Unit 8
1 Text
Revision Time Goes Online
by Tim Ewington
Home learning is critical to exam success and the computer industry is strengthening links between family and school. Free internet access at home is a huge step in making online education accessible to everybody. As students start to sweat in the run-up to their exams, many of them are turning to the web to supplement their knowledge. The following text is a description of some websites of this in Britain.
The tension is rising in the Kelly houhold. Two dates are ingrained in the family's collective consciousness: May 22 and June 19. They mark the first and the last of Paula's written GCSE1exams. “All the time I feel that I need to do a lot more revision. I know I must get down to it,” says 15-year-old Paula, who is a student at Victoria College in Belfast. “It's not so much my parents who are putting pressure on me, though I know my mum's a bit uptight, but I have two older brothers and a sister and they all say that they were doing a lot more revision at this stage than I am.”
Across the country, 700 000 students and their families will heave a collective sigh of relief when the exam ason comes to an end. “Even my granny is telling me to do more revision,” says another 15-year-old, Steve Burge ss from West Yorkshire, who is sitting nine GCSEs. “The dog ems to be the only one who doesn't u the dreaded …R' word every time he es me.”
When exams were invented so too was revision, but two inventions have transformed the way we prepare. A generation ago, revision notes became a lucrative industry, published under such imprints as Brodie's and York. The cond, to which Paula and Steve's generation is turning, is the internet.
The leading exam revision site is GCSE Bitesize, from the BBC. It received almost 750 000 hits each week in mid-March, and expects to double that number this month. Channel 4's more broadly bad rvice, Homework High, which helps students aged 9 －16 with their homework, is claiming up to 1.3m hits2 per week.
The demand has put tremendous pressures on both rvices. “Every day we have more than 3 000 kids trying to ask our teachers a question online,” says Paul Ashton, the commissioning editor fo r special projects at Channel 4, “but the most we can manage is 300 answers. We also had to clo the chat rooms becau they were far too successful. As more students joined in, new chat rooms automatically opened, and at one stage we had 30 chat rooms supervid by only one moderator.
There are good reasons for this phenomenal demand. Students are one of the groups most likely to have access to the internet in Britain. Rearch recently conducted by NOP Kidsnet shows that 57% of school-age children can now access to the internet either at home or school, up from 51% just six months ago. Internet penetration ris to more than 70% for 15- and 16-year-olds who are studying for GCSEs, in contrast to less than 30% of the population as a whole.
Feedback shows that important student needs are being satisfied by the internet. Websites provide information, support and encouragement when parents aren't around; students having difficulties in particular subjects can choo their own pace, away from the classroom, to study examples, tests and explanations on the web; students who are missing school through illness can keep up. Of most concern, many students say that websites provide better resources and support in the lead-up to exams than their weaker teachers.
Pau la Kelly is sanguine about online revision. “I have ud the sites a bit, but not that often. They have really helped in specific areas, such as science －it is so uful to e exam questions and ideal respons as a guide, particularly when you are less confident in that area. I do get frustrated, though, when I know what I want is out there but it takes a long time to find.”
Judith Addley, one of Paula's teachers, reflects the views of many professionals. “Revision sites don't replace traditional approaches such as note-taking and practicing exam papers －nothing can do that －and they certainly aren't a substitute for hard work. But Bitesize and the rest are a really good part of the mix and I am sure that they will become better in the future.”
We all know that revision is boring, but becau the online approach can be quite different from that of a teacher, studying alone can break a mental log jam. Steve Burgess, who is finding the revision of factual subjects such as history and geography hard to face, says: “After reading and writing notes for a few hours, it's great to revi on the computer. The sites are more interactive, with tests that the computer marks and perfect answers so you know what you're aiming for.”
He is far more effusive about revising online than Paula. “I found it so difficult to start revising, but I have ud the websites most days. When I sit with books and notes and try to learn them, my mind starts wandering after 10 minutes, but I like computers and becau I have to move around the site and fill in the answers, it keeps me going. If I haven't touched the keyboard or the mou after 60 conds, I can't hide from the fact that I'm doing nothing.”
In surveys, helping their child's education is the most important reason parents give for buying comp
uters with net capability, so demand for online revision and homework rvices is t to grow. With the government's information-technology initiatives taking effect, the number of students with net access at school has now overtaken tho with access at home, and, one way or another, three quarters of school-age children are expected to be online within the next year.拟行路难鲍照
Though only two years old, the BBC's GCSE Bitesize is the daddy of internet sites for schools. As the name suggests, it provides revision in chunks that are easy to digest, covering 11 key subjects cloly matched to the national curriculum.
