amusing. But someone else telling the same joke may not make you laugh. This is because it is not only the end of the joke that has to be funny. A good joke-teller is amusing while telling the whole story.
Some people are witty in their normal everyday conversation. They say humorous things all the time. They can quickly see two different meanings in the same word and then like to make puns. If someone says to them, after their trip to England, "How did you find London?" they will probably answer by saying something like, "By turning left at Paris."
There is another type of humour where people play jokes on their friends. They tease them by saying untrue things like, "Someone has just told me that our English teacher is going to give us a test today." When their friend starts to worry, they laugh and say, "I'm only kidding!" These people love to pull your leg. But sometimes when you are having your leg pulled you may not like it because it often seems as if the joker is making fun of you, making you look silly and ridiculous. And nobody likes to be made fun of. Except, of course, on April 1st. On this day everyone is allowed to play jokes on their friends.
SLEEP
In a normal life a person sleeps for about twenty-five years. But why do we sleep? The simple answer is: we don't know. We need more sleep when we are young. A baby sleeps for about ten hours, A teenager sleeps for eight and a half hours and an adult for seven or eight hours. Old people need only five or six hours.
There are two kinds of sleep. When you go to sleep you go into deep sleep. Your temperature falls, your body relaxes and you breathe slowly. After about half an hour you go into active sleep. This is also called rapid eye movement sleep (or REM sleep), because your eyes move. You dream in both deep sleep and REM sleep, but in REM sleep you dream in pictures. If you wake up in REM sleep you can usually remember your dream. Your body spends about twenty minutes in REM sleep and then goes back into deep sleep for an hour.
Do you ever talk or walk in your sleep? People sleepwalk in deep sleep and sleepwalkers do amazing things. They open doors and windows, they ride bicycles and drive cars. They cook, they take a bath or a shower (often in their pyjamas), they shave, they clean their teeth, they get dressed, they dig the garden and they get into the beds of other people.
A man from Scotland woke up in his car two miles from his house. He had no clothes on. A girl from Wales woke up at five o'clock in the morning in a launderette. She had a shopping bag and the dog with her.
Sleepwalkers are asleep, but they have their eyes open and they can see. They can't wake up easily. If they do, they can’t remember anything.
POLITICS
How to become the leader of the country? One way is to be born in the royal family. If you are a prince, especially the eldest son, then one day you can become king. And in some countries, if you are the eldest daughter (a princess) and there are no sons, then one day you could become queen. Of course, today there are not many royal families, and those that still exist do not usually have the power to make laws and govern.
A more usual way to become the leader of your country, however, is to become a politician and then to become the leader of the most popular political party. In most countries, where the people elect their government, the voters usually vote for a person who belongs to one of the main political parties. This person is usually the candidate for the local region. The candidate who receives the most votes becomes the political representative for that region and takes a seat (a place) in the national parliament or assembly. The political party which wins the most seats then has the right to form a government and take power. The head of that political party then becomes president (in countries such as Taiwan or Italy) or the prime minister (in countries such as Great Britain and Japan).
In some countries, such as France and the United States, the system is a little different. Every seven years in France and every four years in the United States there are presidential elections. At this time the people vote directly for the person that they want to become president. Regional elections are independent from presidential elections. This means that it is possible to become the President and yet not be the leader of the most popular political party.
SCIENCE
Science is important for most people living in the modern world for a number of reasons. In particular, science is important for world peace and consent, for the understanding of environment, and for our world outlook.
Science is important for world peace in many ways. On the one hand, scientists have helped to develop many of the modern tools of war. On the other hand, they have also helped to keep peace through research, which has improved life for people. Scientists have helped us understand the problem of supplying the world with energy; they have begun to develop a number of solutions of the energy problem - for example, using energy from the sun and from the atom. Scientists have also analyzed the world's resources. Science studies the Universe and how to use its possibilities for the benefit of men.
Science is also important for everyone who is affected by modern technology. Many of the things that make our lives easier and better are the results of advances in technology and, if the present patterns continue, technology will affect us even more in the future than it does now. In some cases, such as technology for taking salt out of ocean water, technology may be essential for our lives on Earth.
