资源描述
优等生的秘诀1一位研究教育的老师针对成绩优异的学生做过重点研究，发现最聪明的学生不见得总能得高分。根据这位教授、其他教育专家以及优等生们自己的观点，懂得如何充分发挥自己的潜能对于学生来说更为重要。2在班上名列前茅的学生之所以学习优秀，是因为他们掌握了几个基本原则。首先，优等生知道如何决定轻重缓急。他们从来不会为了打电话、看电视或者吃零食而牺牲学习时间。换言之，学习总是摆在娱乐之前。另外，优等生们总是注意随时随地学习。有位成绩优异的学生同时也是优秀的运动员，每天利用户外训练时间背生物学术语。而另一位学生则利用每天早上刷牙时间记一个新单词。所有受访的学生无一例外都认为，在什么时间学习完全是个人偏好问题。有些人在夜深人静时学习效果最好，有些人则喜欢趁着自己还能清晰地记得上课所讲的内容，一放学回家就开始学习。尽管如此，所有优等生都一致认为，如果想任何时候都表现优秀，一个主要的因素就是要持之以恒。3学生还必须学会有条理。举个例子，有一位优等生在学校乐队、田径队、橄榄球协会和辩论小组里都很活跃。他透露，他之所以把东西放得井井有条是因为他浪费不起到处找东西的时间。还有一位学生喜欢把当天的笔记马上整理出来并放进用不同颜色标记的文件夹里，以便临近考试时能随时用来复习。优等生们提倡的另一个技巧是有效的阅读，其中包括快速阅读，提高记忆能力以及主动提出问题以便充分理解作者的意思。4对于学生们来说，合理安排时间也同样重要。他们必须懂得如何根据每天的时间表和学习能力来安排做作业和项目的速度，不至于让手头的工作压得喘不过气。能制定时间表不仅让学生能够腾出更多时间来复习和完善功课，而且还能防止他们拖拖拉拉。成绩优异的学生认为，他们成功的一大秘诀就是上课时做好笔记，供复习时使用。有个学生透露，她把从课文上摘抄的内容记在笔记本的一边，把课堂笔记写在另一边。这样，就可同时复习到两方面的内容。她还透露，她不会浪费下课铃响前的几分钟跟朋友交头接耳，准备随时冲出教室。相反，她会利用这几分钟用两三句话概括那节课的要点，然后在下次上课前浏览这些笔记，加深印象。5老师们提倡的致胜秘诀是尽力让自己的作业整洁。有位老师说，学生交上整洁作业就已向高分迈进了一步。在课堂上大胆发言和提问也同样重要，这或许是学生澄清疑问的最好办法。课堂参与还能反映一个学生的求知欲。有个学生概括得好，“好成绩来自透彻的理解”。6在一所世界顶级大学进行的一项实验证明了小组学习的价值所在。研究表明，学生们如果一起讨论家庭作业和问题，尝试不同的解决办法，并且互相解释各自的答案，分数就会比那些单独用功的学生要高。实验也证明了学生间互相进行模拟测试或自我测试的好处。这就是说，学生们根据笔记设计可能的试题，在考试前一天相互之间进行书面测试或自测。专家们证实，那些能设计模拟试题的学生，往往会在正式考题中发现很多相同的试题，自然能得高分了。7优等生使用的另一个技巧是超额完成规定的家庭作业。一位学生透露，老师若是布置五道题，她会做上十道。用她的话说，“练习是学习的一部分。练得越多，学到的也越多。”最后一点同样不容忽视：所有的专家和优秀学生都认为，全优生们之所以成功，父母的功劳至关重要。从孩提时起，父母就给他们灌输学习的重要性，为他们制定高标准，并且引导他们达到这些标准。在学习方面他们给孩子以鼓励，而不是代劳。这些父母从不给孩子施加压力，永远都温柔慈爱，不厌其烦地解释和激励。他们使孩子们铭记肩负的责任，而孩子们则将其付诸实践。上大学的压力威廉津瑟1身为布兰福德学院的院长，我发觉当今的大学生面临着四种压力：经济压力，来自父母的压力，来自学伴的压力，以及自己给自己的压力。环顾四周，“罪魁祸首”轻而易举便可找到：学校收费太高，老师布置太多作业，父母逼迫孩子太紧，学生对自己要求太严。但在压力问题上，没有恶人，只有受害者。2当今的学生生活在一个残酷的经济现实中，学费、住宿费、书本费及这样那样的费用加起来数额不菲。即使一个学生在校期间做兼职，暑期做全职，四年内还是会欠下5,000美元贷款，毕业后一年内就要开始偿还。3少数幸运的学生能得到父母的经济援助，钱并不是一个棘手的问题，但是来自父母的压力让他们的日子也不好过。4我看到很多学生一门心思修读医学院预科课程，却毫无快乐可言。他们去实验室就像去看牙医一样痛苦。这让我很伤心，因为我知道在生活的其它方面他们是开朗快乐的人。5我问他们：“你想学医吗？”6他们回答说：“其实并不想。”7“那为什么还要进医学院呢？”8“嗯，因为我爸妈希望我当医生。他们一直在供我读书，而且。”9可怜的学生，可怜的父母啊！他们被困在一张亘古以来由爱、责任和自责交织而成的网中，难以自拔。父母的本意是好的，他们想引导自己的孩子走向无忧无虑的未来，但孩子们却想攻读历史、古典文学或哲学，这些专业毫无“实用”价值。人文学科的专业有什么回报？要说服这些关爱子女的父母人文学科的专业确有回报并非易事。攻读历史、古典文学等专业而开发出来的智能，正是这种智能造就了商界及其他领域内富有创造力的领袖人物。然而，许多家长还是宁愿出钱供孩子攻读那些面向某一具体职业的课程，比如法律预科、医学预科、商务预科、或者是我有时听到的所谓“财富预科”。10可是，学生承受的压力太大，他们简直无所适从了。一方面，他们觉得有义务不辜负父母对自己的期望，毕竟父母比自己年长，该更有智慧吧。但另一方面，他们又觉得，父母认为合适的期望未必适合自己。11如同经济压力和来自父母的压力，来自同伴的压力和自己给自己的压力也是交织在一起，而且几乎是从大学一年级刚开学就开始存在了。12有一位系主任告诉我：“我知道这么一个大一的学生，姑且叫她琳达吧，她来向我诉说她正承受着可怕的压力，因为室友芭芭拉比她更聪明，一天到晚在学习。我不好告诉她，就在两小时前芭芭拉也来我这里，说了与琳达同样的话。”13这件事看来可笑，但实际上并不可笑，这表明所有压力都汇集在一起了。当每个学生都认为别人更为勤奋、成绩更好时，他唯一能做的就是更加努力地学习。我看到许多学生每天吃完晚饭就去图书馆，直到深更半夜图书馆关门才回来。我真希望他们有时能忘掉他们的学伴，去看场电影。我常常在拂晓时分还听到打字机在噼噼啪啪地响，考试来临或论文限期快到时，我能从学生的眼神中看到他们的紧张情绪：“我能把所有的事情做完吗？”14他们很可能完成不了。因为他们会生病，脑袋会“僵硬”，无法正常思维；他们要睡觉，而且会睡过头。15出现这一问题的部分原因是：他们会远远超额完成任务。老师布置一篇5页的论文，一些学生就会写上10页，而少数人甚至会增加到15页。可怜那些仅仅按照要求完成作业的学生。16一位系主任指出：“一旦20或30的学生刻意地过分努力，对每个学生来说都不是好事。当一位教师看到班上学生越发地努力，那些只是正常完成作业的学生就会被看作是表现不够好。就心理上而言，这个策略还是有效的。”17要打破这些学生陷入的“怪圈”，周围的人们、老师、父母、朋友都能给予帮助，但归根结底还是要靠学生自己。他们太年轻，不该成为父母的梦想和惧怕同学心理的俘虏。我们必须唤醒他们，使他们相信自己是独一无二的、有能力创造自己未来的人。Listen and RespondTask One Focusing on the Main Ideas1 Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage. 1) In this monologue(独白) the speaker mainly talks about _. A) stories about college life B) the life of college freshmen C) carefree life of college students D) differences between college and high school2) According to the speaker, the freshman experience will _. A) enable students to find true friendship B) leave a deep impression on every student C) decide what a student can do in the future D) teach students the importance of responsibility2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information contained in the listening passage. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement. 