II. Text Analysis
An essay is usually made up of three parts: a beginning where the topic is introduced; the body part where the topic is elaborated on, and a conclusion.
Besides stating the topic directly, there are many other ways to introduce a theme. In this text, an anecdote or an incident is ud. The author of Text A, Unit 6, Book 1 (What Animals Really Think) introduces his topic by posing a question: "Do animals all have thoughts, what we call consciousness?" Text B, Unit 3, Book 1 (How to Make Sen out of Science) begins by quoting newspaper headlines:
"New Drugs Kill Cancer
麻省理工大学世界排名 Devastation by El Nino -- a Warning
6: October 26, 2028: Could This Be the Deadline for the Apocalyp?"
Text B of this unit, Children and Money, begins with an imagined argument between a chi
ld and his parent over the control of pocket money. Discover other forms of introduction as you read on. However, the more important point is that you should learn to vary your own writing by adopting various types of topic introduction.
Without a conclusion, an essay lacks a n of completeness. A conclusion may be a restatement of the main points previously mentioned, a propod solution, a quotation from some book or person, a prediction of future developments, a suggestion for further study, etc. Text B, Unit 3, Book 1 ends by giving a simile, comparing scientific rearch to mountain climbing, "a process filled with disappointments and revers, but somehow we keep moving ahead." In this text, Howard Gardner makes a suggestion in the form of a question.
III. Cultural Notes
1. Education in the West: There is no common agreement in the West concerning the best method of education. A variety of views can be found among parents, teachers and students. Indeed, it might be argued that it is this very existence of contending points of vi
ew that is characteristic of Western education. This can be en as far back as in the work of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates,convenience who encouraged his students to question everything, even their most fundamental beliefs. Yet even then there was no general agreement that this was the best way to teach. Socrates, after all, was condemned to death by his fellow citizens for corrupting the morals of the young by his way of teaching. Many later periods of Western history were no more tolerant of encouraging students to challenge traditional beliefs: Darwin's theory of evolution, for example, was for a time banned from schools in some American states on the grounds of religious belief.
Much of the current debate over education surrounds the extent to which learning should be teacher-bad or student-bad. Which of the two should decide what should be learned, how it should be learned, and when it should be learned? Comparing Western and Asian methods of learning it is generally true that Western methods are more student-centered, expecting students to discover things for themlves rather than relying on their teachers to tell them. An extreme version of the student-centered approac
h can be en at Summerhill, a school in England established by the educationalist A.S. Neill. There children have complete freedom to decide what they are going to learn and which lessons they will attend. If they wish they need not attend any at all. Mainstream education in England is far more strict, demanding that children attend lessons and follow a national curriculum. This curriculum and the importance of achieving good exam results tend to reinforce a more teacher-centered approach, as both teachers and students find the pressure of time, leaves less opportunity for an exploratory approach to learning.
30 minutes The extent to which learning is teacher-centered or student-centered also depends on differences between subjects. In recent years, for example, there has been a trend in the teaching of mathematics in school classrooms in England away from having pupils work on their own or in small groups back towards a more traditional approach, with the teacher guiding the entire class Step-by-step through a lesson. This followed rearch that suggested that, as far as maths was concerned, a more teacher-centered method was more effective.
2. Standing on the shoulders of giants: a well-known phra, frequently employed by inventors to express modesty about their achievements. The suggestion is that while they have been able to stunninge further than tho who came before them, it is not becau they themlves are intellectual giants. Rather it is becau they have been able to build upon the accumulated discoveries of their great predecessors.
IV. Language Study
1. attach v.: fasten or join (one thing to another) (ud in the pattern: attach sth. to sth.)
Examples: We can measure wind speed by attaching a wind meter howoldto a kite and nding it up into the air.
Attached to this letter you will find a copy of the agreement.
2. not in the least: not at all
Examples: I am not in the least manicuretouched by this kind of beauty.
Ann didn't em in the least concerned about her family.banner是什么意思
3. find one's way: lovelife什么意思 reach a destination naturally; arrive at
Examples: Shanghai is not an easy city to find your way around.debonair
Drunk as he was, Peter still found his way home金山词霸在线.
4. phenomenon: (pl. phenomena) sth. that happens or exists and that can be en or experienced
Examples: Stress-related illness is a common phenomenon in big cities.
