新视野大学英语读写教程第五册:rw-unit01
In this reading passage the author argues that although schools are inherently conservative institutions, in today’s world there is a need for a technological revolution in education. The passage is made up of 5 parts, as is clearly indicated by the subtitles.
Look at the following chart and you’ll find:
1. The first part is made up of the first three paragraphs. In Paragraphs 1 and 2, the author contrasts the continuity of what’s going on in today’s classroom with children’s varied experiences outside the school walls. And this contrast leads naturally to the author’s argument stated in Paragraph 3: there is a need for a revolution in education.
2. The second part is from Paragraph 4 to Paragraph 9, altogether 6 paragraphs. In this part, the author focuses on how computers will transform education in the future. He analyzes the merits (blessings) and drawbacks (curses) of computer technology, and then concludes that education is faced with an unprecedented situation brought about by computer technology.
3. The third part consists of four paragraphs, from Paragraph 10 to Paragraph 13. In this part, the author analyzes the changes education is going through, i.e. the acquisition of a diploma from certified institutions may become less important; people will mostly be self-trained; and that few people will remain in the same occupation for the duration of their lives. He argues that young people will have to prepare themselves for rapidly changing “career paths” and life situations.
4. The fourth part is made up of Paragraphs 14, 15, 16 and 17. In this part, the author lists the impacts of other innovations on education, such as medical technologies, and recent breakthroughs in biology and medicine.
5. The last part is Paragraphs 18 and 19, which echoes the argument presented in the first part. The author concludes that in some aspects of education, a conservative approach may be desirable. Yet the explosion of knowledge demands new and imaginative approaches in other respects.
