Many people go to school for education. They learn languages, history, politics, geography, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Others go to school to learn a skill so that they can make a living. School education is very important and useful. Yet, no one can learn everything from school. A teacher, no matter how much he knows, cannot teach his students everything they want to know. The teacher's job is to show his students how to learn. He teaches them how to read and how to think. So, much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves.
It is always more important to know how to study by oneself than to memorise some facts or a formula(公式). It is actually quite easy to learn a certain fact in history or a formula in mathematics. But it is very difficult to use a formula in working out a maths problem. Great scientists before us didn't get everything from school. Their teachers only showed them the way. Edison did not even finish primary school. But they were all so successful. They invented so many things for mankind. The reason for their success is that they knew how to study. They read books that were not taught at school. They would ask many questions as they read. They did thousands of experiments. They worked hard all their lives, wasting not a single moment. Above all, they knew how to use their brains.
A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops (笔记本电脑).
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility (清晰度). But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes "mindlessly" by taking down word for word what the professors said.
In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk, they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorising facts.
The researchers' report said, "While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop, the benefit disappears."
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but they also lead to superior revision in the future.
If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong. If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault (过错). But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame (受责备), and few of us know that it is just his own fault.
Have you ever found that some people can't read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things; they cannot write down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised. So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: Practice remembering.
Have you still remembered what happened when you went to school on the first day? I still remember my interesting first day of school. On that day, I hurried to my science class in the morning and found a seat in the back. I waited there for 15 minutes before the bell rang. The science teacher told us about some class rules. No one talked to me; nor did I talk to anyone else. I was one of those very shy girls. After the science class, I had an English class. I thought it would be boring but it turned out to be very funny. When the classes of the morning ended I went to lunch. I sat outside the dining room with no one to talk to and no food because I was too nervous to join the lunch line. I kept looking around hoping to see someone I knew but I never saw anyone.
Lunch ended and I went to have my art class. I was the first one there and not even my teacher was there yet. So I sat at my desk and started drawing some pictures. I didn't notice the rest of the class walking in or the girl that was standing behind me till I was surprised by the voice, "So what are you drawing?" It was a girl who had really long hair. She ended up being my best friend and one of the kindest and liveliest girls I know.
In the next class meeting, the teacher asked us to talk about the past holiday. I was glad to make some new friends in the class. The first day of high school was hard for me but I got through it.
How to Remember What You Read
Reading is important. But the next step is to make sure that you remember what you've read! You may have just read the text, but the ideas, concepts and images (形象) may fly right out of your head. Here are a few tricks for remembering what you read.
●
If the plot, characters, or word usage is confusing for you, you probably won't be able to remember what you read. It's a bit like reading a foreign language. If you don't understand what you're reading, how would you remember it? But there are a few things you can do… Use a dictionary; look up the difficult words.
●Are you connected?
Does a character remind you of a friend? Does the setting make you want to visit the place? Does the book inspire you, and make you want to read more? With some books, you may feel a connection right away. How willing are you to make the connections happen?
●Read it; hear it; be it!
Read the lines. Then, speak them out loud. And, put some characters into the words. When he was writing his novels, Charles Dickens would act out the parts of the characters. He'd make faces in the mirror, and change his voice for each character.
●How often do you read?
If you read frequently, you'll likely have an easier time with remembering what you're reading (and what you've read). As you make reading a regular part of your life, you'll make more connections, stay more focused and understand the text better. You'll learn to enjoy literature—as you remember what you read!
A. Are you confused?
B. Practice makes perfect.
C. What's your motivation?
D. Memory is sometimes a tricky thing.
E. Marking helps you remember what you read.
F. But other books require a bit more work on your part.
G. You can do the same thing when you are reading the text!
The first day at school has left a deep1 on me. I'll never forget it.
As soon as I rushed into the classroom, the bell rang. A young beautiful woman came in, but she was 2, no smile on her face. "You are not permitted to 3 me in the course of class unless…" She was speaking when I heard a 4 "Lily, Lily" from outside the door. My grandmother was standing there with a pair of socks in her hand. I didn't realise I was bare feet until then. I wanted to 5 them, but I dare not do that. I shook my head, 6 "Don't wait here any longer. Leave quickly." As I did so, I still 7 my eyes on my teacher. I really didn't want her to take 8 of me, but she did. She went out to get the socks. When she gave them to me, she looked at me for a while. My face suddenly turned red and my heart 9 faster. I began to put the socks on. Unfortunately I was so nervous that my 10 hands couldn't get them onto my feet easily. Just then I heard my name called. I rose from my seat quickly. "Can you 11 the numbers from one to one hundred?" the teacher asked. I nodded. To her surprise, I did very well. Finally she said, "Be 12, please. Study hard." I looked up at her to find a smile on her face. I felt 13 at last.
The first day at school has stayed in my14 as something embarrassing but 15.
On our way to the house, it was raining hard that we couldn't help wondering how long it would take (get) there. It was in the middle of Pearl City.
We were first greeted with the barking by a pack dogs, seven to be exact. They were well trained by their masters had great experience with caring for these animals. Our hosts shared many of their experiences and (recommend) wonderful places to eat, shop, and visit. For breakfast, we were able to eat papaya(木瓜)and other fruits from their trees in the backyard.
When they were free from work, they invited us to local events and let us know of an interesting (compete) to watch, together with the story behind it. They also shared with us many (tradition) stories about Hawaii that were (huge) popular with tourists. On the last day of our week-long stay, we (invite) to attend a private concert on a beautiful farm on the North Shore under the stars, (listen) to musicians and meeting interesting locals.
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的概要。
Look inside any family home in the evening, and you might see a typical enough scene: Mum and Dad, each on their own laptops or tablets, streaming movies, catching up on work or maybe answering emails on their smartphones. Meanwhile, one child is chatting online with one school friend while texting another. The other is playing a video game with a friend on the other side of the city at the same time. Each member of the family is totally absorbed in his or her own piece of technology.
According to some experts, the effect of technology on human relationships is worrying as technology becomes a substitute for face-to-face human relationships. It appears to be the case that many people would rather spend time with their electronic gadgets(电子产品) than with one another. Young people say it is difficult to get their parents' attention and they have to compete with smartphones, tablets and other technology.
However, a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project offers a more helpful and encouraging view, suggesting that far from replacing human contact, technology can actually better family relationships. Just over half of the 2, 253 people surveyed agreed that technology had enabled them to increase their contact with distant family members and 47 percent said it had improved the communication with the people they lived with. Moreover, even the closest members of families need time away from each other at some point to seek their own interests. Family members who might otherwise have sat in separate rooms can now be in the same one while still occupying a different mental space.
Look back at our typical family scene above. Is it any different from four people reading their own books? Or is it driving families apart? Where technology will lead us remains to be seen. Yet there is no need to worry. As a matter of fact, how it affects our family relationships depends on our attitude toward technology.
