上外全新版大学英语综合教程讲义-book1-unit8

UNIT 8 Dealing with Education Problems Text A Fable of the Lazy Teenager Part I Background Information

The General View of American on Education

It is a general view that every American has the right and obligation to become educated. American believe that, through education, an individual acquires the knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities which will enable him to fit into society and improve his social status. Very often, they look to education as the cause of personal and national success and the cure of social and economic ills, holding the view that the future of the nation depends largely on education. Characteristics of American Education

Formal education in the United States consists of elementary, secondary and higher education. Elementary and secondary education is free and compulsory. Some schools colleges and universities are public and others are private. Diversity is considered to be an outstanding characteristic of American education. As each state has the freedom to develop as extensive or limited a school system as it desires, and delegate its power over education to local districts to the extent it wishes, many variations can be found in the education system of the 50 states.

The Principal Functions of Institution of Higher Education in American Education

The system of higher education has three principal functions: teaching, research and public service.

Educational System in America

The U.S. public school system is gigantic, with roughly $314 billion in annual expenditures, 5.4 million employees (2.7 million of which are teachers), and 46 million pupils. It also has many unique qualities that set it apart from school systems in other industrialized nations, such as local control, local funding, and a commitment to provide a kindergarten through 12th grade education to every student who enters the system.

When it was created in the mid-19th century, the U.S. public school system was viewed as a means of improving society. This is one of the reasons the system has aimed to serve all pupils for 13 years, while other countries developed educational systems that removed underachieving students at younger ages. The inclusive nature of the U.S. school system has played a crucial role in unifying a nation of immigrants, transmitting national values and concepts, and offering — in theory, if not always in practice — the promise of equal opportunity through equal education.

Another unique feature of the U.S. system is that it vests authority over the schools with thousands of local school boards rather than a centralized, national agency. Local

control enables authorities to respond quickly to local needs, changing curriculums and teaching methods without having to seek permission from national authorities. Until recently, the U.S. public school system largely lived up to this goal, producing a high percentage of high-school graduates compared to other nations.

Critics of this system, however, note that, unlike many other countries, the United States has no national standards for what students should know at certain grade levels. Nor are there uniform standards for teacher training and certification.

Educational Reform efforts in the 1990s were prompted in part by national and international tests indicating that academic courses in U.S. public schools offered students little opportunity to apply their knowledge. Three key reforms aimed at addressing these issues included:

*Establishing challenging academic standards for what students at certain grade levels should know and be able to do. By 1999, 46 states had done this in most academic subjects.

*Aligning local policies — such as testing, teacher certification, and professional development — and accountability programs to state standards. By 1999 every state except Iowa and Nebraska had statewide student achievement tests, and most were moving to create new standards for teachers.

*Giving local officials the responsibility for developing instructional approaches that meet state standards. Only a handful of states have taken this step.

Part II Pre-questions:

? What is a fable? Would you please tell a fable you know to your classmates? ? What is your goal of the four year college studying? How do you plan to achieve

these goals?

? What factors do you think are vital to one's success?

Part III. Comprehension Questions: (Paragraph 1 to 5):

1. What was the writer going to buy in the drugstore? 2. What made the salesgirl shocked?

(Paragraph 6 to 7):

3. Why an adult would be upset by such an experience?

? What does the writer want to illustrate through the case in this paragraph? ? Please paraphrase the sentence “The ability to perform…is non existent”. (Paragraph 8):

? Why did the boy of 16 prefer not to go to U.C.L.A? ? What does his attitude suggest? (Paragraph 9):

? Does the writer agree to the boy's idea? Why?

? What, according to the writer, is very essential to a nation's prosperity? (Paragraph 10):

10. What suggestion does the writer propose? (Paragraph 11):

? Who is the hero in this fable? ? Why is he feeling bitter? (Paragraph 12):

? What is Kevin 1835's life like? ? What is his hope? (Paragraph 13):

? Who is Kevin 1928? What is his life like? (Paragraph 14):

? What is Kevin Hanley 1945? ? For what was he fighting? (Paragraph 15)

? What does Kevin Hanley tell his girl friend?

? What do his words suggest? (Paragraph 16 to 18)

? What is the whole American like in 2020? ? What do Kevin 1990 and his son do as work? (Paragraph 19-21)

? What kind of life does Kevin 2050 lead?

? What does the Japanese anthropologist do in America ? What does the Japanese tell Kevin Hanley 2050? (Paragraph 22-24)

? What did he realize after the dream?

? Why did Kevin 1990 refuse his father's proposal?

? What do you think the writer want to tell us through the story?

Part IV. Language Points:

? run out of : use up or finish a supply of (sth.) 用完 ; 耗尽

E.g.: 1) It is reported that these mountaineers have died of hunger after running out of all

their foods. 据报导这些登山运动员是在食物耗尽后饥饿而死的 . 2) I was late today because my car ran out of gas on the way here. 今天来的路上油用光了 , 所以我迟到了 . Synonyms: consume (consumer, consumption) Other phrases formed by “ run ” :

run across ( 碰上 , 撞上 ), run away with ( 战胜 , 偷走 , 私奔 ), run down ( 说坏话 , 停止运转 , 减少 , 缩减 ), run into ( 遭遇 , 撞在 … 上 , 减少 , 共计 ), run off ( 跑掉 , 逃掉 ; 很快写出 ), run over ( 压过 , 碾过 ; 很快看一遍 ), run to ( 共计 ), run up against ( 遭遇 )

? in amazement: with a feeling of great surprise or disbelief

E.g.: 1) All the spectators stared at the magician in amazement when the rabbit in his hands suddenly vanished. 当魔术师手中的兔子突然消失时 , 观众们都充满诧异地看着他。

2) People looked at Tom in amazement for they could not believe the CEO of this company is just a teenager. 人们惊讶地望着汤姆因为他们都无法相信这个公司的执行总裁竟然是个十几岁的孩子。

Related words ： amaze (v.) ， amazing(a. 令人惊讶的 , 令人震惊的 ) ， amazed (a. 惊讶的 )

Synonyms ： surprise ， astonishment ， awe ， bewilderment

? upset: make (sb.) worry or feel unhappy (usu. used in the pattern: be upset by/about ) 使 ( 某人 ) 感到沮丧或不安 , 担忧

E.g.: 1) He was very upset by the news that his application had been turned down. 他的申请被否决了 , 他感到十分沮丧。

2) Mary was so upset about her daughter's illness that she couldn't concentrate on her work. 玛丽被女儿的病搅得心神不宁 , 无法集中精力工作。 Synonyms ： depress ， disturb ， disconcert

4. ignorant ： knowing little or nothing （ often used in the phrase ： be ignorant of/about ）

E.g.: 1) He is ignorant about politics and history; however, when it comes to football and movie, he seems to be an expert.

2) I was ignorant of the fact that the boss could be so strict. Related words: ignore (neglect, overlook, disregard), ignorance ()

Synonyms: green ( 年轻的 , 无经验的 ), illiterate ( 不识字的 , 没文化的 ), shallow ( 浅薄的 ), superficial ( 肤浅的 , 浅薄的 )

? ability: power or skill to do, make, or think; talent (followed by infinitive to )

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