Often the importance of having dinner with the whole family at the dinner table is strengthened. We are told that “a family that eats together stays together”; we even follow it by making the whole family sit in front of the television while eating. Is it right? Wrong. Television does nothing to help make family relationships better. In fact, it only widens the gap between the members of the family, especially parents and children. It’s thus better to sit at the dinner table. Family dinners should include another important part―conversations that create a pleasant atmosphere. However, It’s often difficult to start a conversation at a family dinner. Moreover, many people make the mistake of raising controversial (有争议的) topics at dinnertime, causing one or more members, or the whole family, to lose their appetite. So it is important to keep in mind some family dinner conversation ideas.
It often serves well to start the conversation right before dinner so that setting the table and other housework may become less boring. Doing things together, whether it is talking or laying the table, can make family members feel interested so that there are no embarrassing moments when people are actually eating. You can also change the topic if you feel that it might start arguments and destroy everyone’s appetite.
Children are usually very good at sharing information and don’t know exactly how to reply when you ask them questions like “How was school today?” So make sure you know more about them than just the fact that they go to school―like which book they are reading or movie they watched recently, or ask them about the after-class activities that they might be taking part in.
Family dinners should be positive and conversations during dinnertime should encourage family members to eat well. All controversial topics should be avoided at dinnertime. There are plenty of other times when such topics can be discussed, but dinnertime isn’t the right time. Actually, if you have any funny stories that happened in your daily life, that’s the time when you can have a good laugh over them with others. It is also a good idea to look back on your childhood memories with your family members. They, especially your children, will feel excited about the crazy, sometimes stupid things that you did as children. In short, it is always necessary to choose the right topics for family dinner conversation.
Family Dinner Conversations | ||
Paragraph outline | Supporting details | |
(71) ▲ about the family dinner | ◇Watching TV while eating together makes the gap between the family members (72) ▲ . | |
Ideas about family dinner conversation | Start early. | ◇Begin to talk before dinner to make everyone feel (74) ▲ in doing the housework related to the dinner. (75) ▲ with each other and destroy their appetite. |
Care about children | ◇You need to have a good (76) ▲ of their activities so that you can talk with your children about what they did or are doing. | |
Choose right (77) ▲ . | ◇You should make sure that everyone is (78) ▲ to eat well by your positive talking. ◇You can (79) ▲ information about what happens in your daily life with your family members. ◇You can talk about your childhood stories with your family, which may be crazy or even stupid. In a word, there is much (80) ▲ to choose the right topics at meals. |
71. Problems 72. wide/widened 73. loss 74. interested 75. argue
76. knowledge 77. topics 78. encouraged 79. share 80. need
In a society, such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the difference among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students don't memorize information. Instead, they work individually and find answers themselves. There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, people have the same language, history, and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of Asia reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another in assignments. In the classroom, the teaching methods are often very formal. The teacher lectures, and the students listen. There is not much discussion. Instead, the students recite rules of information that they have memorized.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage to the system in Japan is that there much more math and science than American students learn by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North American, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.
Title: 76 of Educational System between North America and Asia
Students in the US and 77 | Students in China, Japan and Korea | |
What do they 78 | Individualism | 79 goals and purposes |
Different 80 of study | Working individually | Listening to the teachers |
Forming their own ideas and opinions | Reciting rules and memorizing information | |
A lot of discussion in the classroom | Not much discussion | |
81 | Learning to think for themselves | Learning much more math and science |
Studying more hours each day and more days each year | ||
Good for a society that values 82 | Good for a society valuing 83 and self-control | |
Disadvantages | Students haven’t memorized many basic rules and facts before 84___ | Information is 85 easily. |
Directions: Read the following passage. Complete the diagram by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS for each answer.
American public education has changed in recent years. One change is that increasing numbers of American parents and teachers are starting independent public schools called charter schools.
In 1991, there were no charter schools in the Unite States. Today, more than 2300 charter schools operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia. 575. 000 students attend these schools. The students are from 5 years of age through 18 or older.
A charter school is created by groups of parents, teachers and community members. It is similar in some ways to a traditional public school. It receives tax money to operate a number of students. The charter school must prove to local or state governments that its students are learning. These governments provide the school with the agreement, or charter that permits it to operate.
Unlike a traditional public school, however, the charter school does not have to obey most laws governing public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell it what to teach.
Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach those goals. Class sizes are usually smaller than in many traditional public schools. Many students and parents say teachers in charter schools can be more creative.
However, state education agencies, local education-governing committees and unions often oppose charter schools. They say these schools may receive money badly needed by traditional public schools. Experts say some charter schools are doing well while others are struggling.
Congress provided 200 million dollars for establishing charter schools in the 2006 federal budget. But, often the schools say they lack enough money for programs. Many also lack needed space, District officials say they have provided 14 former school buildings for charter education. Yet charter school supporters say officials should try harder to find more space.
Title: 71.
72 ________ | Independent public school | ||
Similarities between charter schools and traditional schools | ●73 ________ to operate U number of students ●Having to prove the students are learning ●Getting 74 ________ to operate from government | ||
75 __________ between charter schools and traditional schools | ●Not having to obey most laws for public schools ●Being free to decide the 76 ________ ●Being free to choose the goals and decide 77 ________ them ●There usually being 78 ________ students in charter schools’classes ●Having teachers who are more creative | ||
Charter school's problems | Opinions from education departments | These schools receiving money badly needed by 79 ________ Not all doing well | |
Opinions from charter schools | Lacking enough money Lacking 80._________ |