The greatest argument for public schools,some people feel,is the strikingly high proportion of ex-public-schoolboys occupying senior posts in the government,the armed forces,the church,the universities,the professions,and even in business.This,they say,proves the superiority of a public school education.Others say that this is the greatest argument against public schools,since it simply proves the social exclusiveness and fovouritism.There is no doubt that the public schools are undemocratic,often snobbish,and they constitute the biggest barrier to social equality in modern England.But the public schools are no longer as superior and as exclusive as they once were.Their prefect system,their house system and their tradition of sport have been widely adopted in state secondary schools,and many grammar schools have academic records which many a public school might envy.Moreover,many so-called public schools are dependent on an annual grant from the central government,in return for which they award between a quarter and a half of their places to pupils paying reduced fees or none at all.These schools admit pupils at eleven,just like grammar schools.All public schools too,except a few ofrecognised standard,are liable to be inspected by the state.There is thus a gradual progress away from exclusiveness in British education.(p180-181)
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What was the origin of Thanksgiving Day?And what do you think ofcelebrating Thanksgiving Day in China?Thanksgiving is celebrated in the U.S.on the fourth Thursday in November.For many Americans it is the most important holiday apart from Christmas.Schools,offices and most businesses close for Thanksgiving,and many people make the whole weekend a vacation.Thanksgiving is associated with the time when Europeans first came to North America.In 1620,the Mayflower arrived,bringing about 150 people who today are usually called Pilgrims.When they first arrived,they had a very hard winter and could not find enough to eat,so many of them died.During the following summer,Native Americans showed them what crops were safe to eat and how to plant them so they had a good harvest.They held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans for helping them survive the harsh winter and produce a bountiful harvest.Thanksgiving Day bacame an official holiday in 1863.Today people celebrate Thanksgiving to remember these early days.The most important part of the celebration is a traditional dinner with foods that come from North America.The meal includes turkey,sweet potatoes (also called yams) and cranberry sauce,which are made into a kind of sauce or jelly.The turkey is filled with stuffing or dressing,and many families have their own special recipe.On Thanksgiving,there are special television programs and sportsevents.In New York,there is Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ---- a long line of people wearing fancy costumes march through the streets with large balloons in the shape of imaginary characters.Thanksgiving is considered the beginning of the Christmas season,and the next day many people go out to shop for Christmas presents