The study of science also provides people with some knowledge of the natural world. Scientists are trying to predict earthquakes, are continuing to study many other natural events such as storms. Scientists are also studying various aspects of human biology and the origin and development of the human race. The study of the natural world may help improve life for many people all over the world.
A basic knowledge of science is essential for everyone. It helps people to find their way in the changing world.
English spelling
English spelling, as you know, is irregular!
Learn the following poem.
Here is some pronunciation.
Ration never rhymes with nation.
Say prefer, but preferable,
Comfortable and vegetable.
B must not be heard in doubt,
Debt and dumb both leave it out.
In the words psychology,
Psychic and psychiatry,
You must never sound the p.
Psychiatrist you call the man
Who cures the complex, if he can.
In architect, ch is k
In arch it is the other way.
Please remember to say iron
So that it'll rhyme with lion.
Advertisers advertise
Advertisements will put you wise.
Time when work is done is leisure,
Fill it up with useful pleasure..
Accidental, accident,
Sound the g in ignorant.
Relative, but a relation
Then say creature but creation.
Say the a in gas quite short,
Bought remember rhymes with thwart,
Drought must always rhyme with bout,
In daughter leave the gh out.
Wear a boot upon your foot,
Root can never rhyme with soot.
In muscle, sc is s,
In muscular, it's sk, yes!
Choir must always rhyme with wire,
That again, will rhyme, with liar.
Then, remember it's address,
With an accent like possess.
G-in sign must silent be,
In signature, pronounce the g
Please remember to say towards
Weight's like wait, but not like height
Which should always rhyme with might
Sew is just the same as so,
Tie a ribbon in a bow
When you meet the queen you bow
Which again.must rhyme with how
In perfect English make a start,
Learn this little rhyme by heart
Tests
Check your knowledge:
Test 1
From the four variants proposed choose the right one:
1. Do you watch TV …?
a) much
b) many
c) a lot of
d) plenty of
2. I … him yesterday.
a) will see
b) saw
c) see
d) sees
3. She speaks English … than Jane does.
a) worse
b) worst
c) the worst
d) badly
4. It isn’t easy to understand songs in English, …?
a) isn’t it
b) is there
c) isn’t there
d) is it
5. Jeorge … about economics.
a) knew
b) knows
c) know
d) will know
6. I saw her … but I don’t remember where.
a) nowhere
b) anywhere
c) somewhere
d) somebody
7. I want those books. Please give … to me.
a) they
b) them
c) these
d) it
8. I heard a knock on the door but when I opened it there was … outside.
a) somebody
b) nobody
c) anyone
d) anything
9. I hope Mike will be … then we were.
a) more lucky
b) lucky
c) most lucky
d) luckier
10. Could you close … window, please.
a) a
b) an
c) the
d) -----
Test 2
From the 4 variants given choose the right one:
1. You like football, …?
a) do you
b) don’t you
c) like you
d) aren’t you
2. Last night … a terrible thunderstorm.
a) there is
b) it is
c) there was
d) it was
3. She always … at home on her day off.
a) stay
b) is staying
c) stays
d) to stay
4. We are going for a walk. You can go with …
a) we
b) our
c) ours
d) us
5. I … you this book tomorrow.
a) will give
b) give
c) gave
d) gives
6. We don’t know … about car engines.
a) nothing
b) something
c) anything
d) everything
7. He is … than his brother.
a) tall
b) taller
c) the tallest
d) as tall as
8. Her skin was … snow.
a) so white as
b) such white as
c) as white as
d) as white like
9. I … him two days ago.
a) saw
b) see
c) will see
d) sees
10. Jeorge knows … about economics.
a) much
b) many
c) plenty
d) a lot of
Test 3
From the 4 variants proposed choose the right one:
1. I wonder when he … back tomorrow.
a) will come
b) comes
c) coming
d) come
2. Ann gave … her address.
a) our
b) us
c) we
d) ours
3. Who … in the house?
a) do live
b) does live
c) live
d) lives
4. Your hat is … than ours.
a) big
b) bigger
c) the biggest
d) as big as
5. … a lot of mistakes in your work.
