1 . Online courses offer people abundant opportunities to learn. Try some of the Harvard online courses about humanities.
The Path to Happiness
From Confucianism to Daoism, the philosophies developed over two thousand years ago are among the most powerful in human history. This course brings voices from the past into modern contexts to explore the path to a good life today.
Duration: June 16, 2021—June 14, 2022
Fees: Free of charge
Pace: Self-paced
Difficulty: Introductory
Introduction to the Ancient Greek World
This course is about ancient Greece with its unique places, ways of life and historical changes. We survey the most important social institutions and cultural traditions. We also study everyday features such as food and dress.
Duration: June 21—August 6, 2021
Fees: $3400
Pace: Instructor-led
Difficulty: Introductory
Biotechnology and the Human Good
Biotechnology offers exciting and promising prospects for healing the sick and relieving the suffering. In this course we consider possible functions beyond common treatments like making people look younger, perform better and become perfect.
Duration: June 21—August 6, 2021
Fees: $ 3400
Pace: Instructor-led
Difficulty: Intermediate
Superheroes and Power
What makes superheroes popular? How can they help us think about super powers? In this course, we explore those questions in Marvel and DC favorites (especially the X-Men) as well as independent comics novels.
Duration: June 22 —August 6, 2021
Fees: $ 3400
Pace: Instructor-led
Difficulty: Intermediate
1. Which course can you take if you are free in Oct. 2021?| A．The Path to Happiness | B．Introduction to the Ancient Greek World |
| C．Biotechnology and the Human Good | D．Superheroes and Power |
| A．Powers of superheroes. | B．More uses of biotech. |
| C．Ways to increase happiness. | D．Clinical practices of biotech. |
| A．They are of the same level. | B．They are free of charge. |
| C．They belong to the same subject. | D．They are instructor-led. |
2 . Online education has grown fast over the past ten years. The explosion of technology has made teaching outside the traditional classroom possible for teachers and has provided learners with easy access to course materials. Its attractiveness, benefits, and challenges are addressed.
In April, 2005, I was approached by a student who was interested in our doctoral program. However, the first question out of her mouth was, “Do you offer any online courses?” Later that day, as I was reading the conference program guide trying for interesting presentations, I noticed many workshops on web-based learning and online education. I later attended two of those workshops and met several professors from different universities who had either taught online courses for quite some time or who were discovering the best practice for teaching online. These experiences helped me realize at least to some extent the degree of growth in online education.
My responsibilities for the term included gaining more understanding of online education. Consequently, I made several attempts to enrich my knowledge of distance learning and online teaching. I consulted with my colleagues who were teaching online courses. This helped me recognize the importance of getting materials prepared even before the start of a term. I also learned that online courses may consume more time than regular classroom teaching. And I attended several workshops regarding online education and established a network with those who were involved in online programs at other universities. I will consider these people as my consultants as I begin to design my own online course. Also, I conducted a brief survey with 15 students and two faculty members who had taken or taught an online course before to understand their experience. Eventually I completed a literature review which gave me the foundation and the background of understanding the need for online education.
1. What benefits the development of online education?| A．Teachers’ good teaching ability. | B．Lack of traditional classrooms. |
| C．Learners’ access to free courses. | D．The rapid advance of technology. |
| A．To show students’ love for the doctoral program. |
| B．To persuade learners of traditional education. |
| C．To explain the growing trend of online education. |
| D．To predict the future of the teaching career. |
| A．The appetite for knowledge. | B．The professional responsibilities. |
| C．The requirement of research. | D．The colleagues’ encouragement. |
| A．Carefree. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Unwilling. |
3 . Taking online classes from far away
Faiqa, a 15-year-old freshman at a public high school, logs in to her all-remote classes each night from Pakistan in a time zone nine hours ahead. Max, who also attends school in the same state, has joined his Advanced Placement history class for about two months from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
It is unclear how widespread the practice is. But out-of-country logins have become increasingly common since late fall according to educators in the country.
