TextA-My-Advice-to-Students

IntroductionIntroductoryQuestions1.WhoisBillGates?Whatdoyouknowabouthim?2.Whatdoyouthinkofschooleducation?Whatroledoesitplayinyourlife?3.Whatshouldyoudotomakethebestuseofcollegeeducation?Abouttheauthor:BillGatesBillGates,oneofthefoundersoftheworld-famousMicrosoftCompany,wasonceadrop-outofHarvardUniversity.BornonOct.28,1955.OutlineParagraphMainIdeaParas.Paras.Paras.Paras.Paras.1-34-910-181920-21GeneraladviceabouteducationAdviceaboutwhetheritisoktodropoutofhighschoolorcollegeAdviceaboutreceivingbroadeducationinhighschoolandcollegeAdviceaboutwhentochooseaspecialityAdviceaboutwhathighschoolstudentsshouldlearnPara1–3Hundredsofstudentssendmee-maileachyearaskingforadviceabouteducation.Theywanttoknowwhattostudy,orwhetherit’sOKtodropoutofcollegesincethat’swhatIdid.Asmallernumberofparentssendmessages,oftenpoignant,seekingguidancefortheirsonordaughter.“Howcanwesteerourchildtowardsuccess?”theyask.Mybasicadviceissimpleandheartfelt:Getthebesteducationyoucan.Takeadvantageofhighschoolandcollege.Learnhowtolearn.It’struethatIdroppedoutofcollegetostartMicrosoft,butIwasatHarvardforthreeyearsbeforedroppingout–andI’dlovetohavethetimetogoback.AsI’vesaidbefore,nobodyshoulddropoutofcollegeunlesstheybelievetheyfacetheopportunityofalifetime.Andeventhentheyshouldreconsider.KathyCridland,asix-gradeteacherinOhio,wrotetosay,“Severalofmystudentsclaimthatyouneverfinishedhighschool.Sinceyouareasuccess,mystudentsperceivethatasareasonnottocaremuchaboutgettingagoodeducation.”Paras4–5Paras6–8Ifinishedhighschool!Thecomputerindustryhaslotsofpeoplewhodidn’tfinishcollege,butI’mnotawareofanysuccessstoriesthatbeganwithsomebodydroppingoutofhighschool.Inmycompany’searlyyearswehadabrightpart-timeprogrammerwhothreatenedtodropoutofhighschooltoworkfull-time.Wetoldhimno.Paras9–10Quiteafewofourpeopledidn’tfinishcollege,butwediscouragedroppingout.Havingadiplomacertainlyhelpssomebodywhoislookingtousforajob.Collegeisn’ttheonlyplacewhereinformationexists.Youcanlearninalibrary.Butsomebodyhandingyouabookdoesn’tautomaticallyfosterlearning.Youwanttolearnwithotherpeople,askquestions,tryoutideasandtestyourability.Itusuallytakesmorethanjustabook.Educationshouldbebroad,althoughit’sfinetohavedeepinterests,too.Paras11–12InhighschooltherewereperiodswhenIwashighlyfocusedonwritingsoftware,butformostofmyhigh-schoolyearsIhadwide-rangingacademicinterests.Myparentsencouragedthis,andI’mgratefulthattheydid.AlthoughIattendedalotofdifferentkindsofclassesincollege,Isignedupforonlyonecomputerclassthewholetime.Ireadaboutallkindsofthings.Paras13–14Oneparentwrotetomethather15-year-oldson“losthimselfintheholeofthecomputer.”HegotanAinWebsitedesign,buthisothergradesweresinking,shesaid.Thisboyismakingamistake.Highschoolandcollegeofferyouthebestchancetolearnbroadly–math,history,varioussciences–andtodoprojectswithotherkidsthatteachyoufirst-handaboutgroupdynamics.It’sfinetotakeadeepinterestincomputers,dance,languageoranyotherdiscipline,butnotifitjeopardizesbreadth.Paras15–17Ithinkkidssometimestrapthemselvesintoanarrowidentity.Iwonderifthey’vejustdecided,“OK,I’mthepersonwho’sgoodataccounting.”Afriendasks,“Hey,whathaveyoubeenreading?”“Well,I’mreadingaboutaccounting.”Para18It’sjusttheirsortofself-definition,andit’sprobablycomfortableforthem.Butit’sunfortunateifitcomesatthesacrificeoflearningaboutthebroaderworld,orlearningtoworkcooperatively.I’masimpressedasthenextpersoniswhenan11-year-oldcandocalculusandislearningtothinklogically.ButakidwhoisreadingaboutRobisonCrusoeisthinkinglogically,too.It’snotcompletelydifferent.Para19Incollege,it’sappropriatetothinkaboutspecialization.Gettingrealexpertiseinanareaofinterestcanleadtosuccess–unlessthespecialtyendsupbeingadeadendoryou’renotgoodatit.Graduateschoolisonewaytogetspecializedknowledge,althoughextendedcollegeeducationisn’talwaysagoodinvestmentfromapurelyeconomicstandpoint.Paras20–21Choosingaspecialtyisn’tsomethinghigh-schoolstudentsshouldworryabout.Theyshouldworryaboutgettingastrongacademicstart.There’snotaperfectcorrelationbetweenattitudesinhighschoolandsuccessinlaterlife,ofcourse.Butit’sarealmistakenottotaketheopportunitytolearnahugerangeofsubjects,tolearntoworkwithpeopleinhighschool,andtogetthegradesthatwillhelpyougetintoagoodcollege.Completethesummaryaccordingtothetext.ManystudentsaswellastheirparentswrotetoBillGatestoseek________________aboutwhatstudentsshouldlearnandwhetheritisOKto__________highschoolorcollege.Inresponse,BillGatesstatesthatstudentsshouldfinish________,atleast,________.Healsopointsoutthatitisamistakeforhighschoolstudentstodevelopadeep________inacertainsubjectattheexpenseofreceivinga________education.Instead,studentsshould______________highschoolandcollegeeducationtolearn________and_________.Oncethefoundationissolidlylaid,it’sappropriateforcollegestudentstoconsider__________asgetting________inanareaofinterestcanresultinsuccess.Completethesummaryaccordingtothetext.ManystudentsaswellastheirparentswrotetoBillGatestoseek________________aboutwhatstudentsshouldlearnandwhetheritisOKto__________highschoolorcollege.Inresponse,BillGatesstates