The uniqueness of the French system naturally invites the question of how well the students measure up. In spite of very long classroom hours and a grueling curriculum, French students rank below most of their European neighbors and even Americans in international test results. Once considered among the best in the world, France's educational formula has been counter-productive except for performance in math. Change now seems imminent. However, many parents fear that a shorter school day would force them to arrange additional daily childcare. Such a burden would likely be borne by the government, the traditional provider of nearly everything related to education in France. The Education Ministry is proposing better-organized extracurricular activities as the best solution. This would mean an increase in trained staff as well as additional costs. Another stumbling block is the proposal to shorten the summer vacation. The school year ends in early July, with most families taking off for either one or two months then. Since most parents oppose changing this, Education Minister Peillon hopes to leave the tradition undisturbed.
With so many apparent drawbacks, what are the advantages of the education system in France? Compulsory education to the age of 16 is free of charge. Generally speaking, the French place a high value on education. This attitude might be considered to be a product of the French system itself, in seeming contrast to the US. American teachers are underpaid and government spending on education, as a percentage of the national budget, is much less than France's. Perhaps most impressive are France's standings in the third international mathematics and science study. French 12th-graders ranked number one globally in advanced math in this study involving half a million students in 41 countries.
1. According to the article, which best describes public education in France today?
(A) It remains undisputedly among the best globally.
(B) It is confronting challenges and facing change.
(C) Its global status has greatly declined.
(D) It is becoming more religious and less secular.
2. What is the main purpose of the article?
(A) To introduce and discuss the education system in France.
(B) To compare and contrast the French education system with others.
(C) To solve the problems of the French education system.
(D) To highlight the political side of French education.
3. How do parents feel about the Education Ministry's proposal of a shorter school day?
(A) They generally support it.
(B) Most parents oppose it.
(C) Many are afraid it might cause them inconvenience.
(D) Many prefer that summer vacation be shortened instead.
4. What is true regarding the ranking of French senior high school students?
(A) They have the highest level of compulsory education.
(B) They rank highest in the number of future Nobel Laureates.
(C) They rank high in literature scores.
(D) They outperform their global counterparts in math.
法国教育系统的独特性很自然地就引起了一个问题，那就是学生是否能符合期望。尽管上课时间很长，课程也很累人，但法国学生在国际考试的表现仍然比不上大多数的欧洲邻国，甚至比美国学生还差。法国的教育方案曾经被视为是全世界首屈一指的，但除了数学方面的表现之外，其他方面却都事倍功半。如今改变似乎是迫在眉睫。然而，很多家长担忧缩短上课时间会迫使他们得安排额外的日常安亲班。这样的负担很有可能会由政府来承担，在法国几乎所有与教育有关的事情都由这个传统供给者包办。该国教育部提出组织更完善的课外活动作为最佳解决方案。那意味着需要训练更多的人员和额外开销。另外一个绊脚石是缩短暑假时间的提案。每个学年在 7 月初结束，大多数的家庭都会在那时度假一至两个月。由于大多数的家长都反对改变现状，教育部长佩永希望保持这项旧有传统。
有了这么多显而易见的弊处，到底法国教育系统有什么优点呢？到 16 岁以前的义务教育都是免费的。大体而言，法国人相当重视教育。这样的态度也许会被视为法国本身教育体制下的产物，而这种情形似乎和美国形成反比。美国教师的薪水微薄，且就国家预算的百分比来看，美国政府在教育上的花费远远低于法国。也许法国最令人刮目相看的是其数学和科学的研究名列世界第三。在这项针对来自 41 个国家的 50 万名学生所做的研究中，法国的高三生在进阶数学方面排名全球第一。
答案： 1. B 2. A 3. C 4. D
法国有着欧洲最古老的大学，其半数以上的国立综合大学都有着三、四百年的历史，深厚的文化内涵和历史传统是北美、澳洲等国家的大学所不能比拟的。法国的综合教育水平在欧洲占领先地位，和德国、英国并驾齐驱；在世界范围内比较，与日本、加拿大属同一档次，超过澳洲和纽西兰。
（数据源：中华教育网）
© 2006－2016 www.ivyenglish.com.cn
all rights reserved
上海知语文化传播有限公司 版权所有