1) T Freshman experience is an unforgettable experience to college students.2) F Students will feel just as comfortable in their first year at college as in their previous years when they were in high school or back at home. (Students will be away from the comforts and friendships their home provided for them over the previous years.)3) T Students are able to find very good friends at college.4) T Learning to be responsible for oneself at college is very important.5) F Freshmen should not be concerned with their future careers. (During the freshman year, students may start thinking about their future. A certain professor, some ongoing school research programs, or a specific area of study, etc. could all be the factors that may influence students future careers.)Task Two Zooming In on the DetailsListen to the recording again and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard. 1) The freshman year at college is, generally speaking, a time filled with anticipation , some anxiety, and wonderful discoveries . 2) The workload will be heavier and the major challenges of college work are a large amount of reading and writing and the short deadlines .3) College Friendship will be among the most satisfying and long-term of ones life. Its always exciting to discover how wonderfully diverse college relationships can be.4) Students should remember that they are at college with an anticipated mission : they shouldnt waste time on meaningless things .5) Going to college is not just to get a degree: it is to find out who you really are and what you are really made for . Related Information.Task One Discovering the Main Ideas1 Write down the main idea of the following paragraphs in the space provided.1) Para 2: Top students attain academic excellence by mastering a few basic principles that others can easily learn. 2) Para 3: Top students learn to be organized. 3) Para 4: Top students know how to schedule their time properly. 4) Para 5: Top students are very serious about school and very active in class.5) Para 6: Students benefit from group study.2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information in the text. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement.1) T Being bright does not necessarily make one a straight-A student. 2) T A top student knows how to balance between what is more important and what is less important.3) F One student thinks that learning a new word while brushing his teeth helps him learn the new word best. (The student does so in order to save time.)4) T A messy student may waste a lot of time.5) F Professors may concentrate more on the neatness of an assignment than on its content. (The student who turns in neat work is a step closer to a high score.)6) T Students benefit more from group study than from individual study. 7) F Pressure from parents is good for students. (Encouragement rather than pressure from parents helps students a lot.)3 Summarize the basic principles that top students master and apply in their studying and put them down in the space provided. Basic Principles That Top Students Master and Apply a. set priorities b. study anywhere or everywhere c. study at ones preferred time d. be consistent Task Two Reading Between the LinesRead the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say by the italicized parts. 1) it is far more important for a student to know how to make the most of his or her innate abilities. (Para. 1) Being bright doesnt necessarily make a student a top student. What is of more importance is that he / she learns how to make the best use of the abilities that he / she is born with. 2) The students at the top of the class attain academic excellence by mastering a few basic principles that others can easily learn. (Para. 2) Anyone can be a top student if he / she adopts some basic principles that are not difficult to learn. 