Billingualism in Children

Paragraph A
One misguided legacy of over a hundred years of writing on bilingualism is that children's intelligence will suffer if they are bilingual. Some of the earliest research into bilingualism examined wether bilingual children were ahead or behind monolingual children in IQ tests. From the 1920s throught to the 1960s, the tendency was to find monolingual children ahead of bilinguals on IQ tests. The conclusion was that bilingual children mentally confused. Having two languages in the brain, it was said, disrupted effective thinking. It was argued that having one well-developed language was superior to having two half-developed languages.

Paragraph B
The idea that bilinguals may have a lower IQ still exist among many people, particularly monolinguals. However, we now know that this early research was misconceived and incorrect. First, such research often give bilinguals an IQ test in ther weaker language - usually English. Had bilinguals been tested in Welsh or Spanish or Hebrew, a different result may have been found. The testing of bilinguals was thus unfair. Second, like was not compared with like. Bilinguals tended to come from, for example, impoverished New York or rural Welsh backgrounds. The monolinguals tended to come from more middle class, urban families. Working class bilinguals were often compared with middle class monolinguals. So the result were more likely to be due to social class differences than language differences. The comparison of monolinguals and bilinguals was unfair.

Paragraph C
The most recent research from Canada, United States and Wales suggest that bilinguals are, at least, equal to monolinguals on IQ tests. When bilinguals have two well-developed languages (in the research literature called balanced bilinguals), bilinguals tend to show a slight superiority in IQ tests compared with monolinguals. This is the received psychological wisdom of the moment and is good news for raising bilingual children. Take, for example, a child who can operate in either language in the curriculum in the school. That child is likely to be ahead on IQ tests compared with similar (same gender, social class and age) monolinguals. Far from making people mentally confused, bilingualism is now associated with a mild degree of intellectual superiority.

Paragraph D
One note of caution needs to be sounded. IQ tests probably do not measure intelligence. IQ tests measure a small sample of the broadest concept of intelligence. IQ tests are simply paper and pencil tests where only 'right and wrong' answers are allowed. Is all intelligence summed up in such right and wrong, pencil and paper tests? Isn't there a wider variety of intelligences that are important in everyday functioning and everyday life?

Paragraph E
Many questions need answering. Do we only define an intelligent person as somebody who obtains a high score on an IQ test? Are the only intelligent people those who belong to high IQ organisations such as MENSA? Is there social intelligence, musical intelligence, military intelligence, marketing intelligence, motoring intelligence, political intelligence? Are all, or indeed any, of these forms of intelligence measured by a simple pencil and paper IQ test which demands a single, acceptable, correct solution to each question? Defining what constitutes intelligent behaviour require a personal value judgement as to what type of behaviour, and what kind of person is of move worth.

Good phrases and sentences

• The intention is also to increase the share of wind energy
• I saw them at New Year anniversary but i haven't meet them since then. (Tôi gặp họ tại buổi lễ mừng năm mới nhưng từ đó tới giờ tôi không gặp họ nữa)
• He was a little boy then (Hồi ấy nó còn là một cậu bé)
• what then? (Rồi sau đó thì sao)
• by then: lúc đó
• until then: đến lúc ấy

Political new words

• Voluntary spirit: tinh thần tình nguyện
• Moral: đạo đức
• Commune: xã
• Probation: sự thử thách (VD: trước khi được làm cán bộ, vào Đảng…)
• Poverty: sự đói nghèo

Trading new words

Boycott: sự tẩy chay

• Cosmetic: mỹ phẩm
• Electricity bill: hóa đơn tiền điện
• Cheat on the weight: cân điêu (đi chợ)
• Merchants: nhà buôn (ở chợ)
• Kiosk: quầy hàng ở chợ
• Loyal customer: khách quen
• Tendency: xu hướng

Reading comprehension guideline

Step 1: Read the title, topics

Step 2: Read the questions one by one

Step 3: Try to understand the questions and find the keywords or clues

Step 4: Do scheme/scan the test (Đọc lướt toàn bộ bài)

Step 5: Find out/looking for similar/constrast “key words”

Step 6: Stop to see if it is the right answer, if not, expand reading to surrounding paragraphs.

