书城外语《21世纪大学英语》配套教材.阅读.1
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第2章 Se c re ts of A Stu dents(1)

Ⅰ. Reading Str ategy: Cause an d Effect

Cause and effect is the relationship between two things when one thing makes the other happen. For example,if we eat too much food and do not exercise,we gain weight. Eating food without exercising is the“ cause”; weight gain is the“ effect”.

There may be multiple causes and multiple effects. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happens. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

Looking for the reason why things happen ( cause /effect) is a basic human drive.

So,understanding the cause / effect text structure is essential in learning the basic ways the world works. Writers use this text structure to show order,inform,speculate,and change behavior. This text structure uses the process of identifying potential causes of a problem or issue in an orderly way. It is often used to teach social studies and science concepts.

Strategies that have been found effective in learning the cause / effect text structure include:

1. Find signal words that show cause / effect relationships,e. g. ,because,so,so that,if . . . then,consequently,thus,since,for ,for this reason,as a result of,therefore,due to,this is how,nevertheless,and a ccordingly.

2. Look for the different kinds of cause / effect relationships:

Stated cause / effect relationships: the relationship is stated clearly; Unstated cause / effect relationships: students must be taught how to“ read between the lines”;Reciprocal cause / effect relationships: effects may be part of a chain. In this kind of structure,one effect goes on to cause a second effect,which may then cause a third effect.

Ⅱ. Applying the Read ing Str ategy

In this part,you are required to use the reading strategy you have just learned.

Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions after them.

( 1)

In recent decades,cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth??s population lives in urban areas. There are several reasons for this occurrence. First,the increasing industrialization of the nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many factory jobs,which tended to be located in cities. These jobs,with their promise of a better material life,attracted many people from rural areas. Second,there were many schools established to educate the children of the new factory laborers. The promise of a better education persuaded many families to leave farming communities and move to the cities. Finally,as the cities grew,people established places of leisure,entertainment,and culture,such as sports stadiums,theaters,and museums. For many people,these facilities made city life appear more interesting than life on the farm,and therefore drew them away from rural communities.

Which of the following does not have a direct effect on urbanization?

A. The increasing factory jobs resulting from the industrialization of the 19 th century.

B. The factory jobs,which tended to be located in cities,attracted many people from rural areas.

C. Many schools were established to educate the children of the new factory laborers and exclude those whose parents didn??t have factory jobs,which made the city population larger.

D. The failure of the birth control policy.

( 2)

The erosion ( 腐蚀; 侵蚀) of the middle of the labor market is easy to misinterpret ( 曲解) ,because its roots are multiple. During the 1970 s,the entry into the work force of an unprecedented ( 空前的) number of women and of young adults born during the baby boom resulted in too many workers for the jobs available,and depressed wages. The decline of the middle also has something to do with the explosive growth in world trade since 1960. As manufacturing technologies have become more mobile,and multinational firms more footloose ( 自由自在的; 到处走动的) ,production jobs have migrated from the U. S. to countries where wages are low. In addition,technology itself has helped to provoke ( 驱使; 激怒) the shifts in the job market. For example,fewer American workers would have been needed to make steel in 1980 than in 1960 even if the pressures of global competition had not been a factor ,because new machines have made many of their tasks redundant.

Finally,the high rate of unemployment caused by these trends has tended to drive wages down further ,especially at the low end,since it forces unskilled workers to compete for their jobs with unemployed people who are willing to do the work for less.

Which of the following is not the cause for the erosion of the middle of the labor market?

A. Baby boom plays a part in the erosion of labor market.

B. Stepped-up world trade results in the migration of production jobs from the U. S.

C. The advance of technology has had an effect on the shape of the job market.

D. Skilled workers are unwilling to do the jobs which were taken by the unemployed people.

Ⅲ. Reading Task

A. Pr e-r eading act ivity

Have you ever met with or heard of such events that someone is actually very good at some course or demonstrates special talent in some field,but unfortunately he / she fails to get a high score? What do you think of such things? And what do you think of the cuvrent prevailing grading system?

B. Reading

Motivation to Lear n

Infants and young children appear to be propelled by curiosity,driven by anintense need to explore,interact with,and make sense of their environment. As oneauthor puts it,“ Rarely does one hear parents complain that their pre-schooler is‘ unmotivated’”.

Unfortunately,as children grow,their passion for learning frequently seems toshrink. Learning often becomes associated with drudgery instead of delight. A largenumber of students - more than one in four - leave school before graduating. Manymore are physically present in the classroom but largely mentally absent; they fail to invest themselves fully in the experience of learning.

Awareness of how students??attitudes and beliefs about learning develop and what facilitates learning for its own sake can assist educators in reducing student apathy.

Wha t is student motivation?