1. A teacher from a western country recently visited an elementary school in an Aslan country, In one class, she watched sixty young children as they leared to draw a cat. The class teacher drew a big circle on the blackboard, and sixty children copied it on their papers. The teacher drew a smaller circle on top of the first and then put two triangles on top of it. The children drew on the same way The lesson continued until there were sixty-one identical cats in the classroom. Each student's call looked exactly like the one on the board   2. The visiting teacher was startled by the lesson. She was surprised because the teaching methods were very different from the ways of teaching in her own country. A children's art lesson in her own country produced a room full of unique pictures, each one completely different from the others. Why? What causes this difference in educational methods? In a classroom in any country, the instructor teaches more than art or history or language. He or she also teaches culture (the ideas and beliefs of the society). Each educational system is a mirror that reflects the culture of the society.   3. In a western society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious, and cultural differences, people highly value individualism-the differences among people-and independent thinking. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that makes each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not often memorize information. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves, and they express their ideas in class discussion. At an early age, students team to form their own ideas and opinions.   4. In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history, and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of Asia reflects society's belief in group goals and traditions rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments. In the classroom, the teaching methods are often very format. The teacher lectures, and the students listen. There is not much discussion instead, the students recite rules or information that they have memorized   5. There are advantages and disadvantages to both these systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn the social skill of cooperation-of working together. Another advantage is that they learn much more math and science than American students learns by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self control. There is, however, a disadvantage Memorization is an important learning  method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized   6. The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students torn to think for themselves. They learn to take the initiative-to make a decision and take action without someone telling them what to do. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a drawback, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven't studied as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.  Use the context of each item to find the meanings of the underlined words. Witte on the lines  
1. A children's art lesson produced a room full of (unique) pictures, each one completely different from the others  

2. People highly value (individualism)-the differences among people.

  3. They work (individually) and find answers by themselves

  4. Each educational system is a mirror that (reflects) the values of the society. In the Far East, it shows society's belief in group goals rather than individualism.

5. There (drawback), a disdisadvantages

6. The visiting teacher was (startled) by the lesson. She was surprised because the teaching methods west very different from the ways of teaching in her own country.

7. People in Western culture (
value) individualism highly. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each person special.​