0606
For some educators, there is nothing wrongwith fun and games.A group called the Education Arcaderecently held a conference in Los Angeles todiscuss the future of educational games,and it brings together international game designers,publishers, teachers and policymakers.The Education Arcade commenced tothe Massachusetts Institute of Technology, near Boston.Professors cooperated with the Microsoft Companyto create what they called the Games-to-Teach Project.The group began to explore techniques touse technology in teaching and learning.They worked with game designers to develop ideas abouthow mathematics and science couldassociate with game playing.The group recently announced thata ¡°Games for Learning¡± statement will be placedon some products.The goal is to help people find games thatare recreational but will also teach.The Entertainment Software Association saysapproximately 50% of all Americansat age six andolder play computer and video games.Sales of such gamesin the United States grew 8% last year,to $7 000 million.Experts say developing a successful computer gamecan take millions of dollars and years of work.They say many companies are not willing to invest thatmuch money and time in educational gameswhen other kinds sell better.Still, companies have been creating systemslike hand-held educational devices made by LeapFrog.And new educational role-playing gamesare being developed on the basis of the results fromrecent surveys and related research. For example,M.I.T. is developing a game so that players willget to experience the American Revolution online.
0612
Adults are getting smarter about how smart babies are.Not long ago, researchers learned that 4-day-oldcould understand addition and subtraction.Now, British research psychologist Graham Schaferhas discovered that infants can learn words foruncommon things long before they can speak.He found that 9-month-old infants could be taught,through repeated show-and-tell,to recognize the names of objects that were foreign to them,a result that challenges in some ways the received wisdom that,apart from learning to identify thingscommon to their daily lives, children don't begin tobuild vocabulary until well into their second year.¡°It's no secret that children learn words,but the words they tend to know are words linked tospecific situations in the home, ¡±explains Schafer.¡°This is the first demonstration that we can choosewhat words the children will learn and thatthey can respond to them with an unfamiliar voicegiving instructions in an unfamiliar setting.¡±Figuring out how humans acquire languagemay shed light on why some children learn to readand write later than others, Schafer says,and could lead to better treatments for developmental problems.What's more, the study of language acquisitionoffers direct insight into how humans learn.¡°Language is a test case for human cognitive development,¡±says Schafer. But parents eager to teach their infantsshould take note£ºeven without being taught new words,a control group caught up with the other infantswithin a few months. ¡°This is not about advancing development,¡±he says. ¡°It's just about what children can doat an earlier age than what educators have often thought. 0706
Nursing, as a typically female profession,must deal constantly with the false impressionthat nurses are there to wait on the physician.As nurses, we are licensed to provide nursing care only.We do not have any legalor moral obligation to any physician.We provide health teaching, assess physicalas well as emotional problems,coordinate patient-related services,and make all of our nursing decisions based uponwhat is best or suitable for the patient.If, in any circumstance,we feel that a physician¡¯s orderis inappropriate or unsafe,we have a legal responsibility to questionthat order or refuse to carry it out.Nursing is not a nine-to-five job with every weekend off.All nurses are aware of that before they enter the profession.The emotional and physical stress, however,that occurs due to odd working hoursis a prime reason for a lot of the career dissatisfaction.It is sometimes required that we work overtime,and that we change shifts four or five times a month.That disturbs our personal lives,disrupts our sleeping and eating habits,and isolates us from everythingexcept job-related friends and activities.The quality of nursing careis being affected dramatically by these situations.Most hospitals are now staffed by new graduates,as experienced nursesfinally give up trying to change the system.Consumers of medically related serviceshave evidently not been affected enough yetto demand changes in our medical system.But if trends continue as predicted,they will find that most critical hospital carewill be provided by new, inexperienced,and sometimes inadequately trained nurses.
0712
1If you are like most people,you've indulged in fake listening many times.You go to history class,sit in the third row,and look squarely at the instructor as she speaks.But your mind is far away,floating in the clouds of pleasant daydreams.Occasionally you come back to earth:The instructor writes an important termon the chalkboard,and you dutifully copy it in your notebook.Every once in a while the instructor makes a witty remark,causing others in the class to laugh.You smile politely,pretending that you've heard the remarkand found it mildly humorous.You have a vague sense of guilt thatyou aren't paying close attention.But you tell yourself that any material you misscan be picked up from a friend's notes.Besides,the instructor's talking about road construction in ancient Rome,and nothing could be more boring.So back you go into your private little world,only later do you realizeyou've missed important information for a test.Fake listening may be easily exposed,since many speakers are sensitive to facial cuesand can tell if you're merely pretending to listen.Your blank expressionand the faraway look in your eyesare the cues that betray you inattentiveness.Even if you are not exposedthere's another reason to avoid fakery:It's easy for this behavior to become a habit.For some people,the habit is so deeply rooted thatthey automatically start daydreamingwhen a speaker begins talking onsomething complex or uninteresting.As a result,they miss lots of valuable information.
