With the popularity of Harry Potter novels, the
number of children applying to boarding schools has risen, many of them hoping
to find their own version of Hogwarts. However, others have interpreted this
trend as a reaction to longer working hours and the break up of more marriages.
The boarding schools of fiction are presented as one long midnight feast with
pillow fights making firm friendships. However, some people say the reality is
children having more homesickness and a lack of individual attention. Modern
boarding schools have done much to get rid of the image of the mass dormitories
with 40 or more beds in one room, some going as far as providing private rooms
with bathrooms. Similarly, they make great announcements for their academic
advantage, particularly in light of the increase in exams, homework and
university entrance requirements facing children wishing to succeed in the
modern world.
Alongside these more conventional schools, two types
of boarding schools have also become more popular recently. Sports academies
and stage schools seek to cater for children with particular interests and
talents, while so-called troubled-teens have been able to turn to a range of
religious or wilderness schools to solve their problematic behavior.
Boarding schools allow children a safe space in which
to accomplish greater control and independence over their daily lives. Teachers
and staff can look after and support but they are unlikely to be
over-protective. This can be a great preparation for university or for working
away from home in later life as it provides an intermediate step between
childhood and full independence.
However, parents are a child’s most natural support
and best role models to learn from. If they are separated from them for long
periods of time, this may damage their relationship and leave the child feeling
anxious or alone. Schools are unlikely to be able to copy the detailed
knowledge of each individual child that a parent has and therefore cannot be as
effective in supporting the child.
To sum up, boarding schools have both their advantages
and disadvantages, so it is up to you to decide whether to send your children
to boarding schools or not.
1.What do we know from the passage?
A.More and more
children go and visit Hogwarts on their own.
B.Pillow fights
in boarding schools make firm friendships in reality.
C.More children
want to go to boarding schools because of Harry Potter novels.
D.There aren’t special schools for the particularly talented
children.
2.What kind of schools may be the most suitable for
the so-called troubled-teens?
A.sports
academies B.Wilderness
schools
C.Conventional
schools D.Stage schools
3.We learn from Paragraph 4 that __________.
A.teachers of
boarding schools are the best examples for children to learn from
B.children can
be more independent if they are separated from their parents
C.parents know
their children better than teachers of boarding schools
D.schools are
much more effective than parents in supporting children
4.What is the author’s opinion of boarding
schools?
A.Neutral (中立的) B.Negative C.Positive D.Critical