“Bitesize was initially targeted to help every student using the rvice to gain at least a grade C,” says Frank Flynn, the head of commissioning for schools and colleges at the BBC. “Since the launch, we have added more stretching material. Our long-term aim is to rai the standar ds achieved. We have a proven ability to do so.”
Among educators, there is much debate about the effectiveness of learning with a computer. What is clear is that the quality of the content and the nature of the interactivity involved is critical. Simply s itting in front of a PC －surpri, surpri －does not help a student learn, but certain types of computer-bad interactive exercis are particularly effective, especially for students who find it difficult to acquire knowledge through reading and listening.
The BBC has already extended its rvice to help Key Stages 2 and 3 students facing exams this month and has ambitious plans for the future. In four years' time, BBC Online's content will cover most of the national curric ulum, from the age of five through to GCSEs. Flynn explains: “We want to provide comprehensive, integrated learning packages that will build a bridge between home －and school-bad activities. We want our online materials to draw in students who are in danger of being turned off learning but also to allow more ambitious students to approach the whole curriculum at their own pace.”胡麻油
Channel 4's Homework High is more funky. Five cartoon-style characters inhabit the school, reprenting English, maths, science, geography and history. The site shows no lack of confidence, describing itlf as the world's best homework website. It is very good. Students can ask questions at the end of school, between 4pm and 5.30pm, or at home between 6.30pm and 9pm Monday to Thursday. If your question is accepted, it will be answered within 24 hours, faster than on other free sites, and the quality of the answers is high. The level of demand means you have only a one in 10 chance of receiving a reply, but the rerve of 10 000 answers that has already been built up means that there should be solid, if less specific, help in most areas.
最强维修工
“We are very careful about the answers given,” says Paul Ashton of Channel 4. “We provide colloqui
al advice so that students receive immediately uful help but can't simply copy the answer into an essay. They have to think about the respon, what it means, and then mould it into their work.”
Homework High is expanding to catch up with demand. New teachers are on their way, the rvice is being extended to Sundays and students' questions will be answered by star guests as diver as poets and scientists, to offer a contrasting style of answer to tho of teachers. The chat rooms will be more controlled and there will be rooms for both students and parents －parate, of cour.
In the meantime, let's wish every success to Paula, Steve and all tho students and their families facing their final weeks of revision leading up to GCSEs.
(1461 words) 译文：网上复习时间
蒂姆·埃云顿
课后学习对考试的成功十分关键，而电脑业正加强家庭与学校之间的联系。在家免费上网是使人人都可获得网上教育方面的一大进展。当学生紧张地准备考试时，他们中很多人转向网络，来补充他们的知识，以下课文描述英国一些这样的网址。
凯利家中的气氛渐渐紧张起来。5月22日和6月19日这两个日子深深根植在一家人集体意识之中。这两
个日子标志着波拉的普通教育证书第一门和最后一门考试。贝尔法斯特维多利亚学院的15岁学生波拉说，“我一直觉得我需要更多的复习。我知道我必须着手复习。”“并不是我父母给我施加压力，尽管我知道妈妈有点紧张，但我有两个哥哥和一个姐姐，他们都说他们以前在这一阶段比我的复习要多得多。”
在考试季节结束时，全国上下七十万名学生及家长都会一起松一口气。西约克郡的斯狄弗·波格斯，15岁，正参加普通教育证书的九门考试，他说，“连我奶奶也在叫我多复习。”“每次见到我时不用可怕的…复习‟这个词的，似乎只有这条狗。”