0806
I'm interested in the criminal justice system of our country.It seems to me that something has to be done,if we're to survive as a country. I certainly don't knowwhat the answers to our problems are.Things certainly get complicated in a
hurrywhen you get into them,but I wonder if something couldn't be done to deal withsome of these problems. One thing I'm concerned aboutis our practice of putting offenders in jailwho haven't harmed anyone.Why not work out some systemwhereby they can pay back the debtsthey owe society instead of incurring another debtby going to prisonand,of course, coming under the influence of hardened criminals.I'm also concerned about the short prison sentencespeople are serving for serious crimes.Of course one alternative to this is to restore capital punishment,but I'm not sure I would be for that.I'm not sure it's right to take an eye for an eye.The alternative to capital punishment is longer sentencesbut they would certainly cost the taxpayers much money.I also think we must do something about the insanity plea.In my opinion, anyone who takes another person's lifeintentionally is insane; however, that does not meanthat the person isn't guilty of the crimeor that he shouldn't pay society the debt he owes.It's sad, of course,that a person may have to spend the rest of his life,or a large part of it in prison for actsthat he committed while not in full control of his mind.
0812
One of the most common images of an advanced,Western-style culture is that of a busy,traffic-filled city.Since their first appearance on American roadways,automobiles have become a symbol of progress,a source of thousands of jobs,and an almost inalienable rightfor citizens' personal freedom of movement.In recent decades,our ¡°love affair¡± with the car is being exporteddirectly to the developing world,and it is increasingly apparent thatthis transfer is leading to disaster.America's almost complete dependence on automobileshas been a terrible mistake.As late as the 1950s,a large percentage of the American public used mass transit.A combination of public policy decisions and corporate schemingsaw to it that countless convenientand efficient urban streetcarand intra-city rail systems were dismantled (²ð³ý).Our air quality now suffers from the effects of pollutantsemitted directly from our cars.Our lives have been planned along a road grid-homes far from work,shopping far from everything,with ugly stretches of concrete and blacktop in between.Developing countries are copyingWestern-style transportation systems down to the last detail.The problems caused by motorized vehicles in the Westare often magnified in developing nations.Pollution control measures are either not strict or nonexistent,leading to choking clouds of smog.Gasoline still contains lead,which is extremely poisonous to humans.Movement in some cities comes to a virtual standstillas motorized traffic competes with bicycles and pedestrians.In addition to pollution and traffic jams,auto safety is a critical issue in developing nations.
0906
English is the leading international language.In different countries around the globe,English is acquired as the mother tongue,in others it's used as a second language.Some nations use English as their official language,performing the function of administration;in others it's used as an international language for business,commerce and industry.What factors and forces have led to the spread of English?Why is English now considered to be so prestigious that,across the globe,individuals and societies feel disadvantagedif they do not have competence in this language?How has English changed through 1 500 years?These are some of the questions that you investigatewhen you study English.You also examine the immense variability of Englishand come to understand how it's used as a symbol ofboth individual identity and social connection.You develop in-depth knowledgeof the intricate structure of the language.Why do some non-native speakers of English claimthat it's a difficult language to learn,while infants born into English-speaking communitiesacquire their language before they learn to use forks and knives ?At the University of Sussex,you are introduced to the nature and grammar of Englishin all its aspects.This involves the study of sound structures,the formation of words,the sequencing of words and the construction of meaning,as well as examination of the theoriesexplaining these aspects of English usage.You are encouraged to develop your own individual responsesto various practical and theoretical issues,which are raised by studying how speakers and writersemploy English for a wide variety of purposes.
0912
The ancient Greeks developed basic memory systemscalled Mnemonics.The name is derived from their Goddess of Memory,Mnemosene.In the ancient world,a trained memory was an immense asset,particularly in public life.There were no convenient devicesfor taking notes and early Greek orators delivered long with great accuracybecause they learned the speechesusing Mnemonic systems.The Greeks discovered that human memory is largelyan associative process¡ªthat it works by linking things together.For example, think of an apple.The instant your brain registers the word ¡°apple,¡±it recalls the shape,color, taste, smell and texture of that fruit.All these things are associated in your memorywith the word ¡°apple.¡±This means that any thought about a certain subject will oftenbring up more memories that are related to it .An example could be when you think about a lecture you have This could trigger a memory aboutwhat you were talking about through that lecture,which can then trigger another memory.Associations do not have to be logical.They just have to make a good link.An example given on a website I was looking at follows:Do you remember the shape of Austria,Canada, Belgium or Germany?Probably not.What about Italy,though?If you remember the shape of Italy,it is because you have been told at some timethat Italy is shaped like a boot.You made an association with something already known,the shape of a boot,and Italy's shape could not be forgottenonce you had made the association.
