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Passage 2 In Britain the biggest number of working foreigners comes from the odd system know as au pair. Every week hundreds of girls arrive from strange capitals to live with English families. They are called au pairs. An au pair girl stays with the family and has free food and lodging. In return she does light work in the house. This system began as a genuine exchange, but now has become a commercial bargain between families who need help and girls who need to learn English. As learning languages has become more important, so the numbers involved have gone up. The system succeeds fairly well so far as teaching the girls English is concerned. But it is debatable how far it increases international friendship. There is a basic conflict of objectives-the hosts want cheap labor, the girls want leisure and language. The girls often find it hard to meet English people of their own school ages, for the language schools and clubs are made up of other foreigners. In spite of its shortcomings, the au pair system has probably played some role in breaking down frontiers. The British Vigilance Society estimates that 15 percent of the girls are very happy, 15 percent very happy, and 70 percent more or less content; but only a small minority keep in touch after they go back home. Questions 5 to 7 are based on the passage youve just heard. 5. What does the au pair system mean now? | 
