新編大學英語自主4 Unit 8

[00:00.00] Unit 8:Lesson One American Education [00:06.88]Practice One Sam's Problem Word You Need to Know [00:15.52]counselor [00:17.06]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and decide which choice is the best answer to each of the questions you hear on the recording. [00:33.70]The following conversation takes place at a high school in Detroit, in the U.S. [00:42.44]Sam:I won't be able to do the exam tomorrow. I just don't feel that I'm ready. [00:47.48]Counselor:You say that you don't feel ready for tomorrow's exam... what do you feel like right now? [00:55.37]Sam:Well, I'm angry with myself because I'm going to have to quit the exam and, well, I guess I'm anxious. [01:04.01]Yes, I feel very anxious. [01:06.56]Counselor:When you think about this anxiety, what image do you have of yourself? [01:12.86]Sam:Well, I see myself trying to explain to my Dad why I didn't make the grade in this course, [01:20.57]and I see him getting angry, and, well, I start to feel I've let him down again. [01:27.88]Counselor:You don't feel ready for your exam, you feel anxious and you don't want to let your Dad down again. [01:37.09]Tell me about the last time you let your Dad down. [01:41.56]Sam:Oh, well, it was a year ago. He'd entered me for a chess competition and I got knocked out in the first match. [01:50.02]He was angry because he'd told all his friends how excellent I was. [01:55.24]Counselor:What did you tell him, as an explanation when you lost the chess game? [02:01.21]Sam:I told him that I wasn't ready to play in the League. [02:05.35]Counselor:And now you are preparing to tell him that you're not ready to sit this examination? [02:11.33]Sam:Yes, I suppose I am. [02:13.78]Counselor:O.K. Sam, so what you are saying to me is that you feel reluctant to take the exam tomorrow because you do not like the thought of having to explain a poor grade or a failure to your father. [02:30.80]Is that right, Sam? [02:32.71]Sam:Yes. That's exactly it.(288 words) [02:35.77]1)What is the probable relationship between the two speakers? [02:43.69]2)What is Sam's problem? [02:48.66]3)How do you describe the person talking to Sam? [02:56.33]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage and complete the sentences with the information you get from the passage. [03:11.92]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage. [03:31.46]1)Sam was worried because he didn't pass the exam. [03:39.24]2)Sam reported his poor grade to his father. [03:45.90]3)Sam doesn't want to let his father down. [03:51.88]4)Sam's father always his high expectations of him. [04:00.26]5)Sam is always reluctant to take exams. [04:07.00]Practice Two How to Choose a US University [04:14.48]Words You Need to Know [04:16.50]tuition faculty catalogue [04:23.52]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and answer the following questions briefly. [04:35.15]Do you intend to study at an American university? It takes a long time to get accepted at most American schools, [04:45.73]perhaps as much as a year. That's why you should start choosing a school as soon as possible. [04:55.88]It's also a good idea to apply to several different institutions, so that you'll have a better chance of acceptance at one. [05:07.73]You should start looking for information now, because the more information you have about each college, [05:17.88]the better choice you can make. [05:21.26]There are two good ways to get the information you need. One is a general reference book, [05:32.06]called Guide to American Colleges and Universities. The other good source of information is the catalogue published by each school. [05:47.18]You can study the general guide in almost any American library. The book has many useful statistics, such as the number of students, [06:02.16]the average test scores for people accepted to the school, the number of books in the library, and the number of faculty members. [06:15.30]You can also find the address of each school in this book. [06:20.70]Although the general guidebook has helpful information, [06:25.34]some of the facts may be out-of-date. For instance, many schools raise their tuition every year. [06:34.78]Since you'll need to know what your deucation will cost, out-of-date information will not be good enough. [06:43.74]Also, schools sometimes change their requirements for entrance. [06:50.18]To be sure that you are getting current information, write to the university and ask for its catalogue. [06:59.51]The catalogue not only has more current facts than the guidebook, but it also has more detailed information. [07:09.59]For instance, the catalogue can tell you if there is a special foreign student adviser, what kind of courses are offered, and what kind of housing is available. [07:24.13]Some universities have dormitories, but at others you have to find you own place to live. [07:32.48]With all of this information, you should be able to pick out several good schools. (321 words) [07:39.83]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and