E
The question of what children learn, and how they should learn it, is continually being debated and redebated. Nobody dares any longer to defend the old system, the parrot-fashion (way of learning by repeating what others say) of learning lessons, the grammar-with-a-whip (鞭子) system, which was good enough for our grandparents. The theories of modern psychology have stepped in to argue that we must understand the needs of our children. Children are not just small adults; they are children who must be respected as such.
Well, you may say, this is as it should be, and a good idea. But think further. What happens? “Education” becomes the responsibility not of teachers, but of psychologists. What happens then? Teachers worry too much about the psychological implications(暗示) of their lessons, and forget about the subjects themselves. If a child dislikes a lesson, the teacher feels that it is his fault, not the child's. So teachers worry whether history is “relevant'' to modem young children. And do they dare to recount stories about violent battles? Or will this make the children themselves violent? Can they tell their classes about children of different races, or will this encourage racial hatred7 Why teach children to write grammatical sentences? Oral expression is better. Sums? Arithmetic? No: real-life mathematical situations are more understandable.
You see, you can go too far. Influenced by educational theorists, who have nothing better to do than write books about their ideas, teachers leave their teaching-training colleges filled with grand, psychological ideas about children and their needs. They make complicated preparations and try out their “modern methods” on the long-suffering children. Since one “modern method” rapidly replaces another, the poor kids will have well been fed up by the time they leave school. Frequently the modern methods are so complicated that they fail to be understood by the teachers, let alone the children; even more often, the relaxed discipline which is so necessary for the “informal” class prevents all but a handful of children from learning anything.
75. Under the old system, children were _______.
A. made to learn passively. B. spoiled by their parents.
C. treated equally as adults. D. were forced to become parrots.
76. Modern psychologists hold the view that _______.
A. children are better off without learning lessons.
B. children must be understood and respected.
C. children are small adults and they know what they need.
D. education of children is the responsibility of psychologists.
77. What happens when teachers give lessons with the theories of modern psychology?
A. They find that more and more children like their lessons.
B. They don't pay enough attention to students' actual lessons.
C. They must make full preparations and try out modern methods.
D. They find that the relaxed discipline is so necessary for children.
78. What is the author's attitude toward the theories of modern psychology?
A. Uninterested. B. Acceptable. C. Satisfied. D. Critical.