Max says he is grateful that he is still able to log in to classes during the special period of time. “
| A．Missing school for a long time is really bad |
| B．Some families paid a visit to other countries |
| C．I’m desperate to get back to the online world |
| D．students take virtual classes from outside the state |
| E．over two-thirds of young students find it easier to learn lessons online |
| F．Max’s schoolmate, Naobe, participates in classes from northern Honduras |
| G．The officials say it is possible for students to log in from anywhere in the world |
4 . As the COVID-19 forces students to stay home, online learning has seen a sharp rise among students. Since late January, China has delayed starting the new school semester and encouraged students to study at home over safety concerns.
Besides what has been arranged by your schools as your study routine, what can you gain from online learning?
To successfully learn online, you need to dedicate a significant amount of your time, consistently attend the program, concentrate while studying and fully stick to your learning process, just as you would do for a regular course.
To stay on track with your online course, always keep in mind what you hope to complete by the end of it.
A study plan is important to online learning.
When you feel yourself losing concentration, consider taking a short break or sopping for the night.
Taking online courses can be very convenient for many people.
| A．Make a goal. |
| B．It can also offer you a good experience for self-learning. |
| C．Most importantly, you need to plan ahead with a good calendar system. |
| D．Online course companies also adopted special measures to meet students’ demands. |
| E．However, it may be challenging for some to successfully complete their online courses. |
| F．A to-do list is useful to carry out your study plan and to stay on track with your studying. |
| G．It is better to wait until you are able to start afresh rather than waste your time trying to focus. |
5 . More schools around the USA are using online classes when communities run into troubles like wildfires, storms or water shortages.
In Jackson, Mississippi, a problem with the public water system left the city without safe water for several days. As a result, schools had to go online for one week in May. The time in online learning did not last long for the 20, 000 students in Jackson. Earlier this month, children went back to in-person learning when the city said water was safe for normal use.
However, online learning caused problems for children and teachers. At home, children attending online classes often had their whole family in the house. Early in 2020, school officials had high hopes for online learning. Since then, the problems with it have become clearer. The change to online learning has caused many students to fall behind where they should be in their studies. And it has added to new worries about students’ health.
In 2018, two powerful storms hit the same area, causing schools in some places to close. Some students were out of school for weeks. There were attempts(尝试) at online learning, but many children did not have laptop computers or other technology. For this reason, most schools tried to move students to other in-person buildings.
“Schools now will look first to online learning,” said Gary Henry. He is head of the University of Delaware and has been part of a research team studying online learning. For a period of a few weeks, he said it could be a step to keep students on schedule. But the pandemic(疫情) showed that it was not a good way over a long period of time. “It’s a difficult start,” said Henry. “It’s better to have the kids in the classroom so you can see how they are doing, and provide timely support to them.”
1. How long did the students in Jackson attend online courses in May?| A．For two days. | B．For one week. |
| C．For two weeks. | D．For one month. |
| A．The disadvantages of online classes. |
| B．Added worries about students’ health. |
| C．A challenge school officials must face. |
| D．High hopes parents have for their children. |
| A．They developed an online learning system. |
| B．They handed out computers to every student. |
| C．They tried their best to have in-person class. |
| D．They encouraged parents to work from home. |
| A．The storms cause all the schools to close every year. |
| B．Many schools in Mississippi were burned in a fire. |
| C．Online tests are more popular among students. |
| D．In-person learning is better for students’ study. |
6 . Education officials and industry experts are debating the future of online learning. The discussion is important because hundreds of universities in the United States have recently moved classes online because of the spread of COVID-19.
For Asha Choksi, the rise of Internet-based or online study programs has led to major improvements in higher education. “It’s actually given a lot more power to students in terms of how, when and where they learn,” the head of research for Pearson Education said.
Classes meet online through video conferencing. In this way, students are able to communicate with each other and their professors even when they are far away from school. However, recent research suggests the majority of college students and professors prefer in-person instruction, because they are concerned that companies supervising online learning programs are not clear about the policies they have with the schools they serve.