fill in the blanks to show the major steps of application. [07:53.04]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage again and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage. [08:10.46]1)It usually takes as much as a year to be accepted by an American university. [08:20.72]2)The guide book has more current information than the catalogue. [08:27.96]3)The general guide lists information about various colleges and universities in the US. [08:38.98]4)You can write to the university to ask for the general guide. [08:47.15]5)You can find information about dormitories in a catalogue. [08:55.03]Practice Three The US Educational System [09:01.48]Words You Need to Know [09:03.13]kindergarten diploma [09:06.80]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and answer the question briefly. [09:18.68]The national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. [09:25.13]It differs from other Western education systems in three fundamental respects. [09:30.49]Firstly, Americans are more inclined to regard education as a solution to various social problems. [09:37.91]Secondly, Americans provide more years of schooling for a larger percentage of the population than other countries. [09:45.83]Thirdly, educational institutions are primarily governed by local authorities rather than by federal ones. [09:53.71]Formal education in the U.S. is divided into four stages or levels: pre-school education, elementary education, secondary education and higher education. [10:05.99]Students complete one stage before they continue to the next. [10:10.16]1.Pre-school education [10:13.19]It is generally designed for children five years of age and younger. [10:17.44]Its chief aim is to develop the habits, attitudes, and skills that provide readiness for school. [10:24.74]In the U.S. about half of all children from age 3 through age 5 attend some kind of pre-school education. [10:33.20]2.Elementary education [10:36.01]Children attend elementary school from about age 6 or 7 to about 12 or 14. [10:42.92]Most elementary schools provide kindergartens for children who are 5 or 6 years old. [10:48.29]Most U.S. communities have at least one elementary school. These schools are also called grade or grammar schools. [10:56.21]A traditional elementary school is divided into six or eight grades. Children of about the same age are usually in the same grade. [11:05.17]3.Secondary education [11:07.84]Most students enter a secondary school after completing their elementary deucation. [11:13.24]Secondary education in the U.S. is the responsibility of junior and senior high schools. [11:19.25]It is designed to help students become responsible members of the community and to prepare them for a job or for advanced studies after graduation. [11:29.18]High school graduates receive a diploma to show that they have completed their secondary education. [11:35.41]4.Higher education [11:38.08]It continues a person's education beyond high school. [11:41.53]More than 60 percent of all high school graduates in the U.S. get some advanced schooling. [11:47.11]The United States has about 3,000 institutions of higher learning, including a wide variety of community and junior colleges, [11:55.25]technical institutes, colleges, universities, and separate professional schools. [12:01.48]Community and junior colleges offer two-year programs in both general and career education. [12:08.21]After completing a two-year course at a community college, junior college, or technical institute, [12:15.12]a student receives an associate's degree or a certificate in the case of certain types of specialized training. [12:22.57]College and universities provide a wide selection of liberal arts and career programs. [12:29.02]Most offer a four or five-year liberal arts program leading to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. [12:36.79]Many colleges and most universities offer advanced courses leading to a master's or doctor's degree. (443 words) [12:44.21]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage. [13:01.99]1)The national system of formal deucation in the U.S. developed in the 20th century. [13:12.07]2)Most U.S. communities have two elementary schools. [13:19.74]3)Secondary education consists of junior and senior high schools. [13:28.81]4)High school graduates receive a diploma. [13:34.72]5)Every university or college offers a master's or doctor's degree. [13:43.82]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage again and complete the following outline. [13:55.06]Happy Minute [13:56.64]Enjoy listening to the following story and answer the question briefly. [14:02.87]Why did the students think that the professor should take another look at their logic exams? [14:12.48]We had just learned the results of our first exam in logic class. [14:17.41]Before moving on to the next unit, the professor reminded us that the goal of the class was to teach us to think in a new manner. [14:27.10]"As long as you have a logical reason," he assured us, "there