大学英语精读文本第3册Unit 3

6/6大学英语精读文本第3册Unit3Unit3

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Everyteacherprobablyaskshimselftimeandagain:Whatarethereasonsforchoosingteachingasacareer?Dotherewardsteachingoutweighthetryingcomments?Answeringthesequestionsisnotasimpletask.Let'sseewhattheauthorsays.

WhyITeach

PeterG.Beidler

Whydoyouteach?MyfriendaskedthequestionwhenItoldhimthatIdidn'twanttobeconsideredforanadministrativeposition.HewaspuzzledthatIdidnotwantwhatwasobviouslya"stepup"towardwhatallAmericansaretaughttowantwhentheygrowup:moneyandpower.

CertainlyIdon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme.TeachingisthemostdifficultofthevariouswaysIhaveattemptedtoearnmyliving:mechanic,carpenter,writer.Forme,teachingisared-eye,sweaty-palm,sinking-stomachprofession.Red-eye,becauseIneverfeelreadytoteachnomatterhowlateIstayuppreparing.Sweaty-palm,becauseI'malwaysnervousbeforeIentertheclassroom,surethatIwillbefoundoutforthefoolthatIam.Sinking-stomach,becauseIleavetheclassroomanhourlaterconvincedthatIwasevenmoreboringthanusual.

NordoIteachbecauseIthinkIknowanswers,orbecauseIhaveknowledgeIfeelcompelledtoshare.SometimesIamamazedthatmystudentsactuallytakenotesonwhatIsayinclass!

Why,then,doIteach?

IteachbecauseIlikethepaceoftheacademiccalendar.June,July,andAugustofferanopportunityforreflection,researchandwriting.

Iteachbecauseteachingisaprofessionbuiltonchange.Whenthematerialisthesame,Ichange——and,moreimportant,mystudentschange.

IteachbecauseIlikethefreedomtomakemyownmistakes,tolearnmyownlessons,tostimulatemyselfandmystudents.Asateacher,I'mmyownboss.IfIwantmyfreshmentolearntowritebycreatingtheirowntextbook,whoistosayIcan't?Suchcoursesmaybehugefailures,butwecanalllearnfromfailures.

IteachbecauseIliketoaskquestionsthatstudentsmuststruggletoanswer.Theworldisfullofrightanswerstobadquestions.Whileteaching,Isometimesfindgoodquestions.

IteachbecauseIenjoyfindingwaysofgettingmyselfandmystudentsoutoftheivorytowerandintotherealworld.Ioncetaughtacoursecalled"Self-RelianceinaTechnologicalSociety."My15studentsreadEmerson,Thoreau,andHuxley.Theykeptdiaries.Theywrotetermpapers.

Butwealsosetupacorporation,borrowedmoney,purchasedarun-downhouseandpracticedself-reliancebyrenovatingit.Attheendofthesemester,wewouldthehouse,repaidourloan,paidortaxes,anddistributedtheprofitsamongthegroup.

Soteachinggivesmepace,andvariety,andchallenge,andtheopportunitytokeeponlearning.

Ihaveleftout,however,themostimportantreasonswhyIteach.

OneisVicky.Myfirstdoctoralstudent,Vickywasanenergeticstudentwholaboredatherdissertationonalittle-known14thcenturypoet.Shewrotearticlesandsentthemofftolearnedjournals.Shediditallherself,withanoccasionalnudgefromme.ButIwastherewhenshefinishedherdissertation,learnedthatherarticleswereaccepted,gotajobandwonafellowshipto

Harvardworkingonabookdevelopingideasshe'dfirsthadasmystudent.

AnotherreasonisGeorge,whostartedasanengineeringstudent,thenswitchedtoEnglishbecausehedecidedhelikedpeoplebetterthanthings.

ThereisJeanne,wholeftcollege,butwasbroughtbackbyherclassmatesbecausetheywantedhertoseetheendoftheself-reliancehouseproject.Iwasherewhenshecameback.Iwastherewhenshetoldmethatshelaterbecameinterestedintheurbanpoorandwentontobecomeacivilrightslawyer.

ThereisJacqui,acleaningwomanwhoknowsmorebyintuitionthanmostofuslearnbyanalysis.Jacquihasdecidedtofinishhighschoolandgotocollege.