1006
George Herbert Mead said thathumans are talked into humanity.He meant that we gain personal identityªªas we communicate with others.In the earliest years of our lives,our parents tell us who we are.¡°Y ou're intelligent.¡± ¡°You're so strong.¡±We first see ourselves through the eyes of others,so their messages form important foundationsof our ter we interact with teachers,friends, romantic partners,and co-workers who communicate their views of us.Thus, how we see ourselves reflectsthe views of us that others communicate.The profound connection between identityand communication is dramatically evident in childrenwho are deprived of human contact.Case studies of childrenwho were isolated from others revealthat they lack a firm self-concept,and their mental and psychological
developmentis severely hindered by lack of munication with others not only affects our sense of identitybut also directly influences our physical and emotional well-being.Consistently, research shows thatcommunicating with others promotes health,whereas social isolation is linked to stress, diseaseand early death.People who lack close friends have greater levels of anxietyand depression than people who are close to others.A group of researchers reviewed scores of studiesthat traced the relationshipbetween health and interaction with others.The conclusion was that social isolation is statisticallyas dangerous as high blood pressure,smoking and obesity.Many doctors and researchers believe thatloneliness harms the immune system,making us more vulnerable to a range of minorand major illnesses.
1012
Psychologists are finding thathope plays a surprisingly vital rolein giving people a measurable advantagein realms as diverse as academic achievement,bearing up in tough jobsand coping with tragic illness.And, by contrast,the loss of hope is turning out to be a stronger signthat a person may commit suicidethan other factors long thought to be more likely risks.¡°Hope has proven a powerful predictor of outcomein every study we've done so far,¡±said Dr. Charles R. Snyder, a psychologistwho has devised a scale to assesshow much hope a person has.For example,in research with 3 920 college students,Dr. Snyder and his colleagues found thatthe level of hope among freshmenat the beginning of their first semesterwas a more accurate predictor of their college gradesthan were their SAT scoresor their grade point averages in high school,the two measures most commonly used topredict college performance.¡°Students with high hope set themselves higher goalsand know how to work to attain them,¡±Dr. Snyder said.¡°When you compare students of equivalent intelligenceand past academic achievements,what sets them apart is hope.¡±In devising a way to assess hope scientifically,Dr. Snyder went beyond the simple notion thathope is merely the sense thateverything will turn out all right.¡°That notion is not concrete enough,and it blurs two key components of hope,¡±Dr. Snyder said.¡°Having hope means believing you have both the willand the way to accomplish your goals,whatever they may be.
1106
In America, people are faced withmore and more decisions every day,whether it's picking one of 31 ice cream flavorsor deciding whether and when to get married.That sounds like a great thing.But as a recent study has shown,too many choices can make us confused,unhappy¡ªeven paralyzed with indecision.That's particularly true when it comes to the workplace,says Barry Schwartz, an author of six booksabout human behavior.Students are graduating with a variety of skills and interests,but often find themselves overwhelmedwhen it comes to choosing an ultimate career goal.In a study, Schwartz observed decision-makingamong college students during their senior year.Based on answers to questionsregarding their job-hunting strategiesand career decisions,he divided the students into two groups:¡°maximizers¡± who consider every possible option,and ¡°satisficers¡± who lookuntil they find an option that is good enough.You might expect that the studentswho had undertaken the most exhaustive searchwould be the most satisfied with their final decision.But it turns out that's not true.Schwartz found that while maximizersended up with better paying jobsthan satisficers on average,they weren't as happy with their decision.The reason why these people feel less satisfiedis that a world of possibilities may also bea world of missed opportunities.When you look at every possible option,you tend to focus more on what was given upthan what was gained.After surveying every option,a person is more acutely aware of the opportunitiesthey had to turn down to pursue just one career.
1112
In the past,one of the biggest disadvantages of machineshas been their inability to work on a micro-scale.For example, doctors did not have devices allowing themto go inside the human body to detect health problemsor to perform delicate surgery.Repair crews did not have a way of identifying broken pipeslocated deep within a high-rise apartment building.However, that¡¯s about to change.Advances in computers and biophysicshave started a microminiature revolution that allows scientiststo envision-and in some cases actually build-microscopic machines.These devices promise to dramatically changethe way we live and work.Micromachines already are making an impact. At Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, research scientists have designed a 4-inch silicon chip that holds 700 tiny primitive motors. At Lucas NovaSensor in Fremont, California, scientists have perfected the world¡¯s first microscopic blood-pressure Threaded through a person¡¯s blood vessels, the sensor can provide blood pressure readings at the valve of the heart itself.Although simple versions of miniature devices have had an impact, advanced versions are still several years away. Auto manufacturers, for example, are trying to use tiny devices that can sense when to release an airbag and how to keep engines and brakes operating efficiently. Some futurists envision nanotechnology also being used to explore the deep sea in small submarines, or even to launch finger-sized rockets packed with microminiature instruments.There is an explosion of new ideas and applications. So, when scientists now think about future machines doing large and complex tasks, they¡¯re thinking smaller than ever before.。
