考研英語教育類閱讀理解

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  Pass the chalk

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  BACK in 1922, Thomas Edison predicted that "the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system and...in a few years it will supplant largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks." Well, we all make mistakes. But at least Edison did not squander 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 purported 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, aged 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 lottery, 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 apparently malign*** 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 murky." 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 randomly allocated to teachers who use computers and teachers who use other methods, including the cheapest of all: chalk and talk.

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

  Pass the chalk練習題

  注***1***:本文選自Economist;10/26/2002, p74;

  注***2***:本文習題命題模仿物件是1999年真題text4***1, 2, 3, 4***和text1第4題***第5題***;

  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 affected 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] biased

  [B] indifferent

  [C] disapproving

  [D] puzzling

  答案:BCDAC

  Pass the chalk解析

  篇章剖析:

  本文為說明文,採用新聞報道體,在第一段以愛迪生所作的錯誤預測開始,將其與第二段中學校期望通過將電腦引入課堂來改進教學的想法進行對照,引入話題,指出學校的上述想法未必正確。第三段敘述了兩位研究人員對以色列在1990年代中期將電腦引入中小學課堂所帶來的教學效果的研究,以此說明電腦未必如人們所期望的那樣促進課堂學習。第四段,第五段,第六段分別引述了研究人員的解釋,並逐一進行分析,最後得出結論:要證明電腦有助於教學,必須進行正確的研究。

  詞彙註釋:

  supplant[sE5plB:nt] v. 取代,代替***另一個***

  squander[5skwRndE***r***] v. 揮霍或浪費;放蕩地花掉

  purport[pE5pC:t] v. 聲稱

  Hebrew [5hi:bru:]n. 以色列語;希伯來人

  Xerox v. 影印

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

  gobble [5^Rb***E***l]v. 吞併;貪婪地攫取

  transition [trAn5sIF***E***n, trB:-]n. 轉變, 轉換

  malign [mE5laIn] adj. 有害的:具不良影響的;有害的

  the bottom line 要點或關鍵之處;結果,結局:最後結果或宣告

  randomly adv. 任意地, 隨便地,

  allocate [5AlEkeIt]v. 分派, 分配

  難句突破

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

  主體句式:the introduction might have gobbled up cash

  結構分析:本句是一個主從複合句,主句中的might have gobbled up表示對過去事實的猜測,that引導一個定語從句,限定修飾cash,其中從句中的otherwise常常用來引出虛擬語氣,表示“要不然;在另一種情況下”。例如:Otherwise I might have helped you. 要不然我就幫你了。

  句子譯文:第一,將電腦引入課堂可能會佔用本應用於其它教育方面的資金。

  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.

  主體句式:the way is to conduct a study

  結構分析:本句是一個複雜長句,不但涉及主從句,還涉及不定式,分詞和介詞短語。第一個不定式to make their case作定語修飾way,第二個不定式作表語;with引導的介詞短語往往可以是“介詞+複合賓語”的形式,其中複合賓語可以由現在分詞或者過去分詞來充當,由它和介詞賓語之間的邏輯關係決定,例如:with her hair flying in the wind;with the paper tucked under his arm等;who引導的定語從句修飾教師,分詞including 引導的短語限定修飾methods。

  句子譯文:而他們所能採用的唯一可靠方法當然就是進行適當的研究,學生應該是隨機分配給使用電腦教學的教師和使用其他方法教學的教師,包括最廉價的方法:粉筆和談話。

  題目分析:

  1.答案是B,屬事實細節題。文中第一段提到“we all make mistakes”,說明愛迪生的預言

  是錯誤的。

  2.答案是C,屬事實細節題。文中第三段和第四段分別提到兩位研究人員compare test

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

  3.答案是D,屬事實細節題。從文中第四段,第五段裡兩位研究人員所給出的解釋以及

  相應的分析可以看出,學生成績沒有提高主要是因為在教學中使用電腦並不比採用其他方法教學更好。

  4.答案是A,屬推理判斷題。作者在本文第二段中指出,許多學術文章都宣稱使用電腦

  有助於課堂教學,但新的研究對這一說法提出了懷疑。在最後一段中,作者說要證明使用電腦有助於教學,就必須進行正確的研究。可見,作者對以前的研究方法提出了質疑。

  5.答案是C,屬推理判斷題。對政府在學校安裝電腦一事,作者雖然沒有明確提出反對,

  但字裡行間都透出不贊成的態度。在第一段,作者以愛迪生的預言為例,說愛迪生至少沒有浪費公共資金,言下之意就是當前發生的情況算得上是浪費公共資金的舉動。在最後一段,作者引用研究人員的觀點說明在學校安裝電腦是成本清楚但收效模糊的事。並提出讓支援使用電腦的人採用正確的方法對學校應不應該在教室安裝電腦進行論證。可見作者對這一類問題持否定的態度。

  Pass the chalk翻譯

  參考譯文:

  1922年的時候,托馬斯·愛迪生曾經預測說“電影必將革新我們的教育制度,…要不了幾年,它就能取代大部分***即便不是全部的***教科書。”當然,人都會有出錯的時候。不過至少在給全國各地的學校安裝電影螢幕這件事上,愛迪生並沒有浪費大筆公共資金。

  有了電腦,情況又不一樣了。許多政府已經把電腦裝進了學校,並深信電腦會提高學習的速度和效率。大量的研究,其中還包括一些學術性更強的研究,都試圖說明電腦有助於兒童的學習。不過,現在有一項對用電腦教學和不用電腦教學的課堂的比較研究對這一觀點提出了懷疑。

  在本期經濟專刊中,來自麻省理工學院的喬舒亞·安格里斯特和耶路撒冷希伯萊大學的維克多·拉維對九十年代中期開始在許多以色列中小學安裝電腦的計劃進行了研究。安格里斯特博士和拉維博士比較了有電腦和沒有電腦的四年級和八年級***也就是年齡在9到13歲之間***的兒童在數學和希伯萊語兩個科目的考試成績。他們還訪問了課堂教師,詢問他們是如何使用各種教學材料,例如影印紙,電腦裝置等。兩位研究者發現,這個以色列計劃在改進中學教學方法方面的效果比小學的效果遜色得多。研究還發現,沒有證據證明使用電腦能夠提高兒童的考試成績。實際上,情況正好相反。從四年級學生的數學成績來看,使用電腦和考試成績的關係一直成反比。

  兩位作者對這種情況提出了三種可能的解釋。第一,將電腦引入課堂可能會佔用本應用於其它教育方面的資金。但在這個例子當中,這種情況不太可能發生,因為該計劃的資金來自國家彩票。研究發現,在按照該計劃添置電腦的學校中,教學資源,教學方法或者培訓並沒有顯著變化。

  第二種可能性就是用電腦授課的這種變化要一段時間才能見效。兩位作者說的只是一種可能性,但被調查的學校使用計劃中的電腦已經有整整一學年了。新電腦在這段時間裡足以對四年級的數學成績產生較大的***但顯然是不利的***影響。第三種解釋也最簡單:在教學中使用電腦並不比其他教學方法更好***也許還更糟***。

  最後,安格里斯特博士說:“成本很清楚,但收效卻很模糊。”求證效果的擔子現在就落在那些提倡在課堂使用電腦的人身上了。而他們所能採用的唯一可靠方法當然就是進行適當的研究,學生應該是隨機分配給使用電腦教學的教師和使用其他方法教學的教師,包括最廉價的方法:粉筆和談話。

  看過的人還: