GRE写作issue素材 1.docx
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GRE写作issue素材1
Section1Education
1. Proverbs
1.Agraduationceremonyisaneventwherethecommencementspeakertellsthousandsofstudentsdressedinidenticalcapsandgownsthatindividualityisthekeytosuccess.
2.Theprimarypurposeofaliberaleducationistomakeone’smindapleasantplaceinwhichtospendone’stime.
3.Nextinimportancetofreedomandjusticeispopulareducation,withoutwhichneitherfreedomnorjusticecanbepermanentlymaintained.
4.Theclassroom--notthetrench--isthefrontieroffreedomnowandforevermore.
5.Education’spurposeistoreplaceanemptymindwithanopenone.
6.Itisthepurposeofeducationtohelpusbecomeautonomous,creative,inquiringpeoplewhohavethewillandintelligencetocreateourowndestiny.
7.Yousee,realongoing,lifelongeducationdoesn’tanswerquestions;itprovokesthem.
8.Peoplewillpaymoretobeentertainedthaneducated.
9.themostimportantfunctionofeducationatanylevelistodevelopthepersonalityoftheindividualandthesignificanceofhislifetohimselfandtoothers.Thisisthebasicarchitectureofalife;therestisornamentationanddecorationofthestructure.
10.Theessenceofoureffortstoseethateverychildhasachancemustbetoassureeachasequalopportunity,nottobecomeequal,buttobecomedifferent-torealizewhateveruniquepotentialofbody,mind,andspiritheorshepossesses.
11.Agreatteacherneverstrivestoexplainhisvision-hesimplyinvitesyoutostandbesidehimandseeforyourself.
12.Ifyoucanreadanddon’,youareanilliteratebychoice.
2.DamagingResearch
AstudybyNationalParent-TeacherOrganizationrevealedthatintheaverageAmericanschool,eighteennegativesareidentifiedforeverypositivethatispointedout.TheWisconsinstudyrevealedthatwhenchildrenenterthefirstgrade,80percentofthemfeelprettygoodthemselves,butbythetimetheygettothesixthgrade,only10percentofthemhavegoodself-images.
3.EducationandCitizenship
AnimportantaspectofeducationintheUnitedStatesistherelationshipbetweeneducationandcitizenship.Throughoutitshistorythisnationhasemphasizedpubliceducationasameansoftransmittingdemocraticvalues,creatingequalityofopportunity,andpreparingnewgenerationsofcitizenstofunctioninsociety.Inaddition,theschoolshavebeenexpectedtohelpshapesocietyitself.Duringthe1950s,forexample,effortstocombatracialsegregationfocusedontheschools.Later,whentheSovietUnionlaunchedthefirstorbitingsatellite,AmericanschoolsandcollegescameunderintensepressureandwereofferedmanyincentivestoimprovetheirscienceandmathematicsprogramssothatthenationswouldnotfallbehindtheSovietUnioninscientificandtechnologicalcapabilities.
Educationisoftenviewedasatoolforsolvingsocialproblems,especiallysocialinequality.Theschools,tisthought,cantransformyoungpeoplefromvastlydifferentbackgroundsintocompetent,upwardlymobileadults.Yetthesegoalsseemalmostimpossibletoattain.Inrecentyears,infact,publiceducationhasbeenatthecenterofnumerouscontroversiesarisingfromthegapbetweentheidealandthereality.Partoftheproblemisthatdifferentgroupsinsocietyhavedifferenthavedifferentexpectations.Somefeelthatchildrenshouldbetaughtbasicjob-relatedskills;stillothersbelieveeducationshouldnotonlypreparechildrentocompeteinsocietybutalsohelpthemmaintaintheirculturalidentity(and,inthecaseofHispanicchildren,theirlanguage).Ontheotherhand,policymakersconcernedwitheducationemphasizetheneedtoincreasethelevelofstudentachievementandtoimproveparentsintheirchildren’seducation.
Somereformersandcriticshavecalledattentiontotheneedtolinkformalschoolingwithprogramsdesignedtoaddresssocialproblems.SociologistCharlesMoscos,forexample,isaleaderinthemovementtoexpandprogramslikethePeaceCorps,Vista,andOutwardBoundintoasystemofvoluntarynationalservice.Nationalservice,asMoscosdefinesit,wouldentail“thefull-timeundertakingofpublicdutiesbyyoungpeoplewhetherascitizensoldiersorcivilianservers-whoarepaidsubsistencewages”andserveforatleastoneyear.Inreturnforthisperiodofservice,thevolunteerswouldreceiveassistanceinpayingforcollegeorothereducationalexpenses.
Advocatesofnationalserviceandschool-to-workprogramsbelievethateducationdoesnothavetobeconfinedtoformalschooling.Indevisingstrategiestoprovideopportunitiesforyoungpeopletoservetheirsociety,theyemphasizetheeducationalvalueofcitizenshipexperiencesgainedoutsidetheclassroom.AtthiswritingthereislittleindicationthatnationalservicewillbecomeaneweducationalinstitutionintheUnitedStates,althoughtheconceptissteadilygainingsupportamongeducatorsandsocialcritics.
