I am a very puzzled teacher. I have this class of nice students who often write very interesting stuff for me. If I ask them to write an interview with somebody, or encouraging and discouraging dialogues they do it very nicely. I enjoy reading the homework when they hand in things like this. A while ago I asked them to prepare scripts on the subject of first aid, and I got a lot of interesting scripts. Some of them performed these scripts and I videotaped them and it was great. So it is clear that the people in this class are no fools.

Why then am I puzzled? Well, basically they sometimes like to act as if they are stupid, and I cannot work out why. For example, when they come into class and sit down, they act like they have no idea why they are there. It is as if they have come to this place for the first time and know nothing about it. When I ask them to take out their English books and notebooks it seems to come as a complete surprise. Even then, not everybody does it. Sometimes I have to walk around the class and personally ask individual students to take out their books, and then they do it.

Indeed they seem to need a lot of individual asking. Sometimes I write the work they need to do on the board for them. I say it and point to it and ask them to do it. Some do. Others sit there and do nothing. "Aha!" you say, "that is because they are not able to do the work. It is too difficult for them!!" WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

They can certainly do the work, because when I walk around the class and ask each one personally to get on with the work, then they do it. In addition they do it rather well!! . "Aha!" you say, "Then it is not because they are not able to do the work. So it must be because they are lazy little *@!!@**#%s" Once again, WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

I know this because once they start to do the work, they work hard and seriously at it. They ask me intelligent questions about it, ask for words they need, ask for more time and so on. So what is going on here? Why do I have to go around and tell, ask, beg, plead and convince each student to get on with it? Are they snobs, who will not do anything unless they are asked personally? Are they so spoiled that they must have personal attention for everything? This does not seem to be the reason to me.

Is it that they are old before their time, and it is too much effort for them to start thinking? Is that why I must personally push each one to start using his brain? Or is it that their English is so good that they feel they do not really need to do anything more? Sadly, this is not the case. We have a lot of work to do in English, and unless the class develops good study habits I am afraid they will not get to the level we need. So why are they so relaxed about English, so often not bothering to listen, or look at the board, or do anything - unless I personally come to them at their tables and personally remind them to do it? What is going on here? I am puzzled I tell you, most puzzled.

1. According to paragraph one the teacher thinks his class is
a. crazy
b. intelligent
c. unintelligent
d. discouraging

2. According to paragraph one the teacher
a. always enjoys reading their homework
b. never enjoys reading their homework
c. sometimes enjoys reading their homework
d. hates marking homework

3. According to paragraphs one and two, the teacher is puzzled because even though the class _______________________________ yet sometimes they _________________________.

4. What word in paragraph two means 'between two people talking face to face'? ___________ What word in paragraph two means ' each one by himself'? _______________

5. What does the writer want to show by the example with the English books? ....................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................................

6. In the second line of paragraph three the word 'it' appears three times. What does the second 'it' refer to? It refers to ...................................................

7. In paragraph three the writer says "WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!" What does he think is wrong? Why does he think it is wrong? ....................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................................

8. Do you think the writer is right when he says the students are not lazy? Why do you think this? ....................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................................................

9. In paragraphs three to six the writer gives a lot of possible reasons to explain why the students behave like they do. How many different reasons does he give? ________________

The writer thinks that none of these reasons really explains the way the students behave. What words in the text tell you this? .......................................................................................................................................................