One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our schools: the almost complete failure of foreign-language teaching. As a French graduate who has taught for more than twenty-five years, I believe I have some idea of why the failure is so total.  21  the faults already found out in the education system as a whole — such as child-centred learning, the “discovery” method, and the low expectations by teachers of pupils — there have been several serious  22  which have a direct effect on language teaching.

The first is the removal from the curriculum (课程) of the thorough teaching of English  23 . Pupils now do not know a verb from a noun, the subject of a sentence from its object, or the difference between the past, present, or future.

Another important error is mixed-ability teaching, or teaching in ability groups so  24  that the most able groups are  25  and are bored while the least able are lost and  26  bored. Strangely enough, few head teachers seem to be in favour of mixed-ability school football teams.

Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having 27  lessons. This is why many people who attended French lessons at school, even those who got good grades, have  28  it a few years later. Because they never need it, they do not practice it.

Most American schools have accepted what is inevitable and  29  modern languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum. Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop  30  resources on a subject which few pupils want or need.

21. A. Due to           B. In addition to      C. Instead of           D. In spite of

22. A. errors            B. situations         C. systems           D. methods

23. A. vocabulary        B. culture            C. grammar            D. literature

24. A. wide              B. similar            C. separate                 D. unique

25. A. kept out                B. turned down       C. held back           D. left behind

26. A. surprisingly       B. individually        C. equally           D. hardly

27. A. extra             B. traditional        C. basic               D. regular

28. A. needed           B. forgotten         C. practised            D. left

29. A. restored                B. absorbed          C. prohibited          D. withdrawn

30. A. wasting          B. focusing          C. exploiting          D. sharing

The birthrate in Europe has been in a steady decrease since the 1960s. European countries, realizing crisis is at hand, are providing great encouragement for parents to create more babies in the 21st century.

Affairs Ministry concluded last year that,    11    cash encouragement, some women just don’t want to be    12    holding the baby. “What we know is that it’s good for the    13___ if men and women share the burden of having children,” says Soren Kindlund, family policy adviser at the Swedish ministry.    14    Swedish parents can take their paid leave as they wish, men use a mere 12% of it; 60% of fathers do not take even a(n)    15 _   day off work.

Experts fear that the tendency for women to use most of the parental leave could make employers    16    to give young women the permanent jobs they need to qualify for paid maternity leave (产假). In January, Sweden decided to allow new fathers two months’ paid leave, with a warming: use it or    17    it.

Kindlund admits that men are under   18    to stay at work, even though parental pay comes out of the public purse. “It’s not popular among bosses and perhaps with other men in the workplace,” he says. “But it’s good for the father and for the child if they can    19    a relationship.”

In Norway, a(n)   20    policy has worked wonders. 70% of dads in Norway now take parental leave, and the birthrate of 1.85 children per woman is one of the highest in Europe.

11. A. is spite of   B. at the cost of 

 C. in addition to         D. due to

12. A. sent    B. left      C. caught    D. seen

13. A. birthrate   B. income      C. health    D. spirit

14. A. Just as   B. Only if     C. Even though      D. Now that

15. A. one   B. mere     C. only   D. single

16. A. willing   B. reluctant    C. likely   D. unable

17. A. reserve     B. misuse     C. ignore    D. lose

18. A. discussion  B. attack     C. control     D. pressure

19. A. make out    B. add up    C. build up     D. set aside

20. A. impersonal   B. similar     C. severe     D. global

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