Every education system is inevitably a mirror that reflects the culture of the society it is a part of. In many Western societies, such as the United States or Canada,【C1】______many different nationalities, religious groups and cultural orientations, individualism and independent thinking are【C2】______valued. And these values are reflected by the education systems in these countries. Teachers【C3】______the qualities that make each student special. Students are【C4】______expected to memorize information instead, they are encouraged to【C5】______, find answers on their own and【C6】______individual solutions. At an early age, students learn to form. their own ideas and opinions, and to ex- press their ideas in class discussion. In Japan,【C7】______, the vast majority of people share the same language, history, and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the education system there reflects a belief in group goals and traditions【C8】______individualism. Japanese schoolchildren often work together and help one another on assignments. In the classroom, the teacher is the main【C9】______of knowledge: He or she lectures, and the students listen. There is not much discussion【C10】______, the students recite rules or information that they have memorized. The advantage of the education system in Japan is that students there learn the social skill of cooperation.【C11】______advantage is that they learn much more math and science than most American students. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than their North American【C12】______do. Tile system is demanding, but it【C13】______children for a society that values discipline and self-control. There are, however, disadvantages. For one thing, many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information they memorized,【C14】______, the extremely demanding system puts enormous psychological pressure【C15】______students, and is considered a【C16】______factor in the high suicide rate among Japanese school-age children. The advantage of the education system in North America，【C17】______, is that students learn to think for themselves. They learn to【C18】______to make decisions and take action without someone telling them what to do. There are drawbacks, however.【C19】______other things, American high school graduates haven't studied as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have. And many social critics【C20】______the high crime rate in the US at least partially to a lack of discipline in the schools. 【C1】