Test N° 5

“Educate a boy you educate a man. Educate a girl and you educate a generation”

Of the one billion people worldwide who are unable to read, 2/3 are women. In most societies, girls are given less chance to complete their schooling. If money for school fees is short, priority will nearly always go to boys. Parents’ reason is that boys are more likely to find work and continue working than girls who are expected to marry and have children.
However, surveys have shown that in fact mother’s education is rather important than the father’s. Educating a woman has a greater long-term effect both on her health and that of her family. Researches show that educated mothers are more likely to use heath clinics, and are more likely to return to the clinic if their children’s health does not improve. Educated women tend to have fewer healthier children. They also tend to begin their families at a later age. Researchers for the United Nations studying 46 countries, found that 1% rise in women’s literacy is 3 times more likely to reduce deaths in children than a 1% rise in the number of doctors. They also found that 4 to 6 years of education for women led to a 20% drop in infant death.
A girl who grows up healthily and confident in her own ability has much better chance of safe motherhood, and of rising her own children to meet their full potential. Women with more education have better health and nutrition. They feel they can influence their own lives and those of their children. The families of women with some education tend to have better water and sanitation, income, housing, and clothing.
Literacy programmes can therefore have far reaching effects on health. If women are given access to literacy and better education, they will be able to make their own choices to improve their lives.

I- COMPREHENSION

A- Answer these questions.
1. Why do parents in most countries give priority to boys’ education?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What should be done to improve families’ health and nutrition?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
B-Are these sentences True or False? Justify

1. 50% of people all over the world who can’t read and write are women.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Educated women get married at an early age.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Women’s education reduces infant deaths. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

C. What do the underlined words refer to in the text:
1. who refers to ………………………..
2. they refers to……………………….
3. those refers to……………………..

D- Find in the text words or expressions which mean almost the same as.
1. Not enough ( paragraph 1 )=………………………..
2. Get better ( paragraph 2 )=……………………….