3) According to one professor, the student who turns in neat work is already on the way to scoring an A. (Para. 5) One professor said that the student who turns in a piece of neat work is likely to get a very good score.Task Three Voicing Your ViewsWork in groups of threes or fours and discuss the following questions. 1) Do you know any other secrets towards academic excellence besides those mentioned in Text A? If so, share them with your classmates. Other possible secrets are: find out the learning strategies that best suit oneself; consult more references;do extra reading; take a short break when tired; etc.2) Which is more important to you on your way towards academic excellence, intelligence or diligence (勤奋刻苦)? Why do you think so? Some students will opt for intelligence because some people hold that one cant be a top student if he / she is not bright enough. Other students may say that diligent work always pays off.3) Do you think parental influence is a very important factor in a childs academic excellence? Why or why not? Most people will say that good parental influence usually has positive effects on the children because parents are role models and first teachers of their children. 4) Do you often participate in group study? Why or why not? People are sometimes divided on this question. Most people are positive towards group study because they learn better by discussing homework and problems together. Some may be negative toward group work, as they feel they are most efficient when studying alone. The attitude toward group work has been proven to be related to ones personality. Text BChecking Your VocabularyWord DetectivePlay detective and find the required word or phrase in Text B according to the clues given. Then, make at least two sentences with each of the words or phrases you have found. The number of the paragraph in which the target word or phrase appears is given in brackets.1) A verb meaning “to ask in payment”: (Para. 1) Write down the target word here: charge a. The shop doesnt charge for delivery. b. They charge a heavy tax on imported wine.2) A noun meaning “a person of the same age, class, position, etc. as oneself”: (Para. 1) Write down the target word here: peer a. The opinions of his peers are more important to him than his parents ideas. b. Children tend to be influenced by peer pressure.3) A phrase meaning “to arrive at a particular state or position”: (Para. 2) Write down the target phrase here: come toa. The two brothers quickly came to blows during their quarrel. b. All this sex and violence on the TV what is the world coming to?4) A noun meaning “an amount of money that a person, business, etc. borrows, especially from a bank”: (Para. 2) Write down the target word here: loan a. How soon do you have to pay off the loan? b. Jim took out a loan to pay for his car. 5) A noun meaning “the total produced when numbers, amounts, etc., are added together”: (Para. 2) Write down the target word here: sum a. I had to spend a large sum of money to have my damaged car repaired. b. The company was sold for an undisclosed sum. 6) An adjective meaning “involving the use of imagination to produce new and original ideas or things”: (Para. 9) Write down the target word here: creative a. A creative person has the ability to invent and develop original ideas, especially in the arts. b. This job is so boring. I wish I could do something more creative. 