a) there is
b) there are
c) there was
d) it is
6. Which is … building in the world?
a) highest
b) the highest
c) higher
d) most higher
7. The report … some days ago.
a) will be ready
b) was ready
c) were ready
d) is ready
8. She … 21 years old.
a) is
b) has
c) have
d) are
9. The train wasn’t late, … it?
a) was
b) wasn’t
c) isn’t
d) doesn’t
10. In winter … much snow in England.
a) isn’t
b) it isn’t
c) there isn’t
d) doesn’t
Test 4
From the 4 variants proposed choose the right one:
1. She speaks English … than Jane does.
a) badly
b) worst
c) the worst
d) worse
2. This building is … as ours.
a) so high
b) as high
c) such high
d) higher
3. … a pen and a book on the table?
a) there was
b) was there
c) there were
d) were there
4. He … 19 years old.
a) are
b) have
c) is
d) has
5. My sister is in … thirties.
a) his
b) her
c) she
d) its
6. We … in England last week.
a) arrive
b) arrived
c) arrives
d) will arrive
7. I am right, … I
a) am not
b) don’t
c) aren’t
d) am
8. I … free next week.
a) am
b) be
c) will be
d) is
9. I … at the University yesterday.
a) wasn’t
b) isn’t
c) won’t
d) am not
10. She … computer every day.
a) plays
b) play
c) will play
d) playing
Contents
Передмова…………………………………………………………………………3
Вступ……………………………………………………………………………….4
Unit 1……………………………………………………………………………….
Grammar…………………………………………………………………………..
Вираження відмінкових закінчень за допомогою прийменників……….
Побудова англійського речення. Типи речень…………………………...
Функції “S”…………………………………………………………………
Багатозначність деяких прикметників …………………………………..
Іменник у функції означення. Утворення множини іменника………
Exercises
Присвійний відмінок іменників………………………………………….
Reading material………………………………………………………………….
My home………………………………………………………………..
The Richest Man in the World……………………………………………
No parking………………………………………………………………
British Ways of Living and Some of the English Customs………………..
From the History of Space Flight………………………………………….
Topics……………………………………………………………………………
About my self……………………………………………………………..
My family…………………………………………………………………
Unit 2…………………………………………………………………………….
Grammar………………………………………………………………………..
Прикметник, прислівник…………………………………………………
Порівняльні конструкції прикметників, прислівників………………..
Числівник…………………………………………………………………
Exercises…………………………………………………………………………
Reading material…………………………………………………………………..
Amerikan Cities…………………………………………………………….
The animals…………………………………………………………………
Living in a Dream…………………………………………………………
That Sport………………………………………………………………….
Electronic Computers……………………………………………………..
George and Robert Stephensons…………………………………………….
Michael Faraday, the Father of the Electric Motor……………………….
Topic. Biography…………………………………………………………………..
Unit 3………………………………………………………………………………
Grammar…………………………………………………………………………..
Займенники………………………………………………………………
Зворот “there + to be”……………………………………………………
Exercises……………………………………………………………………………
Reading material………………………………………………………………….
Higher and Higher!…………………………………………………………
How Sounds are Produced………………………………………………….
Computer Tehnology for all………………………………………………
The Birmingham University…………………………..………………….
Our University…………………………………………………………….
Unit 4…………………………………………………………………………….
Grammar………………………………………………………………………….
Simple (Indefinite). Present, Past, Future……………………………….
Відмінювання дієслова to be в Present Indefinity Tense……………….
Відмінювання дієслова to be в Past Indefinity Tense…………………..
Відмінювання дієслова to be в Future Indefinity Tense…………………..
Reading material………………………………………………………………….
The age of Automation……………………………………………………..
Doomsday book…………………………………………………………..
Attack of the Super-heroes………………………………………………..
Schools in England……………………………………………………….
American and European Systems Compared……………………………..
Higher Education in the United States……………………………………
University Sudies…………………………………………………………
Topik. Higher Education……………………………………………………….
Additional Reading……………………………………………………………
The Terrible truth about truants………………………………………….
Time for a laugh………………………………………………………….
Sleep……………………………………………………………………
Politics……………………………………………………………………
Science…………………………………………………………………..
English spelling………………………………………………………………….
Tests……………………………………………………………………………
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