are no wrong answers." [14:33.04]One student called out, "Then I think you had better take another look at these exams!" [14:40.42]Lesson Two A Comparison of Educational Systems [14:47.44]Practice One High School Life Words You Need to Know [14:55.97]melt academic [15:00.14]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and answer the following questions briefly. [15:11.09]In the following talk, Ann is interviewing some students. [15:16.81]Ann:OK, Laura, why do you find school so boring? [15:22.07]Laura:Because the lessons aren't made interesting enough. It's so boring. It's the same routine all the time. [15:33.26]Ann:So, it's the routine that you don't like? W...what does the day, school day go like, then? [15:42.91]Laura:Get up in the morning at eight o'clock, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk to school, go to loads of lessons, come home again, go to sleep. [15:56.56]Ann:Ah ha. That sounds boring put like that. What lessons do you do? [16:04.01]Laura:Erm geography, English, French, maths, PE. cookery, art, that's it. [16:13.80]Ann:Well, to me that sounds quite interesting. Why don't you like the lessons? [16:20.39]Laura:I don't know. I think it is the teachers most of the time. Mm, they bore me. [16:29.57]Ann:How could they be better? [16:31.15]Laura:Erm, I think if we were encouraged to do more practical work, more than doing notes and just writing things down all the time because it gets boring. [16:47.60]Ann:So Tom what do you think of the school, then? [16:51.49]Tom:I think it's quite a good place. It's erm, a melting pot for all sorts of races and ages; [16:59.48]it's got people of different academic levels. I would imagine that the freedom that you get at college compared to high school is quite enjoyable. [17:10.32]People can smoke, can go downtown at lunchtimes, can go home, [17:15.97]can take the afternoon off it they haven't got any lessons. [17:20.22]There's a wide range of activities to do, a hundred or so clubs, pottery, acting, anything from sewing classes to rebuilding a car. [17:31.42]Ann:Gary, what do you think of the schools and teachers? [17:35.66]Gary:Well, the school's OK, I would say, but the teachers, well they're quite good, [17:43.66]but I reckon they could be a bit more... not so strict really. Some of them are OK, but some of them push a lot. [17:54.31]Ann:Push a lot, what do you mean? [17:57.52]Gary:...In some ways it's good, but... I don't like it much. [18:02.59]Ann:OK. What's your favorite subject? [18:06.16]Gary:Erm, I haven't really got a favorite subject... sport and play really. [18:14.15]I mean except for PE and football and things like that. I think science interests me the most. [18:21.31]Ann:Well, Jeff, What do you like about school? Do you like school? [18:26.57]Jeff:Yes, I do. It's OK. I've got a best friend. He's called Russell. [18:34.67]I always meet him in the playground at school and after school. And before. We always play together, [18:43.81]sometimes, except for lunchtimes. Sometimes I play chess. And today I beat Timel in chess - that's one of my friends. (455 words) [18:56.05]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and fill in the blanks with the information you get from the interviewees. [19:10.56]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage again and answer the following questions briefly. [19:23.38]Practice Two Higher Education Around the World [19:29.93]Words You Need to Know [19:31.80]scholastic aptitude anthropology humanities [19:40.55]demonstrate Saudi Arabia Kuwait Korea [19:48.76]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and match the countries with the information on the right by writing the relevant letters in the brackets. [20:06.68]In many countries, such as France, Greece, and Japan, it is often more difficult for students to pass the college entrance exams than to do the course work when they are actually in college, [20:22.27]and students who don't have much money are at a disadvantage. [20:26.77]Students prepare for these tests for years in advance, [20:31.24]Often, students attend a private school at night to get ready for them. [20:36.42]These private schools are usually expensive. If their families don't have much money, [20:43.58]students can't attend, and they might not pass the entrance exams without this extra preparation. [20:51.61]In contrast, students can easily get into an American or Canadian college - at least more easily than in other countries. [21:01.80]American students take an entrance exam called the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test). [21:09.36]However, colleges do not consider only SAT scores. [21:14.40]They also consider a student's grades and activities throughout high school. [21:20.16]A student who has done well in high school will probably get into college. [21:26.53]What happens when a student finally enters a college or university? Students in China, [21:33.19]Korea, or Japan might find their college studies easier than high school work. [21:40.21]On