Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. infer (v.) – to form a conclusion or an opinion based on reasoning and evidence
Example: We can infer from recent data that the
country’s education system is doing well.
2. prospect (n.)
– opportunity or the chance of future success
Example: Your job prospects would increase if you study
hard, because companies prefer to hire the best graduates.
3. impress (v.)
– to make someone to feel admiration or approval
Example: The student impressed the teacher by answering the
difficult questions correctly.
4. build up (v.)
– to regularly increase something
Example: They run every day in
order to build up their energy for
next month’s marathon.
5. heartening (adj.)
– encouraging, cheering or hopeful
Example: Without
his family’s heartening support, he
would have given up his ambitions.
Article
Read the text below.
Parents in the
United Kingdom feel they are more a part of their children’s schooling than
the generation of parents before them. Parents today also say students
nowadays have better prospects.
These conclusions were inferred from
recent survey’s results.
The National
Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) surveyed 1,010 parents in England, Wales
and Northern Ireland who have children between the ages 3 and 15.
Seventy-one percent of the parents surveyed believed they are more engaged in their kids’ education than
their own parents had been when they were still in school. In addition, 93%
felt welcome at schools while 89% felt they were part of the school
community.
Meanwhile, 85% felt
school’s teaching standards were good or outstanding. According to the poll, 86%
of parents said their children read as well as they did at age 11 while 37% said their
children read even better.
Nine out of ten
parents, on the other hand, were impressed
by the students’ behavior. The survey showed that 77% of parents thought the
school was able to build up their
children’s self-confidence. Another 77% thought the school gave their
children good moral guidance.
Russell Hobby, the
NAHT general secretary, said the responses are heartening because they show that parents respect and trust their
children’s school. More importantly, the survey reveals that parents are involved
and interested in how school is developing their children’s skills, morals
and character.
According to Mr.
Hobby, the parents' feedback about their children’s school can really help
improve the education system for students.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do you think schools in your country do a good
job in building students’ skills and character? Why or why not?
·
What do you think education systems in your
country need to improve on?
Discussion B
·
In your
country, how do schools ensure parents are involved in their child’s education?
·
What is
the best way for parents to help their children in school?