CHAPTER FIVE Reading Page 77
CHATBACK ON:TUTORIAL CENTRES
Have you ever been to a tutorial centre?
Do you think tutorial centres can help students?
Write and tell us about your experiences and opinions.
Send your letters to'Chatback'at the City Mirror.
1.Helpful
I have studied at a tutorial centre for two years.
My command of English has improved considerably since I started this course.
At my centre the fees are reasonable.
My tutors are all qualified teachers.
I have been helped a lot by them.
They are sincere and kind.
One of my teachers was British.
At first I could not say anything to her.
But later I learned how to communicate in English with a westerner.
I think that the tutorial centre has given me a lot of confidence in using English
MANDY LUO
2.Waste of money
I have studied at a tutorial centre for one year.
However,I consider that I have been cheated.
These tutorial centres are only interested in making money.
The fees range from 70 yuan to 80 yuan an hour or even 100 yuan an hour.
The owners of the centres want to make a lot of money,
and so they accept many students for each class.
In my class,there were 54 students when the course started.
However,they don't want to pay for good teachers.
My English was a university student.
His major subject was physics,not English!
Very often,he could not answer our questions about the use of the language.
In my opinion,it is better to spend more time on your school work
than to waste money at a tutorial'money0making'centre.
REX YANG
3.I go to sleep
I have been attending a tutorial centre for two months.
I have been forced to attend by my parents.
But I do not think it is useful for me.
I am always very tired after school.
Sometimes I even sleep during the classes in the evening.
Furthermore,the teachers are very boring.
They give us a lot of supplementary exercises but they teach us nothing.
I usually read comics.
Sometimes I go to a video arcade to play TV games instead.
Therefore,I think tutorial centres are useless.
SIMON LAN
4.Good and bad
I have experienced both good and bad tutorial centres.
In my first centre,I was in a very big class.
My teacher was an Australian.
He just talked about his life and his travels.
I could learn nothing from him.
I left within a month.
Then I asked all my friends for their advice.
As a result,their recommendations,I enrolled in classes at another centre.
In this centre the teachers are excellent
and there are only 12 students in a class.
We have been taught many good techniques for developing language skills
and passing our exams.
There are good and bad tutorial centres,
and you must do some detective work before you enrol.
Finally,the most important thing is
whether you are willing to learn and to work hard.
The key factor is yourself.
GRACE LI
LISTENING Skills page 81
Understanding directions
Exercise A
Locations on a map
Where are these places on the map?
Listen to the recording and write the letters in the blanks.
There are a lot of tutorial centres in the city,
for example,there is the Top0Pass Academy,
it's on the north side of the river,behind the hotel,it's on a cross roads
Find the Bank,and it's diagonally opposite Bat.
The Neverfail Centre is not very far away,
it's on the north side of the river,too.
It's near a park,it's opposite a hotel and next to the library.Best English College is a cross one of the Bridges,
done on the self side of the city,
it's located between a hotel and a cinema.
Exercise B
Following directions
First,find the place on the map where it says,you are here.
Now listen to these conversations and follow the directions.
Write the numbers of the places.
1.A:Excuse me,could you tell me the way to the London Institute,please?
B:Yes,certainly,turn left and go to Farm Road,
when you get to Farm Road,turn left again,and then take the second right.
Go down that road and take the second turning on your leftthe London Institute is the first building on your left.
A:Thanks very much.
2.A:I wonder if you could help me?I'm looking for the English Centre
B:Oh,yes.I know where that is,well go to Farm Road and turn right,
then take the second street on your left,
go down there and take the first on your left
And the First College is the second place on your left.
A:Oh!good,Thanks you hlep.
A:Tanks.
Exercise C
Understanding a plan
Listen to a member of staff,welcoming someone to Everbright College.
Imagining that the speaker has just entered the college by the main door
on the right side of the plan.
Write the letters in the blanks to show where each room is.
A:Welcome to Everbright College Now as we enter,
you see that the toilets are on the right.
And there is a small reception area on the left.
Looking down the corridor,on our left the first room is the office,
and then we have the Principal's room,then there is Class Room 4
and after that is Seminar Room 1,which is rather small,
there's a big seminar room,Room 2 on the right,next to the toilets.
After the small Seminar Room is class Room 2,on the left.
Opposite it,it's Class Room 1.
At the end of the corridor you can see the Language Laboratory on your left
and the library on your right,Classroom 3 is next to Classroom 1,
and the Staff Room is between that and Seminar Room 2.
Site B Speaking
Page 88
A Pronouncing the letters oo
The letters oo can be pronounced in several different ways in English.
1.0oo bamboo
kangaroo too moo
ood food mood
good stood
hood wood
0ook book
cook crook
hook look
shook took
0oot boot
root hoot
loot shoot
foot soot
0ool cool
fool pool
tool school
wool
0oom room
boom broom
gloomy0oon moon
soon noon
spoon
others:hoop goose loose groove II.
These words have different pronunciations:
blood flood
door floor
III.
1.At noon,it's no good trying to see the moon,you fool!
2.The cook looked at his book,and soon cooked a goose.
3.Inside the door was a dark,gloomy room,with a floor made of wood.
4.That kangaroo is a crook:it took my book.
5.He stood under the bamboo,and then jumped into the cool pool.
6.Put your foot in this boot,is it too loose?
MORE LANGUAGE INPUT
Reading
page 90
A Class of One
Independent Learning
If you want to continue your education,
but have no money or time for it,
Independent Learning may be the solution.
Independent Learning is often described as
'A Class of One'you are the only person in the class.
You work at your own pace,at a time and place convenient to you,
with courses that meet your personal goalsAn Independent Learning centre offers many courses that help you work towards a degree
move up the career ladder,
or expand your understanding of any subjects that interest you.
It provides you with textbooks,
study guides,and other materials such as video and audio tapes.
You can communicate with your instructor by mail,telephone,fax or email.
Your instructor reads your paper and makes comments.
Then your grades are recorded by the centre before they are mailed back to you
Independent Learning gives you the freedom to tailor your learning
to your demanding life style.
If you are determined to try and can keep high motivation
and strict self discipline,
you will enjoy a real sense of achievement and satisfaction.
Listening
Page 91
Listen and supply the missing words.
I very much like studying at Neverfail Centre.
The teachers are very hard working.
Everyone in the class enjoys the lessons.
Neverfail Centre is located in a pleasant part of the city,
and it is very convenient to get to.
Since it is located on the first floor of an industrial building,
it is sometimes a little noisy in class,
but this never distracts us from our studies.
The Centre has excellent facilities and the fees are reasonable.
I find that I am learning a lot,
and so I am really pleased that I decided to study at the Centre.
I would definitely recommend Neverfail Centre to all of my friends.
Tutorial centres are now becoming popular in our city.
Many people think that they are helping to educate our young people.
In my opinion,however they are doing a lot of harm.
There are three reasons why I object to tutorial centres.
First,some students spend over ten hours a day in school and tutorial centres
It is not healthy for them.
Second,children cannot develop other interests if they are studying all day
Third,the staff in some centres are not competent.
Therefore,it is time to introduce proper regulations to control these centres