【明報專訊】The British government is going to "launch a war on illiteracy and innumeracy." All children in England will be expected to know the 12 times table when they graduate from primary school.
"We will expect every pupil by the age of 11 to know the times table off by heart, to perform long division and complex multiplication and to be able to read a novel," Education Secretary (教育大臣) Nicky Morgan said. She also expects them to know correct punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Nicky Morgan admitted some would say that was an old-fashioned view. "But I say that giving every child the chance to master the basics and succeed in life is a fundamental duty of any government," said she.
The British government has set a new target so that England will be the best in Europe and among the top five countries in the world in English and Maths within five years. (source: Ming Pao,BBC)
■Words
times table 乘數表
division 除法
multiplication 乘法
■Photo story
Nicky Morgan, Education Secretary of the UK, plans to make times tables a separate section within the Maths test.
■Glossary
illiteracy (n) 文盲
innumeracy (n) 數盲
master (v) 掌握
fundamental (adj) 基礎的
■Quiz
Choose the correct answer. (answers on the next text)
1. What is Nicky Morgan?
(a) a British government official
(b) a secondary school teacher
(c) a pupil
2. If you know something "by heart" (paragraph 2),
(a) you only remember a half of it.
(b) you forget all of it.
(c) you remember all of it.
3. Which of the following does Nicky Morgan expect aged 11 pupils to know?
(i) correct punctuation, spelling and grammar
(ii) long division and complex multiplication
(iii) the 12 times table
(a) (i) only
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) all of the above
4. For English and Maths, UK is now
(a) among the top 5 in the world.
(b) trying to rank higher.
(c) the best in Europe.
