Bagrut Level B Interview. Winter 2006

KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE

Pronunciation 
psychologist sy kol i gest
characteristics kar ri tre is tics
exactly x lact li
musical mu si kal
instruments in stru ments
traditional tra di shun al
educational ed u kas shun al

Smart Toys by Mark Robin

For our monthly column "Ask the Expert" I interviewed Dr. Charles Linden, the school psychologist, and asked him about Smart Toys.

Mark: Everybody is talking about Smart Toys. What are Smart Toys exactly?

Dr. Linden: Smart Toys are toys that have two important characteristics. First, they

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must have some kind of computer technology in them. Second, they respond to you when you play with them.

Mark: What do you mean?

Dr. Linden: I'll give you an example. Smart Toys for young children can be dolls, cars or musical instruments. They respond when a child speaks to them. For example,

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a "smart" car is a car that moves when the child says "go", and flashes its lights when the child says "lights".

Mark: That's just for little kids. Can you tell us about Smart Toys for teenagers?

Dr. Linden: Smart Toys for teenagers are usually computer games. In these games the players give commands to the computer in order to achieve a goal. If they give the

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right commands and respond very quickly, they achieve the goal and finish the game.

Mark: Do you think Smart Toys are more educational than traditional toys? I mean, are computer games better for kids than card games or a game of chess?

l Dr. Linden: No, not really. Traditional toys are often just as good as Smart Toys. Both kinds teach kids to make decisions and solve problems. Traditional toys, however

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are often less expensive than Smart Toys.

Mark: Thank you, Dr. Linden, for answering my questions.

1. Who is Dr. Charles Linden? (lines 1-2)

ANSWER: .......................................................................................................................... .

(6 points)

2. What are the TWO things that make Smart Toys special? (lines 4-6)

ANSWER: i) .................................................................................................................. .

ii) .................................................................................................................. . (2×5 =10 points)

CIRCLE THE NUMBER OF THE CORRECT ANSWER. (lines 8-11)

3. A "smart" car moves when a child (ç ).

i) turns on a light

ii) talks to it

iii) plays music

(8 points)

4. What TWO things do players have to do in order to end a computer game successfully?

(lines 13-15)

ANSWER: i) ............................................................................................................... .

ii) ............................................................................................................... . (2×8=16 points)

5. COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.

Card games and chess (lines 16-17) are examples of ....................................................... .

(4 points)

6. CIRCLE THE NUMBER OF THE CORRECT ANSWER. (lines 18-20)

Dr. Linden says that Smart Toys (ç).

i) are not any better than traditional toys.

ii) teach kids more than traditional toys.

iii) are more popular than traditional toys.

(8 points)

7. What can kids learn from playing with both Smart Toys and traditional toys? Write ONE

thing. (lines 18-20)

ANSWER: .......................................................................................................................... .

(9 points)

8. How are traditional toys different from Smart Toys? (lines 18-20)

ANSWER: .......................................................................................................................... .\

Your cousin Mark is 17 years old and lives in Canada. He is coming to spend three weeks with you in the summer. Write him a letter telling him what you are planning to do together. Here are some things you can write about:

• trips • fun activities

• interesting places • friends

• special events

June 7, 2016 Dear Mark

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See you soon! .......................

How to use the Bagrut Module C as a conversation lesson

The Bagrut is the most important test in the Israeli School system.  The kids have to take tests in order to graduate from High School, and to enter into University.  This can be very stressful for kids in 11th and 12th grades who live in Israel.

I have found that if students study past tests, they are better equipped to pass the English test.  English is not a type of skill that you can do an overnighter, and expect to pass the test the next day.  You have to practice the skills, reading, comprehension, writing, and spelling over a long period of time if you want to pass the test.

This is the Module C exam from 2015, which was quite interesting in fact.

Do reading and answer the questions, Time yourself to be able to complete the exam in an hour and a quarter.  Good Luck!
http://meyda.education.gov.il/files/Mazkirut_Pedagogit/English/BagrutBET15/ModuleCBet15.pdf

If you want to use this text as a conversation lesson, then prepare these questions, and have a conversation with your English teacher.  (me?)

Bagrut Writing Assignment 4 or 5 points

I use this for Bagrut preparation for the Bagrut Writing Sections

Name_____________________________________  Date______________________

Essay in Class Assignment: Write your Ideal Day

YOUR ACTION PLAN FOR IDEAL DAY GENERATION:               Give it Life!

Starting from the exact time that you wake up, write out your entire ideal day.  Describe

everything.  Your home.  Your family. Your health.  Your cars.  Your vacations.  Write out

your perfect routine.  Fill it with details and   MAKE IT VIVID. Pick a school day or a non-school day.

This should really excite you because you are taking the first step toward creating your

ideal future.  You create the person you want to be, where you want to live, who you want

to be surrounded by, and even how you want to make your money.

By writing your Ideal Day down, you give it life.  You give it tremendous momentum to

move in your direction.

And remember to NEVER limit your ideas.  Write 80 – 100 words  Use modals and semimodals.


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