[originaltext]M: Well, surely you must have to admit that we have a significant

M: Well, surely you must have to admit that we have a significantly shorter school year. I’m worried— er—our students are at a competitive disadvantage with their peers in India and China. Students in those other countries are going to school 210, 220, 230 days a year. Our students are going to school 180 days a year, generally. And I think our students are absolutely smart, absolutely committed, can do extraordinary things. But we have to level the playing field. And if in a sports contest, one team is practicing three days a week and one team is practicing five days a week, the team that is practicing more is going to do better.
W:(6)But simply extending school time in and of itself will not produce the desired results. Larry Cuban, a Stanford University professor of education, has argued that what matters most is not the quantity but the quality of time students and teachers spend together in the classroom.
M: Well, yes. Mm..., but, extending school time does bring some advantages.(7- 1)It gives the students learning experiences that they might not be able to get over the summertime.
W: But you ask the teachers and students whether, whether they reckon that extending school time brings them advantages. I think goes without saying that no one wants to extend bad time. The teachers are fatigued at the end of the day, and the students are fatigued and unmotivated. The students need summer break to have a good rest.
M: Yes, you are right.(7-2)But without those camps and other stimulating activities, something called summer learning loss occurs.(8)Researchers estimate that low-income students can lose two months of math and reading achievement owing to a lack of reinforcement during the summer break. It’s particularly true for low-income kids who don’t have the opportunities that other kids have during those big breaks.
W: But have you considered this? Extending the school day is very very expensive.(9)The Miami-Dade program cost more than $100 million.
M: Yes, you are right. Really it can result in increased cost because more teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals , and other staff are deployed.(10)But I think it can bring some—some benefits to students and teachers as well, for example, umm, it allows teachers to delve into subject matter in more depth:(7- 3)it builds in time for more teacher-to-student interaction: and, it makes it possible for students to spend more time on task.
This is the end of Part Two of the conversation. Questions 6 to 10 are based on what you have just heard.
6. What does Larry Cuban think of extending school year?
7. Which of the following has not been cited as the advantage for extending school year by Frank?
8. What effect may summer vacation have on poor students in researchers’ estimation?
9. How much does the Miami-Dade program cost?
10. What’s Frank’s attitude towards Miriam’s ideas?