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1、精品文档，仅供学习与交流，如有侵权请联系网站删除Unit 1 Text A Learning, Chinese-Style Part II Text A Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, reflects on a visit to China and gives his thoughts on different approaches to learning in China and the West. LEARNING, CHINESE-STYLE Howard Gardner For a mon
2、th in the spring of 1987, my wife Ellen and I lived in the bustling eastern Chinese city of Nanjing with our 18-month-old son Benjamin while studying arts education in Chinese kindergartens and elementary schools. But one of the most telling lessons Ellen and I got in the difference between Chinese
3、and American ideas of education came not in the classroom but in the lobby of the Jinling Hotel where we stayed in Nanjing. The key to our room was attached to a large plastic block with the room number on it. When leaving the hotel, a guest was encouraged to turn in the key, either by handing it to
4、 an attendant or by dropping it through a slot into a box. Because the key slot was narrow, the key had to be positioned carefully to fit into it. Benjamin loved to carry the key around, shaking it vigorously. He also liked to try to place it into the slot. Because of his tender age and incomplete u
5、nderstanding of the need to position the key just so, he would usually fail. Benjamin was not bothered in the least. He probably got as much pleasure out of the sounds the key made as he did those few times when the key actually found its way into the slot. Now both Ellen and I were perfectly happy
6、to allow Benjamin to bang the key near the key slot. His exploratory behavior seemed harmless enough. But I soon observed an interesting phenomenon. Any Chinese staff member nearby would come over to watch Benjamin and, noting his lack of initial success, attempt to assist. He or she would hold onto
7、 Benjamins hand and, gently but firmly, guide it directly toward the slot, reposition it as necessary, and help him to insert it. The teacher would then smile somewhat expectantly at Ellen or me, as if awaiting a thank you and on occasion would frown slightly, as if considering us to be neglecting o
8、ur parental duties. I soon realized that this incident was directly relevant to our assigned tasks in China: to investigate the ways of early childhood education (especially in the arts), and to throw light on Chinese attitudes toward creativity. And so before long I began to introduce the key-slot
9、anecdote into my discussions with Chinese educators.TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO LEARN With a few exceptions my Chinese colleagues displayed the same attitude as the staff at the Jinling Hotel. Since adults know how to place the key in the key slot, which is the ultimate purpose of approaching the slot, an
10、d since the child is neither old enough nor clever enough to realize the desired action on his own, what possible gain is achieved by having him struggle? He may well get frustrated and angry certainly not a desirable outcome. Why not show him what to do? He will be happy, he will learn how to accom
11、plish the task sooner, and then he can proceed to more complex activities, like opening the door or asking for the key both of which accomplishments can (and should) in due course be modeled for him as well. We listened to such explanations sympathetically and explained that, first of all, we did no
12、t much care whether Benjamin succeeded in inserting the key into the slot. He was having a good time and was exploring, two activities that did matter to us. But the critical point was that, in the process, we were trying to teach Benjamin that one can solve a problem effectively by oneself. Such se
13、lf-reliance is a principal value of child rearing in middle-class America. So long as the child is shown exactly how to do something whether it be placing a key in a key slot, drawing a hen or making up for a misdeed he is less likely to figure out himself how to accomplish such a task. And, more ge
14、nerally, he is less likely to view life as Americans do as a series of situations in which one has to learn to think for oneself, to solve problems on ones own and even to discover new problems for which creative solutions are wanted.TEACHING BY HOLDING HIS HAND In retrospect, it became clear to me
15、that this incident was indeed key and key in more than one sense. It pointed to important differences in the educational and artistic practices in our two countries. When our well-intentioned Chinese observers came to Benjamins rescue, they did not simply push his hand down clumsily or uncertainly,
16、as I might have done. Instead, they guided him with extreme facility and gentleness in precisely the desired direction. I came to realize that these Chinese were not just molding and shaping Benjamins performance in any old manner: In the best Chinese tradition, they were ba zhe shoujiao teaching by
