SENG / YDL 243 MIDTERM REVISION

READING 1

Pre-reading What do you think 21st century education will involve?

- Which subject matters will be excluded from the curriculum? Why?- Which subject matters will have to be included in the curriculum? Why?

Reading Text

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( By Tanmay Mukherjee, Edinburg University )

21st Century Education

As some educationalists see it, the ‘historic role of education’ is ‘producing a labor force’ (Carr and Hartnett, 1996; p. 124). However, this role may be changing, with a significant increase in free time during a lifetime. At this point, the question is how governments can deal with this issue while continuing to meet the basic needs of state education.

There was a good argument for educating for work in the 19th century, when people spent the vast majority of their lives working. In 1900, for example, the average person in the UK and the US worked a 60-hour week, usually involving hard physical labor on low pay. When they were not at work, people had neither the energy nor the money to spend on leisure (Vandenbroucke, 2006). However, nowadays, the average adult in the UK works just over 41 hours a week (BBC, 2008), leaving nearly 127 hours per week for other activities. Removing time spent sleeping – seven hours a night on average (BBC, 2007) – leaves us with nearly 80 hours’ free time. In other words, the average person has twice as much free time as work time during a working week.

This issue becomes even more important when we take into account the average retirement age in the developed countries of around 64.5 for men and 62 for women (Age UK, 2011), compared with the current life expectancy of around 85 (ONS, 2010). Not only will people spend most of their ‘working life’ actually at leisure but they will also have, roughly, 20 years after they retire to do as they wish. These changes in the structure of the work & leisure ratio raise the question of how governments can prepare people for 21st century lives.

There is a good case for continuing to teach at school the world knowledge involved in traditional subjects like history, geography and science. People presumably need to know about the world they live in. There must also be considerable focus on key skills which are related to work, such as literacy and numeracy. New skills for work, such as using information technology, are also evidently of value. However, there are other subjects which may be valuable during free time or in retirement. One of these is budgeting. It could be argued that state education should teach people to understand personal finance in general, and saving for retirement in particular, in order to ensure that they can enjoy

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their free time. Furthermore, it is arguable that creativity should be fostered in schools, in order for people to find things to spend their free time on.

Some theorists also believe that, in this age of sedentary occupations in offices, we need to teach people the value of exercise, or perhaps more importantly, the harmful effects of not exercising, particularly with increased longevity. (NHS, 2011) The dangers of ill-treating your body may catch up with you if you live until your 80s, whereas they may not have appeared if you had died earlier. Although government campaigns such as Change 4 Life have reflected concerns about teaching healthy living, it could be argued that the topic needs to be an integral part of a 21st-century curriculum. It is not enough simply to make children exercise for an hour a week at school. We must also teach them why they are doing it and why they should continue to do it after leaving school.

Perhaps the most radical proposal at the moment is that schools teach children to be happy throughout their lives. According to Professor Martin Seligman, studies have shown that psychological training ‘could save the state millions of pounds dealing with problems later in life’ (Woolf, 2011). Seligman, who is a former president of the American Psychological Association, reports studies in British schools which found that ‘kids who did positive thinking had more social skills and more zest for learning’.

The supposition behind the arguments above is that the school curriculum needs to accommodate traditional subjects plus all the additional ones. But there is another solution. I believe that we should stop looking at education as something which largely or wholly happens between the ages of 5 and 18 (or 21 if you go on to university). Clearly, education is now something which should continue throughout a person’s life, with additional input as it is required at every stage.

It is true that many local authorities and other bodies provide night-school classes in craft skills such as woodwork, or aerobics, or modern languages and so on. But all of these have to be paid. for by the participants, so the uptake is small. It is now time for the Ministries of Education around the world to fund lifelong learning. This way, modern society can ensure that people can benefit from the huge amount of additional leisure which they enjoy, from better working practices and increased longevity.

Some theorists believe, however, that the impetus for change should come, not from the suppliers of lifelong learning, but from the consumers. Christopher Day, Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham, believes that one of the main tasks of educators is to get students interested in the idea of lifelong learning (Day, 1999). If educators at schools can achieve this, it is likely that people will demand state provision throughout their lives. Perhaps this demand will ensure that the state provides what is required free of charge.

In-reading

I. Answer the following questions according to the text. Do not write extra or irrelevant information.

1. The mission of education in the 21st century needs to be reconsidered according to the author. Explain why.

2. Why is it necessary to learn how to manage money better in the 21st century?

3. What should teaching healthy living involve according to the author?

4. What are the two positive effects of psychological training according to the research?

5. According to the author, how long should education last?

6. Why does the writer believe that lifelong learning should be free for everyone?

II. Circle the best choice according to the article.

What is the purpose of this article?

a. to provide a review of the research into the causes of rising life expectancy in the 21 st

century b. to mention the subjects that needs to be excluded from the curriculum in the 21st

centuryc. to explain how state education can help people live with the extra free time of the 21 st

century

III. Guess the meaning of the words from context. Circle the best answer matching the words that appear in the text in bold with their definitions.

