PE2_U05_A

PracticalEnglish,BookIIUnit5PartAMyAdvicetoStudents:GetaSound,BroadEducation•TextA•PracticeUnit5:PartAUnit5:TextA•Text-relatedInformation•IntensiveStudyBillGatesandMicrosoftText-relatedInformationWilliam(Bill)H.GatesischairmanandchiefsoftwarearchitectofMicrosoftCorporation,theworldwideleaderinsoftware,servicesandInternettechnologiesforpersonalandbusinesscomputing.MicrosofthadrevenuesofUS$32.19billionforthefiscalyearendingJune2003,andemploysmorethan55000peoplein85countriesandregions.BornonOct.28,1955,GatesgrewupinSeattlewithhistwosisters.Theirfather,WilliamH.GatesII,isaSeattleattorney.Theirlatemother,MaryGates,wasaschoolteacher,UniversityofWashingtonregent,andchairwomanofUnitedWayInternational.GatesattendedpublicelementaryschoolandtheprivateLakesideSchool.There,hediscoveredhisinterestinsoftwareandbeganprogrammingcomputersatage13.Text-relatedInformationIn1973,GatesenteredHarvardUniversityasafreshman,whereheliveddownthehallfromSteveBallmer,nowMicrosoft'schiefexecutiveofficer.WhileatHarvard,GatesdevelopedaversionoftheprogramminglanguageBASICforthefirstmicrocomputer-theMITSAltair.Inhisjunioryear,GatesleftHarvardtodevotehisenergiestoMicrosoft,acompanyhehadbegunin1975withhischildhoodfriendPaulAllen.Guidedbyabeliefthatthecomputerwouldbeavaluabletooloneveryofficedesktopandineveryhome,theybegandevelopingsoftwareforpersonalcomputers.Gates'foresightandhisvisionforpersonalcomputinghavebeencentraltothesuccessofMicrosoftandthesoftwareindustry.Text-relatedInformationUnderGates'leadership,Microsoft'smissionhasbeentocontinuallyadvanceandimprovesoftwaretechnology,andtomakeiteasier,morecost-effectiveandmoreenjoyableforpeopletousecomputers.Thecompanyiscommittedtoalong-termview,reflectedinitsinvestmentofmorethan$6.8billiononresearchanddevelopmentinthecurrentfiscalyear.Text-relatedInformationIn1999,GateswroteBusiness@theSpeedofThought,abookthatshowshowcomputertechnologycansolvebusinessproblemsinfundamentallynewways.Thebookwaspublishedin25languagesandisavailableinmorethan60countries.Business@theSpeedofThoughthasreceivedwidecriticalacclaim,andwaslistedonthebest-sellerlistsoftheNewYorkTimes,USAToday,theWallStreetJournalandAmazon.com.Gates'previousbook,TheRoadAhead,publishedin1995,heldtheNo.1spotontheNewYorkTimes'bestsellerlistforsevenweeks.Text-relatedInformationGateshasdonatedtheproceedsofbothbookstonon-profitorganizationsthatsupporttheuseoftechnologyineducationandskillsdevelopment.Inadditiontohisloveofcomputersandsoftware,Gatesisinterestedinbiotechnology.HesitsontheboardofICOS,acompanythatspecializesinprotein-basedandsmall-moleculetherapeutics,andheisaninvestorinanumberofotherbiotechnologycompanies.GatesalsofoundedCorbis,whichisdevelopingoneoftheworld'slargestresourcesofvisualinformation-acomprehensivedigitalarchiveofartandphotographyfrompublicandprivatecollectionsaroundtheglobe.Text-relatedInformationPhilanthropyisalsoimportanttoGates.Heandhiswife,Melinda,haveendowedafoundationwithmorethan$24billiontosupportphilanthropicinitiativesintheareasofglobalhealthandlearning,withthehopethataswemoveintothe21stcentury,advancesinthesecriticalareaswillbeavailableforallpeople.Todate,theBillandMelindaGatesFoundationhascommittedmorethan$3.2billiontoorganizationsworkinginglobalhealth;morethan$2billiontoimprovelearningopportunities,includingtheGatesLibraryInitiativetobringcomputers,InternetText-relatedInformationAccessandtrainingtopubliclibrariesinlow-incomecommunitiesintheUnitedStatesandCanada;morethan$477milliontocommunityprojectsinthePacificNorthwest;andmorethan$488milliontospecialprojectsandannualgivingcampaigns.GateswasmarriedonJan.1,1994,toMelindaFrenchGates.Theyhavethreechildren.Gatesisanavidreader,andenjoysplayinggolfandbridge.Text-relatedInformation•Introduction•OutlineoftheText•LanguagePoints•SummaryoftheTextIntensiveStudyBillGate,oneofthefoundersoftheworld-famousMicrosoftCompany,wasonceadrop-outofHarvardUniversity.HissuccessgivesrisetoaseriesofinterestingquestionsamongstudentsandtheirparentssuchaswhetheritisOKforstudentstodropoutofhighschoolorcollege,whateducationwillleadchildrentosuccess,andhowtostrikeabalancebetweendeepinterestsinasubjectandwideacademicinterests.Inthispassage,BillGatesgivesusadviceabouteducationandanswerstotheabove-mentionedquestions.IntroductiontoTextAI.Generaladviceabouteducation.II.AdviceaboutwhetheritisOKtodropoutofhighschoolorcollege.III.AdviceaboutreceivingbroadeducationinhighschoolandcollegeParas.1-3Paras.4-9Paras.10-18OutlineoftheTextIV.Adviceaboutwhentochooseaspecialty.V.Adviceaboutwhathighschoolstudentsshouldlearn.Paras.19Paras.20-21Thewriter'spersonalexperiencetoshowtheimportanceofhavingwideacademicinterestsinhighschoolandcollege.Transitionalparagraph.III.Adviceaboutreceivingbroadeducationinhighschoolandcollege.Themistakeofthe15-year-oldhighschoolstudentwhofailedtolearnbroadly.Thewrongideaofsomechildrenwholimitthescopeoftheirinterests.Para.10Paras.11-12Para.13-14Para.15-18OutlineoftheTextWhatwillcollegeeducationbringtoyou?QuestiontothinkaboutKnowledgeMethodstodothingsConfidencebetterunderstandingofsocietyI