Last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared war on paper textbooks. “Over the next few years,” he said in a speech at the National Press Club, “textbooks should be abandoned.” In their place would come a variety of digital-learning technologies, like e-readers and multi-media websites.
Such technologies certainly have their place. But Secretary Duncan is threatening to light a fire to a tried-and-true technology—good old paper—that has been the foundation for one of the great educational systems on the planet. And while e-readers and multi-media websites may seem appealing, the idea of replacing an effective learning platform with a widely hyped (炒作) but still unproven one is extremely dangerous.
An expert on reading, Maryanne Wolf, has recently begun studying the effects of digital reading on learning, and so far the results are mixed. She worries that Internet reading, in particular, could be such a source of distractions(分散注意力) for students that they may cancel out most other potential benefits of a Web-linked, e-learning environment and while it's true that the high-tech industry has sponsored substantial amounts of research on the potential benefits of Web-based learning, not enough time has passed for longitudinal(纵向的) studies to demonstrate the full effects.
In addition, digital-reading advocates claim that lightweight e-books benefit students' backs and save schools money. But the rolling backpack seems to have solved the weight problem, and the shocking costs to outfit every student with an e-reader, provide technical support and pay for regular software updates promise to make the e-textbook a very pricey choice.
As both a teacher who uses paper textbooks and a student of urban history, I can't help but wonder what parallels exist between my own field and this sudden, wholesale abandonment of the technology of paper.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．Multi-media websites and good old paper are kinds of digital-learning technologies. |
| B．Digital learning technologies will replace the paper textbooks sooner or later. |
| C．E-readers and multi-media websites are learning methods that are proved effective. |
| D．A tried-and-true technology is paper textbooks, long used in educational system. |
| A．Their weight. | B．Their price. |
| C．Their content. | D．Their appearance. |
| A．paper learning can provide more potential benefits |
| B．students may not focus on learning by digital reading |
| C．digital reading can't provide potential benefits for users |
| D．the results of digital reading effects are understandable |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Positive. | D．Objective. |
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【推荐1】A lecture hall should be like a church-a little too dark,much too cold,and uncomfortably silent.You should feel guilty opening your water bottle,because all 200 people in the room can hear it.
So when I’m trying to pay attention,the last thing you should be doing is carrying on a conversation about your last weekend party or anything else.
During the past school term,I’ve had enough.One of my biggest complaints of large class sizes is the tendency for three to five friends to sit together and loudly whisper each others’ ears off for an hour and 15 minutes straight.My stupid monkey brain can’t help but focus on your conversation about the difference between ash blonde and light blonde colored hair that look exactly the same.
To me,it just feels like a waste.You’re actively wasting money,and missing vital information.We(and the government)pay quite a lot for our education,but you are here to ignore someone significantly more experienced than us,in classes we picked,for hours every week.
I know major requirements can be boring,but this is still an education.It requires two-way effort.Most of students here have at least one goal in common:success.Not every checkpoint on that path is going to be filled with joy.Sit down,shut up,and force yourself to listen to your professor.Society tells us it will eventually pay off.
Or maybe it won’t because you don’t want to.
I actually don’t care if you decide to pay little or no attention to the lecture itself,so long as you’re not being disturbing.
For those willing to try,in 20 years when you finally pay off your debt with your fairly secure white-collar job,you’ll look back and be happy that you went through the lectures.
1. Why is a lecture hall compared to a church by the author?| A．Both places are open to the public. |
| B．Both places are supposed to be quiet. |
| C．Both places can seat over 200 people. |
| D．Both places help rid people of their guilt. |
| A．He likes persuading others. |
| B．He tends to make complaints. |
| C．He values education as a duty. |
| D．He cares much about friendship. |
| A．Annoyed. |
| B．Deserted. |
| C．Thrilled. |
| D．Worried. |
| A．Hard Work Pays Off! |
| B．Focus on the Lectures! |
| C．Wasting Your Time Is a Shame! |
| D．Mind Your In-Class Behavior! |
【推荐2】Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚) in which students either sink or swim, the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform (符合) to a stereotype, a US study says. Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to conform to the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being faded by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls. The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys’ learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with specifically “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern style in which violence and sexism are major themes,” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reported.
1. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?| A．It makes girls less emotional than boys. |
| B．It fails more boys than girls academically. |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need. |
| D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls. |
| A．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| B．boys focus more on their lessons without being disturbed |
| C．teaching quality is relatively higher than in mixed schools |
| D．teaching can be designed to suit the characteristics of boys |
| A．Boys have sharper vision. | B．Boys enjoy being in charge. |
| C．Boys like “hands-on” lessons. | D．Boys prefer physical activities. |
| A．Problems boys may have in mixed schools. |
| B．Boys’ physical and mental growth in school. |
| C．Advantages of single-sex education for boys. |
| D．Boys’ disadvantages over girls in mixed schools. |
【推荐3】Proper arrangement of classroom space is important to encouraging interaction. Most of us have noticed how important physical setting is to efficiency and comfort in our work.
We are in the twenty-first century now, but step into almost any college classroom and you step back in time at least a hundred years. Desks are normally in straight rows, so students can clearly see the teacher but not all their classmates.
With a little imagination and effort, unless desks are fixed to the floor, the teacher can correct this situation and create space that encourages interchange among students. In small or standard-sized classes, chairs, desks, and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways: circles, U-shapes or semicircles.
| A．It’s impossible for students to make up small groups in large lecture halls. |
| B．In courses that regularly use a small group format, students might be asked to stay in the same small groups throughout the course. |
| C．The assumption behind such an arrangement is obvious: Everything of importance comes from the teacher. |
| D．College classroom space should be designed to encourage the activity of critical thinking. |
| E．Large classes, particularly those held in lecture halls, unfortunately, allow much less flexibility. |
| F．The primary, goal should be: for everyone to be able to see everyone else. |
【推荐1】What Makes a Book a Classic?
People usually confuse “classical” with “classic” when it comes to literature.
They have artistic quality
A classic is usually considered to be a representative of the period in which it was written, and it deserves lasting recognition. A classic may look “old” due to pacing and dated language, but you can learn from and be inspired by it even today.
They have universal appeal
Because great works focus on themes that are understood by readers from different backgrounds and levels of experience, they can easily reach readers’ hearts. This is especially true of the themes of love, hate, death, life and faith.
They encourage lifelong readers
Because of the high quality of the characters, story and writing, readers can read a classic in their youth and gather a basic understanding of the author's themes.
| A．They can stand the test of time |
| B．It can also be read later in their life |
| C．A classic uses literary techniques properly |
| D．However, each of them has a separate meaning |
| E．They touch upon readers’ basic emotional responses |
Should Writers Be Paid for Their E-books Lent by Libraries?
When libraries lend books to the public, authors and publishers receive remuneration from the Government under the Lending Rights schemes.
This year, the government has distributed almost a $ 22 million under these Public Lending Rights and Educational Lending Rights Schemes. For each book in public library collections creators receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52.
The amount that each claimant receives is often not very significant, with the majority of authors receiving between S100-500 annually, Still, a previous study has revealed that this remuneration constitutes the second most important source of income for creators from their creative work.
E-books, however, are not covered by these Lending Rights schemes.
One of the main reasons why e-books are not covered is that e-book lending is quite different from print book lending. In case of print books, authors and publishers are arguably losing on customers and revenues when libraries loan their books for free.Creators only receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52 for each book in public library collections.
At present, in the case of e-books, many publishers chose not to sell these books to libraries.
While publishers charge libraries high prices for e-books, writers complain that these amounts do not reach them. Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending.
| A．However,this is not the case when libraries lend e-books. |
| B．This may not be a big issue now, for e-books are minor in publishing. |
| C．Also, publishers assume get more profits from libraries where readers pay them more. |
| D．Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending. |
| E．Extension alone would do little if the current funds under the schemes were merely re-distributed from books to e-books. |
| F．For this reason, authors and publishers have been talking the Government into extending the Lending Rights Schemes to e-books. |
【推荐3】Earlier this month, Bob Dylan released The Philosophy of Modern Song, a collection of 66 songs, detailing their status in music and, sometimes, explaining what a given track might mean or do. The book reminded me of the Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, in which Smith intelligently summarizes each song's narrative arc as if it were a newspaper headline. Dylan is less direct and more tends to allegorical (讽喻的) long speeches.
Dylan has always had a slightly tense relationship with the writers and journalists who grammatically analyze his songs for meaning, and, while reading The Philosophy of Modern Song, there were moments when I grew slightly red-faced, worried that the book might be an purposeful joke, making fun of all the drooling (垂涎) critics who have gone thrilled trying to illustrate the greatness and beauty of his work. Yet the pattern and rhythm of his descriptions will be quite familiar to anyone who listened to “Theme Time Radio Hour”, the Sirius XM show that Dylan hosted from 2006 to 2009.
