Passage 11 网络课程可能带来高校的彻底改革 Online Classes Might Revolutionize1 Colleges

Step 1 阅读行不行

American colleges face what some people are calling a “perfect storm”of problems, college costs are rising, there are not enough jobs for all those completing study programs. Yet employers say they can not find enough workers with technical skills.

One solution may be found in the growing number and quality of online classes. Such classes might revolutionize colleges the way of Internet has already changed music, publishing, sales, and other businesses.

Many top universities now offer online classes. They teach everything from computer programming to the science of cooking. Many classes are at little or no cost. They are restructured2 more often than traditional college programs.

At most colleges, a professor or teaching assistant gives a lecture to students, who then do research, study, and homework alone. Student and bloggers John Haber says online classes change everything around.“They are watching the lectures at home as homework, recorded lectures, and when they get to class, they are having more active discussions, or interactions with the teachers or working on projects, ”he said.

John Harber said that he was taking enough online classes to earn a four-year college degree in just one year. Experts say the new technology will have a major effect on colleges. Some predict3 future classes may be a mix of online lectures and professors helping students to work through difficult problems in person.

Chris Cullen is a college marketing expert. He says competition from online schools and concerns about costs will change universities.

“The consumer demands that you tell me why, give me a reason, to believe that my money, my tuition4 money is best spent at your institution. What is the return on my investment? What is your value proposition? ”

Chris Cullen says top universities with strong public images may expand in an online world, but he says less discriminating5 , less famous schools may struggle6 to get the interest of students.

keywords and phrases

1 revolutionize /ˌrevə'lu:ʃənaɪz/ vt. 发动革命；彻底改革

2 restructure /ˌri:'strʌktʃə(r)/ vt. 重建；重新组织；调整

3 predict /prɪ'dɪkt/ v. 预言，预测

4 tuition /tjʊ'ɪʃn/ n. 学费；教学

5 discriminating /dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪtɪŋ/adj. 有鉴别能力的，有识别能力的

6 struggle /'strʌgl/ vi. 搏斗；奋斗；努力；争取

phrase to know

perfect storm 表示“完美风暴”，指单独发生时没有危险但一并发生时会带来灾难性后果的事件组合。文中作者用这个短语表示各种各样的问题叠加起来对传统大学造成了极大的困扰。而2000年上映的美国大片Perfect Storm （中文译名为《完美风暴》）讲述了一艘捕鱼船在海上遭遇百年罕见的风暴，船员们在船长Billy Tyne的带领下，顽强地与风暴搏斗的故事，影片情节曲折动人，场面壮观，值得一看。

value proposition 表示“价值主张”，即公司通过其产品和服务所能向消费者提供的价值。例如，麦当劳品牌的价值主张是要给顾客带来欢乐，其核心是永远年轻，因此她的广告语是“我就喜欢”。proposition这个词表示“见解，主张，观点”，还可以表示“命题”。

public image 表示“公众形象”，无论是一个企业，一位明星，还是普通大众，都会有公众形象。我们常用的与public有关的短语还有：public opinion（民意，公众舆论）, public relation（公共关系）, public security（公共安全），public bidding（公开招标）。

Step 2 手写行不行

★ 在过去的10年间，电脑彻底改变了我们的生活方式。(revolutionize)

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★ 总统号召政治家们帮助他重新调整美国的政治体制。(restructure)

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★ 我们现在预测结果为时尚早。(predict)

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★ 她一年的学费是15,000美元。(tuition)

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★ 我们对生活品质的要求越来越高。(in regard to)

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★ 我看到一个小男孩挣扎着站了起来。(struggle)

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Step 3 口语行不行

Q1 Do you know about online class？你了解在线课程吗？

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Q2 What are the advantages of online class？在线课程有哪些优点？

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Q3 What are the disadvantages of online class？在线课程有哪些弊端？

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试题解答篇

Step 2 手写行不行答案

1．Over the past ten years, computers have revolutionized the way we live.

2．The President called on politicians to help him restructure American political system.

3．It is yet premature for us to predict the outcome.

4．Her yearly tuition is $15, 000.

5．We have become increasingly more discriminating in regard to the quality of life.

6．I could see the young boy struggling to his feet.

Step 3 口语行不行答案

1．Online class, also known as e-learning, refers to the class based on electronic media and information and communication technologies. It includes numerous types of media that deliver text, audio, image and animation, and includes technology applications and computer-based learning. It is commonly thought that new technologies make a big difference in education. Many proponents of online class believe that everyone must be equipped with basic knowledge of technology, as well as use it as a vehicle for reaching educational goals.

2．Online classes not only allow organizations to carry out their classes and training programs in a convenient and systematic manner but free students from attending institutes for long lectures, standing in long queues for collecting registration forms and filling it up and then again submitting it at the staff desk. Besides, the online service also enables institutions to cut down heavily on cost as well as reduce administrative work load. And the great thing about the benefits of online class is that students, especially non-full-time students, can study at their own pace. It is reported that Harvard University and MIT have jointly announced their new non-profit edX online learning initiative. Why don't we enjoy the classes offered by top universities in the world for free?

3．Firstly, online education is a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It tends to be a monologue and not a real dialogue. It is hard to have social interaction between teacher and students. Students cannot get direct and immediate feedback from teachers, while teachers are lack of knowledge and experience to manage virtual teacher-student interaction. Besides, those who have no specific skills, including self-motivation and excellent time-management skills can hardly succeed at online class. Lastly, there are instances when technology fails. Servers may be down, or you may experience periods when your connection to the Internet is interrupted. Without the stable hardware or internet access, online learning is hard.