SCHOOL EDUCATION ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE

 

ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE UNIT 32 SCHOOL EDUCATION

 

A The school system This is the system for state education in most parts of England and Wales. State schools are free and operated by the country. Parents pay to send their children to private schools. age education 3 Almost all children attend [go to; fml] nursery school for up to 15 hours a week. 5 Everyone starts primary school. 11 Pupils [students at school] go to secondary school. 16 Pupils take/do GCSE exams, in up to ten subjects. Then they can go to a college for vocational [job] training, e.g. hotel management or travel and tourism courses, or they can stay at school for two more years. 18 Pupils take ‘A’ level exams in three or four subjects, and then they can leave school and get a job or go on to university [continue their education at university], or go to a college for further education/training, e.g. teaching or business studies. B The school timetable The school day is divided into about 5–7 lessons, and over the course of a week, most pupils do/study about ten subjects, including English, maths, history, science, etc. There’s usually a one-hour lunch break [period of rest between work], and a break in the morning and afternoon as well. Language help   In American English the subject is math, but in British English it is maths. The school year is usually divided into three terms [periods of study], with each term being about 13 weeks, although some schools are now having shorter terms and more frequent holidays. At the end of the school year, pupils usually take/do exams before they break up [end classes for the term]. After the summer holidays, they go back [return] for the new school year. C School rules* “In the past schools generally had more rules, and if you broke the rules1, you were punished. At my school, for example, pupils sometimes had to stay behind2 and write an essay. I used to get into trouble3 for wearing lipstick. I remember we had to call the male teachers ‘sir’ and female teachers ‘miss’, and we had to wear a horrible uniform4. Nowadays, the atmosphere5 is more relaxed6: older pupils can often dress7 the way they want – as long as they’re reasonably smart8 – and the teachers are not as strict9.”     EXERCISES 32.1 Match the words on the left with the words on the right. 32.2 Complete the sentences about state schools in England. 1 When they’re three, children can go to _____ nursery _______ school. 2 At the age of five they go to ____________ school. 3 At the age of eleven they go to ____________ school. 4 When they’re sixteen they ____________ exams, and afterwards they can go to a college for ____________ if they want. 5 Many pupils ____________ at school for another two years and do ‘A’ levels. 6 Nowadays, a lot of pupils ____________ to university after they leave school. 32.3 Choose the correct word to complete the sentences. Sometimes both are correct. 1 We take / do exams in the summer. Both are correct. 2 The school timetable / schedule is more or less the same every day. 3 The day is divided into / out of seven lessons. 4 The pupils do / study about ten subjects. 5 There is usually a rest / break three times a day. 6 Schools often break out / break up after they finish exams. 7 After pupils leave school, many of them take / get a job. 8 Pupils can wear / dress the way they want. 32.4 Complete the sentences. 1 There were three _____ terms _______ in the school year. 2 I had to ___________ a uniform. 3 I had to call the ___________ teachers ‘sir’ and teachers ___________ ‘miss’. 4 I occasionally got into ___________ at school for doing things I shouldn’t do. 5 The teachers at my school were strict, and they ___________ pupils who broke the rules. 6 My school had a really nice, relaxed ___________. 32.5

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