自从有了考试，就有了复习，但两项发明改变了我们准备考试的方法。以前的一代，复习资料是有利可图的产业，出版时印有布罗狄和约克这样的字样。波拉与斯狄弗这一代人采用的是第二项发明，国际互联网。
最主要的复习网址是英国广播公司的普通教育证书比特塞斯（GCSE Bitesize）。3月中旬该网址每周接受750000次点击，而且本月有望该数字加倍。电视4频道的家庭作业（Homework High）的服务范围更加广泛，帮助9至16岁的学生做家庭作业，每周点击次数达到1.3m次。
这样的需求给两项服务施加了很大压力。“每天有3000名孩子在网上向我们的教师提一个问题，”4频道特别节目责任编辑保罗·阿失顿说，“但是我们最多只能解答300个问题。同时我们不得不关闭那些聊天
风景图片微信头像室，因为它们太成功。随着更多的学生参与，新的聊天室自动开辟，有一段时间我们有30个聊天室，却仅由一名监管员来监管。”
这一巨大的要求事出有因。在英国，学生是最有可能使用国际互联网的群体之一。最近，由诺普儿童网站（）进行的研究表明，57%的学龄儿童既可在家里也可在学校上互联网。而就在6个月前，是51%。正在准备普通教育证书考试的15至16岁学生上互联网的比例上升到了70%，相比之下，总人口的上网率不到30%。
信息反馈表明，互联网正在满足重要的学生需求。父母不在时，网络给学生提供信息、支持与鼓励；某门功课有困难的学生离开课堂后，可在网上按照自己的进度学习实例、测试及讲解；因生病而缺课的学生，可以通过网上学习而跟上进度。最受人关注的是，许多学生说，在准备考试时网络能比那些不太称职的教师提供更好的资源和支持。
波拉·凯利对网上复习持乐观态度。“我用过一些网址，但不那么频繁。在具体的科目，比如科学，这些网站的确能提供帮助,——在网上看考题及理想的解答作为指导，非常有用，特别是你对那门功课把握不大时,。不过，我也感到沮丧，因为尽管我知道我所需要的东西就在那儿，但必须花很长时间才能找到。”
波拉的老师朱迪斯·艾得利的话反映了许多教育工作者的观点，“复习网址替代不了传统的方法，如记
笔记和做模拟试卷练习等——没有东西能代替这些——并且，网上复习肯定不能代替努力学习。但是，比特塞斯以及其他一些网站确是各种因素混合体中挺不错的一部分，而且我确信它们在将来会变得更加完善。”
我们都知道复习是乏味的，但是因为网上的方法与教师的方法之间可以有很大差异，独自学习就可以打破头脑中的信息堵塞。斯狄弗·波格斯发现历史与地理这种以事实为主的课程很难复习。他说，“几个小时的阅读和记笔记后，在电脑上复习太好了。这些网站有更多的交互作用，配有测试题、电脑批阅、还有完整的答案，因此你知道你的目标是什么。”
他比波拉更热衷于网上复习。“我过去觉得很难着手复习，但现在我大多数日子都使用网络。当我拿起书和笔记坐下来学习时，10分钟后我就开始走神。可我喜欢电脑。因为我必须在网上浏览，填出答案，这样就使我学下去。如果60秒钟后我还没摸键盘或鼠标，我就不能回避自己什么事情也没干这个事实。”
据调查，帮助孩子的教育是父母购买能上网的电脑的重要原因，因此网上复习与家庭作业服务的要求将会增多。随着政府信息技术启动计划实施，能在学校上网的学生数目超过了在家的数目，不管怎样，明年将有3/4的学龄儿童可望上网。
尽管成立只有两周年，英国广播公司普通教育证书比特塞斯网站，已成为为学校建立的互联网站之父。
正如它的名字显示的，它提供的一块块复习内容易于消化，涵盖了与全国教学计划紧密匹配的11个主要科目。
“比特塞斯（Bitesize）最初的目标，是要让使用这一服务的每一位学生起码获得 C 等成绩，”英国广播公司负责学校与学院的弗兰克·弗林说。“自从开创这一网址以来，我们已增加了更多的补充资料。我们的远期目标是提高现有水平，我们已证明有这样做的能力。”
教育者在用电脑学习的效果问题上有很大分歧。人们清楚的是，内容的质量及涉及的互动性的性质非常重要。简单地坐在一台个人电脑前面——惊奇、惊奇——并不能帮助学生学习，但某些基于电脑的交互式练习特别有效，对那些感到通过阅读和听讲难以获得知识的学生尤其是如此。
英国广播公司已经拓展了服务范围，帮助处于第二和第三关键阶段的学生面对这个月的考试，并且对未来的计划抱有雄心。四年之后，英国广播公司网上内容将覆盖大部分国家开设的课程，从5岁到普通教育证书的考试。弗林解释说：“我们想提供范围广泛，有机结合的整套内容，在家庭活动与学校活动之间建立一座桥梁。我们希望网上的资料能吸引那些有对学习失去兴趣的危险的学生，也能让较有抱负的学生根据自己的速度接触全部课程。”
4频道的家庭作业网站（Homework High）更加引人入胜。5位卡通式人物住在学校，代表英语、数学、科学、地理及历史。这一网站满怀信心，把自己描绘成世界上最好的家庭作业网址。它的确很好。
学生可以周一至周四放学后的4点至5点半，或者在家中下午6点半到9点之间提问。如果你的问题被接受，就会在24小时内得到回答，比其他免费网站来得快，答案的质量也高。需求程度意味着你只有1/10的机会获得一个答复，但是已经建立的一万个答案储备意味着许多领域会有实实在在的帮助，虽然针对性欠缺了一点。
“我们对所提供的答案特别谨慎，” 4频道的保罗·阿什顿说。“我们提供口头建议，以便学生马上可以获得有益的帮助，但不能简单地抄进论文。他们必须对答案进行思考，它的意思是什么，然后把它融进自己的作业。”
家庭作业网站（Homework High）正在发展，以跟上需求。会来新的老师，网上服务时间正延长到星期天，回答学生问题的将是不同类型的嘉宾如诗人和科学家，回答问题的风格与教师的形成对照。聊天室将得到进一步控制，将会有对学生与家长都开放的聊天室——当然是分开的。
同时，让我们祝波拉、斯狄弗和所有面临普通教育证书考试最后几周复习的学生及家长们获得圆满成功！
2 Home Reading
Teach Yourlf the Lot
水资源调查报告
by Tim Ewington常用英语口语
It was in a cafe in a Yorkshire town that my curiosity was first aroud. It offered plastic table coverings, tea at 30p a mug, succulent bacon butties and four computers. Above the hubbub of flat vowels and teapots being filled, came the high-pitched scream of a modem. Cuppas and computers －welcome to the cybercafe, north-country style.
My expectations of an internet cafe changed in a buttie's bite. The people clumped around the computers were neither 17-year-old net surfers6nor backpackers7e-mailing their friends in Australia. Instead, they were being ud by Lucy, a young mum working part-time as a nur, who was examining health sites related to the cour she is studying; Sarah, the mid-thirties manager of the next-door tourist gift shop who was finding out more about Verona for a talk at her Italian language class; Dave, shift manager from the local paper mill, poring over an American site describing how to improve production process that he had read about in a business magazine; and Justin, a sales manager waiting for his next appointment by indulging his passion for performance cars and peanut-butter sandwiches.
