Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 18 to 22.
In Paris, a group of academics has organised an unusual event known as the Festival of Errors to challenge prevailing attitudes in the French education system towards mistakes and creativity. Critics of the traditional model argue that French schools place disproportionate emphasis on correct answers and rote learning, (18)__________. The festival encourages participants to embrace error as an essential part of learning, hosting science-based workshops in which children are asked to explore questions without fear of being wrong. Through such activities, organisers hope to show that (19)__________.
Several intellectuals and education specialists have criticised the current system as overly hierarchical and driven by results, claiming it suppresses innovation and undermines confidence in young minds. One academic involved in the festival explained that errors (20)__________. Meanwhile, teachers who resist the pressure to always deliver correct solutions report that when students accept the possibility of failure, they become more imaginative and (21)__________.
Parents attending the event have acknowledged the intense competition and pressure to succeed that children face, particularly when marked assessments dominate early schooling. The festival, which takes place at the École Normale Supérieure and lasts several days, aims to cultivate a more open-minded approach to learning. By reframing mistakes as a source of insight rather than shame, organisers hope to inspire a generation of learners (22)__________.
[Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com]
Question 18:
A. where pupils are capable of independent thought but limited by creative problem-solving
B. which limits pupils’ capacity to think independently without creative problem-solving
C. as pupils aren’t capable of thinking independently due to the limits of creative problem-solving
D. leaving pupils with limited capacity for independent thought or creative problem-solving