Tips: the order of questions is the order of the answers

Australia linguistic's history

Aboriginal Australian was multiligual in the sense that more than two hundred languages were spoken in specific territorial areas which together comprised the whole country. Because mobility was restricted, one language group had knowledge of its own language together with some knowledge of the languages spoken in the territories immediately adjacent to their own

However, from the beginning of European settlement in 1788, English was given predominance by the settlers. By 1983, about 83 percent of the Australian population spoke English as a mother tongue. Less than one percent did not use English at all. The preeminence of the English language reflects the fact that European settlement of this continent has been chiefly by English - speaking people, despite prior Portuguese and Dutch coastal exploration

The first white settlers, convicts and soldiers and, later, free settlers, came almost exclusively from the British Isles. Some of these settlers spoke the standard form of English whilst others spoke a wide variety of the non-standard form of English that flourished in various areas of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. In addition many the Celtic languages including Gaelic, Irish and Welsh. However, speaker of languages other than English did not arrive in the Australia colonies in significant numbers until the goldrushes of the 1850s, which attracted people from all over the world, including substantial numbers from China.

The reaction of the Europeans to the Chinese led to restriction on Chinese and other non-European immigration this Act hindered the spread of non-European languages in Australian colonies. In 1891, about four percent of the total population was of German origin.

Despite increased immigration from southern Europe, Germany, and Est-ern Europe during 1920s and 1930s, the period from 1900 to 1946 saw the consolidation of the English language in Australia. This process was accelerated by the xenophobia engendered by the two world wars which resulted in a decline in German in particular and of all non-English in general. As the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affaires noted, the result was that 'at the end of World War II, Australia was at its most monolingual ever 90 percent of the population tracing its ancestry to Britain.

The post-war migration program reversed the process of increasing English monolingual-ism. The post-war period also witnessed a reversal of a trend of diminishing numbers of Australians of Aboriginal and Asian descent. Dr C. Price, a demographer at the Australian National University, has estimated that in 1947 only 59000 Aborigines remained from a population of 110,000 in 1891 by 1981 their numbers had increased to 160. Between 1947 and 1971, nearly three million people came to settle in Australia. About 60 percent came from non-English speaking countries, notably, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands. Since 1973, Australian immigration policies have not discriminated against people on the grounds of race, and more Asian settlers have arrived, especially from South East Asia generally and, more recently, from East Timor and Vietnam in particular. Between 1971 and 1981the Asian population of Australia more than doubled to 8.5 percent of the total overseas-born population. Traditional migration from Europe, although remaining substantial. declined in relative importance during this decade. The numbers of new settlers from Lebanon and New Zealand also more than doubled during this period and there was much greater migration from Latin America, Africa and Oceania

Deer Farming in Australia

Paragraph A

Deer are not indigenous to Australia. They were introduced into the country during the nineteenth century under the acclimatization programs governing the introduction of exotic species of animals and birds into Australia. Six species of deer were released at various locations. The animals dispersed and established wild populations at various locations across Australia, mostly depending upon their points of release into the wild. These animals formed the basis for the deer industry in Australia today

Commercial deer farming in Australia commenced in Vitoria in 1971 with the authorized capture of rusa deer from Royal National Park. Until 1985, only four species of deer, two from temperate climates (red, fallow) and two tropical species (rusa, chital) were confined for commercial farming. Late in 1985, pressure from industry to increase heard numbers saw the development of import protocols. This resulted in the introduction of large numbers of red deer hybrids from New Zealand and North American elk directly from Canada. The national farmed deer herd is now distributed throughout all states although most are in New South Wales and Vitoria

Hươu không phải là loài động vật bản địa của Úc. Chúng được giới thiệu tại Úc trong thế kỷ 19 trong khuôn khổ chương trình thích nghi khí hậu cho các loài động vật và các loài chim. Sáu loài hươu đã được thả ra tại nhiều địa phương khác nhau. Chúng đã phân tán rộng ở nhiều địa phương khác nhau trên khắp nước Úc, chủ yếu phụ thuộc vào vị trí mà con người đã thả chúng vào tự nhiên. Những con hươu này đã thiết lập cơ sở cho ngành chăn nuôi hươu ở Úc ngày nay.

Hươu bắt đầu được nuôi thương mại tại bang Victoria của Úc vào năm 1971 với việc bắt một số con hươu và nai từ công viên quốc gia (Royal National Park). Kể từ năm 1985 chỉ có 4 loài hươu được cho phép nuôi thương mại trong đó có hai loài ôn đới (red và fallow) và hai loài nhiệt đới (rusa và chital). Cuối năm 1985, áp lực gia tăng số lượng đàn hươu đã thúc đẩy việc phát triển các hiệp ước nhập khẩu mới, kết quả là việc giới thiệu hàng loạt các loài hươu đỏ lai giữa loài hươu của New Zealand và bắc Mỹ với các loài từ Canada. Các đàn hươu hiện nay phân bố ở khắp các bang của nước Úc tuy nhiên số lượng tập trung lớn nhất là ở hai bang New South Wale và bang Victoria.