1. ‘fostered’ in paragraph 4 meansa. prevented b. prohibitedc. encouraged

2. ‘sedentary’ in paragraph 5 meansa. having a lot of benefitsb. including many jobsc. involving very little physical activity

3. ‘uptake’ in paragraph 8 meansa. amount of timeb. number of people entering c. rate of refusing something

4. ‘impetus’ in paragraph 9 meansa. motivation, stimulusb. barrier, obstaclec. stop, halt

IV. Write what the underlined words in the text refer to.

Words Paragraph What they refer to

1. their 2

2. they 5

READING 2

Pre-reading

I. What does segregation mean?

II. What could be some examples of segregation from the world history?

READING TEXT

Taken and adapted from Wikipedia

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Segregation on Public Transport

Black people were victims of segregation in the US for a long period of time. They were treated as second-class citizens. Segregation laws in the southern states of the US allowed for racial separation in schools, parks, restaurants, hotels, theatres, public transport and so on. Black people could not eat at the same restaurants or stay at the same hotels with white people. Even if they did, their entrances and exits to places like these had to be from different doors and they had to sit in a separate area assigned for them. They could not be close to the white people.

In 1952, the US Supreme Court passed a law and put an end to segregation on trains. In 1954, a similar decision was made concerning buses. However, states in the South continued their policy of transport segregation as they still believed that blacks were second-class citizens. This usually involved whites sitting in the front and blacks in the back. Anyone breaking the law could be arrested and fined.

On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a black woman, got on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and sat with three other blacks in the fifth row – the first row that blacks were allowed to sit. She was very tired from a hectic day at work. She had had lots of things to do that day. She was also tired of sitting in the back of the bus. But mostly, she was tired of the wrongness of things. Why should she have to sit in the back? As they rode, the front rows filled up with whites and a few stops later, a white man got on and was left standing. The law stated that blacks and whites could not sit in the same row, so the driver asked the four black passengers in the fifth row to move and make way for him. Three of the blacks stood up, but Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. She didn’t argue. She simply refused to get up and move. White passengers could have hit her, but no one did. They were all shocked. The bus driver called the police.

The police arrived, Rosa was arrested and taken to prison. She was not the first passenger to disobey a bus driver. Blacks had been arrested and they had been even killed for disagreeing with drivers in the past, but Rosa was a well-known and respected figure in the black community, so her arrest started a boycott on the city buses. The blacks refused to ride the buses. They walked, they rode horses, few blacks with cars acted as a shuttle service taking others to work and wherever they needed to go. The boycott lasted over a year and in the end the Supreme Court passed a law which abolished segregation on public transport throughout the United States.

Rosa Parks’ brave decision marked the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement, which would fight for liberty and equality for the next ten years. On the evening before she was due in court, a young priest, Martin Luther King, called a meeting in his church in Montgomery city and called for the black community to back Rosa Parks and fight for equal rights on the buses. Almost ten years later, in 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill which granted equal rights to all American citizens regardless of the color of their skin. In the same year, Martin Luther King was awarded the Noble Peace Prize for his role in the Civil Rights Movements. In

1996, President Clinton presented Rosa Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the next year, she received the Congressional Gold Medal. In 1999, Time magazine named her one of the twenty most influential figures of the 20th century.

In-reading

I. Answer the following questions according to the text. Do not write extra or irrelevant information.

1. Although segregation was officially ended by the Supreme Court, southern states did not change their attitude towards the black people. Why?

2. What was the rule to be followed in the buses according to the transport segregation laws?

3. How did Rosa Parks react when the bus driver told the black passengers to change their seats?

4. Why did black people begin to protest the city buses only after Rosa Parks was arrested?

5. What is the importance of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott in American history?

II. The words in Column A are written bold in the text. Match them with their definitions given in Column B. Write the letter of the definition on the space provided in Column A. There is ONE extra definition.

COLUMN A Paragraph COLUMN B

…… 1. hectic 3 a. put an end, cancel

…… 2. disobey 4 b. effective, powerful

…… 3. abolish 4 c. harmful, damaging

…… 4. back 5 d. oppose, object

…… 5. grant 5 e. support, help

…… 6.influential 5 f. busy, exhausting

g. give, allow

III. Write what the following words underlined in the text refer to.

Words Paragraph What they refer to

1. their 1

2. him 3

3. They 3

4. his 5

LANGUAGE USE SECTIONI. Chose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences.

