Chinese vs US Education
Last time I went to China, I saw most students in [vocab word=uniform]uniforms[/vocab]. And, they were studying so hard! Is the Chinese education system really different from the American one?
"American one" - "one" refers to "education system". Greg already said "the Chinese education system", so he doesn't want to repeat himself. He could have said "Is the Chinese education system really different from the American education system?" but then, he would be saying "education system" twice.
Oh, yes, definitely. The Chinese education system is quite different from that of the US. All students have to [vocab word=undergo]undergo[/vocab] a highly [vocab word=competitive]competitive[/vocab] [vocab word=examination]examination[/vocab] system.
"that" refers to "education system". "that of the US" means "the education system of the US". Again, Meilin says this so she doesn't repeat "education system".
Is the competition [vocab word=fierce]fierce[/vocab] throughout all the educational stages?
The competition is tough in China. Both [vocab word=primary school]primary[/vocab] and [vocab word=secondary school]secondary schools[/vocab] have [vocab word=yearly]yearly[/vocab] tests that will decide most of your grades for that year. Both the high school and college [vocab word=admission]admission[/vocab] tests are extremely difficult and long.
Primary schools AND secondary schools (i.e. "Both primary and secondary schools") have tests at the end of the year.
Is the college admission tests like the SATs here?
In a way. Both the SATs and Gaokao, which is the Chinese college admission tests, are [vocab word=standardized]standardized[/vocab] exams. However, Gaokao is more [vocab word=demanding]demanding[/vocab] because it [vocab word=last]lasts[/vocab] for two full days and it includes many subjects.
In the US, colleges look at students' SAT [vocab word=score]scores[/vocab] as well as students’ grades in school, [vocab word=volunteer]volunteer[/vocab] experience, and [vocab word=extracurricular]extracurricular[/vocab] activities. Is that the case in China, too?
"as well as" means "and", but you are emphasizing the "and" part. "Is that the case in China?" means "Is that also true in China?"
No. In China, colleges look at only the result of Gaokao, nothing else. [vocab word=neither]Neither[/vocab] school grades nor extracurricular activities are involved in the admission process.
"Neither school grades nor extracurricular activities are involved" means school grades are not involved AND extracurricular activities are not involved.
Wow. That must be tough for students.
Greg is sure that students are having a hard time in Chinese education system because only the college admission tests are involved in the admission process. If you fail the test, you cannot go to university.
To say the least. Some students can’t handle the [vocab word=pressure]pressure[/vocab] and commit [vocab word=suicide]suicide[/vocab]. It’s become a social problem.
"to say the least" means "to put it mildly" or "it's actually more than what one is saying.''
I can't imagine being a Chinese student.
In the US, do high school students take both the SAT and ACT?
No. They just have to take either the SAT or ACT. They don’t have to take both of them.
"They have to take either the SAT or ACT" means they have to choose 1: SAT or ACT. Both refer to the names of tests in the United States.
What can you tell me about the school hours? Is it the same as in the US?
No, not really. Students in China spend much longer hours at school compared to here. School generally starts at 7:30 am and ends at 5 pm. Many students either go to a learning center or go home to study.
Note, the word "either" comes before the first verb ("go"). You have to use "or" (not "and") if you have a sentence with "either".
Neither of these choices sounds [vocab word=appealing]appealing[/vocab] to me.
Greg doesn't like either of the choices ("go to a learning center" or "go home to study"). He likes neither choices. Note, we use "either" in a negative sentence. You cannot have "not" and "neither" in the same sentence.
There are positive aspects to the Chinese education system. For example, it strongly [vocab word=emphasize]emphasizes[/vocab] moral education. There are also many school activities that build a [vocab word=spirit]spirit[/vocab] of teamwork.
That’s really interesting.
I think both our countries have their own [vocab word=strength]strengths[/vocab] in the education system, and we can definitely learn from each other.
"We can learn from each other" means I can learn from you and you can learn from me.
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