I When children read to Danny, he doesn’t stop them in the middle of a sentence. He just sits quietly and listens. Danny is a “listening dog”. He is part of a reading program for children. The name of the program is READ.
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II In this program a child sits on the floor in a library with a dog and reads books to him. “The program helps children with reading problems,” says Danny’s trainer, Tony Nevett. “We all know that learning to read well is very important. Teachers always ask pupils to read aloud. But reading aloud in class is very difficult for some children. They are afraid other children will laugh at them.”
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III But a listening dog like Danny doesn’t correct the children’s mistakes or laugh at them. The children feel safe. It’s also fun for them. They even enjoy reading aloud. As a result, their reading gets better.
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IV This program also helps the dogs. Many of them live in dog shelters and need the love the children give them. The dogs learn to be comfortable with people they don’t know. This helps them find a family that will take them home.
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V Danny trained for five months to become a listening dog. He is a greyhound. This kind of dog is good with children because it is friendly and doesn’t bark. Also, these dogs have short hair so they are safe for children with allergies.
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VI The READ program started in the USA in 1999. Today there are many similar programs all over the world. “We had many success stories,” says Tony. “For example, one girl in the program could not read at all when she came to us. Now she reads as well as the other children in her class.” Children who participate in the program learn to love reading. This helps them succeed in school.
Answer questions 1-8 in English according to the article. In questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, circle the number of the correct answer. In the other questions, follow the instructions.
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1. What do we know about Danny from paragraph I? (7 points)
i) He is a quiet child.
ii) He likes to read.
iii) He is a good listener.
2. Why do children participate in the program? (paragraph II) (7 points)
i) To take care of the dogs.
ii) To learn how to read better.
iii) To have fun with other children.
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3. Why do some children not like to read aloud in class? (paragraph II) (8 points)
i) They think other children may laugh at them.
ii) They think reading is not important.
iii) They are afraid of their teachers.
4. Why do children feel safe when they read to dogs? (paragraph III) (8 points)
i) They are in the library.
ii) Their reading gets better.
iii) The dogs don’t correct them.
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5. How does the program help the dogs? (paragraph IV) (8 points)
i) The children give them love.
ii) The children can take them home.
iii) They are comfortable in the library.
6. Why does the program use greyhounds? Give TWO reasons. (paragraph V)
(1) ………………………………………………………………………..
(2) ………………………………………………….. (2X8=16 points)
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7. What does Tony’s example of the girl show? (paragraph VI) (8 points)