The School Of The Air

[margaut12]

Brinawa is a cattle station deep in Australia’s great Outback. Along with an adjoining family holding, the station covers about

300 square miles, running 5,000 Brahman cattle under a scorching sun. Brinawa is home for the Clarke family: Les, 32, Annie,

36, and their children Julie, 11, Gordon, 10, Daniel, 8, and Sam, 5. Their life in the bush is not easy. The work is hard, the hours

are long. Much of the time, they are alone.

Gradually, though, the isolation that has long been the heartbreak of the Outback is being conquered. Radio brought quick

communications, planes shrank distances, refrigeration gave a longer life to food. State governments created special units

to educate the Outback’s children through correspondence courses, and in 1951, supplemented programs with an unusual

and perhaps unique service: the School of the Air. So the Clarke children, like hundreds of other youngsters scattered across

Australia’s empty interior and along the less populated parts of its coastline, attend school in a classroom with no teacher, are

taught by a teacher with no classroom.

The system is extraordinary. The School of the Air provides professional explanations and personal guidance. There are other

advantages. Says Annie Clarke: "It brings social contact, which can be so important for children battling isolation and loneliness.

It is a comfort for them to know that they are not alone, that there are other children just like them out there."

That is why every weekday morning, the children need little prodding to go to school, so to speak. They take their places in

whatever room in their home contains the HF transceiver1. They put on their headsets to catch the words that come crackling

from teachers who are addressing a studio microphone that may be 300 miles away. The youngsters can also hear the contributions

of their fellow students and participate in "classroom" discussions. Says Annie: "This provides the competition which

is so necessary for the children to sharpen their skills, something they could never get otherwise."

Australia has twelve Schools of the Air. Each serves a huge area, up to 250,000 square miles, as large as entire countries in

Europe. The schools reach children in cattle ranches and in mining camps, the sons and daughters of railway workers and

lighthouse keepers, fencing contractors and opal diggers.

The Queensland government, which runs three Schools of the Air, began a bold experiment this year. In an attempt to add a

new dimension to radio and correspondence teaching, the government introduced space-age technology into the system, using

a satellite to beam out visual presentations in support of the written and spoken word.

General comprehension (9 pts)

What would be the best title for the texts; choose one among the following : (2 pts)

a. Life in Australia;

b. The School of the Air;

c. Children in Australia;

d. Isolation in Australia;

e. Life in the Australian outback.

What would your best definition of "the outback" be? Choose one from the following. (2 pts)

a. a densely populated area;

b. an urban region;

c. a rural area;

d. a rural area that is not densely populated.

Say if it is right or wrong and justify your answer by quoting from the text. (5 pts)

a. In the Australian Outback, children go to a regular school everyday. (2 different justifications)

b. The school system causes a lot of problems in the Australian Outback. (2 justifications)

c. The area served by the system is very small.

Understanding the text in details (21 pts)

Paragraphs 1 and 2

1- Find an equivalent of the word "Outback". (1 pt)

2- Say if it is right or wrong and justify your answer by quoting from the text. (6 pts)

a. The Clarke family has an easy life in Brinawa.

b. The Clarke family has a lot of friends and meets many people;

c. Progress has made life easier in the Outback. (Give 4 elements to justify)

Paragraphs 3 and 4

Answer the questions briefly in your own words. You may also quote the text. (9 pts)

3- Give 2 advantages of the School of the air. (2 pts)

4- What are the differences with a "normal" class? (3 pts)

5- What are the similarities with a "normal" class? (2 pts)

6- What equipment do the students need? (2 pts)

Paragraph 5

Compare the following summary with paragraph 5. Find the 5 mistakes and correct them. (5 pts)

Australia has eight schools of the air . Those schools serve regions that are just smaller than some European countries. The government

of Victoria runs five schools and plans to use the GPS to replace the radio and correspondence teaching.

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general comprehension

1- b) the school oh the air.

2- a) a densely populated area.

3-

a) right because"State governments created special units

to educate the Outback’s children through correspondence courses" and "and in 1951, supplemented programs with an unusual

and perhaps unique service: the School of the Air"

b) wrong because "The system is extraordinary. The School of the Air provides professional explanations and personal guidance. There are other

advantages. Says Annie Clarke: "It brings social contact, which can be so important for children battling isolation and loneliness.

It is a comfort for them to know that they are not alone, that there are other children just like them out there."

c) right because "the isolation that has long been the heartbreak of the Outback is being conquered. Radio brought quick

communications, planes shrank distances, refrigeration gave a longer life to food."

Understanding the text in details

Paragraphs 1 and 2

1) "the bush"

2)

a) wrong "Their life in the bush is not easy. The work is hard, the hours

are long. Much of the time, they are alone."

b) right "It is a comfort for them to know that they are not alone, that there are other children just like them out there."

c) right "The School of the Air" , "space-age technology" ," a satellite to beam out visual presentations" and "

correspondence courses"

Paragraphs 3 and 4

3) " the School of the Air provides professional explanations and personal guidance. There are other

advantages. Says Annie Clarke: "It brings social contact, which can be so important for children battling isolation and loneliness.

It is a comfort for them to know that they are not alone, that there are other children just like them out there."

4) "attend school in a classroom with no teacher, are

taught by a teacher with no classroom."

5) "the children need little prodding to go to school, so to speak. They take their places in

whatever room in their home contains the HF transceiver1. They put on their headsets to catch the words that come crackling

from teachers who are addressing a studio microphone that may be 300 miles away. The youngsters can also hear the contributions

of their fellow students and participate in "classroom" discussions." and " the government introduced space-age technology into the system, using

a satellite to beam out visual presentations in support of the written and spoken word."

6) "room","the HF transceiver1", "their headsets" and "

a studio microphone that may be 300 miles"

Paragraph 5

the 5 mistakes : Australia has eight schools of the air , those schools serve regions that are just smaller than some European countries, of Victoria, five schools and the GPS

"Australia has twelve Schools of the Air." , "Each serves a huge area, up to 250,000 square miles, as large as entire countries in

Europe." , "The Queensland government" , "three Schools of the Air" and "

space-age technology"