1- _____________ they were broke, they couldn’t afford paying for their son’s therapy

expenses.

a) Althoughb) Sincec) Moreover

2- Psychology students have to choose to study ______________ Social Psychology ____________ Developmental Psychology because they are the compulsory courses offered by our university.

a) neither ........ norb) either ....... orc) so ....... that

3- ___________________ he told his friends that he was not eating fish, they insisted on eating sushi.

a) In spite ofb) On theother handc) In spite of the fact that

4- The Show we watched last night was _____________ entertaining __________ enjoyable. You should definitely watch it.

a) so ....... thatb) both ....... andc) neither ........ nor

5- Her parents were happy about hearing that she won the scholarship since by this way she will have _____________ the opportunity to be a student of a famous university ______________ the chance to study with good scientists.

a) not only ........... but alsob) neither ..........norc) either ......... or

6- He is fed up with the expenses of his car , _____________ he wants to buy a new one.

a) howeverb) eventhoughc) so 7- She was happy to complete her Ph.D ____________ his handicap and financial difficulties.

a) despite

b) despite the fact thatc) eventhough

8- __________________ she has made progress in many aspects of the therapy, she still has problems related to interacting with other people.

a) Howeverb) Althoughc) As

II. Choose the correct alternative to connect the sentences.

1. A fire must have a readily available supply of oxygen. _________________, it will stop burning.

a. Nevertheless b. Furthermore c. Otherwise d. However

2. It is still a good idea to know how to type. _________________ the many technological advances in typewriters and word processors, a skilled operator remains indispensable.

a. Because of b. In spite of c. In case of d. Even though

3. I studied Spanish for four years in high school. _________________, I had trouble talking with people when I was travelling in Spain.

a. Therefore b. On the other hand c. Moreover d. Nevertheless

4. I like to keep the windows open at night no matter how cold it gets. My wife, _____________________, prefers a warm bedroom with all windows tightly shut.

a. nevertheless b. furthermore c. on the other hand d. moreover

5. Jack insisted that he didn’t need any help, ____________________ I helped him anyway.

a. accordingly b. so c. because d. but

6. Florida is famous for its tourist attractions. Its coastline offers excellent white sand beaches. _________________, it has warm, sunny weather.

a. Thus b. Furthermore c. Nevertheless d. On the other hand7. The flowers will soon start to bloom __________________ winter is gone and the weather is beginning to get warmer.

a. in spite of b. since c. so d. even though

8. Camels have either one hump or two humps. The Arabian camel has one hump. The Bactrian camel, _________________, has two.

a. nevertheless b. however c. furthermore d. similarly

9. Olives are a principal source of cooking oil, but by no means the only source. ___________________ olives, cooking oil can be extracted from coconuts, corn and sunflower seeds.

a. Because of b. In spite of c. However d. In addition to

10. I could not use the pay phone, ___________________ I did not have any coins with me.

a. yet b. despite c. for d. so

11. I have to eat breakfast in the morning. ___________________, I get grouchy and hungry before my lunch break.

a. Nevertheless b. Furthermore c. Otherwise d. However

12. Tom is trying to reduce the amount of fat he eats. He eats a lot of fish but avoids red meat __________________ its high fat content.

a. however b. besides c. in spite of d. due to

13. I don’t understand why, but my neighbour Mr. Morrow does not seem to like me. He never smiles at me or speaks to me _____________________ the efforts I have made to be friendly.

a. because of b. in spite of c. therefore d. in addition to

14. The festival has many attractions. It will include contemporary orchestral music and an opera. __________________, there will be poetry readings and theatrical presentations.

a. Otherwise b. Furthermore c. Nevertheless d. In contrast

15. The windows were all left open. __________________, the room was a real mess after the windstorm.

a. Nevertheless b. However c. Therefore d. Otherwise16. It looks like they are going to succeed __________________their present difficulties.

a. despite b. consequently c. as a result of d. yet

17. I asked Angela to run the office while I am gone _________________I know I can depend on her.

a. unless b. since c. although d. therefore

18. Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead through the use of chemicals, ______________________ ancient Peruvians mummified their dead through natural processes by putting dead bodies in extremely dry desert caves.

a. whereas b. because c. for d. therefore

VOCABULARY SECTION

I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words given in the box. Use each word ONLY ONCE. DO NOT change the words in any way. There are two extra words.

diagnosed retrieve demands  encoding implicitcramming contributed teamed up self-concept adopt

1- Much of the time we are reacting with unwanted stress because we are afraid of doing damage to our own ___________ .

2- Hypnosis is a good way to ____________ memories.

3- Most of the commercials have _____________messages towards the consumption of sugar.

4- After the traumatic event she experienced, Susan had a mental breakdown and was _____________ with schizophrenia. 

5- Mr Smith’s students ____________ for the project he assigned .

6- His work _____________ substantially to our knowledge of the disease and how to treat it.