Ultimately, both projects repeat, in a serious way, just how difficult it is to study, investigate, and evaluate something as indescribable and brain-scrambling (烧脑) as popular music.
The Philosophy of Modern Song picked a limited number of songs, for Dylan to define the masterpieces that defined him, and he did so determinedly. Much like Smith’s Anthology, Dylan’s book is deeply personal, despite its sweeping title. It’s obvious that Dylan did not adjust his preferences to suit a cultural narrative or to play down his age. Yet that the book contains only four songs performed by women is both depressing and astonishing. This might lead readers to question Dylan’s character and, more worrying, to wonder about the limits of his musical knowledge.
1. What do the two books, The Philosophy of Modern Song and Anthology of American Folk Music, have in common?| A．The writing style. | B．The writers’ career. |
| C．The books’ subject. | D．The creation background. |
| A．Because he was on bad terms with Bob Dylan. |
| B．Because he failed to listen to Dylan’s radio program. |
| C．Because he was laughed at for his comments on Dylan’s book. |
| D．Because he may be among those critics taking advantage of Dylan’s works. |
| A．It presents a whole history of American folk music. |
| B．It offers a review on Bob Dylan’s personal music albums. |
| C．It suggests a possible lack of attention to women’s music. |
| D．It follows the example of Anthology of American Folk Music. |
| A．To question Dylan’s expertise in folk music. |
| B．To introduce the newly-published book by Bob Dylan. |
| C．To blame Dylan for his underestimating female musicians. |
| D．To compare the two books of Philosophy and Anthology. |
【推荐1】Our biggest, most popular stories exported around the globe—Hollywood movies often erase and fail to show humanizing description of Latinos.
It is no secret that fictional storytelling offers an opportunity to inspire and shape the views of audience. Yet on Monday, a study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, found that across 1,200 of the most popular films released from 2007 to 2018, only 3% of protagonists（主角）were Latinos who made up just 4.5% of all speaking or named characters in spite of the fact that Latinos account for 18% of the U.S. population and 23% of movie ticket buyers.
The results also show that the description of Latino characters in these films—as criminals, in poverty or without any links to a rich Latino heritage or community—dramatically extends the scope of the problem.
So, what can be done? The process of authentic storytelling starts with storytellers. Hiring more creative Latinos is a significant first step to changing the narratives that have long excluded or stereotyped the community. We also need more Latinos behind the camera. Of those 28 directors interviewed for the study, only I was a Latino. We need Latinos from a variety of backgrounds controlling top motion pictures at the same rate of success as movies by their white directors.
Changes behind the camera can change stories from the outdated stereotypes that mirror the dangerous image about Latinos that has ruled our news cycles, presenting instead a picture of this vibrant（有活力的）community. This means Latinos as characters working in government, finance, higher education, and leading Fortune 500 companies—in other words, showing the world as it is and offering Latinos what have been awarded to other groups.
It’s time for Hollywood to commit to producing movies at studios with Latinos at the center, produced by Latinos and reviewed by and for both Latino and non-Latino global audiences. Netflix and Amazon have already recognized this and are pursuing a strategy that invests in and locates production in Latin America and Spain — with investments in original content across multiple countries.
1. The second paragraph is mainly developed by _________.| A．listing figures | B．giving examples |
| C．providing definition | D．making assumptions |
| A．The language used by Latinos. | B．The present lifestyle of Latinos. |
| C．The production and direction of films. | D．The working experiences of Latinos. |
| A．It can catch up with other countries in film-making. |
| B．It can remove its prejudice against Latino audiences. |
| C．It can obtain more investment in movies about Latin. |
| D．It can fight against outdated stereotypes about Latinos. |
| A．To advocate people to do justice to Latino community. |
| B．To urge audience to pay more attention to Latino characters. |
| C．To call for authentic description of Latinos in Hollywood movies. |
| D．To employ more Latinos as main characters in Hollywood movies. |
【推荐2】So few adults can remember the details of their own preschool or kindergarten years, it can be hard to appreciate just how much the early-education landscape has been transformed over the past two decades. The changes are not restricted to the physical environment of classrooms. Teaching methods and curricula have changed too. Much greater parts of the day are now spent on what’s called “seatwork”(a term that probably doesn’t need any explanation) and direct instruction, formerly used mainly in the older grades, in which a teacher carefully controls the content and pacing of what a child is supposed to learn.
