Question and answer technique
The passage looks like a report, which tries to explain some ideas, report some events and prove some conclusions. The relationship between the parts is best brought out by questions and answers. While reading the passage, the readers would naturally ask themselves some questions as a way of predicting what is to follow. If what follows is just the answer to the question in the readers’ mind, then comprehension continues. If what follows is not the answer to the question in the readers’ mind, the readers would look in some other directions to put in the right question to match what follows. This is a very important technique of reading comprehension or bringing out the relationship between the paragraphs. For example:
If the readers come across an article which starts with:
Mr. Williams was brought into court today.
Then the readers would naturally ask:
Why was Mr. Williams brought into court?
Or who/what is Mr. Williams?
Or why was it today that Mr. Williams was brought into court?…
If what follows answers one of the questions in the readers’ mind, then comprehension continues. If not, the readers would correct their expectations and insert some other questions to match the development of the article.
Now let’s examine the text structure of Reading Passage A in a way of questions and answers.
The essay is made up of 4 parts with each part answering one question.
Part 1: When we come up to the article, we read the title — Where Principles Come First. This naturally brings us the question: What are the principles? Part 1 is made up of 2 paragraphs: Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 telling us the principles of the Hyde School.
Part 2: Since the principles of the Hyde School are somewhat different from other schools, the readers would wonder whether the principles are accepted by other schools. When we read on, we find the author tries to answer the question in Paragraphs 3 to 11. Paragraph 3 is about one example of how the Hyde School principles were rejected by one public school with the reasons made clear to us. From Paragraph 4 to Paragraph 11 there is another example of how the Hyde School principles were appreciated by another public school.
Part 3: Since the Hyde School principles have been rejected as well as appreciated, we would be wondering what the detailed principles or approaches are for the Hyde School. This brings in for us Part 3. Part 3 consists of 5 paragraphs, from Paragraph 12 to Paragraph 16. Paragraph 12 is about some principles for the Hyde School: every student with a unique potential based on character, high value of hard work, success measured by progress or development, and students taking responsibilities for each other. Paragraph 13 is about what is provided by the Hyde School. The Hyde School is different from other schools in additional requirements like arts, sports, and community service. And the grading system includes the fact as to how hard the students have tried in their studies. Paragraph 14 to Paragraph 16 is about another important requirement from the Hyde School: parents’ commitment and participation in the program. Paragraph 14 is about what have been required of parents. Paragraph 15 is about how the requirements work in some other schools and how some parents reject the principle. But Paragraph 16 tells us that once the parents realize the importance of their participation, the Hyde School’s program should work well in public schools.
Part 4: Now that we are clear about the Hyde School’s principles, the acceptability of the principles to public schools and what the school’s detailed principles are, we would naturally ask the question: Are these principles good or beneficial to the teachers as well as the students? Part 4 consists of 4 paragraphs: Paragraph 17 tells us how the principles prove to be beneficial to the teachers and Paragraphs 18 to 20 tell us one example of how successful the principles are to the students.
Title: Where Principles Come First
Question 1: What are the principles?
The principles of the Hyde School:
Teach students the merit of such values as truth, courage, integrity… and academic achievement naturally follows; the school has received considerable publicity for its work with troubled youngsters.
And the school advocates that they prepare kids for a way of life by cultivating a comprehensive set of principles that can affect all kids.
Paras. 1-2
Question 2: Are the Hyde principles accepted by other schools?
The efforts to make the Character First idea accepted by public schools.
__________________________________
Failure in spreading the Hyde principles:
The first Hyde public school program opened in September 1992, which was suspended within months.
Reasons: Teachers protested the program’s demands and the strain associated with more intense work.
Para. 3
The Hyde School principles being appreciated:
The Hyde Foundation opened another program in a public high school in the suburbs of New Haven, Connecticut. At the school the quest for truth is also widespread. Students were asked to exchange their evaluations on their class performance.
Paras. 4-11
Paras.3-11
Question 3: What are the detailed principles or approaches advocated by the Hyde School?
The Hyde School’s approaches to education:
_________________________________________________________
The school assumes:
1. Every human being has a unique potential based on character, not intelligence or wealth.
2. Conscience and hard work are valued.
3. Success is measured by growth, not academic achievement.
4.Students are required to take responsibility for each other.
Para. 12
Courses and management:
1. The school provides preparation for college, with a curriculum complete with English, history, math and science.
2. All students are required to take performing arts and sports, and to provide a community service.
3. For each course, students get a grade for academic achievement and for “best effort”.
Para. 13
A key ingredient in the Hyde mixture is requiring commitment and participation from parents.
Para. 14
Some public school parents find it difficult for them to participate.
Para. 15
Once the parents are convinced, Hyde’s requirement of parents’ participation should work well in public schools.
Para. 16
Paras. 14-16
paras 12-16
Question 4: What are the beneficial results of the Hyde School’s principles?
Beneficial results for the teachers as well as the students:
________________________________________
Beneficial results for the teachers:
1. We really begin to focus on having a fruitful relationship with each student, but not teacher to the material and then to the student.
2. The teacher-student relationship is taken even further at Hyde: Faculty evaluations are conducted by the students.
Beneficial results for the students:
One example: Jimmy DiBattista, 19, who had seen his future as jail, not college, had been turned to the positive attitude. Now he plans to attend a university.
Paras. 9-14
