教育类文章精选:Pass the chalk

时间:2006-09-12 08:52:01

(单词翻译:单击)

BACK in 1922, Thomas Edison predicted that "the motion picture is destined1 to revolutionize our educational system and...in a few years it will supplant2 largely, if not entirely3, the use of textbooks." Well, we all make mistakes. But at least Edison did not squander4 vast quantities of public money on installing cinema screens in schools around the country.

  With computers, the story has been different. Many governments have packed them into schools, convinced that their presence would improve the pace and efficiency of learning. Large numbers of studies, some more academically respectable than others, have purported5 to show that computers help children to learn. Now, however, a study that compares classes with computers against similar classes without them casts doubt on that view.

  In the current Economic Journal, Joshua Angrist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Victor Lavy of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem look at a scheme which put computers into many of Israel's primary and middle schools in the mid-1990s. Dr Angrist and Dr Lavy compare the test scores for maths and Hebrew achieved by children in the fourth and eighth grades (ie, aged6 about nine and 13) in schools with and without computers. They also asked the classes' teachers how they used various teaching materials, such as Xeroxed worksheets and, of course, computer programs. The researchers found that the Israeli scheme had much less effect on teaching methods in middle schools than in elementary schools. It also found no evidence that the use of computers improved children's test scores. In fact, it found the reverse. In the case of the maths scores of fourth-graders, there was a consistently negative relationship between computer use and test scores.

  The authors offer three possible explanations of why this might be. First, the introduction of computers into classrooms might have gobbled up cash that would otherwise have paid for other aspects of education. But that is unlikely in this case since the money for the programme came from the national lottery8, and the study found no significant change in teaching resources, methods or training in schools that acquired computers through the scheme.

  A second possibility is that the transition to using computers in instruction takes time to have an effect. Maybe, say the authors, but the schools surveyed had been using the scheme's computers for a full school year. That was enough for the new computers to have had a large (and apparently9 malign10) influence on fourth-grade maths scores. The third explanation is the simplest: that the use of computers in teaching is no better (and perhaps worse) than other teaching methods.

  The bottom line, says Dr Angrist, is that "the costs are clear-cut and the benefits are murky11." The burden of proof now lies with the promoters of classroom computers. And the only reliable way to make their case is, surely, to conduct a proper study, with children randomly12 allocated13 to teachers who use computers and teachers who use other methods, including the cheapest of all: chalk and talk.

  Economist15; 10/26/2002, Vol. 365 Issue 8296, p74, 2p, 1c

  注(1):本文选自Economist;10/26/2002, p74;

  注(2):本文习题命题模仿对象是1999年真题text4(1, 2, 3, 4)和text1第4题(第5题);

  1.We can learn from the first paragraph that __________________.

  [A] motion picture has revolutionized education system

  [B] Edison’s prediction has been proved wrong

  [C] Edison encouraged schools to install cinema screens

  [D] schools are cautious about Edison’s idea

  2.Dr. Angrist and Dr. Lavy have done the following except _______________.

  [A] comparing the test scores of students in different age groups

  [B] interviewing teachers about their teaching methods

  [C] launching the computer program in many Israeli schools

  [D] explaining students’ school performance

  3.According to Dr. Angrist and Dr. Lavy, in the Israeli scheme, students didn’t make

  improvement in their test scores because______________.

  [A] other aspects of education were affected16 due to cash shortage

  [B] it was not long enough for the program to take effect

  [C] there was a negative relationship between computer use and test scores

  [D] the use of computer was no better than other teaching methods

  4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ________________.

  [A] there hasn’t been a proper study on this issue yet

  [B] school authorities should provide proof to support the computer program

  [C] installing computers in schools costs too much, but has little or no effect

  [D] chalk and talk work better than computer in teaching

  5.The author’s attitude towards governments’ packing computers in schools seems to be

  ___________________.

  [A] biased17

  [B] indifferent

  [C] disapproving18

  [D] puzzling

  答案:BCDAC

  篇章剖析:

  本文为说明文,采用新闻报道体,在第一段以爱迪生所作的错误预测开始,将其与第二段中学校期望通过将电脑引入课堂来改进教学的想法进行对照,引入话题,指出学校的上述想法未必正确。第三段叙述了两位研究人员对以色列在1990年代中期将电脑引入中小学课堂所带来的教学效果的研究,以此说明电脑未必如人们所期望的那样促进课堂学习。第四段,第五段,第六段分别引述了研究人员的解释,并逐一进行分析,最后得出结论:要证明电脑有助于教学,必须进行正确的研究。

