23965 the first day in a nonsegregated school

Reading comprehension

Today was my first day at a non-segregated school. I was so afraid to go. I tried to pretend that I
was ill, but it didn’t work. My mom told me to get dressed and she walked me to the bus stop.
The bus ride was okay because the kids from my neighborhood were all black like me. We
talked the while way to the school about how scared we were. None of us knew what to expect
and none could offer any advice to the others. We just knew that it was going to be a mess and
we should be together. When the bus pulled in front of the school building, everyone shivered.
There was a lot of people crowded around the entrance to the school. They were shouting awful
things at me and the others from the bus. The whole time I was walking in, I was wondering why
they were so upset. After all, everyone deserves equality.
I finally got inside of the school building along with the others. It was really nice inside.
Everything was so clean and smelled good. I didn’t know where my classroom was so I asked a
white boy standing beside the water fountain . he looked right through me as if I didn’t even
exist. I’m sure to him, I didn’t. I got the hint that I wasn’t welcome there so I decided to

find the classroom on my own. I walked down the hallway with my eyes to the floor.
When I FOUND MY CLASSROOM? I had to gather up enough strength to walk inside. The
day at school seemed so long. Lunch was just as awful as sitting in class. The lunchroom
was divided into whites and blacks.
When it was time to go home, I walked outside to get back on the bus. All the white kids
outside were staring and whispering as I walked by. I got on the bus, took a seat and
cried.
I didn’t know how many days like this I could survive.
Seeing my mom made my heart jump of joy. I ran off the bus and into her arms………


I

reading comprehension:

1) find in the text a word meaning:
Thought to myself: ………………………………..
The region not far from where I live: ………………………

2) answer the following questions with reference to the text:
a- what idea did the black pupil have in order not to go to school?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………
b- how did the black pupils feel on their way to school?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………….
c- what was the school like?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………
d- what did the white pupils do when the bus arrived in front of the school?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………….

3) what do these words refer to in the text?
Him refers to……………………….
There refers to……………………

4) correct these false statements with reference to the text.
One of the pupils helped him find his way to his classroom
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
It was easy for the black pupil to get into the classroom
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The lunch break was better than the first meeting with his classmates
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5) fill the blanks with words from the text. The synonym is given
After an ……………………(=terrible) day in a……………………….(=for both blacks and whites) school, the
black boy didn’t know how long he could………………(=continue living) so meeting his mother again gave him
a feeling of………………..(=happiness)
II

language

1)fill in the blanks with words from the list
Luckier/ interested in/ healthy/ where/fairness/respected/more/enough
Schools should try hard to create an environment………………….all the children feel…………………... .
experts say the headmaster should be strict…………………..and have a policy of “no excuses”. If there is a
problem with a particular student, they say the head teacher should ask themselves, “what do we need to make
sure that this child is…………………….learning and what…………. Can we do? This may mean the student
should have appropriate place to study,………………….meals and all the support he needs.

2) put the words in parentheses in the correct form or tense
Students have a limited amount of power in school, which is one of the main reasons for (cut)
………………..classes. Students feel as if schools try (contain)…………….them and that they are not (ability)
………………to be themselves. They are forced to sit in a chair for a certain amount of time and to (quiet)


……………….complete assignments. The thought of this repeated activity results in students caring less about
school, which eventually (make)………………….their marks go down. By shortening the school days, school
will be less (tire)………………..and students’ marks will be (height)………………….. fewer school hours per
day would permit students to have enough time to study, compete school tasks, participate in after-school
activities and be able to get to bed by a decent hour.

3) fill the blanks with words you know.
Many children……………..nursery school from the age of about three, but these schools are not…………..

however at the age of five all children…………….go to primary school. Primary education lasts six years. Then
pupils go to secondary school. After five years of secondary education pupils…………………for “O” level
GCSE examination.
III

Writing

Today is the last day of your exam week. You decide to write a letter to your English pen friend to tell him about:
• How you prepared for the tests
• Subjects
• Feelings
• Any special event