a. make Putonghua the main teaching language.

b. make Tibetan the main teaching language.

c. adopt a bilingual teaching approach which uses both languages equally.

d. let each school choose which language it will adopt.

2 How much money has the central government reportedly resolved to give Xinjiang authorities in the next five years to boost education in the region?

a. 50 billion yuan

b. 80 billion yuan

c. 100 billion yuan

d. 120 billion yuan

3 Teng Xing, a professor at Minzu University of China, would like to see a system in ethnic minority areas where ...

a. Putonghua and minority languages are both taught from kindergarten.

b. Putonghua is taught from kindergarten and the minority language is introduced afterwards.

c. the minority language is taught in kindergarten and Putonghua introduced afterwards.

d. students can choose from Putonghua, minority languages and English classes at all levels.

4 Original textbooks developed by schools, such as 'localised' textbooks that Teng's team has been working on, can only account for what percentage of textbooks used by students?

a. 8 per cent

b. 15 per cent

c. 30 per cent

d. 50 per cent

Think about

1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of ethnic minority children learning Putonghua?

2 How important is it to preserve ethnic minority languages in China? Why?

3 Which language or languages do you think children of ethnic minorities should be taught in kindergarten?

Vocabulary

1 Wildlife conservation activists are concerned about the ________________________ of endangered animals.

2 _____________________ countries have a range of different cultures, customs, cuisines and languages.

3 Some people may find it hard to adapt if the _________________________ of their diet is suddenly changed.

4 A government may need to ensure it carefully explains any __________________________ in order to obtain public support.

Answers:

Reading comprehension: 1. a, 2. b, 3. c, 4. a.

Vocabulary: 1. quasi-extinction, 2. ethnically diverse, 3. mainstay, 4. drastic policy overhaul