When do pupils in Britain take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination?

READING

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry Potter has reignited interest in boarding school fiction.

The most recent and arguably most famous example of a fictional boarding school is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, attended by Harry Potter and his friends (and foes).

Though it’s clearly not based on a particular real-life boarding school, it’s closely modelled on the concept of a British boarding school, and we see many parallels with them – which don’t include the moving staircases, enchanted ceilings and talking paintings!

Hogwarts is divided up into ‘houses’ – Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. These houses form four distinct communities, and provide a social hub for their members, as there are common rooms for each house, and this is also where students’ dormitories are located. This system is also true of real-life boarding schools, which also get divided into houses; though real-life boarding school pupils aren’t sorted into their houses using a Sorting Hat!

Another similarity is the uniforms; though real-life schools don’t make their pupils wear robes (though that of Christ’s Hospital comes close), the color scheme of those depicted in the films is surprisingly similar to real-life schools.

And just like real-life boarders, pupils at Hogwarts are allowed to go on organized outings – in their case to the nearby village of Hogsmeade – with parental permission, of course.

What kind of school is Hogwarts?

А) public Б) comprehensive

В) infant Г) boarding school

What parallel with real-life boarding school can we see in Hogwarts?

А) moving staircases Б) enchanted ceilings

В) students’ dormitories Г) talking paintings

What do the houses provide for their members?

А) social center Б) harbor

В) shopping center Г) sanctuary

What do real-life boarding schools NOT use to sort the pupils into the houses?

А) the Sorting Dress Б) the Sorting Cloak

В) the Sorting Hat Г) the Sorting Shoes

Why do pupils from boarding schools need parental permission?

А) to work in the nearby village Б) to go to hospital

В) to go on organized outings Г) to go on a school trip

VOCABULARY

What is the name of the first stage of education in Britain?

А) primary Б) secondary

В) primitive Г) high

What schools do parents NOT pay for?

А) state Б) public

В) private Г) grammar

What may schools ask parents for they need for school time activities?

А) fee Б) wages

В) voluntary contributions Г) payment

These take children of all abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children in a district from 11 to 16 or 18. What is the name of these schools?

А) grammar Б) comprehensive

В) prep Г) private

10. One of the most famous public schools in Britain is:

А) Harvard Б) Eton

В) Trinity Г) St. Mark's School

When do pupils in Britain take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination?

А) when they finish primary school

Б) when they are 12

В) after 5 years of secondary education

Г) after graduating from the 6^th form

12. Match the pictures and the words:

А.	Б.	В.	Г.
1. Corporal punishment	2. British value cards	3. Curriculum Map	4. Juvenile Delinquency

А) А – 3, Б – 1, В – 2, Г – 4 Б) А – 2, Б – 4, В – 3, Г – 1

В) А – 3, Б – 2, В – 4, Г – 1 Г) А – 2, Б – 1, В – 4, Г – 3

13. Match routine of a typical day at school:

А	Assembly		English
Б	Literacy		Meeting of teachers and children at a set time during the day
В	Numeracy		You join your group at the beginning, middle or end of each school day for your name to be marked in the register and to receive important information
Г	Tutor time		Maths

А) А – 1, Б – 2, В – 3, Г – 4 Б) А – 2, Б – 1, В – 4, Г – 3

В) А – 1, Б – 4, В – 2, Г – 3 Г) А – 2, Б – 3, В – 4, Г – 1

14. Match the words and the translation and find out about key people at school:

А	Receptionist		Учитель-предметник
Б	Head teacher (master)		Лаборант
В	Teaching assistant		Секретарь
Г	Subject teacher		Директор

А) А – 3, Б – 4, В – 2, Г – 1 Б) А – 3, Б – 4, В – 1, Г – 2

В) А – 4, Б – 1, В – 3, Г – 2 Г) А – 3, Б – 2, В – 4, Г – 1