ThesearetherealreasonsIteach,thesepeoplewhogrowandchangeinfrontofme.Beingateacherisbeingpresentatthecreation,whentheclaybeginstobreathe.

A"promotion"outofteachingwouldgivememoneyandpower.ButIhavemoney.IgetpaidtodowhatIenjoy:reading,talkingwithpeople,andaskingquestionlike,"Whatisthepointofbeingrich?"

AndIhavepower.Ihavethepowertonudge,tofansparks,tosuggestbooks,topointoutapathway.Whatotherpowermatters?

Butteachingofferssomethingbesidesmoneyandpower:itofferslove.Notonlytheloveoflearningandofbooksandideas,butalsothelovethatateacherfeelsforthatrarestudentwhowalksintoateacher'slifeandbeginstobreathe.Perhapsloveisthewrongword:magicmightbebetter.

Iteachbecause,beingaroundpeoplewhoarebeginningtobreathe,Ioccasionallyfindmyselfcatchingmybreathwiththem.

NEWWORDS

administrative

a.ofthemanagementofaffairs行政的，管理的

administration

n.管理（部门），行政（机关）

puzzle

vt.fillwithdoubtandconfusion使迷惑

step(-)up

motion;increaseinsize,speed,etc.

mechanic

n.skilledworkman,esp.onewhousesorrepairsmachinesandtools机械工；机修工

sweaty

a.coveredwithsweat,sweating

palm

a.手掌

profession

n.occupation,esp.onerequiringspecialtraining,suchaslaw,medicine,orteaching

convince

vt.make(sb.)feelcertain;cause(sb.)torealize

compel

vt.force(sb.orsth.todosth.)

pace

n.rateorspeedofdevelopment,orinwalking,etc.速度；步速

calendar

n.日程表，日历

opportunity

n.favourableoccasionorchance

reflection

n.carefulthinking;consideration深思；考虑

reflectvi.

stimulate

vt.encourage;excite刺激；激励

freshman

n.studentinhisfirstyearatacollegeoruniversity

failure

n.aperson,attempt,orthingthatfails;lackofsuccess

ivory

n.象牙

ivorytower

n.placeorconditionofretreatfromtheworldofactionintoaworldofideasanddreams象牙塔

self-reliance

n.abilitytodothingsandmakedecisionsbyoneself依靠自己；自力更生

reliance

n.trust,confidence;dependence信赖；信心；依靠

technological

a.oforrelatedtotechnology技术的

corporation

n.(AmE)有限公司

run-down

a.oldandbrokenorinbadcondition

renovate

vt.restore(oldbuildings,oilpaintings,etc.)toaformer,betterstate修复，修整

semester

n.(AmE)eitherofthetwoperiodsintowhichaschoolyearisdivided;term学期

repay

vt.payback(money,etc.)

loan

n.sth.lent,esp.asumofmoney借出的东西；贷款

distribute

vt.divideamongseveralormany;giveorsendout分发；分送

distributionn.

variety

n.differenceinquality,typeorcharacter;anumberoforacollectionofdifferentthings变化，多样化；种种

challenge

n.thequalityofdemandingcompetitiveaction,interest,orthough挑战

doctoral

a.havingtodowiththeuniversitydegreeofdoctor博士的

energetic

a.vigorous精力充沛

dissertation

n.（学位）论文

poet

n.onewhowritespoetry

learned

a.showingorrequiringmuchknowledge博学的

journal

n.magazineordailynewspaper杂志；日报

occasional

a.happeningfromtimetotime,notregular偶尔的，间或的

nudge

n.(fig.)words,actionsorfeelingthatstimulate启示

vt.pushortouchslightly,esp.withtheelbowtoattractattention;(fig.)stimulate

fellowship

n.positionorasumofmoneygrantedtoapersonforadvancedstudyorresearch研究员职位；研究员薪金

switch

vt.changeorshift;turn

urban

a.ofatownorcity

civilrights

n.therightsofacitizenwithoutregardtohisrace,religion,sex,etc.公民权

lawyer

n.personwhopractiseslaw律师

intuition

n.(powerof)theimmediateunderstandingoftruths,events,factswithoutreasoning直觉

analysis

n.theseparationofasubstanceintopartsforcarefulexaminationandstudy分析

creation

n.act