23. Supply the correct form of the verbs given in brackets and perform the role play given below. Little Women – and Boys – Losing Touch with Classics

Firm evidence emerged yesterday that once durable classics such as Little Women and The Wind in the Willows (1) _______________ (to vanish) from the knowledge of modern children.

A nationwide survey found that only 3% (2) _______________ (to read) Little Women, published in 1868, and 7% Kenneth Graham’s 1908 story, although both titles (3) _______________ (to survive) previous changes in taste and society.

One factor may be that children’s hunger for stories (4) _______________ (to feed) by ephemeral TV soaps. Some 78% of the 2,000 parents surveyed (5) _______________ (to complain) that their offspring (6) _______________ “(not to introduce) to traditional literary classics.” Andrew Kelly, director of a project to popularize the classics, said: “Why parents themselves (7) _______________ (not to do) this is a big question.”

The survey (8) _______________ (to conduct) by Bristol’s Treasure Island Project. It found only 5% of children (9) _______________ (to read) Treasure Island.

What knowledge children did have of the titles (10) _______________ (to base) on television or film adaptations. But 66% never (11) _______________ (to hear) of Little Women. Only 12% actually (12) _______________ (to read) Alice in Wonderland.

By contrast, 81% (13) _______________ (to read) Harry Potter. The Lord of the Rings (14) _______________ (to score) 31%.

“It is sad to see the great classics slipping out of children’s lives,” Mr Kelly said. But Bristol, at last, (15) _______________ (to know) Treasure Island slightly better by the end of this year. 8,000 copies of the book (16) _______________ (to give) away and the Bristol Evening Post (17) _______________ (to serialize) it.

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

Role play. You are taking part in a TV panel discussion devoted to the problem of education (classics in school curriculum).

Role 1. You are Ruth Golden, the leader of the panel. Introduce the problem to be discussed and stress its significance. Ask the participants to present their views.

Role 2. You are Andrew Kelly, director of the project to popularize classics. Speak about the results of the nationwide survey carried out in the framework of your project. Comment on them and inform the panel about Bristol’s Treasure Island Project.

Role 3. You are Ann Brown, a teacher of English literature. Characterize your schoolchildren and their interests. Stress the importance of classics in school education. Point out the role parents play in introducing children to literary classics.

Role 4. You are Jennifer Blair. You represent parents. Criticize the work of school teachers. You are quite indignant, by the way.

Role 5. You are Alison Flinch, an Oxford student. You believe that old classics are outdated and cannot arouse modern children’s interest. ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ are good literature and should replace them.