After e-mailing easily the most popular reason for using the net is rearch for either work or educati
on. Pursuing personal interests comes next. This thirst for information online is stoking a burgeoning knowledge economy. In a survey by the media consultancy Human Capital, more than 80% of British adults said that they yearn to discover more about specific interests, and gave two main reasons: the desire to develop their careers, and a passion for a topic of personal fascination.
The largest numbers of people want to pursue computers, languages, history, the arts and science as a personal goal, but the range of interests dog breeding, fluid dynamics and Persian rugs, to name but a few. In a survey of 2 000 respondents chon to reflect the make-up of the adult population, more than a thousand interests are mentioned. Our career-development goals are less eclectic, and less clearly defined. Finding out about marketing, accounting and human resources are popular objectives, though the majority wants an introduction to the basics rather than a high level of knowledge －for example, the fundamentals of marketing known as the “four Ps” (product, price, promotion and place) and how they apply to everyday working life.
Many people, however, cannot pin down exactly what they should do to advance themlves. One conquence is that fewer than a quarter of us are doing anything to do so. The reasons we give are predictable: the pressures of work and family, the difficulties of childcare, cost, the need to travel long distances and －most important of all －lethargy. Pursuing your passion sounds great until it me
ans attending a further-education class on a cold winter evening. We want the results, but won't endure the pain needed to achieve them.
This is when the internet proves its worth as a tutor. “The online world can make a tremendous difference in helping people to learn,” says John Brown, director of lifelong learning at the British Educational Communications Technology Agency. “People are put off by grandio institutions, rigid timetables and intimidating cours. The internet engages people and helps them embrace learning in really exciting and innovative ways.”
Adults with access to the web at home are 75% more likely than non-urs to say that they are actively pursuing some specific kind of knowledge. The question is whether adults who are already motivated to learn are the first to hook up to the internet, or whether plugging into the net prompts curiosity. The answer ems to be a bit of both.
强壮的英语怎么读The adult careerists, hobbyists and lf-improvers agree that the net changes their habits. It is flexible, allowing you to pursue your interest when you choo, at your own pace, in whatever direction takes your fancy. The internet does not demand that you attend an institution each week. You can fit the pursuit of knowledge into your current lifestyle, around work and family commitment, and enjoy a coffee or a whisky at the same time. It is
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