7- Some working moms worry about the conflicting _____________ of both home and job.

8- He decided to _______________ a different approach and teach the subject through story-telling.

II. Chose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:

1- Psychological _______________ assume that many disorders result from mental,

behavioral, and social factors such as personal experiences, traumas, conflicts, and environmental conditions.

a) approaches b) estimates c) understandings d) approvals

2- For starters, in introduction to psychology, we may define a "_____________" as a series of actions or operations taken toward achieving a particular end.

a) variety b) process c ) product d) variable

3- The certain basis of all _______________ against others in terms of their skin color or personal beliefs is ignorance and generalization.

a) prejudice b) estimation c) assessment d) protection

4- Certainly, interest in the job may ________________ with motivation to produce behavioral effect like high performance on the given task.

a) classify b) deal c) correspond d ) interact

5- Professor Smith suggested us to ______________ a small pilot study to determine how well our research instruments work.

a) conduct b) observe c) discuss d) clarify

6- Most international students go through a common and very normal set of _____________ phases during their stay in the foreign country.

a) accessibility b) adjustment c) application d) accountability

WRITING SAMPLES TO ANALYSE

Factors That Affect Your Mental Health

If you are struggling with mental illness, or trying to help someone you love suffering from a mental illness, it is normal to feel stressed and trying out some types of treatment. Mental illnesses are real health issues, which means you can't treat them with lifestyle changes alone. In conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, there are some other factors such as physical health, relationships and healthy sleep.

First factor is physical health. Your mind and body aren't easily separated and if you struggle with physical health conditions, you're at an increased risk of mental health problems. Even something as minor as a toothache can temporarily undermine your ability to manage stress. In some cases, mental health problems may be directly caused by physical health issues. For instance, Endocrine system disorders can lead to depression, anxiety, and problems with regulating your sleep cycle.

Second factor is relationships. Research is increasingly showing that a healthy romantic relationship can make a big difference in mental health. For example, one recent study found that a healthy relationship could help people avoid anxiety and neurotic personality traits.

The last factor is sleep. Most sleep experts recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, but the real key to success isn't just the right amount of sleep; it's a regular sleep schedule. By going to bed at the same time each night and getting up around the same time each day, you make it easier for your body to regulate its sleep/wake cycle. Therefore, this can lead to big mental health improvements and make it easier to get better after an illness.

As a conclusion, a healthy mind is something we need to have in order to survive and handle the issues of life. Besides, we must be aware of some factors such as physical health, relationships and healthy sleep to keep our balance in life.

THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING PSYCHOLOGY

A psychology major is one of the top 10 college majors, according to a report by the

Princeton Review. Earning a degree in psychology may confer a number of important

personal and professional benefits. A degree in psychology can provide you with a

solid education in the field, help you understand yourself and others on a deeper level,

and enable you to pursue certain careers requiring an in-depth knowledge of

psychology, such as human services or business. In this essay, the advantages of

learning psychology as a student are stated in terms of knowing about people,

different career options, and studies in the field.

Many students select a psychology major because they have a desire to learn more

about the inner workings of the mind and want to understand the emotions, behaviors

and interactions of others on a deeper level. According to the Department of

Psychology at Lehigh University, an undergraduate psychology degree program offers

a solid foundation for helping students understand the ways in which people think, act

and feel on both individual and group bases. Therefore, as the first advantage, a degree

in psychology may also promote the development of personal insight and help you

better understand your own motivations, emotions and actions.

The other advantage of learning psychology is that a degree in psychology may open

the doors to a number of potential career options in a variety of fields. While a career

as a psychologist is generally only available to those who have earned a doctoral

degree in psychology, students with bachelor's degrees in psychology often find

employment in the field of human services, such as casework or counseling. But

studying psychology may also lead to various alternative career paths in fields like

business, human resources, teaching or marketing, according to the Canadian

Psychological Association.

Finally, earning a degree in psychology , also provides a solid educational background

for more advanced study in the field. Students who have earned a bachelor's degree in

psychology often decide to enter master's or doctoral programs in psychology.

Graduate psychology programs generally require students to select a specialty, such as

child and adolescent psychology or organizational-industrial psychology. Students

with bachelor's degrees in psychology are given an introduction to specializations in

undergraduate introductory courses. They also have the chance to further examine

specialties in undergraduate electives, in many cases, by participating in internships or

research projects.

To sum up, the skills learned in psychology education programs usually serve to

enhance students' personal and professional lives. These skills, such as

communication, interpersonal evaluation, problem-solving and critical thinking skills,

are valuable to many types of careers and also for everyday life and social interactions.

Students who possess these skills may be able to market themselves more effectively

to potential employers, but they may also have an easier time interacting with others,

making friends and dealing with conflict in interpersonal relationships.