7) A verb meaning “to make sb. feel it necessary to do sth., especially because of a sense of duty”: (Para. 10) Write down the target word here: obligate a. He felt obligated to visit his parents every weekend. b. Do you feel obligated to see your teacher who is now in the hospital?2 Match the words in Column A with the meanings in Column B. Put the corresponding letter in the blank after each word.Column A Column B1) project b a. difficult to deal with; not easy 2) unique e b. a piece of work that needs skill, effort, and careful planning3) tough a c. being expected to happen at a particular time4) due c d. (a feeling of) nervous anxiety, worry, or pressure5) tension d e. being the only one of its type 6) solution f f. answer to a problem, question, difficulty3 Rewrite each of the following sentences with a phrase that appears in Text B. Focus on the italicized parts. The number of the paragraph in which the target phrase appears is given in brackets.1) Dont worry. He might accept our suggestion if someone tries to influence him properly. (Para. 1) Dont worry. He might accept our suggestion if someone works on him properly. 2) He is studying French as the chief subject at the university. (Para. 9) He is majoring in French at the university. 3) Sandra was determined to become a doctor and after 10 years her persistence (坚持不懈) became successful and profitable. (Para. 9) Sandra was determined to become a doctor and after 10 years her persistence paid off. 4) Of course I admire her in spite of everything, she is a great politician? (Para. 10) Of course I admire her after all, she is a great politician. 5) The story of Linda and Barbra in Text B is symptomatic of all the pressures combined. (Para. 13) The story of Linda and Barbra in text B is symptomatic of all the pressures put together. 6) May I draw your attention to the fact that if we dont leave now we shall miss the bus? (Para. 16) May I point out that if we dont leave now we shall miss the bus?Checking Your Comprehension1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B.1) What does the writer mean by “brutal economy”? Para. 2 in the text provides the answer. Studying at college means a huge sum of money to pay for tuition, room and board, books and many other expenses. A student may have a loan of up to $5,000 when he graduates, and this same student has to work both part-time and full-time whenever possible at college.2) Why are humanities courses not popular with parents? Parents want to make sure that their children have a secure future and they dont think that humanities subjects with no “practical” value will pay off. 3) What are the possible reactions of a student who suffers from peer pressure? Examples of possible reactions include: a. always thinking other students are brighter and study harder; b. studying at the library as late as possible; c. doing homework till early morning; d. getting into a panic when exams are approaching and papers are due; e. getting sick and stuck; f. oversleeping due to tiredness; and g. doing more than expected. 4) Who can help to free students from the pressures they suffer from? Professors, parents, and friends can help to free students from the pressures they suffer from, but it is the students themselves who should relieve themselves of the pressures. 5) Explain in your own words why, according to the text, economic pressure is closely connected with parental pressure, and peer pressure with self-induced pressure. a. Students normally find it hard to cope with different kinds of fees at college without parental help. However, when students do get financial help from their parents, they will feel obligated to follow their parents advice, sometimes against their own will, because after all, their parents are paying all their expenses at college. b. When a student thinks that his / her peers are brighter and study harder, he / she will push himself / herself more, which will in turn induce more pressure on himself / herself.2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information in the text. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement.1) T Without parental help, a student may be expected to have a large loan to pay back after graduation.2) F Many students dream of becoming dentists. (Many students dont want to take pre-medical courses. So they go off to their labs as if they were going to see a dentist.)3) T Knowledge in the humanities can help create leaders in all general fields. 4) T Lawyers, doctors and businessmen usually earn more than most of other people. 5) F Students who finish an assignment up to requirements will be given the same credits as those who have done more. (When most students are doing more than they are expected to, those who are doing normal work can be perceived as not doing well.)3 Listed in the left column are the four pressures faced by college students and in the right column are causes or consequences linked to the pressures. Relate the causes or consequences to the types of pressure by following the example given. Some causes or consequences can be related to more than one type of pressure.Types of PressureCauses or ConsequencesA. economic pressure ( a, d )B. parental pressure ( b, c )C. peer pressure ( e, f, g )D. self-induced pressure ( e, f, g )a. loans to payb. taking some courses unwillinglyc. taking courses with “practical value”d. heavy tuition fees, expenses on rooms and bookse. thinking some fellow students are working harderf. staying in the library till very lateg. doing more work than required4 Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say by the italicized parts.1) But there are no villains; only victims. (Para. 1) Nobody is to blame for the pressures college students are suffering; all involved are victims.2) They go off to their labs as if they were going to the dentist. (Para. 4) Many students who are taking pre-medical courses dont like this major at all. 3) They are caught in one of the oldest webs of love and duty and guilt. (Para. 9) Parents and children are trapped in an age-old struggle between feelings of love, duty and guilt arising out of their different outlooks. 4) “Will I get everything done?” (Para. 13) The student is totally worn out and has become suspicious of his / her own ability.5) Pity the poor student who is still just doing the assignment. (Para. 15) The students who just fulfill what they are asked to do are put at a disadvantaged position.6) The tactic works, psychologically. (Para. 16) Teachers are likely to give a higher credit to students who do more than expected.Optional Classroom Activities1 Sit in groups of threes or fours and discuss each of the following questions.1) Do college students in China suffer from the same pressures mentioned in Text B? Are there any differences? Most students perhaps will say “yes” to this question as the four kinds of pressure mentioned in the text are also felt by Chinese university students. The only significant difference, perhaps, lies in the fact that Chinese university students enjoy more financial support from their parents than their American counterparts.2) What is your major? Who chose this major, you or your parents? Are you happy with your major so far? Give reasons. Answers will vary depending on who the student is and what family background he or she comes from.3) Are you working part time while being a full-time student? If so, why are you working part time? If not, do you think its good to work part time while being a full-time student? Some students in China are working part time while being full-time students. Some work because they need money to cover their expenses at college; some work because they think working experience is important for them.2 Sit in groups and discuss with your classmates the learning methods effective in achiev
展开阅读全文