Cùng Ieltsity tham khảo đáp án đề bài Cambridge IELTS 18 – Test 3 – Passage 3 – The Case For Mixed – Ability Classes
ANSWER TABLE |
|
| 27. B | 34. E |
| 28. A | 35. B |
| 29. C | 36. NO |
| 30. C | 37. NOT GIVEN |
| 31. H | 38. YES |
| 32. D | 39. NO |
| 33. F | 40. NOT GIVEN |
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
The case for mixed-ability classes
Picture this scene. It’s an English literature lesson in a UK school, and the teacher has just read an extract from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with a class of 15-year-olds. He’s given some of the students copies of No Fear Shakespeare, a kid-friendly translation of the original. For three students, even these literacy demands are beyond them. Another girl simply can’t focus and he gives her pens and paper to draw with. The teacher can ask the No Fear group to identify the key characters and maybe provide a tentative plot summary. He can ask most of the class about character development, and five of them (Q27) might be able to support their statements with textual evidence. Now two curious students are wondering whether Shakespeare advocates living a life of moderation or one of passionate engagement.
As a teacher myself, I’d think my lesson would be going rather well if the discussion went as described above. But wouldn’t this kind of class work better if there weren’t such a huge gap between the top and the bottom? If we put all the kids who needed literacy support into one class, and all the students who want to discuss the virtue of moderation into another?
The practice of ‘streaming’, or ‘tracking’, involves separating students into classes depending on their diagnosed levels of attainment. At a macro level, it requires the establishment of academically selective schools for the brightest students, and comprehensive schools for the rest. Within schools, it means selecting students into a ‘stream’ of general ability, or ‘sets’ of subject specific ability. The practice is intuitively appealing to almost every stakeholder (Q28).
I have heard the mixed-ability model attacked by way of analogy: a group hike. The fittest in the group take the lead and set a brisk pace, only to have to stop and wait every 20 minutes. This is frustrating, and their enthusiasm wanes. Meanwhile, the slowest ones are not only embarrassed but physically struggling to keep up. What’s worse, they never get a long enough break. They honestly just want to quit. Hiking, they feel, is not for them.
Mixed-ability classes bore students, frustrate parents and burn out teachers. The brightest ones will never summit Mount Qomolangma (Q29), and the stragglers won’t enjoy the lovely stroll in the park they are perhaps more suited to. Individuals suffer at the demands of the collective, mediocrity prevails. So: is learning like hiking?
The current pedagogical paradigm is arguably that of constructivism, which emerged out of the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky. In the 1930s, Vygotsky emphasised the importance of targeting a student’s specific ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD). This is the gap between what they can achieve only with support- teachers, textbooks, worked examples, parents and so on – and what they can achieve independently. The purpose of teaching is to provide and then gradually remove this ‘scaffolding’ until they are autonomous (Q30). If we accept this model, it follows that streaming students with similar ZPDs would be an efficient and effective solution (Q36). And that forcing everyone on the same hike – regardless of aptitude – would be madness.
Despite all this, there is limited empirical evidence to suggest that streaming results in better outcomes for students. Professor John Hattie, director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute, notes that tracking has minimal effects on learning outcomes (Q31). What is more, streaming appears to significantly – and negatively – affect those students assigned to the lowest sets (Q32). These students tend to have much higher representation of low socioeconomic class (Q33). Less significant is the small benefit for those lucky clever students in the higher sets (Q34). The overall result is that the smart stay smart and the dumb get dumber, further entrenching the social divide.
In the latest update of Hattie’s influential meta-analysis of factors influencing student achievement, one of the most significant factors is the teachers’ estimate of achievement. Streaming students by diagnosed achievement automatically limits what the teacher feels the student is capable of (Q35). Meanwhile, in a mixed environment, teachers’ estimates need to be more diverse and flexible.
While streaming might seem to help teachers effectively target a student’s ZPD, it can underestimate the importance of peer-to-peer learning. A crucial aspect of constructivist theory is the role of the MKO – ‘more knowledgeable other’ – in knowledge construction. While teachers are traditionally the MKOs in classrooms, the value of knowledgeable student peers must not go unrecognized either (Q37).
I find it amazing to watch students get over an idea to their peers in ways that I would never think of. They operate with different language tools and different social tools from teachers and, having just learned it themselves, they possess similar cognitive structures to their struggling classmates. There is also something exciting about passing on skills and knowledge that you yourself have just mastered (Q38) – a certain pride and zeal, a certain freshness to the interaction between ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’ that is often lost by the expert for whom the steps are obvious and the joy of discovery forgotten.
