Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 35 to 42.
Henry is the undisputed star of Dronfield School near Sheffield. Whatever the achievements of other members of the comprehensive school, it is Henry, with his soulful eyes and glossy hair, who has hogged the limelight, appearing on television in Britain and abroad. Yet despite all the public adulation, Henry stirs up no envy or resentment among the 2000 students – in fact, they all adore him. The dog, who first arrived six months ago, is a super dog, who has improved students’ behaviour and encouraged more students to focus on their academic achievement.
Andrew Wainwright, a student at Dronfield School, says there is something magical and calming about being able to interact with Henry during his time at the school’s catch-up classes, and that if he falls behind, that opportunity will be denied. Even doubting staff have finally been won round. Perhaps that is because Henry, who lies on the floor during staff meetings, has also had a calming effect on them.
It was Andrew’s teacher, Wendy Brown and the school counsellor, Julie Smart, who first proposed buying a school dog. “Julie and I were talking one day about how looking after dogs can positively affect children’s conduct,” says Brown. “We did some research and discovered that the presence of pets has been shown to be therapeutic. A number of studies have shown that animals improve recovery after surgery or illness and have a calming influence on people in a lot of settings. Some of my kids can be a handful and some of the children Julie counsels have terrible problems.”
Could the school dog become a craze? Other schools such as the Mulberry Bush, a primary school for children with behavioural problems, have stepped forward to point out they already have one. Rosie Johnston, a Mulberry staff member has been bringing her golden retriever, Muskoka, into school for three years. Apart from being a calming influence, Muskoka even plays his part in literacy lessons. Children at the school can be too shy to read to adults so they read to Muskoka. “Their anxiety about mispronouncing something or getting the words in the wrong order is reduced when they read to him,” says Johnston.
Psychologist Dr Deborah Wells from Queen's University Belfast specialises in animal-human interaction. She believes that the underlying key to the Henry effect is that dogs offer unconditional love and that cheers up adults and children and helps with self-esteem. But traditionalist Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector of schools says, “I don’t see why a teacher cannot create a positive learning environment through the subject they teach and their personality. Dogs strike me as a bit of a publicity stunt. It’s the kind of sentimental story journalists love.” Despite this sentiment, Henry remains as popular as ever.
(Adapted from “Ready for Advanced” by Roy Norris and Amanda French with Miles Hordern)
According to paragraph 4, which of the following is one of the roles played by Muskoka at the Mulberry Bush?
A. Encouraging a more proactive approach to teaching literacy
B. Minimising the number of words mispronounced by its students
C. Relieving its teaching staff of unnecessary workload
D. Helping its students to reduce their fear of making mistakes
Chọn đáp án D
According to paragraph 4, which of the following is one of the roles played by Muskoka at the Mulberry Bush?: Theo đoạn 4, câu nào sau đây là một trong những vai trò của Muskoka ở trường Mulberry Bush?
A. Encouraging a more proactive approach to teaching literacy: khích lệ một hướng tiếp cận chủ động hơn trong việc dạy đọc viết
B. Minimising the number of words mispronounced by its students: tối thiểu hóa số lượng chữ bị học sinh phát âm sai
C. Relieving its teaching staff of unncessary workload: giải tỏa giáo viên ở đó khỏi khối lượng công việc không cần thiết
D. Helping its students to reduce their fear of making mistakes: giúp học sinh ở đó giảm nỗi sợ mắc lỗi sai.
Dẫn chứng: Muskoka even plays his part in literacy lessons. Children at the school can be too shy to read to adults so they read to Muskoka: Muskoka thậm chí còn có vai trò trong các tiết đọc viết. Học sinh ở trường có thể quá e ngại, không thể đọc với người lớn vì vậy chúng đọc cho Muskoka nghe.
Như vậy khi đọc với Muskoka thì học sinh không thấy sợ hãi, e ngại như khi đọc với người lớn. Muskoka giúp chúng giảm nỗi sợ mắc lỗi sai. Ta chọn đáp án đúng là D.