搜索
Unit11.WhatweretheauthorandhiswifedoinginNanjinginthespringof1987？TheywerestudyingartseducationinChinesekindergartensandelementaryschoolsinNanjing.2.WhatwastheirsonBenjaminfondofdoingduringtheirstayattheJinlingHotel?Their18-month-oldsonBenjaminwasfondoftryingtoplacethekeyintotheslotofthekeyboxduringtheirstayattheJinlingHotel.3.HowwouldChinesestaffmembersofthehotelrespondtoBenjamin'sattempttoplacethekeyintotheslot?TheywouldcomeovertowatchBenjami,andthentrytoteachhimhowtodoitproperly.4.Whydidtheauthordecidetoworkthekey-slotanecdoteintohisdiscussionswithChineseeducators?BecauseherealizedthatthisanecdotewasdirectlyrelevanttotheirassignedtasksinChina:toinvestigateearlychildhoodeducationandtothrowlightonChineseattitudestowardcreativity.5.WhatdidhisChinesecolleaguesthinkofthekey-slotincident?MostofthemdisplayedthesameattitudeasthestaffattheJinlingHotel.6.Whatdidtheauthoremphasizeinpresentinghisviewsabouttheincident?Heemphasizedthatthemostimportantthingistoteachthechildthatonecansolveaproblemeffectivelybyoneself.7.Whatdoestheauthormeanbysayingthisincidentwaskeyinmorethanonesense?HemeansthatthisincidentpointedtoimportantdifferencesineducationalandartisticpracticesbetweenChinaandtheUSA.8.Inwhatwaydoestheauthorassociatethekey-slotincidentwithteachingbyholdinghishand?ThemannerinwhichtheChinesestaffsawtheneedtoteachthechildbyguidinghishandischaracteristicofabroaderattitudetoeducation,onethatstandsincontrasttotheWesternpreferenceforleavingthechildtoexploreandlearnunaided.9.WhatexamplesdoestheauthorgivetoillustratechildhoodeducationintheartsinChina?Oneexampleisofchildrenattheageof5or6paintingflowers,fishandanimalsskillfullyandconfidently;inasecondexample,calligraphers9andt0yearsoldareproducingexcellentworks;andinathird,youngartistsworkonperfectingtheir:craftforseveralhoursaday.10.HowdoAmericansandChinesedifferintheirattitudestocreativity?Americansthinkthatunlesscreativityhasbeenacquiredearly,itmayneveremerge,andskillscanbepickeduplater.Chinesethinkthatifskillsarenotacquiredearly,theymayneverbeacquired,andthereisnohurrytopromotecreativity.11.Whatmakesthemtakedifferentpositionsonthequestionofcreativity?Thisismainlyduetothedifferenceintheirwayofthinking.12.Whatsuggestiondoestheauthormakeaboutseekingabetterapproachtofosteringskillsandcreativity?Theauthormakesthesuggestionthatweshouldstrikeabetterbalancebetweenthepolesofcreativityandbasicskills.Unit21.WhatistheSalvationArmy?WhatdoesaSalvationArmybellringerdo?TheSalvationArmyisareligiouscharitableorganization.ASalvationArmybellringerisavolunteerwhohelpsitcollectdonations.2.Whatdidtheboyaskthewriter?Whatdoyouthinkmadehimraisesuchaquestion?Theboyaskedhim:Areyoupoor?Hediditsimplyoutofconfusionandcuriosity.ObviouslyheknewnothingabouttheSalvationArmybellringer.3.Howdidthewriteranswer?Whatdoesthewriter'sanswertotheboy'squestionmean?Hesaid,Ihavemorethansomepeople,butnotasmuchasothers.Thismeansthathewasneitherpoornorrich.4.Whydidtheboy'smotherscoldhim?Theboy'smotherscoldedhimbecausethequestionwassociallyinappropriate,especiallytoapersonwholookedpoor.5.Isthewriterpoorornotintermsofmaterialpossessions?Givefactstosupportyourconclusion.H's,economicallyheispoor.Helivesinasmallbasementapartment.Hedoesn'tevenhaveacolorTV.HefallsintothelowestincomecategoryAndsoon.6.Doesthewriterfeelpoor?Whyorwhynot?No,thewriterdoesnotfeelpoor.Thisisbecausehehasenjoyedgoodhealthandcreativitywhichhethinksaremuchmoreimportantthanmaterialgoods.7.Inwhatsituationdoesthewriterfeeloutofplace?Hefeelsoutofplaceamongpeoplewhoateprimarilyinterestedinmaterialthings.8.Whatdidthegirltellhimbeforehervisittohisbasementapartment?Andwhathappenedafter?Shetoldhimthatshewasinterestedinwhat'sontheinside.ButafterheWokhertohispoorlyfurnishedapartment,shechangedhermindcompletely.9.Howoughtonetounderstandsuchaseeminglyabruptchangeinherpriorities?Itonlyshowsthattoherthemostimportantthingwasstillmaterialgoodsratherthanwhatshehadclaimedbefore.10.Canweinferfromtheessaywhatrolecommercialscanplayinsociety?Commercialscanputpeopleunderpressuretopurchasemorethanisreallynecessary.11.WhydoesthewritersayDecemberisthetimeofyearIfeelwealthiest?BecauseDecemberisthetimeforhimtoworkfortheSalvationArmyasabellringer,whichgiveshimagenuinesenseofbelongingandbringshimhappinessinhelpingothers.12.Howhastheboy'squestionaffectedthewriter?Theboy'squestionhashelpedthewriterrealizethat,despitehislackofexpensivepossessions,heisrichinmanyotherwaysandshouldbethankfulforthat.Unit41.Whatdidtheauthordothreeyearsagoandwhatisshedoingnow?Shewasatelevisionproducerthreeyearsagoandnowsheworksasatelecommuter.2.Howdoestheauthorworknowadays?ShesubmitsarticlesandeditsthemviaemailsandcommunicateswithcolleaguesonInternetmailinglists.3.Howdoestheauthormanageherdailylife?Shecouldalmostdoanythingonthenet:shecanorderfood,andmanagehermoney,loveandwork.4.Whatarethesymptomssharedbypeoplewholiveavirtuallife?Theyareseparatedfromtherealworldanddon’tliketocommunicatewithpeoplefacetoface.5.WhatistheNetcritics’worstnightmare?Thesituationinwhichpeoplewhoarehookedonthenetfindthemselvesfeelinganave