17、 holding his hand so much so that he would happily come back for more. The idea that learning should take place by continual careful shaping and molding applies equally to the arts. Watching children at work in a classroom setting, we were astonished by their facility. Children as young as 5 or 6 we
18、re painting flowers, fish and animals with the skill and confidence of an adult; calligraphers 9 and 10 years old were producing works that could have been displayed in a museum. In a visit to the homes of two of the young artists, we learned from their parents that they worked on perfecting their c
19、raft for several hours a day.CREATIVITY FIRST? In terms of attitudes to creativity there seems to be a reversal of priorities: young Westerners making their boldest departures first and then gradually mastering the tradition; and young Chinese being almost inseparable from the tradition, but, over t
20、ime, possibly evolving to a point equally original. One way of summarizing the American position is to state that we value originality and independence more than the Chinese do. The contrast between our two cultures can also be seen in terms of the fears we both harbor. Chinese teachers are fearful
21、that if skills are not acquired early, they may never be acquired; there is, on the other hand, no comparable hurry to promote creativity. American educators fear that unless creativity has been acquired early, it may never emerge; on the other hand, skills can be picked up later. However, I do not
22、want to overstate my case. There is enormous creativity to be found in Chinese scientific, technological and artistic innovations past and present. And there is a danger of exaggerating creative breakthroughs in the West. When any innovation is examined closely, its reliance on previous achievements
23、 is all too apparent (the standing on the shoulders of giants phenomenon ). But assuming that the contrast I have developed is valid, and that the fostering of skills and creativity are both worthwhile goals, the important question becomes this: Can we gather, from the Chinese and American extremes,
24、 a superior way to approach education, perhaps striking a better balance between the poles of creativity and basic skills?(1182 words)Unit 2 Text A The Richest Man In America, Down Home The following words in the recording may be new to you:Dismay n. 沮丧，失望 Disturb vt. 使不安 Conscientious a. 认真的，尽职的Par
25、t II Text A Does being rich mean you live a completely different life from ordinary people? Not, it seems, if your name is Sam Walton. THE RICHEST MAN IN AMERICA, DOWN HOME Art Harris He put on a dinner jacket to serve as a waiter at the birthday party of The Richest Man in America. He imagined what
26、 surely awaited: a mansion, a Rolls-Royce for every day of the week, dogs with diamond collars, servants everywhere. Then he was off to the house, wheeling past the sleepy town square in Bentonville, a remote Arkansas town of 9,920, where Sam Walton started with a little dime store that grew into a
27、$6 billion discount chain called Wal-Mart. He drove down a country road, turned at a mailbox marked Sam and Helen Walton, and jumped out at a house in the woods. It was nice, but no palace. The furniture appeared a little worn. An old pickup truck sat in the garage and a muddy bird dog ran about the
28、 yard. He never spotted any servants. It was a real disappointment, sighs waiter Jamie Beaulieu. Only in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks and get away with it. And the 67-year-old discount king Sam Moore Walton still travels these windy back roads in his 1979 Ford pickup, red and
29、white, bird dogs by his side, and, come shooting season, waits in line like everyone else to buy shells at the local Wal-Mart. He doesnt want any special treatment, says night manager Johnny Baker, who struggles to call the boss by his first name as a recent corporate memo commands. Few here think o
30、f his billions; they call him Mr. Sam and accept his folksy ways. Hes the same man who opened his dime store on the square and worked 18 hours a day for his dream, says Mayor Richard Hoback. By all accounts, hes friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in, never flashy, never t
31、hrowing his weight around. No matter how big a time he had on Saturday night, you can find him in church on Sunday. Surely in a reserved seat, right? We dont have reserved seats, says Gordon Garlington III, pastor of the local church. So where does The Richest Man in America sit? Wherever he finds a
32、 seat. Look, hes just not that way. He doesnt have a set place. At a church supper the other night, he and his wife were in back washing dishes. For 19 years, hes used the same barber. John Mayhall finds him waiting when he opens up at 7 a.m. He chats about the national news, or reads in his chair,