“Students see in-class lectures as opportunities to engage with instructors, peers, and content.” the researchers wrote. In-person learning is especially important in fields like healthcare and teaching. Online education can never really take its place, said Stephanie Hall, a fellow with the independent policy research group The Century Foundation. “Students need to experience...what they’re learning about, reading about or hearing about in the classroom. And I don’t know yet the degree to which technology can facilitate that.”
“When schools make agreements with online program managers to run their online programs, they often do not make important information available to students,” Hall said. This includes how much control the company has over the design of the program or whether the faculty leading the classes was involved in their design. In addition, many colleges and universities advertise online programs as a low cost opportunity for students. But in some cases, students attending in-person classes get financial aid and online students do not.
1. What does Choksi think of the online study programs?| A．They promote the development of technology. |
| B．They reform the country’s education system. |
| C．They provide advanced scientific knowledge. |
| D．They offer students more choices in study. |
| A．It is convenient. | B．It costs less to study. |
| C．It can better meet school policies. | D．It can improve students’ communication skills. |
| A．Achieve. | B．Apply. | C．Change. | D．Control. |
| A．Negative. | B．Skeptical. | C．Supportive. | D．Objective. |
7 . Auckland University Online Education — What to Expect
Most Auckland University (AU) online programs are 100 percent online so that students do not come to the school campus. Instead, AU has designed a media-rich, easy-to-use learning environment through a Learning Management System (LMS).
· Discipline (纪律)
With disciplined work habits, you are likely to succeed as an online student. It is up to you to log on to your course and meet your own deadlines.
· Time Management
In order to earn competitive grades, plan on spending a minimum of 20 — 25 hours a week on each course. AU courses operate on a seven-week schedule, with start dates in January, March, May, July, September and November. Students are able to complete two courses per semester by taking one seven-week course at a time.
· Professional Connections
Many of the AU faculty (教员) who teach online have connections to industry, so the online learning environment ensures access to diverse expertise and practice. It includes an extensive network of professionals in a variety of industries.
“I work as an IT manager. And right from the very beginning, every class I took was relevant to what I was doing at work. The wide range of courses gave me a strong foundation for my career development.”
— Jim Heilman, Computer Information Systems graduate
· Technology
It goes without saying that technology plays a vital role in online learning. You will need a high-speed Internet connection and basic computer skills. For specifics, please click here to visit our Technology page.
1. How long does it take to complete one course?| A．Seven weeks. | B．One semester. |
| C．Several months. | D．At least 20 — 25 hours. |
| A．To recognize an excellent graduate. |
| B．To set a good example to other learners. |
| C．To prove benefits of professional connections. |
| D．To show effective methods of online learning. |
| A．A course brochure. | B．A college website. |
| C．An academic magazine. | D．An online advertisement. |
8 . Online Free Courses
English Grammar and Style
We’ll present materials that cover grammatical principles, word usage, writing style, sentence and paragraph structure, and punctuation. We’ll challenge you with quizzes and writing activities that will give you strategies to enhance the quality of your writing, and invite you to participate in discussions and assess the work of your peers (同龄人).
Length: 8 weeks.
Instructor: Roslyn Petelin from the University of Queensland.
Academic Writing Made Easy
From structuring and organizing an academic text to avoiding common mistakes that can negatively affect your credibility, this course offers a guide for those who want to improve their writing. Each week is comprised of video lessons, followed by exercises and tasks of assessing your peers’ work. The course requires upper-intermediate to advanced English.
Length: 6 weeks.
Instructor: Heidi Minning from the Technical University of Munich.
Preparing to Network in English
Networking in the business world is key to career success. But what is networking? And how do you do it in English? This course helps you understand the basics of networking and why it’s important. You’ll identify the key qualities you should focus on developing. Most importantly, you’ll grow and expand your business network and professional connections.
Length: 6 weeks.
Instructor: Joel Ozretich from the University of Washington.
Using Emails for Networking in English
In this course, you’ll learn important strategies for writing effective emails. You’ learn how to write messages for different audiences and understand when to be formal or direct. You’ll also learn how choice of words can change the way people view your message.
Length: 4 weeks.
Instructor: Daphne Mackey from the University of Washington.
1. English Grammar and Style offers materials on the following EXCEPT ________.| A．grammatical principles | B．word usage |
| C．punctuation | D．pronunciation |
| A．English Grammar and Style. |
| B．Academic Writing Made Easy. |
| C．Preparing to Network in English. |
| D．Using Emails for Networking in English. |
| A．Both last for one and half months. |
| B．Both involve some peer review tasks. |
| C．Both require upper-intermediate English. |
| D．Both are offered by the same university. |
| A．Roslyn Petelin. | B．Heidi Minning. |
| C．Joel Ozretich. | D．Daphne Mackey |
| A．Improving email-writing skills. |
| B．Giving tips on academic writing. |
| C．Exploring grammatical principles. |
| D．Introducing the basics of net working. |
9 . Auckland University Online Education — What to Expect
Most Auckland University (AU) online programs are 100 percent online so that students do not come to the school campus. Instead, AU has designed a media - rich, easy - to - use learning environment through a Learning Management System (LMS).
● Discipline (纪律)
With disciplined work habits, you are likely to succeed as an online student. It is up to you to log on to your course and meet your own deadlines.
● Time Management
In order to earn competitive grades, plan on spending a minimum of 20 - 25 hours a week on each course. AU courses operate on a seven - week schedule, with start dates in January, March, May, July, September and November. Students are able to complete two courses per semester by taking one seven - week course at a time.
● Professional Connections
Many of the AU faculty (教员) who teach online have connections to industry, so the online learning environment ensures access to diverse expertise and practice. It includes an extensive network of professionals in a variety of industries.
“I work as an IT manager. And right from the very beginning, every class I took was relevant to what I was doing at work. The wide range of courses gave me a strong foundation for my career development.”
— Jim Heilman, Computer Information Systems graduate
● Technology
It goes without saying that technology plays a vital role in online learning. You will need a high - speed Internet connection and basic computer skills. For specifics, please click here to visit our Technology page.
1. How long does it take to complete one course?| A．Seven weeks. | B．One semester. |
| C．Several months. | D．At least 20 - 25 hours. |
| A．To recognize an excellent graduate. |
| B．To set a good example to other learners. |
| C．To prove benefits of professional connections. |
| D．To show effective methods of online learning. |
| A．A course brochure | B．A college website. |
| C．An academic magazine. | D．A science report. |
10 . Tips for online learning
Online learning has the same basic elements as face-to-face learning. The major difference is that instruction is delivered online. Many of the strategies for effective face-to-face learning also apply to online learning.
Create space to learn. Invest some time to understand your needs and preferences as a learner, and what an effective study environment looks like for you. For example, you might need a quiet place to study, or you might need to listen to classical music. Consider what equipment you might need. Wherever you study, try to minimize distractions.
Manage your time effectively. Spend some time getting familiar with your online courses, understanding what is expected of you, mapping out key deadlines, and planning study time.
Ask for assistance! In an online learning environment, you may need to ask lots of questions and take ownership over shaping the learning experience so that it meets your needs.
Finally, if you’re facing specific challenges such as illness, mental health, accessibility, balancing childcare responsibilities, etc., it’s important for you to reach out to your instructors or the relevant student support services for discussion and creative problem-solving.
| A．Regularly reflect on the course materials. |
| B．A long-term routine will help you stay on track. |
| C．Actively review and apply what you have learned. |
| D．However, online learning may require some additional skills to be successful. |
| E．At the end of the week, reflect on how you did, and adjust your routine as required. |
| F．This might mean asking your instructors or peers for help, or attending study groups. |
| G．Work with your roommates or family to create personal space so you can stay focused. |
