One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our scho

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.   55   the faults already found out in the education system as a whole-such as child-cantered learning, the “discovery”method, and the low expectations by teachers of pupils-there have been several serious     56     which have a direct effect on language teaching.

The first is the removal from the curriculum（课程）of the thorough teaching of English

57    . 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   58    that the most able pupils are     59     and are bored while the least able are lost and    60   Bored. Strangely enough, few head teachers seem to be in favor of mixed-ability school football teams.

Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having     61     lessons. This is why many people who attended French lessons at school, even those who got good grades, have forgotten it a few years later.  62     they never need it, they do not practice it.

Most American schools have accepted what is inevitable and     63     modem languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum. Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop     64     resources on a subject which few pupils want or need.

试题答案

国外好多中小学的外语教学出现了误区。一是不开设语法课程，学生不懂语法和句子结构；二是不同智力水平的学生混合编班上课，造成优等生被埋没，差等生厌学。学过的语言知识由于长时间不使用而遗忘，因此现在美国大多数学校的课程计划中都取消了外语课。

55．  B

  解析：由下文 “there have been several serious……”可推断，此处表递进关系，故选B项。in addition to除…外还…；due to由于；instead of表否定含义；in spite of虽然，尽管。

56． A

  解析：文章第三段第一句 “another important error…”已暗示，空格内应填error，其他三项与题意不符。

57． C

  解析：由下文的 Pupils do not know a verb and a noun.”可知，此处指的是英语语法课程已停止。

58 A

  解析：学生的智力水平参差不齐在同一个班级上课，造成优秀生被埋没。

59． C

  解析：由于学生的智力水平不同，在同一个班级上课，势必会造成智力好的学生受到压抑。 hold back 阻止，使压抑。

60． C

  解析：由句中的while一词可知，智力水平高和智力水平低的学生均感到厌烦，故equally（均等地）符合题意。

61． D

  解析：学生不按部就班上课，学过的东西就开始遗忘。regular正规的，经常的。

62． B

  解析：前后句为因果关系，故空格内填Because。

63． D

  解析：由上文的 “…have accepted what is inevitable（老一套的）…”可知，大多数美国的中小学已取消了西班牙语课程。

64． A

  解析：英国也效仿美国的做法（do the same），不再浪费有限的课程资源。