Unit1 Ways of Learning,Text A Learning, Chinese- Style,Questions,Q1 They were studying arts education in Chinese kindergartens and elementary schools in Nanjing.,Q2 Their 18-month-old son Benjamin was fond of trying to place the key into the slot of the key box during their stay at the Jinling Hotel.,Q3 They would come over to watch Benjamin and then try to teach him how to do it properly.,Q4 Because he realized that this anecdote was directly relevant to their assigned tasks in China: to investigate early childhood education and to throw light on Chinese attitudes toward creativity.,Q5 Most of them displayed the same attitude as the staff at Jinling Hotel.,Q6 He emphasized that the most important thing is to teach the child that one can solve a problem effectively by oneself.,Q7 He means that this incident pointed to important differences in educational and artistic practices between China and the USA.,Q8 The manner in which the Chinese staff saw the need to teach the child by guiding his hand is characteristic of a broader attitude to education, one that stands in contrast to the Western preference for leaving the child to explore and learn unaided.,Q9 One example is of children at the age of 5 or 6 painting flowers, fish and animals skillfully and confidently; in a second example, calligraphers 9 and 10 years old are producing excellent works; and in a third, young artists work on perfecting their craft for several hours a day.,Q10 Americans think that unless creativity has been acquired early, it may never emerge, and skills can be picked up later. Chinese think that if skills are not acquired early, they may never be acquired, and there is no hurry to promote creativity.,Q11 This is mainly due to the difference in their way of thinking.,Q12 The author makes the suggestion that we should strike a better balance between the poles of creativity and basic skills.,Text Organization,1. 1) The text begins with an anecdote/incident. 2) His thoughts are mainly about different approaches to learning in China and the West. 3) The end winds up the text with a suggestion in the form of a question.,2.,1) Chinese show a child how to do something, or teach by holding his hand,Americans teach children that they should rely on themselves for solutions to problems,2) Chinese give greater priority to developing skills at an early age, believing creativity can be promoted over time,Americans put more emphasis on fostering creativity in young children, thinking skills can be picked up later,Vocabulary 1.,1) insert 2) on occasion 3) investigate 4) In retrospect 5) initial 6) phenomena,7) attached 8) make up for 9) is awaiting 10) not. in the least 11) promote 12) emerged,2.,1) There is a striking contrast between the standard of living in the north of the country and the south.,2) Natural fiber is said to be superior to synthetic fiber.,3) The citys importance as a financial center has evolved slowly.,4) His nationality is not relevant to whether he is a good lawyer.,5) The poems by a little-known sixteenth-century Italian poet have found their way into some English magazines.,3.,1) Chinese isnt a subject that can be picked up in a month. You cant accomplish your goal of mastering the language unless you work at it for years. Well, it sounds as if I am exaggerating the difficulties, but the fact is Im only telling the truth.,2) The principal is somewhat disappointed with the performance of the children. From what she has gathered, some of the teaching staff have neglected their pupils. She has just announced that strict work regulations have been made and that they apply to both Chinese and overseas teachers.,3) The teacher-directed and the child-directed approaches to teaching art represent two extremes of opinion. Too many teacher-directed activities cannot be expected to effectively assist children in learning because of the rigid structure. On the other hand, too many child-directed activities may see a curriculum that is totally unstructured and out of control. There are valid reasons to believe a teacher-guided approach would be a superior way to guide childrens development. This approach combines some form of structure with the child leading the direction.,II. Confusable Words,1. 1) continual 2) continuous 3) continual 4) continuous,2. 1) principal 2) principal 3) principle 4) principles 5) principal,III. Usage,1. themselves 2. himself/herself 3. herself/by herself/on her own 4. itself 5. ourselves 6. yourself/by yourself/on your own,Comprehensive Exercises,I. Cloze 1. 1. contrast 2. exaggerating 3. priority 4. on the other hand 5. promoting 6. pick up 7. assist 8. accomplish 9. on occasion 10. neglecting 11. worthwhile 12. superior,2. 1. end 2. perform 3. facing 4. competent 5. equipped 6. designed 7. approach 8. rest 9. definitely 10. quality,II Translation 1.,1) It takes an enormous amount of courage to make a departure from the tradition.,