三四单元A部分课文

CollegelifeintheInternetage

Thecollegecampus,longaplaceofscholarshipandfrontiersofnewtechnology,isbeingtransformedintoanewageofelectronicsbyafleetoflaptops,smartphonesandconnectivity24hoursaday.

Onatypicalmodern-daycampus,whereeverybuildingandmostoutdoorcommonareasofferwirelessInternetaccess,onestudenttakesherlaptopeverywhere.Inclass,shetakesnoteswithit,sometimesinstant-messagingoremailingfriendsiftheprofessorislessthaninteresting.Inherdorm,sheinstant-messagesherroommatesittingjustafewfeetaway.Sheistiedtohersmartphone,whichsheevenusestotextafriendwholivesoneflooraboveher,andwhichsuppliesmusicforwalksbetweenclasses.

Welcometocollegelifeinthe21stcentury,wherestudentsoncampusareelectronicallylinkedtoeachother,toprofessorsandtotheirclasswork24/7inanever-flowingriverofinformationandcommunication.WithmanyschoolsofferingwirelessInternetaccessanywhereoncampus,collegesasagrouphavebecomethemostInternet-accessiblespotsintheworld.

Studentssaytheyreallyvaluetheirfingertip-accesstotheboundlessamountofinformationonline,andtheabilitytoemailprofessorsat2a.m.andreceiveresponsesthenextmorning.“IalwaysfeellikeIhaveameansofcommunication---inclassandoutofclass,”saysoneengineeringmajor.

Manyareusingsmartphones,notonlytocreatetheirowndialectswhentexting,butalsotodomoreseriouswork,suchaspracticingforeignlanguagesandanalyzingscriptsfromtheirtheaterclasses.InauniversityclassonthehistoryofAmericanradio,studentsusesmartphonestorecordtheirownradioshows.Thecourseinstructorsaid,“It’saddingtostudents’senseofexcitementaboutthesubject.”Professorshavebeenencouragedtotapetheirlecturesandpostthemonline.“Werealizedtheremightbesomepotentialforadevicethatcouldgetattentionandencouragesophisticatedthinking,”saysoneleadinguniversitydirector.

Formostundergraduates,non-stopInternetconnectivityisthefuelofcollegelife.Morethanjusttoys,theseinstrumentsarepowerfultoolsforthestorageandmanagementofvirtuallyeverykindofinformation.Andasmorepeoplearoundtheworldadopttheseinstruments,theyarebecomingindispensable.So,studentsshouldusethewondersoftheInternettodohomework,reviewlectureoutlines,takepartinclassdiscussionsandnetworkonlinewiththeirfriends.Butindoingso,studentsmustremembertoregulateandbalancetheirtime.Toomuchtimeonlinecanmeantoolittletimeinreal-lifestudyingorexercisingorvisitingwithfriends.StudentsshouldnotlettheInternetworldontheircomputerscreenstakethemawayfromtherealworldoutside.

CollegebeganembracingInternetaccessinthemid-1990s,whenmany

Duringthehorribleshooting,hecourageouslyranthroughthedangertosavethelifeofoneofthevictims,hisbossandfriend,congresswomanGabrielleGiffords.Danielheldherheadupsoshecouldbreatheandappliedpressuretoherwounds.Hespoketenderwordsofsympathy,tellingherthathewouldfindherhusbandandherparentsandthateverythingwouldbefine.Andheneverleftherside,stayingbesideherintheambulanceallthewaytothehospital.

AnotherherofromthemassshootinginTucsonwasDoryStoddard.Dorygavehislifeforhiswife,Mavy.DoryandhiswifehadbeenfriendssincechildhoodandwhenDoryheardshotsringoutheimmediatelyfellontopofhiswifetoshieldherfromthehailofbullets.Atthememorialservice,thepriestsaid:“Dorydidn’tdieahero;helivedahero.”Longknownforhisremarkablespiritandloveofhumanity,DoryStoddarddiedashehadalwayslived,assistingothers.

Thesearecivilianheroes,whoactedinstinctivelywithcourageandgracewhencaughtupinextraordinarycircumstances.

Butwhataboutfirstresponders,whosejobis,inthewordsofthewindowofafallenpoliceofficer,to“rushtowarddanger”?

InToronto,Canada,downtownlifestoppedwhenmorethan11,000policeandotheremergencyrespondersmarchedsolemnlythroughthestreetstohonorSergeantRyanRussell,a35-year-old“goodmanandgoodcop,”whobelieveddeeplyinhiscommitmenttoprotectandserve.Sgt.Russellmovedquicklytoprotectothersfromharm.Hetriedtostopadrunkdriverinastolensnowplowwithonlyhispoliceautomobileandhisgoodwilltohelpothers.Sadly,Sgt.Russellwasunabletostopthedrunkdriverandwaskilledintheeffort.

Itusedtobethatthewordherowasreservedforthosewhoperformedactsofdistinctcouragebeyondthecallofduty.Asoldierwhorunsthroughgunfiretorescueothermilitarypersonnelisseenasahero.Soarelarger-than-lifeleaderssuchasNelsonMandela,whoemergedafter27yearsofjail,confinedinasolitarychamber.Hemadethechoicenottobebitter,andworkedhardasSouthAfrica’sfirstblackpresidenttoestablishharmonyandhelpedsocietyreconcileitsconflictedpast.

Buttoday,ourheroesareaveragemenandwomen,“everydayheroes”towhomwecanrelate,peoplelikeus.

However,whilemanypeoplehonorSgt.Russell,somepeopleraisethisquestionwhentheytrytomakesenseofatragedylikeSgt.Russell’s:“Somefirstrespondersdonotsucceedinhelpingothersandtheygetinjuredordieintheirefforts.Dothesepeoplebecomeheroesbecauseofwhathappenstothemastheytrytohelpothers---insteadofwhattheyactuallymakehappen?”

IaskedroadsafetyadvocateEleanorMcMahonwhethershethoughtSgt.Russellwasahero.Ms.McMahon’slatehusband,apoliceofficer,waskilledbyadrunktruckdriverina2006off-dutybicyclingaccident.Throughgriefandrage,Ms.McMahonfoundedSharetheRoad,acyclingassociation,andworkedtirelesslyuntilthegovernmentestablished“Greg’sLaw”,legislationthatgaveauthoritytopolicetoimmediatelyseizetheautomobilesofdrunkdriverscaughtontheroad.

Ms.McMahonrepliedthatshethoughtSgt.Russellwasindeedahero.“Justimagine,inthemiddleofanintensesnowstormthispolicemanthinks:I’vegottostopthissnowplowbeforeithurtsothers.”Ms.McMahonsummedupwhysheconsideredmanypoliceofficerstobeheroes:“It’snaturaltobeafraidofdanger.It’snaturalforthatfeartocausemostpeopletorushtowardsafetyandawayfromdanger.Heroesdojusttheopposite.Theyrushtowarddangertohelpthoseinneed.”

Wecountonfirstresponderstorushtowarddanger,especiallywhenitinvolves