ICSE 2011:Comprehension Passage: Practice
Posted January 15, 2011on:
Read the passage given below and answer the questions a, b, c, and d that follow:
The aim of teaching is to create in the qualitative elevation of mind and exaltation of character or ideals or conduct. What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. A good teacher cannot be partial or narrow-minded. A worthy idea of a teacher can motivate students to act positively and achieve their noble objectives. What a teacher is has an ennobling impact on the students and reawaken them to accomplish marvellous goals in the years to come.
Unfortunately, it is a disturbing reality that many of the teachers are unintentionally partial and their thoughts are malformed. These distorted thoughts adversely affect the nature and calibre of teaching and eventually the prospects of the students.
A teacher should painstakingly and methodically develop elegance in thought and action by nurturing critical thinking. Critical thinking is an approach to any concept or issue in which the thinker enriches the worth of his thinking by expertly monitoring and controlling the structures that are inherent in the thought process. The outcome of creative thinking approach can be impressive with teachers developing clearness in thought.
A highly-developed critical thinking teacher introduces significant questions and issues to deal them intelligibly and exactly. He collects and considers pertinent data and assesses and efficiently translates the information to logical conclusions. This mode of approach is of vital significance for a teacher. This enables the teacher to think objectively and communicate skillfully with others to arrive at likely answers to complex questions. Such an approach help the teacher delve deep into depths into the complexities of the problem at hand and emerge with a satisfying resolution.
Introduction of critical thinking in teaching has enormous implication as it can bring tremendous changes in the students and mould them in such a manner that they are equipped with the thought process essential for accomplishing their aims and objectives in life.
a. Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: 
b. Answer the questions in your words the questions given below:
1. What is the aim of teaching? 
2. Explain: What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. 
3. What is the disturbing reality? 
4. What is creative thinking? 
5. What does a highly developed critical thinker do? 
6. What changes can be brought in the students by the adoption of critical thinking in teaching? 
c. With close reference to the last three paragraphs of the passage and in not more than 60 words, explain what a teacher should do and what benefits the students should derive out of this mode of teaching. 
d. Give an appropriate title to your summary and justify the choice of the title.