Yes, English is my first language...Studying in South Africa, on every English test or exam, the teachers would make us read a paragraph and answer some questions based on it...
I used to hate it, but now I grateful, because North American schools are LACKING....There is such a HUGE gap between High School education and University education...
In South African High Schools, when I attended, we were given a block of courses, you had to pass all of them, if you didn't, you failed the standard (grade)...There was none of this "I am grade 12 taking grade 11courses" nonsense I experienced in Canada...
But that was when White people were controlling the system...Who knows what type of fukkery is going on right now...In many non-certain cultures, academic education isn't that exalted...