Exercises for Text A

A. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. Every year many ________ ask Bill Gates for advice about education.

A. students                      

B. students and parents

C. parents                       

D. teachers

 

2. Gates is asked many questions, except ________.

A. what to study                  

B. whether it’s OK to drop out of school

C. where to get information         

D. how to guide children toward success

 

3. Gates advises young people to ________.

A. get the best education they can    

B. learn how to learn

C. take advantage of high school and college education

D. all of the above

 

4. When Gates was in high school, he ________.

A. was always highly focused on writing software

B. attended different kinds of classes

C. had many interests

D. read about all kinds of things

 

5. What did Gates value most in high school and college?

A. Visiting the library.

B. Writing software.

C. Developing broad interests and team spirit.

D. Asking questions.

B. Complete the mind map below based on your understanding of Paragraph 4 of Text A.

C. Make a dialogue with your partner according to the situation described below.

Suppose Bill Gates has just come to China. Here is an imagined conversation between him and a student reporter from a vocational school. Fill in the blanks with your partner and then read the dialogue aloud in class. You may depend on the text if necessary. (“B” stands for Bill Gates and “S” for the student.)

 

S: It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gates. I am a reporter from  XXX  School and I’d like to ask you a few questions if I may.

B: The pleasure is mine. Go ahead.

S: Do you think it’s all right for us to  drop out of school ?

B:  No, definitely not . As I’ve said, nobody  should drop out of school  unless they  believe they face the chance of a lifetime . In fact, having a diploma  certainly helps somebody who is looking to us for a job .

S: Then what do you think high school and college can do for us?

B: They  give you the best chance to learn many things and to do projects with others that teach you about team spirit .

S: Can you tell us something about your own learning experience in college?

B: Yes,  of course . In college, I used to read about all kinds of things and  attend different kinds of classes. For me, the classroom is not the only place where you can learn. You can also learn in a library. But somebody handing you a book doesn’t automatically start your learning. You should learn with other people, ask questions, try out ideas and have a way to test your ability .

S: I see. Finally, what advice do you want to give to us young people?

B:  It’s a real mistake not to take the chance to study a wide range of subjects and to learn to work with other people because education does count .

S: Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement. We wish you a pleasant time in China.

B:  Thank you and wish you good luck! .