Having a variety of different abilities in a collaborative learning environment provides valuable resources for helping students meet their learning needs, not to mention improving their communication and social skills. And today, more than ever, we need the many to flourish – not suffer at the expense of a few bright stars (Q39). Once a year, I go on a hike with my class, a mixed bunch of students. It is challenging. The fittest students realize they need to encourage the reluctant. There are lookouts who report back, and extra items to carry for others. We make it – together(Q40).
Questions 27-30
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
- The writer describes the Romeo and Juliet lesson in order to demonstrateA. how few students are interested in literature.
B. how a teacher handles a range of learning needs.
C. how unsuitable Shakespeare is for most teenagers.
D. how weaker students can disrupt their classmates’ learning.
- What does the writer say about streaming in the third paragraph?A. It has a very broad appeal.
B. It favours cleverer students.
C. It is relatively simple to implement.
D. It works better in some schools than others.
- What idea is suggested by the reference to Mount Qomolangma in the fifth paragraph?A. students following unsuitable paths
B. students attempting interesting tasks
C. students not achieving their full potential
D. students not being aware of their limitations
- What does the word ‘scaffolding’ in the sixth paragraph refer to?A. the factors which prevent a student from learning effectively
B. the environment where most of a student’s learning takes place
C. the assistance given to a student in their initial stages of learning
D. the setting of appropriate learning targets for a student’s aptitude
Questions 31-35
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-I, below. Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet.
Is streaming effective?
According to Professor John Hattie of the Melbourne Education Research Institute, there is very little indication that streaming leads to 31___________. He points out that, in schools which use streaming, the most significant impact is on those students placed in the 32___________, especially where a large proportion of them have 33___________. Meanwhile, for the 34___________, there appears to be only minimal advantage. A further issue is that teachers tend to have 35___________ of students in streamed groups.
A. wrong classes B. lower expectations C. average learners
D. bottom sets E. brightest pupils F. disadvantaged backgrounds
G. weaker students H. higher achievements positive impressions
Questions 36-40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet, write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
36. The Vygotsky model of education supports the concept of a mixed-ability class.
37. Some teachers are uncertain about allowing students to take on MKO roles in the classroom.
38. It can be rewarding to teach knowledge which you have only recently acquired.
39. The priority should be to ensure that the highest-achieving students attain their goals.
40. Taking part in collaborative outdoor activities with teachers and classmates can improve student outcomes in the classroom.
EXPLANATIONS
Q27
Từ khóa câu hỏi: How a teacher handles a range of learning needs.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: He’s given some of the students copies of No Fear Shakespeare, a kid-friendly translation of the original. For three students, even these literacy demands are beyond them. Another girl simply can’t focus and he gives her pens and paper to draw with. The teacher can ask the No Fear group to identify the key characters and maybe provide a tentative plot summary. He can ask most of the class about character development, and five of them (Q27) might be able to support their statements with textual evidence.
Giải thích: Giáo viên ở đây đã đưa ra các loại hoạt động khác nhau cho các nhóm học sinh theo trình độ từ cao xuống thấp. Với nhóm giỏi, cho họ 1 bài văn của Shakespeare và phân tích nó. Với nhóm 3 học sinh khác, những yêu cầu trên vượt ngoài khả năng họ. Một bạn nữ khác còn không thể tập trung nên thầy phải đưa cho bút+giấy để vẽ.
Đáp án là B
Q28
Từ khóa câu hỏi: It has a very broad appeal.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: The practice is intuitively appealing to almost every stakeholder (Q28).
Giải thích: Việc streaming/tracking (là gì? Là phân chia lớp chọn, lớp thường hoặc đối xử với nhóm học sinh giỏi khác với nhóm học sinh yếu) nghe khá hấp dẫn với số đông
-> Đáp án là A
Q29
Từ khóa câu hỏi: Students not achieving their full potential
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: The brightest ones will never summit Mount Qomolangma (Q29)
Giải thích: ‘Các bạn học sinh sẽ không tận dụng tối đa được năng lực bản thân’ tương đương với ‘những học sinh giỏi nhất sẽ không bao giờ lên được đỉnh núi Qomolangma’
-> đáp án là C
Q30
Từ khóa câu hỏi: The assistance given to a student in their initial stages of learning
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: The purpose of teaching is to provide and then gradually remove this ‘scaffolding’ until they are autonomous(Q30).
Giải thích: Scaffolding(giàn giáo) thường được bắt gặp ở các công trường xây dựng. Trong giáo dục con trẻ, Giàn giáo là 1 hình ảnh ẩn dụ về việc nâng đỡ /trợ giúp của cha mẹ/thầy cô trong việc nuôi dạy trẻ.
-> Đáp án là C
Q31
Từ khóa câu hỏi: According to Professor John Hattie of the Melbourne Education Research Institute, there is very little indication that streaming leads to 31___________.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: ‘tracking has minimal effects on learning outcomes'(Q31)
Giải thích: Theo giáo sư John, streaming/tracking không ảnh hưởng gì nhiều đến kết quả học tập của con trẻ.
