英语听力精选进阶版 6395（在线收听）

Whenever anyone measures educational success, East Asian countries are always top scorers. But in a recent league table, a European country, Finland, was top of the class. South Korea was still in second place, though. Britain was at number 6. What is the secret of Finland and South Korea's success? Time to do some homework.

In Korea the school day is long - typically 7 or 8 hours, followed by hours of private tutoring in the evenings. All this hothousing leaves Korean students so tired, they sometimes fall asleep in class next day. Worries about the effects of late night cramming led the government to force cramming schools to close by 10pm.

Finnish children spend the least time in class in the developed world, often finishing just after lunch, with about one hour of homework a day. Private tuition is uncommon. The British school day is quite long in comparison, around 6 hours, and secondary school pupils do 2 or 3 hours of self-study a night.

The Korean education system, like many in Asia, is intensely competitive, with students even competing to get into the best cramming schools, to help them get ahead. Finnish education is far less cut-throat. Classes are all mixed ability, and there are no league tables. British schools again occupy the middle ground, with quite high levels of competition for places at university, and schools and universities battling to come top of league tables for everything from exam results to student satisfaction.

Korea and Finland both do well, yet their education systems are so different. So what lessons can Britain learn from these two swots?

Well, there are some similarities in Asia and Finland. In those countries, teachers have high status in society, and education is very highly valued. Those attitudes can't change quickly. But it can be done. They might be the star pupil now, but until the 1970s, Finland's educational system was poor. Their radically different approach to schooling has taken them to the top in just a generation.

Quiz 测验

1. According to the article, who spends more time studying, Korean or Finnish children?

Korean children.

2. Do British schools and universities care about league tables?

Yes, they battle to come top of league tables.

3. Is the following statement true, false or not given? Finnish education was excellent in the 1970s.

False. Education was poor in the 1970s.

4. According to this article, why do Korean children fall asleep in class?

Because they are tired, after hours of private tuition in the evenings.

5. Which rather negative word for private tutoring or tuition is used in the article?

Cramming.

Glossary 词汇表

top scorers 得分最高的人（国家）

league table （学校）排名榜

top of the class 位居榜首

private tutoring 私人课外辅导

hothousing 温室强化式的拔苗助长，超前的

cramming 填鸭式(教育)

private tuition 私人补习

self-study 自学

intensely competitive 竞争激烈的

get ahead 取得进步

cut-throat 残酷的

mixed ability （学生）水平参差不齐的

occupy the middle ground 取中

battling 挣扎

student satisfaction 学生满意度

swots 勤奋刻苦的人（国家）

high status 高（社会）地位

attitudes 态度

star pupil 优秀生

radically different approach 截然不同的方法

schooling 学校教育

generation 一代人