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     However important school life may be, we can't ignore the fact that children spend more time at home

than in the classroom. Therefore the great influence of parents can't be ignored or discounted by the

teacher. They can become strong supports of the school or they can consciously or unconsciously

prevent the school from accomplishing its aims.

     Administrators have been aware of the need to keep_parents_apprised_of the newer methods used in

schools. Many principals have conducted workshops explaining such matters as the reading readiness

program and developmental math.

     Moreover, the classroom teacher can also play an important role in explaining to parents what they

should do. The informal tea and many interviews carried on during the year, as well as new ways of

reporting pupils' progress, can significantly aid the interchange of ideas between school and home.

     Suppose that a father has been drilling Junior in arithmetic processes night after night. In a friendly

interview, the teacher can help the parent change his method. He might be persuaded to let Junior

participate in discussing the family budget, buying the food, using a measuring cup at home, setting the

clock, calculating mileage on a trip and engage in scores of other activities that have a mathematical basis.

     If the father follows the advice, it is reasonable to assume that he will soon realize his son is making

satisfactory progress in math and at the same time, enjoying the work.

     Too often, however, teachers'  conferences  with parents  are  devoted to  unimportant  accounts  of

children's wrongdoing, complaints about laziness and poor work habits, and suggestions for punishments

and rewards at home.

      What is needed is a more creative approach in which the teacher, as a professional advisor, plants

ideas in parents' minds for the best use of the many hours that the child spends out of the classroom. In

this way, the school and the home join forces in fostering the fullest development of youngsters'

competence.

1. The underlined phrase "keep parents apprised of" in  Para.2 probably means to let parents ______.

A. judge  

B. know  

C. design    

D. develop

2. What is the purpose of the schools' informal tea and interviews?

A. To improve the relationship between teachers and parents.

B. To explain to parents the change of the school curriculum.

C. To report students'  misdoings and suggestions for punishments.

D. To help develop good communication between school and home.

3. Why does the author provide the example in Paragraph 4?

A. To help parents know the importance of home activities.

B. To show how the teacher can guide in home training.

C. To prove parents are nonprofessional advisors.

D. To advise parents to teach kids math at home.

4. From the passage we learn that the author ________.

A. thinks teachers should do better as professionals

B. is worried about children's performance at home

C. is satisfied with the present state of school education

D. believes time spent out of the classroom has been wasted