Paragraph B
The number of animals processed annually has continued to increase despite the downward trend in venison prices since 1997. Of concern is the apparent increase in the number of female animals processed and the number of whole herds committed for processing with more than 40,000 animals processed in 1998/99 and 60,000 in 1999/2000, there is justified concern that future years may see a dramatic drop in production. At least 85% of all venison produced is exported in an unprocessed state to Asia.

Scheme to promote Australian deer products continue to have positive effect on sales that in turn have a possitive effect on prices paid to growers. The industry appears to be showing limited signs that it is emerging from a state of despression cause both internal and external factors that include: (i) the Asian currency downturn; (ii) the industry is lack of of competitive advantage in influential markets (particularly in respect to New Zealand competition) , and: (iii) within industry processing and marketing competition for limited product volumes of venision

Sản lượng động vật chế biến hàng năm tiếp tục gia tăng bất kể xu hướng giảm giá thịt động vật và thú rừng kể từ năm 1997. Minh chứng cho điều này là sự gia tăng rất rõ ràng về số lượng các động vật cái đã được chế biến và số lượng đàn hươu được cam kết cho chế biến. Con số hơn 40,000 con được chế biến năm 1998/1999 và hơn 60,000 con được chế biến năm 1999/2000 đem đến một sự quan ngại về khả năng suy giảm sản lượng một cách đáng kể trong những năm tới. Ít nhất 85% thịt thú rừng chế biến tại Úc là phục vụ cho xuất khẩu, trong đó phần lớn là xuất khẩu sang châu Âu. Tối thiểu 90% lượng nhung hươu của Úc được xuất khẩu dưới dạng thô (chưa qua chế biến) cho các nước châu Á.

Các kế hoạch để thúc đẩy phát triển các sản phẩm từ hươu của Úc tiếp tục có những tác động tích cực tới việc bán sản phẩm và do đó có tác động tích cực tới thu nhập của người nuôi hươu. Có những dấu hiệu không thật rõ ràng rằng sự gia tăng sản lượng đó là bởi các nguyên nhân chủ quan và khách quan như: (i) Sự mất giá của các đồng tiền ở châu Á, (ii) Các thị trường khác đặc biệt là New Zealand có lợi thế cạnh trang thấp hơn, (iii) Sự giới hạn số lượng các loại sản phẩm thịt thú rừng.

Paragraph C
From the formation of the Australisan Deer Breeders Fedaration in 1979, the industry representative body has evolved through the Deer Farmers Federation of Australia to the Deer Industry Association of Australia Ltd (DIAA), which was registered in 1995. The industry has established two product development and marketing companies, the Australian Deer Horn and Co-Products Pty Ltd (ADH) and the Deer Industry projects and Development Pty Ltd, which trades as the Deer Industry Company (DIC). ADH collects and markets Australian deer horn and coproducts on behalf of Australian deer farmers. It promotes the harvest of velvet antler according to the strict quality assurance program promoted by the industry. The company also plans and co-ordinates regualar velvet accredilation courses for Australian deer frarmers.

Pargraph D
Estimates sugguest that until the early 1990s the rate of the annual increase in the number of farmed deer was up to 25%, but after 1993 this rate of increase fell to probably less than 10%. The main reasons for the decline in the deer herd growth rate at such a critical time for market were: (i) severe drought condition up to 1998 affecting eastern Australia during 1993-96 and (ii) the consequent slaughter of large numbers of breeding females, at very low prices. These factors combined to decrease confidence within the industry. Lack of confidence saw a drop in new investment within the industry and a lack of willingness of established farmers to expand their herds. With the development of strong overseas markets for venison and velvet and the prospect of better seasons ahead in 1996, the trends described were herd was seen to impose undesirable restraints on the rate at which herd numbers could be expanded to meet the demands for products.
Supply difficulties were exacerbated when the supply of products, particularly venison, was maintained by the slaughter of young breeding females. The net result depletion of the industry's femaile breeding herds

Paragraph E
Industry programs are funded by statutory levies on sales of animals for venison, velvet antler sales and the sale of live animals into export markets. The industry has a 1996-2000 five year plan including animal nutrition, pasture quality, carcass quality, antler harvesting promotional meterial and technical bulletins. All projects have generated a significant volume of information, which compliments similar work undertaken in New Zealand and other deer farming countries.

Major projects funded by levy funds include the Venison Market Project from 1992 to 1996. This initiative resulted in a dramatic increase in international demand for Australian venison and an increase in the domestic consumption of venison. In an effort to maintain existing venison markets in the short term and to increase them in the long term, in 1997 the industry's top priority became the increase in size and production capacity of the national herd.