TOKYO (Reuters) - "Who played the father in the movie 'Kramer versus Kramer'?" That's one of the 50 questions Japanese men could face in a "daddy exam", meant to raise awareness about fatherhood in a country where men tend to work long hours and leave their wives in charge of childcare and household work. Even men who remember Dustin Hoffman struggling as a father in the movie may have a hard time answering questions ranging from baby food to politics. Tetsuya Ando, director of Fathering Japan, a Tokyo non-profit organization that came up with the test and will offer it to eager dads from next March, said the exam was an attracting way to get fathers into parenting. "There just isn't enough information about parenting for fathers. Through the exam, we want men to realize that they don't know anything about bringing up kids," he said. For the price of 3,900 yen ($34), fathers can find out whether they qualify as a "Super Dad," or are in need of more effort as a "Challenge Dad." "We have received inquiries from fathers, single men, to-be-dads, grandfathers ... even an aunt who was concerned that her nephew is too busy with work to notice the fun of parenting," Ando said. The image of fathers is gradually changing in Japan as younger men _ their own dads' hands-off way in favor of closer involvement, and a wave of new parenting magazines for male readers has been hitting newsstands. But it is still hard for Japanese fathers to cut down on their work hours and spend more time with their families. Only 0.5 percent of employed men in Japan took parental leave in 2011, compared with 14 percent in the United States and 12 percent in Britain in 2000. The magazines for male readers are popular most probably because many men _ . A) long to know how to do household chores B) become more concerned about parenting C) want to get high scores in the 50 - question test D) like to know whether they are Challenge Dads
B
Tired of telling students to ask questions and to think about what they were doing, Damien Hynes, a high school geography teacher in Australia, decided to do an experiment to test what he had long been thinking.He wrote some well-organized nonsense (something untrue) on the blackboard.The students simply copied it but very few asked any questions.This shows that students are willing to believe anything given by teachers.The story is repeated in support of the Project for Enhancing Effective Learning (PEEL). PEEL was carried out by some teachers and researchers in Melbourne who had concluded that normal teaching methods seldom achieve their intended goals; what the teachers think they are teaching is one thing and what the students actually learn is something else.Students' lack of an over-all view of learning goals and their concentration on test scores make them see each lesson as a separate activity. Researchers realized that many students do not come into class empty-headed but have their own explanations of how the world works.Their own ideas can remain important to them even when they differ from scientific explanations that are learned later.In fact such ideas are hardly affected by traditional teaching.Students accept the teacher's scientific explanation, but do not drop their own.They simply keep both and use them practically: in a class test, they copy the teacher's idea, but in real life they use their own. Clearly what was needed was to make students understand their learning process , and this is what the PEEL teachers set out to deal with.On the surface, a class being taught by PEEL methods only differs from an ordinary class in being a little noisier, because more people are talking.But there are some meaningful changes.Students are given much more time to express their views, and teachers don't make immediate judgment.The students are allowed to guide what is done in class and their own ideas are always respected.This draws their attention to the actual learning process, and they become... The aim of Hynes' experiment was to _ . A) show that students didn't think about what they learnt B) prove the effectiveness of the project known as PEEL C) test students' general knowledge about geography D) encourage students to ask more questions in class
A
Q: It was a dark and cold night. The car driver didn't have even one passenger all day. When he went by the railway station, he saw a young man coming out with two bags in his hands. So he quickly opened the door of the car and asked, "Where do you want to go, sir?" "To the Star Hotel," the young man answered. When the car driver heard that, he didn't feel happy. The young man would give him only three dollars because the hotel was not far from the railway station. But suddenly, he had an idea. He took the passenger through many streets of the big city. After a long time, the car finally arrived at the hotel. "You should pay me fifteen dollars," the car driver said to the young man. "What! Fifteen dollars? Do you think I'm a fool? Only last week I took a car from the railway station to this same hotel and I only gave the driver thirteen dollars. I know how much I have to pay for the trip. I won't pay you one dollar more than I paid to the other car driver last week." The driver felt very _ when he saw the young man coming out of the railway station. A) sad B) sorry C) happy D) worried
A: C
(Question)
For 75 years, three words have influenced the lives of many young Brits.They are:mirror, signal,manoeuvre . These are the processes all drivers should perform.Learners hoping to pass their driving test need to prove that they understand the importance of these actions before they can throw out their L-plates and head for the highway.In Britain,L-plates ale signs with a red "L" on them which you attach to a car to warm other drivers that you are a learner. This summer the British driving test celebrates its seventy-fifth birthday.It's often described as one of the most frightening tests we face. It is a painful experience that doesn't come very cheap nowadays.Taking the test in 1935 cost just 37. 5 pence;now candidates can expect to pay PS93. The test is also harder than ever.In 1935,the pass rate was 63%; now it's 43%.In recent years,the DSA--the organization that oversees the driving test -- has looked for ways to assess different aspects of what makes a good driver Now the DSA has announced that candidates will drive for ten minutes without detailed instructions from the examiner.DSA'S chief driving examiner Trevor Wedge said the aim was to measure a candidate's ability to drive safely while making decisions independently. However,drivers will not be punished for getting lost. "Candidates won't be failed for going off route," Mr. Wedge said. No doubt there will still be complaints. The BBC has learnt that in 2009 there were l,889 complaints about examiners,of which just 51 were supported. Complaints that were rejected included ''Candidate crashed during test--claims examiner distracted " and "Candidate says examiner took her on busy roads during rush hour,which was unfair". Someone else seemingly failed to understand the nature of an emergency stop when the complaint was filed that an emergency stop was conducted without warning. We can learn from the passage that _ . A) examiners don't take candidates on busy roads B) the pass rate of the driving test in Britain is 63% C) the first British driving test took place in the 1920s D) only a small number of complaints about examiners were supported
(Answer)
D