EWouldyoubelievethatthefirstoutstandingdeafteacherinAmericawasaFrenchman?HisnamewasLaurentClerc.HebecameafriendofThomasHopkinsGallaudetandtogethertheyfoundedAmerica'sfirstschoolforthedeafLaure

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　　WouldyoubelievethatthefirstoutstandingdeafteacherinAmericawasaFrenchman?HisnamewasLaurentClerc.HebecameafriendofThomasHopkinsGallaudetandtogethertheyfoundedAmerica'sfirstschoolforthedeaf

　　LaurentClercwasborninasmallvillagenearLyonsFranceonDecember261785.WhenheWasoneyearoldhefellintoafirelosingbothhishearingandhissenseofsmell.

　　At12LaurententeredtheRoyalInstitutionfortheDeafinPariswhereheexcelledinhisstudies.Afterhegraduatedtheschoolaskedhimtostayonasanassistantteacher.

　　MeanwhileinAmericaThomasHopkinsGallandetwasstudyingtobeaminister.Hewasveryconcernedaboutthelackofeducationalopportunitiesforthedeaf.Thereforein1815GallaudetsailedtoLondonEnglandtoseekideasonhowtoteachdeafpeople.WhilehewastherehemetaFrencheducatorofthedeafwhoinvitedhimtogotoParistospendthreemonthslearningattheRoyalInstitutionfortheDeaftheschoolwhereLaurentClercwasteaching.Gallaudetacceptedtheoffer.Thetwoworkedandstudiedwelltogether.WhenthetimecameforGallaudettoreturnheaskedClerctocomewithhim.Clercacceptedononecondition:thathewouldstayinAmericaonlyashorttime.

　　ThetwomensetsailonJune181816.ThevoyageacrosstheAtlanticOceantook52days;howeverClercandGallaudetputthetimetogooduse.ClercstudiedEnglishandGallaudetstudiedsignlanguage.Theydiscussedtheschoolforthedeafwhichtheyplannedtoopen.Onthelongtriptheyhadmanyconversationsabouteducationanddeafness.TheyearaftertheyarrivedtheyfoundedaschoolforthedeafinHarfordConnecticut.

　　AttheschoolClercledabusylife.HetaughtsignstoPrincipalGallaudet;hetaughtthepupils;andhetaughthearingmenwhocametotheschooltostudydeafeducation.

　　In1819ClercmarriedElizaCrockerBoardmanoneofhispupils.Theyhadsixchildren.Heretiredfromteachingin1858.AlthoughhehadintendedtoreturntoFranceheneverdid.HediedonJuly181869intheUnitedStates.

　　72.WhydidThomasHopkinsGallaudetsailtoLondon?

　　A.Heneededtofinishhisstudiestobecomeaminister.

　　B.ItwastheeasiestwaytogettoFrance.

　　C.Hewantedtostudytheirsystemofdeafeducation.