the other hand, when American or Canadian students begin college, many of them discover that they need to work very hard and study seriously for the first time in their lives - especially if they plan to go to graduate school. [21:57.71]If college tuition is high, they may need to work part-time to help pay for their education. [22:04.98]College education in many countries (such as Saudio Arabia and Kuwait), by contrast, is free. [22:13.19]Because of the combination of studies and a job, college life may be more difficult for students in North America than it is for students in other countries. [22:24.38]In the 1960s and 1970s, many students in Europe and North America demonstrated against the government and hoped to make big changes in society. [22:36.66]College life has been changing since then, however, and students are not paying much attention to politics these days. [22:46.09]Instead, most students are interested only in their studies and future job. [22:51.53]Twenty years ago, many college students chose a major in sociology, anthropology, or another social science. [23:01.21]Courses in the humanities (literature, art, philosophy, and so on) were also popular. [23:09.35]But these days, students all over the would are majoring in more practical subjects such as business administration, [23:17.99]computer science, and engineering. (395 words) [23:21.48]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and answer the following questions briefly. [23:32.96]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage again and tell whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage. [23:51.22]1)Japanese students often have to attend a night school to pass college entrance examinations. [24:02.74]2)Whether American students can get into college or not depends solely on S.A.T scores. [24:15.26]3)College life in North America is not so difficult as that in other countries. [24:23.72]4)Students in the West used to be concerned with politics and social change. [24:32.98]5)Courses like literature, art and philosophy were popular 20 years ago [24:44.42]Practice Three Different Approaches to Education [24:50.58]Words You Need to Know [24:52.96]individualism Orient [24:57.13]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and answer the following questions briefly. [25:08.36]In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious, and cultural differences, [25:17.26]people highly value individualism - the differences among people. [25:23.41]Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. [25:35.33]Students do not have to memorize all information. Instead, many of them work individually and find answers themselves. [25:45.41]There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to from their own ideas and opinions. [25:55.20]In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history, and culture. [26:03.73]Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the Orient reflects society's belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. [26:16.19]Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments. [26:24.72]In the classroom, the teaching methods are often very formal. The teacher lectures, and the students listen. [26:34.33]There is not much discussion. Instead, the students recite rules or information that they have memorized. [26:43.30]There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. [26:49.49]For example, one advantage to the system in Japan is that students there learn much more math and science than American students learn by the end of high school. [27:02.16]They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. [27:10.12]The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. [27:20.09]These is however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese chools, [27:27.86]yet many students any that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized. [27:36.72]The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. [27:45.94]The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. [27:51.80]There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven't memorized as many basi crules and facts as students in other countries have. (336 words) [28:04.51]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and fill in the table with the information you get from the recording. [28:19.34]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage again and find the words specified below. [28:30.14]Happy Minute [28:31.66]Enjoy listening to the short story and answer the following question. [28:37.92]What is the advantage tobeing a teacher,according to the professor? [28:43.79]My physics professor at university once explained that it was really nice to be a teacher. [28:50.81]"When you're an engineer, a lawyer or a doctor and make a mistake, you probably would be taken to court," he said. [29:00.17]"What if a teacher makes a mistake?" one of the students asked. [29:04.52]"He erases the blackboard," said my professor.

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