33、perhaps the Benton County Daily Democrat, another Walton property that keeps him off the front page. It buried the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2. Hes just not a front-page person, a newspaper employee explains. But one recent morning, The Richest Man in America did something that would have ma
34、de headlines any where in the world: He forgot his money. I said, Forget it, take care of it next time, says barber Mayhall. But he said, No, Ill get it, and he went home for his wallet. Wasnt that, well, a little strange? No sir, says Mayhall, the only thing strange about Sam Walton is that he isnt
35、 strange. But just how long Walton can hold firm to his folksy habits with celebrity hunters keeping following him wherever he goes is anyones guess. Ever since Forbes magazine pronounced him Americas richest man, with $2.8 billion in Wal-Mart stock, hes been a rich man on the run, steering clear of
36、 reporters, dreamers, and schemers. He may be the richest by Forbes rankings, says corporate affairs director Jim Von Gremp, but he doesnt know whether he is or not and he doesnt care. He doesnt spend much. He owns stock, but hes always left it in the company so it could grow. But the real story in
37、his mind is the success achieved by the 100,000 people who make up the Wal-Mart team. Hes usually back home for Friday sales meetings, or the executive pep rally Saturday morning at 7 a.m., when Walton, as he does at new store openings, is liable to jump up on a chair and lead everyone in the Wal-Ma
38、rt cheer: Give me a W! Give me an A! Give me an L! Louder! And louder they yell. No one admits to feeling the least bit silly. Its all part of the Wal-Mart way of life as laid down by Sam: loyalty, hard work, long hours; get ideas into the system from the bottom up, Japanese-style; treat your people
39、 right; cut prices and margins to the bone and sleep well at night. Employees with one year on board qualify for stock options, and are urged to buy all they can. After the pep rally, theres bird hunting, or tennis on his backyard court. But his stores are always on his mind. One tennis guest manage
40、d to put him off his game by asking why a can of balls cost more in one Wal-Mart than another. It turned out to be untrue, but the move worked. Walton lost four straight games. Walton set up a college scholarship fund for employees children, a disaster relief fund to rebuild employee homes damaged b
41、y fires, floods, tornadoes, and the like. He believed in cultivating ideas and rewarding success. Hed say, That fellow worked hard, lets give him a little extra, recalls retired president Ferold F. Arend, who was stunned at such generosity after the stingy employer he left to join Wal-Mart. I had to
42、 change my way of thinking when I came aboard. The reason for our success, says Walton, in a company handout, is our people and the way theyre treated and the way they feel about their company. They believe things are different here, but they deserve the credit. Adds company lawyer Jim Hendren: Ive
43、never seen anyone yet who worked for him or was around him for any length of time who wasnt better off. And I dont mean just financially, although a lot of people are. Its just something about him coming into contact with Sam Walton just makes you a better person.(1066 words)Unit 3 Text A Father kno
44、ws Better The following words in the recording may be new to you:Roam vi. 漫游 Drench vt. 使湿透Prophesize v. 作预言 Senator n. 参议员Heed vt. 注意 Stall v. 拖延Rage vi. 激烈地进行 Part II Text A This comedy centers around a proud fathers attempts to help his children, attempts which somehow or other always end up emba
45、rrassing them. For the sake of fun it carries things to extremes, but nearly everyone can recognize something of themselves and their parents in it. FATHER KNOWS BETTER Marsh CassadyCHARACTERS: FATHER; MOTHER; HEIDI, 14; DIANE, 17; SEAN, 16; RESTAURANT MANAGER, 20s; MRS. HIGGINS.SETTING: Various loc
46、ations including a fast-food restaurant, the Thompson family dining room, and an office at a high school.ATRISE: As the lights come up, HEIDI enters and crosses Down Right to the edge of the stage. SEAN and DIANE enter and cross Down Left to the edge of the stage. They listen as HEIDI addresses the
47、audience.HEIDI: My dads a nice man. Nobody could possibly believe that he isnt. Yet hes. well, hes always doing these stupid things that end up really embarrassing one or more of us kids. One time, see, my brother wanted to buy this guitar. Been saving money for it for a long time. Then he got a job
48、 at this fast-food place, OK? Waiting tables. It was Seans first actual job, and he was real happy about it. He figured in two or three months hed have enough money to buy exactly the kind of guitar he wanted. Mom and Dad were proud of him, and well, OK, hes my big brother, and hes always pulling these dumb things on me. But, we