  词汇注释:

  supplant[sE5plB:nt] v. 取代,代替(另一个)

  squander[5skwRndE(r)] v. 挥霍或浪费;放荡地花掉

  purport[pE5pC:t] v. 声称

  Hebrew [5hi:bru:]n. 以色列语;希伯来人

  Xerox7 v. 复印

  reverse [rI5v\:s]n. 相反,颠倒:相反的事物或相反的方面

  gobble [5^Rb(E)l]v. 吞并;贪婪地攫取

  transition [trAn5sIF(E)n, trB:-]n. 转变, 转换

  malign [mE5laIn] adj. 有害的:具不良影响的;有害的

  the bottom line 要点或关键之处;结果,结局:最后结果或声明

  randomly adv. 任意地, 随便地,

  allocate14 [5AlEkeIt]v. 分派, 分配

  难句突破

  1.First, the introduction of computers into classrooms might have gobbled up cash that would otherwise have paid for other aspects of education.

  主体句式:the introduction might have gobbled up cash

  结构分析:本句是一个主从复合句,主句中的might have gobbled up表示对过去事实的猜测,that引导一个定语从句,限定修饰cash,其中从句中的otherwise常常用来引出虚拟语气,表示“要不然;在另一种情况下”。例如:Otherwise I might have helped you. 要不然我就帮你了。

  句子译文:第一,将电脑引入课堂可能会占用本应用于其它教育方面的资金。

  2.And the only reliable way to make their case is, surely, to conduct a proper study, with children randomly allocated to teachers who use computers and teachers who use other methods, including the cheapest of all: chalk and talk.

  主体句式:the way is to conduct a study

  结构分析:本句是一个复杂长句,不但涉及主从句,还涉及不定式,分词和介词短语。第一个不定式to make their case作定语修饰way,第二个不定式作表语;with引导的介词短语往往可以是“介词+复合宾语”的形式,其中复合宾语可以由现在分词或者过去分词来充当,由它和介词宾语之间的逻辑关系决定,例如:with her hair flying in the wind;with the paper tucked under his arm等;who引导的定语从句修饰教师,分词including 引导的短语限定修饰methods。

  句子译文:而他们所能采用的唯一可靠方法当然就是进行适当的研究,学生应该是随机分配给使用电脑教学的教师和使用其他方法教学的教师,包括最廉价的方法:粉笔和谈话。

  题目分析:

  1.答案是B,属事实细节题。文中第一段提到“we all make mistakes”,说明爱迪生的预言

  是错误的。

  2.答案是C,属事实细节题。文中第三段和第四段分别提到两位研究人员compare test

  scores;ask the classes’ teachers和offer explanations,但launch the computer program则是由以色列政府所为。

  3.答案是D,属事实细节题。从文中第四段,第五段里两位研究人员所给出的解释以及

  相应的分析可以看出,学生成绩没有提高主要是因为在教学中使用电脑并不比采用其他方法教学更好。

  4.答案是A,属推理判断题。作者在本文第二段中指出,许多学术文章都宣称使用电脑

  有助于课堂教学,但新的研究对这一说法提出了怀疑。在最后一段中,作者说要证明使用电脑有助于教学,就必须进行正确的研究。可见,作者对以前的研究方法提出了质疑。

  5.答案是C,属推理判断题。对政府在学校安装电脑一事,作者虽然没有明确提出反对,

  但字里行间都透出不赞成的态度。在第一段,作者以爱迪生的预言为例,说爱迪生至少没有浪费公共资金,言下之意就是当前发生的情况算得上是浪费公共资金的举动。在最后一段,作者引用研究人员的观点说明在学校安装电脑是成本清楚但收效模糊的事。并提出让支持使用电脑的人采用正确的方法对学校应不应该在教室安装电脑进行论证。可见作者对这一类问题持否定的态度。

  参考译文:

  1922年的时候,托马斯·爱迪生曾经预测说“电影必将革新我们的教育制度,…要不了几年,它就能取代大部分(即便不是全部的)教科书。”当然,人都会有出错的时候。不过至少在给全国各地的学校安装电影屏幕这件事上,爱迪生并没有浪费大笔公共资金。