4.TheTeacher’sRole
Giventheundeniableimportanceofclassroomexperience,sociologistshavedoneaconsiderableamountofresearchonwhatgoesonintheclassroom.Oftentheystartfromthepremisethat,alongwiththeinfluenceofpeers,students’experiencesintheclassroomareofcentralimportancetotheirlaterdevelopment.Onestudyexaminedtheimpactofasinglefirst-gradeteacheronherstudents’subsequentadultstatus.Thesurprisingresultsofthisstudyhaveimportantimplications.Itisevidentthatgoodteacherscanmakeabigdifferenceinchildren’slives,afactthatgivesincreasedurgencytotheneedtoimprovethequalityofprimary-schoolteaching.ThereformscarriedoutbyeducationalleaderslikeJamesComersuggestthatwhengoodteachingiscombinedwithhighlevelsofparentalinvolvementtheresultscanbeevenmoredramatic.
Becausetheroleoftheteacheristochangethelearnerinsomeway,theteacher-studentrelationshipisanimportantpartofeducation.Sociologistshavepointedoutthatthisrelationshipisasymmetricalorunbalanced,withtheteacherbeinginapositionofauthorityandthestudenthavinglittlechoicebuttopassivelyabsorbtheinformationprovidedbytheteacher.Inotherwords,inconventionalclassroomsthereislittleopportunityforthestudentstobecomeactivelyinvolvedinthelearningprocess.Ontheotherhand,studentsoftendevelopstrategiesforundercuttingtheteacher’sauthority:
mentallywithdrawing,interrupting,andthelike.Hence,muchcurrentresearchassumesthatstudentsandteachersinfluenceeachotherinsteadofassumingthattheinfluenceisalwaysinasingledirection.
5.EducationPhilosophy
ForthepastfiftyyearsourschoolshaveoperatedonthetheoriesofJohnDewey(1859-1953),anAmericaneducatorandwriter.Deweybelievedhattheschool’sjobwastoenhancethenaturaldevelopmentofthegrowingchild,ratherthantopourinformation,forwhichthechildhadnocontext,intohimorher.IntheDeweysystem,thechildbecomestheactiveagentinhisowneducation,ratherthanapassivereceptacleforfacts.
Consequently,Americanschoolsareveryenthusiasticaboutteaching“lifeskills”–logicalthinking,analysis,creativeproblem--solving.Theactualcontentofthelessonsissecondarytotheprocess,whichissupposedtotrainthechildtobeabletohandlewhateverlifemaypresent,includingalltheunknownsofthefuture.Studentsandteachersbothregardpurememorizationasanuncreativeandsomewhatvulgar.
Inadditionto“lifeskills”,schoolsareassignedtosolvetheevergrowingstokeofsocialproblems.Racism,teenagepregnancy,alcoholism,druguse,recklessdriving,andsuicidearejustafewofthemodernproblemsthathaveappearedontheschoolcurriculum.
ThisallcontributestoahighdegreeofsocialawarenessinAmericanyoungsters.
6.StudentLife
Tothestudents,themostnotabledifferencebetweenelementaryschoolandthehigherlevelsisthatinjuniorhightheystart“changingclasses”.Thismeansthatratherthanspendingthedayinoneclassroom,theyswitchclassroomstomeettheirdifferentteachers.Thisgivesthemthreeorfourminutesbetweenclassesinthehallways,whereagreatdealoftheimportantsocialactionofhighschooltraditionallytakesplace.Studentshavelockersinthesehallways,aroundwhichthycongregate.
Societyingeneraldoesnottakethebusinessofstudyingveryseriously.Schoolchildrenhaveagreatdealoffreetime,whichtheyareencouragedtofillwithextracurricularactivities—sports,clubs,cheerleading,scouts—supposedtoinculcatesuchqualitiesasleadership,sportsmanship,abilitytoorganize,etc.thosewhodon’tbecomeengagedinsuchactivitiesorhaveafter\schooljobshaveplentyofopportunityto“hangout”,listentoteenagermusic,andwatchtelevision.
Comparedtoothernations,Americanstudentsdonothavemuchhomework.StudiesalsoshowthatAmericanparentshavelowerexpectationsfortheirchildren’ssuccessinschoolthanothernationalitiesdo.(Historically,therehasnotbeenmuchcorrelationbetweenAmericanschoolsuccessandsuccessinlaterlife.)“He’sjustnotascholar”,theAmericanparentsmightsay,contentthattheirsonisontheswimteamanddoesn’ttakedrugs.(Someoftheyoungdochoosetostudyhard,forreasonoftheirown,suchasdeterminingthattheroadtorichesliesthroughHarvardBusinessSchool.)
WhatAmericanschoolsdoeffectivelyteachisthecompetitivemethod.Ininnumerablewayschildrenarepittedagainsteachother—whetherinclassroomdiscussion,spellingbees,readinggroups,ortests.EveryclassroomisexpectedtoproduceascatteringofA’sandF’s(teachersoftengradeA=excellent;B=good;C=average;D=poor;andF=failed).AteacherwhogivesallA’slookstoosoft—sostudentsareawarethattheyarecompetingforthelimit