【明報專訊】Owing to the growing obesity crisis and the sick-note culture among children in this generation, government-supported and comprehensive schools in Britian have declared that students should take part in PE lessons even if they have a sick note from their parents.

According to a survey by Chance To Shine, a charity that promotes cricket in schools, 20% of parents would write a sick note for their child even when they know he or she is not unwell. Also, 40% of pupils would ask their parents to lie on their behalf. The "no-note" regime in some schools allows teachers to give students who are genuinely ill less demanding activities. Only those with a doctor's note may withdraw from PE lessons completely.

The phenomenon is epidemic among "couch potato" children. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, has pointed out that, in the age of the Internet and video games, children are reluctant to exercise. That increases the risk of them having health problems when they are older. (source: Ming Pao, Daily Mail)

■Quiz

Choose the correct answers

(answers on next text)

1. Some schools in Britain forbid their students from using a ________ to avoid PE lessons.

a. doctor's note

b. sick note from parents

c. illness

2. If a student presents a doctor's note to his/her teacher, he/she may ________.

a. withdraw from PE lessons entirely

b. be given easier sport tasks

c. be given harder sport tasks

3. Cases of children skipping PE lessons with sick notes from parents have ___________ over time.

a. decreased

b. increased

c. remained constant

4. Now many children are reluctant to exercise because

a. they are always sick.

b. PE lessons are much more demanding than they were.

c. they would rather surf the Internet or play video games.

■Words

PE (physical education) 體育

sick note 病假紙

couch potato 成天躺�茤峓丹b沙發上的人

■Glossary

obesity (n) 過胖

on somebody's behalf (idiom) 代表某人

regime (n) 管理體制

epidemic (adj) 氾濫的