Surprisingly,no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals,still less the content or quality of that education.Proper records are just not kept.
The latest survey shows that the extent and type of hospital teaching differ a great deal across the country.It is found that half the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher.A further quarter have only a part time teacher.The special children’s hospitals in major cities do best;general hospitals in the country and holiday areas are worst off.
From this survey,one can estimate(估计)that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher and that contact(接触)may be as little as two hours a day.Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all.They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school.If there was a teacher they were much more likely to read books and do maths or number work;without a teacher they would only play games.
Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child busy,and the latter is often all the teacher can do.Parents referred to many of the teachers as“the library lady”or just“the helper”.
Children tend to depend on their school friends to keep in touch with school work.Several parents spoke of requests for work being ignored or refused by the school.Once back at school,children rarely get extra teaching,and are told to catch up as best they can.
Many short stay child patients catch up quickly.But schools do very little to reduce the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed.
(1)The author points out that at the beginning of the passage that ________.[]
A.every child in hospital receives some teaching
B.not enough is known about hospital teaching
C.hospital teaching is of poor quality
D.children in hospital don’t have any school records
(2)It can be inferred from the latest survey that ________.[]
A.hospital teaching across the country is similar
B.each hospital has at least one part time teacher
C.the special children’s hospitals are worst off
D.only one fourth of the hospitals have full time teachers
(3)Children in hospital usually turn to ________ in order to catch up with their school work.[]
A.hospital teachers
B.schoolmates
C.parents
D.school teachers
(4)We can conclude from the passage that the author ________.[]
A.against children’s receiving education in hospitals
B.content with the present state of teaching in hospitals
C.unsatisfied with the present state of hospital teaching
D.pleased to see children back at school receive extra teaching