-> Đáp án là H
Q32
Từ khóa câu hỏi: He points out that, in schools which use streaming, the most significant impact is on those students placed in the 32___________,
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Streaming appears to significantly – and negatively – affect those students assigned to the lowest sets(Q32)
Giải thích: Các trường học có áp dụng việc streaming(phân chia lớp chọn/lớp thường) gây ảnh hưởng đáng kể đến các học sinh yếu kém.
-> Đáp án là D
Q33
Từ khóa câu hỏi: Especially where a large proportion of them have 33___________.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: These students tend to have much higher representation of low socioeconomic class(Q33)
Giải thích: Những học sinh yếu kém này có xu hướng phần đông xuất thân từ gia cảnh thấp trong xã hội
-> Đáp án là F
Q34
Từ khóa câu hỏi: Meanwhile, for the 34___________, there appears to be only minimal advantage.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Less significant is the small benefit for those lucky clever students in the higher sets(Q34
Giải thích: Trong khi đó, streaming không mang lại quá nhiều lợi ích cho các bạn học sinh khá giỏi.
-> Đáp án là E
Q35
Từ khóa câu hỏi: A further issue is that teachers tend to have 35___________ of students in streamed groups.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Streaming students by diagnosed achievement automatically limits what the teacher feels the student is capable of(Q35)
Giải thích: 1 vấn đề nữa là, bản thân các thầy cô cũng có xu hướng đặt kì vọng thấp hơn với các nhóm học sinh theo trình độ đã được phân chia từ đầu.
-> Đáp án là B
Q36
Từ khóa câu hỏi: The Vygotsky model of education supports the concept of a mixed-ability class.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: If we accept this model, it follows that streaming students with similar ZPDs would be an efficient and effective solution(Q36)
Giải thích: ZPD hiểu nôm na là vùng trí khôn mà trẻ có tiềm năng học được.
Mô hình của ông Vygotsky cho rằng sẽ là tốt hơn nếu xếp 1 lớp có cùng các bạn học sinh có ZPD tương đương (ý là có chung học lực)
Trong khi đó, Mixed-ability class là mô hình lớp học mà các bạn học sinh khác học lực học chung 1 lớp, hay có thể hiểu là học sinh có ZPD khác nhau.
-> Thông tin trái ngược
-> Đáp án là NO
Q37
Từ khóa câu hỏi: Some teachers are uncertain about allowing students to take on MKO roles in the classroom.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: While teachers are traditionally the MKOs in classrooms, the value of knowledgeable student peers must not go unrecognised either(Q37).
Giải thích: Có nhắc về vai trò của MKO(các tấm gương về học tập) trong lớp học, nhưng chỉ bàn về việc MKO là giáo viên. Không nhắc về việc MKO làm học sinh
-> Đáp án là NOT GIVEN
Q38
Từ khóa câu hỏi: It can be rewarding to teach knowledge which you have only recently acquired.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: There is also something exciting about passing on skills and knowledge that you yourself have just mastered (Q38)
Giải thích: Việc học sinh giỏi dạy lại kiến thức cho học sinh yếu hơn là cảm giác rất hứng thú
-> Đáp án là YES
Q39
Từ khóa câu hỏi: The priority should be to ensure that the highest-achieving students attain their goals.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: And today, more than ever, we need the many to flourish – not suffer at the expense of a few bright stars(Q39).
Giải thích: ‘Ưu tiên phải là tập trung vào giáo dục các học sinh giỏi nhất’ so với ‘Ưu tiên phải là phổ cập giáo dục cho đại đa số người dân.’
-> Thông tin trái ngược
-> Đáp án là No
Q40
Từ khóa câu hỏi: Taking part in collaborative outdoor activities with teachers and classmates can improve student outcomes in the classroom.
Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Once a year, I go on a hike with my class, a mixed bunch of students. It is challenging. The fittest students realise they need to encourage the reluctant. There are lookouts who report back, and extra items to carry for others. We make it – together(Q40).
Giải thích: Việc người viết đi leo núi với lớp mình chỉ là 1 ví dụ nhỏ, mang tính chủ quan. Nó không đồng nghĩa với lời khẳng định ‘Hoạt động ngoài trời với bạn bè thầy cô thì cải thiện kết quả học tập’
-> Đáp án là NOT GIVEN
Hy vọng rằng bài viết này đã giúp bạn hiểu và làm được bài THE CASE FOR MIXED-ABILITY CLASSES (CAMBRIDGE 18 – TEST 3 – PASSAGE 3). Chúc các bạn học tốt!
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