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.Instead, we allow school cafeterias todispense the same junk food that kids could buy in any mall.Overhaul the cafeterias! Outwith the candy, soda, chips, and fries! In with the salads, whole grains, fruits, andvegetables!Turning our attention away from what goes on during school hours, let s 8 consider whathappens after the final bell rings.Some school-sponsored activities are all to the good.Bandsand choirs, foreign-language field trips, chess or skiing or drama clubs are sensible parts ofan extracurricular plan.They bring together kids with similar interests to develop theirtalents and leadership ability.But other common school activities are not the business ofeducation.The prime example of inappropriate school activity is in competitive sportsbetween schools.Intramural sports are great.Students need an outlet for their energies, and 9 friendlycompetition against one s classmates on the basketball court or baseball diamond is fun andphysically beneficial.But the wholesome fun of sports is quickly ruined by the competitiveteam system.School athletes quickly become the campus idols, encouraged to look down onclassmates with less physical ability.Schools concentrate enormous amounts of time,money, and attention upon their teams, driving home the point that competitive sports are thereally important part of school.Students are herded into gymnasiums for  pep rallies thatwhip up adoration of the chosen few and encourage hatred of rival schools.Boys teams aresupplied with squads of cheerleading girls.let s not even get into what the subliminalmessage is there.If communities feel they must have competitive sports, let local businessesor even professional teams organize and fund the programs.But school budgets and timeshould be spent on programs that benefit more than an elite few.Another school-related activity that should get the ax is the fl uff-headed, money-10eating, misery-inducing event known as the prom.How in the world did the schools ofAmerica get involved in this showcase of excess? Proms have to be the epitome ofeverything that is wrong, tasteless, misdirected, inappropriate, and just plain sad about theway we bring up our young people.Instead of simply letting the kids put on a dance, we veturned the prom into a bloated nightmare that ruins young people s budgets, their self-image,and even their lives.The pressure to show up at the prom with the best-looking date, in themost expensive clothes, wearing the most exotic flowers, riding in the most extravagant formof transportation, dominates the thinking of many students for months before the prom itself.Students cling to doomed, even abusive romantic relationships rather than risk being datelessfor this night of nights.They lose any concept of meaningful values as they implore theirparents for more, more, more money to throw into the jaws of the prom god.The adulttrappings of the prom the slinky dresses, emphasis on romance, slow dancing, nightclubatmosphere all encourage kids to engage in behavior that can have tragic consequences.Who knows how many unplanned pregnancies and alcohol-related accidents can be directlyattributed to the pressures of prom night? And yet, not going to the prom seems a fate worsethan death to many young people because of all the hype about the  wonder and romance of it all.Schools are not in the business of providing wonder and romance, andit s high time we remembered that.We have lost track of the purpose of our schools.They are not intended to be 11 centers for fun,entertainment, and social climbing.They are supposed to be institutions for learning and hard work.Let sinstitute the changes suggested here plus dozens more without apology, and get American schoolsback to business.www.mhhe.com/langan1.The word affl uent in  Kids from modest backgrounds could stand out because of their personalitiesand intelligence.Affluent kids might learn they have something to offer the world other than afashion statement (paragraph 6) meansa.intelligent.b.troubled.c.wealthy.d.poor.2.The word implore in  They lose any concept of meaningful values as they implore their parents formore, more, more money to throw into the jaws of the prom god (paragraph 10) meansa.beg.b.ignore.c.pay.d.obey.3.Which of the following would be the best alternative title for this selection?a.America s Youthb.Education of the Futurec.Social Problems of Today s Studentsd.Changes Needed in the American School SystemCopyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.All rights reserved.4.Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the selection?a.Excesses such as the prom and competitive sports should be eliminatedfrom school budgets.b.Major changes are needed to make American schools real centers oflearning.c.Attendance must be voluntary in our schools.d.The best thinkers of our country must come up with ideas on how toimprove our schools.5.Garland believes that mandatory attendance at schoola.gives all students an equal chance at getting an education.b.allows troublemakers to disrupt learning.c.is cruel to those who don t really want to be there. d.helps teachers maintain control of their classes.6.Garland is against school-sponsored competitive sports because she believes thata.exercise and teamwork should not have a role in school.b.they overemphasize the importance of sports and athletes.c.school property should not be used in any way after school hours.d.they take away from professional sports.7.We can infer that Garland believesa.teens should not have dances.b.proms promote unwholesome values.c.teens should avoid romantic relationships.d.proms are even worse than mandatory education.8.The author clearly implies that troublemakersa.are not intelligent.b.really do want to be in school.c.should be placed in separate classes.d.don t mind being suspended from school.1 True or false? We can conclude that the author feels that teachers andgenuine students have lost control of our schools.10.The essay suggests that the author would also opposea.school plays.b.serving milk products in school cafeterias.c.the selection of homecoming queens.d.stylish school uniforms.About Content1 What reforms does Garland suggest in her essay? Think back to your high school days.Which ofthe reforms that Garland suggests do you think might have been most useful at your high school?2 Garland s idea of voluntary school attendance directly contradicts the  stay in school campaigns [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]