One study, titled “Is Kindergarten the New First Grade?” compared kindergarten teachers’ attitudes nationwide in 1998 and 2010 and found that the percentage of teachers expecting children to know how to read by the end of the year had risen from 30 to 80 percent. The researchers also reported more time spent with workbooks and worksheets, and less time devoted to music and art. Kindergarten is indeed the new first grade, the authors concluded. In turn, children who would once have used the kindergarten year as a gentle transition into school are in some cases being held back before they’ve had a chance to start.
Until recently, school-readiness skills weren’t high on anyone’s agenda, nor was the idea that the youngest learners might be disqualified from moving on to the next stage. But now that kindergarten serves as a gatekeeper, not a welcome mat, to elementary school, concerns about school preparedness kick in earlier and earlier. A child who’s supposed to read by the end of kindergarten had better be getting ready in preschool. As a result, expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5- and 6-year-olds, such as being able to sit at a desk and complete a task using pencil and paper, are now directed at even younger children, who Jack the motor skills and attention span to be successful.
Preschool classrooms have become increasingly difficult spaces, with teachers asking pre-schoolers to finish their “work” before they can go play. And yet, even as pre-schoolers are learning more pre-academic skills at earlier ages, I’ve heard many teachers say that they seem somehow less curious and less engaged than the kids of earlier generations. More children today seem to lack the language skills needed to retell a simple story or to use basic connecting words and prepositions. They can’t make a conceptual analogy between, say, the veins(纹理) on a leaf and the veins in their own hands.
That’s right. The same educational policies that are publishing academic goals down to ever earlier levels seem to be contributing to the fact that young children are gaining fewer skills, not more.
1. What can be inferred from the sentence “Kindergarten is indeed the new first grade”?| A．Kindergarten is going to replace the first grade in the future. |
| B．Kindergarten kids are asked to learn what first-graders learn. |
| C．Today’s kindergarten kids are smarter than first graders in the past. |
| D．Some kids choose to skip kindergarten to go to the first grade directly. |
| A．might not be able to go to the kindergarten |
| B．are worried about their school-readiness skills |
| C．are not allowed to move on to elementary school |
| D．think of the kindergarten year as a gentle transition |
| A．Pre-schoolers need to be academically prepared. |
| B．Preschool teachers are not as kind as they used to be. |
| C．Today’s preschool education doesn’t prove successful. |
| D．Children pick up their first language later than before. |
| A．What Preschool Kids Should Be Taught |
| B．How the New Preschool Is Damaging Kids |
| C．Why We Should Take Preschoolers Seriously |
| D．Who Is to Blame for Preschoolers’ Lack of Skills |
【推荐3】It was winter but people were everywhere in London at the weekend. They were in T-shirts or sandals (凉鞋). Monday was another warm day, without a cloud in the sky, and in the late afternoon the light took on a magical, honey-coloured color. It brought to mind one of those summer evenings you experienced in childhood, when you’d be in the park all day and your parents let you stay out until bedtime, and you felt like you were doing something deliciously naughty just by being there.
It wasn’t early summer: it was February. And the entire developed world has been attacking the global ecosystem (全球生态系统) for many years, and that’s how we go into this pickle.
We should try to hold on to this fact that this is not supposed to be happening. Less than a month ago, there was a video of extreme ( 极 端 的 ) cold weather coming out of Chicago. Water poured from cups immediately froze on its way to the ground. OK, that was on the other side of the world, and its temperature was- 11℃ then.
On Monday, though, the temperature hit 20.3℃ in Ceredigion, West Wales: the highest February temperature ever recorded in Britain and the first time the temperature had reached 20℃ in winter.
This isn’t good, is it? The 10 hottest years on record have all happened within the past 20 years, the five hottest were the last five. Yet the beaches and the beer gardens fill up, while the papers describe the weather as wonderful. There were those who gave in to the heat wave a little too easily. They let themselves forget it was winter and found themselves, when the sun went down and the temperature dropped, suddenly shaking and unprepared for the cold. It feels uncomfortably like a symbol.
1. What does the author want to do in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce a beautiful summer. |
| B．To encourage kids to play outside. |
| C．To share his daily activities with us. |
| D．To describe the scene of a warm winter. |
| A．Daily activity. | B．Unusual place. |
| C．Difficult situation. | D．Quick development. |
| A．To compare it with that of London. |
| B．To attract more people to Chicago. |
| C．To show it is well-known for an online video. |
| D．To encourage more people to post videos online. |
| A．The author hoped people stayed indoors. |
| B．The author worries about global warming. |
| C．The papers misled the public in weather reports. |
| D．The papers asked the public to prepare for the cold. |
