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SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND-A British teaching union famous for strange ideas has supported
proposal to employ dogs as classroom assistants.
At the annual conference of the Professional Association of Teachers in Southport, northwest of
England, one person suggested properly trained dogs be able to keep order in primary schools. They
can round up lost children and protect those who experience unfortunate "accidents". Wendy Dyble, a
Shetland
Islands woman who teaches children up to age seven, made it clear to her fellow friends that
she was not "barking mad". They obviously believed her, supporting her idea by 16 votes to 13, with a
total of 63 abstentions (弃权).
She said big dogs could help round up children, keep them in line, lick up the milk they spill on the
floor and provide the extra eyes that a teacher needs to keep order."A big dog would also be helpful in
breaking up fights and looking for lost property, like gym shoes or dolls, " Dyble said at the conference.
"The dog will also be useful in sniffing out smells that children do not own up to, " she added. "It would
be nice for the teacher not to have to go round sniffing each child to find the culprit (犯错的人)."
The idea was greeted by the Dog Defense League but less so by bigger teaching unions. A
spokesman for Education Secretary David Blunkett, who is blind, said his guide dog was always
popular with pupils when he visited schools. The Professional Association of Teachers, with around
35,000 members, is the smallest teaching union in Britain. It has an honour for occasional strange ideas.
Earlier this week, its annual conference here suggested stopping exams because they lead to stress and
introducing selection at the age of 12 based on physical coordination and manual skill in the use of hand.
1. According to the writer's opinion, to employ dogs as classroom assistants________.
A. is a wonderful idea
B. can improve the relation between children and animals
C. is beyond ordinary people's minds
D. can make some teachers lose jobs
2. What Dyble said at the conference________.
A. gained some support from the members
B. frightened everyone at the conference
C. interested everyone at the conference
D. caused some trouble to trained dogs
3. A spokesman for Education Secretary________.
A. once used a dog as a classroom assistant
B. sang high praise for Dyble' s idea
C. would employ dogs as teachers
D. benefited much from dogs
4. The last paragraph of this passage________.
A. has nothing to do with the topic of this passage
B. shows there are too many exams in British schools
C. provides further facts about the teaching union
D. shows the writer's anger to the union
