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1、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 u
2、sed. 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 Sense out of Science) begins by quoting newspaper headlines: New Drugs Kill Cancer Devastatio
3、n by El Nino - a Warning 6:30 p.m. October 26, 2028: Could This Be the Deadline for the Apocalypse? Text B of this unit, Children and Money, begins with an imagined argument between a child and his parent over the control of pocket money. Discover other forms of introduction as you read on. However,
4、 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 sense of completeness. A conclusion may be a restatement of the main points previously mentioned, a proposed solution, a quotation from
5、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 research to mountain climbing, a process filled with disappointments and reverses, but somehow we keep moving ahead. In this text, Howar
6、d Gardner makes a suggestion in the form of a question. III. Cultural Notes1. 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
7、 existence of contending points of view that is characteristic of Western education. This can be seen as far back as in the work of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who encouraged his students to question everything, even their most fundamental beliefs. Yet even then there was no general agre
8、ement 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: Darwins t
9、heory 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-based or student-based. Which of the two should decide what should be lea
10、rned, 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 themselves rather than relying on their teachers to tell them. An extreme vers
11、ion of the student-centered approach can be seen 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 e
12、ducation 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
13、opportunity for an exploratory approach to learning. 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
14、 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 research that suggested that, as far as maths was concerned, a more teacher-centered method was more effective.2. Standing on
15、the shoulders of giants: a well-known phrase, frequently employed by inventors to express modesty about their achievements. The suggestion is that while they have been able to see further than those who came before them, it is not because they themselves are intellectual giants. Rather it is because
16、 they have been able to build upon the accumulated discoveries of their great predecessors.IV. Language Study1. attach v.: fasten or join (one thing to another) (used in the pattern: attach sth. to sth.) Examples: We can measure wind speed by attaching a wind meter to a kite and sending it up into the air. Attached to this letter you will find a copy of the agreement. 2. not i
