英语时文泛读 Current News Articles for Extensive Reading

1. 英语时文泛读Current News Articles for Extensive Reading BOOK IV

2. Cultural Difference

3. I. Overview • In this unit, you will read 3 passages about differences between countries or nations; these differences are manifested in many ways; while you read you can focus on these differences and reflect upon them.

4. Structure • This unit will give you a glimpse of cultural differences in various aspects.

5. China, U.S. Taking Notes on Education There are apparent differences in the education sector between China and the U.S. Some Chinese teachers are trying the American way of teaching and are trying to distillthe American genius for innovation; but in the field of math, it is still the Chinese way. Text A

6. The Ambassador is the busiest commercial crossing in North America and is a crucial link for the local auto industry. It reflects the cultural differences between the two North American nations. Ambassador Bridge Controversy Highlights Cultural Divide Text B

7. Couples from mixed backgrounds living in Ireland tell Arsheen Qasim about the benefits and challenges their differing nationalities, cultures and religions bring to their relationships. Love in a Cold and Wet Climate Text C

8. Focus of this session

9. II. Text A China, U.S. Taking Notes on Education • Main Idea of the Text • This article mainly talks about the differences between Chinese education and American education.

10. Author Mitchell Landsberg is a Los Angeles Times Metro reporter since 1999 and won Pulitzer Prize in 2004 (one of lthe ead writers on staff award for wildfire coverage). From 1980 to 1999, He worked for The Associated Press as a reporter, editor, or foreign correspondent Background Information

11. Source The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the Western United States. It is the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States and the fourth-most widely distributed newspaper in the United States. Founded in 1881, the Times has won 38 Pulitzer Prizes through 2007; this includes four in editorial cartooning, and one each in spot news reporting for the 1965 Watts Riots and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. In 2004, the paper won five prizes, which is the third-most by any paper in one year (behind The New York Times in 2002 (7) and The Washington Post in 2008 (6)). Background Information

12. Stanford University is a private university located approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Stanford is situated adjacent to the city of Palo Alto in Silicon Valley. Cultural Notes

13. Cultural Notes • It has extensive research facilities, including the Stanford Linear Accelerator, a remote sensing laboratory, and an earthquake engineering center. The school has excellent libraries, and its several museums include outstanding ones of zoology and entomology.

14. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) was founded in 1920 and has grown to be the world’s largest organization concerned with mathematics education, having close to 100,000 members across the USA and Canada, and internationally. NCTM offers vision, leadership, and avenues of communication for mathematics educators at the elementary school, middle school, high school, and college and university levels, and its mission is to provide the vision and leadership necessary to ensure a mathematics education of the highest quality for all students. Cultural Notes

15. The Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization whose mission is to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States. Asia Society was founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, and is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Washington, DC. It aims to prepare Asians and Americans for a shared future by increasing knowledge and enhancing dialogue, encouraging creative expression, and generating new ideas across the fields of policy, business, education, arts and culture. Cultural Notes

16. Language Points Key Words & Expressions • deploy (para. 3): • [intransitive and transitive] to organize or move soldiers, military equipment etc so that they are in the right place and ready to be used 使（部队等）进入战斗位置；调度，部署（军队等） • e.g. • The infantry began to deploy at dawn. （步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。 ） • e.g. • He deployed resources in the library better than his peers. （ 他比其他同学更为有效地利用了图书馆资源。）

17. Language Points • emulate (para. 14): • (fml.) to do something or behave in the same way as someone else, especially because you admire them 效仿；赶超；竞赛；竞争 • e.g. • She tried hard to emulate her sister’s sporting achievements. （她努力赶超她姐姐的运动成绩。 ） • e.g. • We should emulate others’ strong points and overcome the weakness of our own. （ 我们应该学习别人的长处，克服自己的弱点。）

18. Language Points • explosive (para. 14): • increasing suddenly or quickly in amount or number 剧增的; 急速扩张的 • e.g. • The president is pleased at the explosive growth of the company. （ 总裁对公司迅猛的发展感到满意。）

19. Language Points • prod (para. 34): • (infml.) (try to) make (a slow or unwilling person) do sth.; urge （口语）（试图）促使或推动（某人）做某事；激励 • e.g. • She is a fairly good worker, but she needs prodding occasionally. （她干起活来倒是相当不错，不过有时需要加以督促。） • e.g. • He needs a crisis to prod him into action. （ 他要事到临头才被迫采取行动。）

20. Language Points Difficult Sentences • In recent years, the Chinese and American systems have been taking baby steps toward each other, learning and adapting what the other does best. (para.8) • 参考译文：近年来，中国教育制度与美国教育制度已经在尝试着向彼此迈步，认识到彼此教育制度中的精华，并依据各自国情将他国精华为己所用。

21. Language Points • The Chinese, in turn, are trying to distill the American genius for innovation, recognizing that, for all its faults, the U.S. educational system is unrivaled at turning out creative minds.(para.10) • “American genius for innovation”指的是“美国的创新精神”，“genius”在此意思为“特征、特点或精神”。另外，本句还包含一个由for all引起的让步状语从句，可以用despite 或者in spite of来代替。美国教育制度尽管有这种或那种问题，但在培养创新人才方面，中国教育制度是无法与之相比的。中国教育专家认识到了这一点，因而也在学习美国教育倡导的创新精神。

22. Language Points • There will be less rote learning, more give-and-take with teachers, and more exercises such as the one at the Gaoyakou Central Primary School, where the students learn in groups. (para.19) • 师生互动型教学模式将减少死记硬背式的学习，增加学生与教师良性互动，并且增加学生练习的机会。在Gaoyakou中心小学，学生以小组的形式参与学习的教学模式就是互动教学的一个范例。