  有了电脑,情况又不一样了。许多政府已经把电脑装进了学校,并深信电脑会提高学习的速度和效率。大量的研究,其中还包括一些学术性更强的研究,都试图说明电脑有助于儿童的学习。不过,现在有一项对用电脑教学和不用电脑教学的课堂的比较研究对这一观点提出了怀疑。

  在本期经济专刊中,来自麻省理工学院的乔舒亚·安格里斯特和耶路撒冷希伯莱大学的维克多·拉维对九十年代中期开始在许多以色列中小学安装电脑的计划进行了研究。安格里斯特博士和拉维博士比较了有电脑和没有电脑的四年级和八年级(也就是年龄在9到13岁之间)的儿童在数学和希伯莱语两个科目的考试成绩。他们还访问了课堂教师,询问他们是如何使用各种教学材料,例如复印纸,电脑设备等。两位研究者发现,这个以色列计划在改进中学教学方法方面的效果比小学的效果逊色得多。研究还发现,没有证据证明使用电脑能够提高儿童的考试成绩。实际上,情况正好相反。从四年级学生的数学成绩来看,使用电脑和考试成绩的关系一直成反比。

  两位作者对这种情况提出了三种可能的解释。第一,将电脑引入课堂可能会占用本应用于其它教育方面的资金。但在这个例子当中,这种情况不太可能发生,因为该计划的资金来自国家彩票。研究发现,在按照该计划添置电脑的学校中,教学资源,教学方法或者培训并没有显著变化。

  第二种可能性就是用电脑授课的这种变化要一段时间才能见效。两位作者说的只是一种可能性,但被调查的学校使用计划中的电脑已经有整整一学年了。新电脑在这段时间里足以对四年级的数学成绩产生较大的(但显然是不利的)影响。第三种解释也最简单:在教学中使用电脑并不比其他教学方法更好(也许还更糟)。

  最后,安格里斯特博士说:“成本很清楚,但收效却很模糊。”求证效果的担子现在就落在那些提倡在课堂使用电脑的人身上了。而他们所能采用的唯一可靠方法当然就是进行适当的研究,学生应该是随机分配给使用电脑教学的教师和使用其他方法教学的教师,包括最廉价的方法:粉笔和谈话。


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1 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
2 supplant RFlyN     
vt.排挤;取代
参考例句:
  • Electric cars may one day supplant petrol-driven ones.也许有一天电动车会取代汽油驱动的车。
  • The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。
3 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
4 squander XrnyF     
v.浪费,挥霍
参考例句:
  • Don't squander your time in reading those dime novels.不要把你的时间浪费在读那些胡编乱造的廉价小说上。
  • Every chance is precious,so don't squander any chance away!每次机会都很宝贵,所以不要将任何一个白白放走。
5 purported 31d1b921ac500fde8e1c5f9c5ed88fe1     
adj.传说的,谣传的v.声称是…,(装得)像是…的样子( purport的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • the scene of the purported crime 传闻中的罪案发生地点
  • The film purported to represent the lives of ordinary people. 这部影片声称旨在表现普通人的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
7 xerox ffPwL     
n./v.施乐复印机,静电复印
参考例句:
  • Xerox and Lucent are two more high-tech companies run by women.施乐和朗讯是另外两家由女性经营的大科技公司。
  • You cannot take it home,but you can xerox it.你不能把它带回家,但可以复印。
8 lottery 43MyV     
n.抽彩;碰运气的事,难于算计的事
参考例句:
  • He won no less than £5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
  • They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。
9 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
10 malign X8szX     
adj.有害的;恶性的;恶意的;v.诽谤,诬蔑
参考例句:
  • It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
  • She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。
11 murky J1GyJ     
adj.黑暗的,朦胧的;adv.阴暗地,混浊地;n.阴暗;昏暗
参考例句:
  • She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
  • She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。
12 randomly cktzBM     
adv.随便地,未加计划地
参考例句:
  • Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内,分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
  • Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句
13 allocated 01868918c8cec5bc8773e98ae11a0f54     
adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
  • More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。
14 allocate ILnys     
vt.分配,分派;把…拨给;把…划归
参考例句:
  • You must allocate the money carefully.你们必须谨慎地分配钱。
  • They will allocate fund for housing.他们将拨出经费建房。
15 economist AuhzVs     
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人
参考例句:
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
16 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
17 biased vyGzSn     
a.有偏见的
参考例句:
  • a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
  • The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。
18 disapproving bddf29198e28ab64a272563d29c1f915     
adj.不满的,反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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