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Study shows kids are doing more homework than ever
by Melissa Checker

Today, kids find that the amount of homework they get keeps them from playing sports, taking music lessons or just having fun after school. A recent study by the University of Michigan reports that over the past 16 years, the amount of time the average 3 to 1 1-year-old kid spends on homework has increased by 50 percent. More and more parents are protesting against an overabundance of at-home assignments.

"The question is whether schools are holding our children captives with homework," said Ken Kiewra, professor of educational psychology. He realized one day last year that his sixth-grade son had given up music lessons, the soccer team and his favorite hobby because he was loaded down with homework." I'm home reading the paper and relaxing and this kid who left in the morning before I did ... is doing two to three hours of work," remembered Kiewra.

In response, Kiewra wrote an article for the Lincoln newspaper. Although parents responded favorably to his article, the school refused to change their homework policies. Kiewra explained that, from the school's point of view, "Research confirms that doing homework is better than not doing homework." He added that pressure for students to perform well on standardized tests has led schools to pile on at-home assignments. Ail work and no play can make dull kids. "Kids need to play outside and exercise or take art or music classes if they want to," said. Ken Kiewra "At the very least, they need fresh air.

React Magazine (April 2000)

Vocabulary :
amount : quantîty
average : moyen
at-home assignments : homework
whether : si
give up : stop
be loaded with : être surchargé de
dull : passif, peu éveillé
pile on at-home assignments : augmenter sans cesse la quantité de travail à faire à la maison

TRAVAIL A FAIRE PAR LE CANDIDAT

LISEZ ATTENTIVEMENT TOUT LE DOCUMENT

I - COMPREHENSION
1- Cochez la bonne réponse et justifiez, en anglais, à l'aide du texte. (BEP : 1 pt / CAP : 3 pts)

a- This document is :

an advertisement
an article
an interview
a short story

Justification : ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

b- The theme is :

kids' hobbies
relations between parents and teachers
homework
homeless kids

Justification : ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

2- Lisez attentivement les énoncés ci-dessous. Soulignez l'erreur dans chaque énoncé, donnez la correction et justifiez en citant le texte. (BEP : 8 pts / CAP : 8 pts)

a- A study made by the University of Michigan reveals that the amount of time spent by children on their homework is less important than in the past, so parents are protesting.

Correction : ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Justification : ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

b- Ken Kiewra realized one day that his son had more time to relax than himself.

Correction : ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Justification : ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

c- Ken Kiewra wrote an article for the Lincoln newspaper but he didn't get any support from the other parents.

Correction : ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Justification : ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

d- The school followed the parents' point of view on homework.

Correction : ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Justification : ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

3- Répondez en français à la question suivante. (BEP : 2 pts / CAP : 2 pts)

Pourquoi Ken Kiewra pense-t-il que le travail à la maison doit être réduit ? (donnez deux raisons)
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II- COMPÉTENCE LINGUISTIQUE

4- Lisez les phrases suivantes et mettez le verbe entre parenthèses à la forme qui convient. (BEP : 3 pts / CAP : 3 pts)

a- If kids had more homework they ..................................................... better on standardized tests. (perform)

b- He ..................................................... football last year because he had too much homework. (give up)

c- Everyday after school he .....................................................two to three hours of work. (do)

5- Reconstituez chacune des phrases en mettant les éléments proposés dans l'ordre. (BEP : 2 pts / CAP : 2 pts)

a- the amount / important / more / is / of / homework / today / in the past / than

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

b- do / homework / on / of / spending / time / lot / like / a / not / children.

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III- EXPRESSION ECRITE (BEP : 4 pts / CAP : 2 pts)

6- Rédiger en ang1ais un paragraphe de soixante mots environ dans lequel vous répondrez aux questions suivantes :
How much free time do you have after school or work ?
What do you do during your free time ?
What would you do if you had more free time ?

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CORRIGE

STUDY SHOWS KIDS ARE DOING MORE HOMEWORK THAN EVER

I - COMPREHENSION

1 - Cochez la bonne réponse et justifiez, en anglais, à l'aide du texte. BEP 1 pt / CAP : 3 pts

a - This document is : an article
Justification : React Magazine

b - The theme is : homework
Justification : homework in the title “Study shows kids are doing more homework than ever”. (accepter aussi les répétitions du texte)

2 - Lisez attentivement les énoncés ci-dessous. Soulignez les erreurs dans chaque énoncé, donnez la correction et justifiez en citant le texte.

a - A study made by the University of Michigan reveals that the amount of time spent by children on their homework is less important than in the past, so parents are protesting. (0.5 pt)
Correction : more important than (0.5 pt)
Justification : has increased by 50% / overabundance of at-home assignments (1 pt)
b - Ken Kiewra realized one day that his son had more time to relax than himself. (0.5 pt)
Correction : less time (0.5 pt)
Justification : I’m home relaxing… this kid is doing 2 or 3 hours of work (1 pt)
c - Ken Kiewra wrote an article for the Lincoln newspaper but he didn't get any support from the other parents. (0.5 pt)
Correction : he got some support from the other parents (0.5 pt)
Justification : parents responded favourably to his article (1 pt)
d - The school followed the parents' point of view on homework. (0.5 pt)
Correction : didn’t follow (0.5 pt)
Justification : the school refused to change their homework policies (1 pt)

3 - Répondez en français à la question suivante. (BEP 2pts / CAP : 2 pts)
Pourquoi Ken Kiewra pense-t-il que le travail à la maison doit être réduit ? (donnez deux raisons)

Parce que les enfants ont besoin de jouer dehors ou de prendre des leçons de musique ou de dessin s’ils le souhaitent. Ils ont besoin de prendre l’air.

II - COMPETENCE LINGUISTIQUE

4 - Lisez les phrases suivantes et mettez le verbe entre parenthèses à la forme qui convient. BEP / CAP : 3 pts.
a - If Kids had more homework they would perform better on standardized tests.
b - He gave up football last year because he had too much homework.
c - Every day after school he does two to three hours of work.

5 - Reconstituez chacune des phrases en mettant les éléments proposés dans l'ordre. BEP / CAP : 2 pts
a - the amount / important / more / is / of / homework / today / in the past / than
Today, the amount of homework is more important than in the past.
b - do / homework / on / of / spending / time / lot / like / a / not / children.
Children do not like spending a lot of time on homework.
A lot of children do not like spending time on homework.

III - EXPRESSION ECRITE

6 - Rédigez en anglais un paragraphe de soixante mots environ dans lequel vous répondrez aux questions suivantes :
How much free time do you have after school or work?
What do you do during your free time?
What would you do if you had more free time?

Respect de la consigne, adéquation question-réponse, intelligibilité : CAP : 1,5 pts / BEP : 2,5 pts
Correction, richesse de la langue, prise de risque : CAP : 0,5 pt / BEP : 1,5 pts