Education in the UK: Pages of History

Prior to 1944 the British secondary education system was rather haphazard. Schools were
created by local governments, private charities, and religious foundations. Schools varied
greatly by region. (A) was not available to all, and secondary schools were mainly for the upper and middle classes.

In 1944, secondary education was (B) as a right for all children, and universal, free education was introduced. From 1944 to 1976 state-funded secondary education
(C) of three types of schools (the Tripartite System): Grammar School, Secondary 
Technical School and Secondary Modern School. The basic assumption of the Tripartite System
was that all should be entitled to an education appropriate to their needs and abilities. It also assumed that students with different abilities should have a different (D). Pupils were assigned to one of the three types of school according to their performance in an examination
taken at age eleven, the Eleven Plus examination.

Grammar Schools were intended to (E) a highly academic curriculum. There was a strong focus on intellectual subjects, such as literature, classics and complex mathematics,
aimed (F) developing students’ ability to deal with abstract concepts. Secondary Technical Schools were designed to train children with ability in mechanical and scientific
subjects. The focus of the schools was on providing scientists, engineers and technicians.
Secondary Modern Schools would train pupils in practical skills, equipping them for less skilled
jobs and home management.

Due to the expense of building facilities for three types of schools, very few Technical
Schools were built, and education in the UK retained its class character: the upper class children
attended Grammar School which received the lion’s share of funding, lower class children
attended Modern Schools which were largely neglected. Only children who (G) to Grammar Schools had a
real chance of getting into a university.


A. 1) Access 2) Attendance 3) Entrance 4)Reception

B. 1) recognized 2) recalled 3) found 4)realised

C. 1) inserted 2) included 3) contained 4)consisted

D. 1) agenda 2) curriculum 3) courses 4)plan

E. 1) instruct 2)learn 3) teach 4)study

F. 1) on 2) at 3) to 4)for

G. 1) attended 2) admitted 3) went 4)graduated

Globalisation

Globalisation is good and bad and inevitable. It is good or at least useful economically because it lowers (A) to trade and increases the flow of goods, labour and services. It has both (B) in and encouraged legal migration, and tourism. It has shared the best of the world’s musical culture, sport, TV and films, fashion and dance. It has made the world both
familiar and strange. In any main Street from Moscow to Los Angeles or London to Sydney —
one can eat Chinese, Indian, Italian or Thai cuisine and it seems perfectly normal. Globalisation
has reduced (many argue) the (C) of global conflict and it has aided the development of world health policies and humanitarian aid. The charity concert “Live Aid” was watched by
400 million viewers in 60 countries.

But Globalisation is also dark. The process began through “discovery” and colonization. It
demanded integration (D) the expense of local independence, colour and “difference”. It grew out of monstrous transnational corporations that became so powerful that neither trade
unions nor governments had the power to hinder. It came with the opportunity to produce goods on an unprecedented scale at previously unimagined prices. Globalization (E) to the independent manufacturers of the world — “grow with us, or die”.

And Globalization is inevitable. Elements of the late 20th century phenomenon can be seen
throughout history in the rise and fall of every empire: where dress, cuisine, culture and even
language were (F) across continents. Many believe that it is now US culture that has displaced traditional diversity, local uniqueness and identity. Personally I am unable to argue for
or against globalisation. It is truly (G) and utterly terrible and completely inevitable.

A. 1) obstructions 2) blockades 3) difficulties 4) barriers

B. 1) caused 2) affected 3)founded 4) resulted

C. 1) opportunity 2) occasion 3) likelihood 4) reason

D. 1) at 2) for 3) on 4) by

E. 1)spoke 2) told 3) said 4) talked

F. 1) exposed 2) imposed 3) imported 4) obliged

G. 1) well 2) good 3) nice 4) superior