Public speaking and critical thinking
What is critical thinking ? to a certain degree ,it’s a matter of logic （逻辑）—of being able to spot weaknesses in other people ‘s argument and to avoid them in your own ,it also includes related skills such as distinguishing fact from opinion and assessing the soundness of evidence .
In the broad sense ,critical thinking is focused ,organized thinking –the ability to see clearly
their lationships among ideas. 1 the greatest thinkers ,scientists ,and inventors have often taken information that was readily available and put it together differently to produce new ideas.that,too,is critical thinking.
2 As the class goes on, for example, you will probably spend a good deal of time organizing your speeches. While this may seem like a purely mechanical（机械的）exercise, it is closely connected with critical thinking. If the structure of your speech is loose and confused, chances are that your thinking. If the stucture of your speech is loose and confused, chances are that your thinking is also discovered and confused. If, on the other hand ,the stucture is clear, there is a good chance your thinking is too. Organizing a speech is not a matter of arraging the ideas your already have. 3
What is true of organization is true of many aspects of public speaking. 4 As you work on expressing your ideas in clear, accurate language, you will Improve your ability to think clearly and accutately. 5 As you learn to listen critically to speeches in class. You will be better able to assess the ideas of speakers in a variety of situations.
If you take full advantage of your speech class, you will be able to develop your skills as critical thinker in many circumstances. This is one reason public speaking has been regarded as a vital part of education since the days of ancient Greece.
A. Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves
B. This may seem like a lot of time, but the rewards are well worth it.
C. It may also help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech
D. It has often been said that there are few new ideas in the world, only reorganized ideas.
E. If you are wondering what this has to do with your public speaking class, the answer is quite a lot.
F. The skills you learn in your speech class can help you become a more effective thinker in a number of ways
G. As you study the role of evidence and reasoning in speech making ,you will see how they can be used in other forms of communication as well.
As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electhical generating（发电）and transmission（输送）systen for the 21th century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the suurouding community. The same is true of big solar ppants and the power lines that will be laid dowm to move electricity around.
The 19th century saw land grants（政府拨地）offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads ,leaving public land in between privately owned land . In much of the west ,some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped ,and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management ,with the completion or the interstate highway system ,many of the small towns which sprang up as railway stops and developed well ,have lost their lifeblood and died .
Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the west .this is not an argument against building then ,we need alternative energy badly .and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now .
So trade-offs will have to be made .some scenic sport will be sacrificed .some species (物种)will be forced to move ,or will be carefully moved to special accommodations ,deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects .
The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter .the 21st century development of the American west as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money to do a lot of good .but it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind ,just like the railroad and the highway .
The money set aside in negotiated trade –offs and the institution that control will shape the west far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines .so let’s remember the effects of the railroad and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the west .
1.
what was the problem caused by the construction of the railways ?
A. small towns along the railways became abandoned .
B. some railroad stops remained .
C. land in the west was hard to manage .
D. land grants went into private hands.
2.
what is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs ?
A. the transmission of power B. the use of money and power
C. the conservation of solar energy D. the selection of an ideal place
3.
what is the author ‘s attitude towards building solar plants ?
A. cautious B. approving C. doubtful D. disapproving
4.
which is the best title for the passage ?
A. how the railways have affected the west
B. how solar energy could reshape the west
C. how the effects of power plants can be reduced
D. how the problems of the highways have been settled
Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me . I also love my laptop computer ，as it holds all of my writing and thought .Despite this love of technology ,I know that there are times when I need to move away from these device and truly communication with others.On occasion ,I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas .Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom ,I have a rule —no laptop ,ipads ,phones ,etc .When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy .
Most students assume that year reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology . There’s a bit of truth to that.Some students assume that I am anti-technology . There’s no truth in that at all . I love technology and try to keep up with it so I relate to my students.
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas . I want students to think differently and make connections between the course the material and the class discussion .
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the educations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create .Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge , they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom .
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change ,I’m sticking to my plan. a few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too give up.
1.
some of the students in the history class were unhappy with____
A. the course material B. others’ misuse of technology
C. discussion topics D. the author’s class regulator
2.
the underlined word “engage ”in para.4 probably means ____
A. explore B. accept C. change D. reject
3.
according to the author ,the use of technology in the classroom may ____
A. keep students from doing independent thinking
B. encourage students to have in-depth conversations
C. help students to better understand complex themes
D. affect students’ concentration on course evaluation
4.
it can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ____
A. is quite stubborn
B. will give up teaching history
C. will change his teaching plan soon
D. values technology-free dialogues in his class
Submission Guidelines
Before sending us a manuscript（稿件）, look through recent issues（刊物）of the Post to get an idea of the range and style of articles we publish. You will discover that our focus has broadened to include well-researched, timely and informative articles on finance, home improvement, travel, humor, and many other fields.
The Post’s goal is to remain unique, with content that provides additional understandings on the ever-evolving American scene.
In addition to feature-length（专题长度的）articles, the Post buys anecdotes, cartoons, and photos. Payment ranges from $25 to $400.
Our nonfiction needs include how-to, useful articles on gardening, pet care and training, financial planning, and subjects of interest to a 45-plus, home-loving readership. For nonfiction articles, indicate any special qualifications you have for writing about the subject, especially scientific material. Include one or two published pieces with your article. We prefer typed articles between 1000 and 2000 words in length. We encourage you to send both printed and online versions.
We also welcome new fiction. A light, humorous touch is appreciated. We are always in need of straight humor articles. Make us laugh , and we’ll buy it.
Feature articles average about 1000 to 2000 words. We like positive, fresh angles to Post articles, and we ask that they be thoroughly researched.
We normally respond to article submissions within six weeks. You are free to submit the article elsewhere at the same time.
Please submit all articles to Features Editor, The Saturday Evening Post, 1100 Waterway Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, (317)634-1100.
1.
Before sending a manuscript to the Post, a contributor is advised to .
A. get a better understanding of American issues
B. find out the range of the articles in the post
C. increase his knowledge in many fields
D. broaden his research focus
2.
to submit nonfiction articles，a contributor must_____.
A. provide his special qualification
B. be a regular reader of the post
C. produce printed version
D. be over 45 year old
3.
from the passage we can learn that the post
A. allows article submission within six weeks
B. favor science articles within 2，000 words
C. have a huge demand for humorous works
D. prefers nonfiction to fiction article
“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me me ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time ,I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
One june 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reachen 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward fo zhout five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air ballon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
1.
What happened to the auther in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane
B. She entered a competition
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride
D. She moved into a retirement community
2.
The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to .
A. build up her own reputation
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health conditon
D. make her argument persuasive
3.
How did the authou feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Excited B. Scared C. Nervous D. Regretful
4.
What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A.The beautiful clouds B. The wonderful view
C. The company of Jay D. The one-minute free fall
I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And 36 otherwise assignen（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always 37 to sit at the back of the classroom.
All this 38 after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy 39 because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the 40 to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “ 41 for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.
Getting up t he courage to go to the tryouts was only the 42 of it! When I first started 43
the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much 44 what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get 45 and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid. 46 , I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to 47 on learning the game, do my best at each prctice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t 48 “just yet”.
I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the 49 and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and moticating. Very soon the competitive 50 in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the 51 — friends who respect my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!
With my 52 self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from “53” in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, 54
raising my hand — even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent 55 I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.
1. A. as B. until C. unless D. though
2. A. hoped B. agreed C. meant D. chose
3. A. continued B. changed C. settled D. started
4. A. idea B. plan C.belief D. saying
5. A. right B. chance C. ability D.patience
6. A. going B. looking C. cheering D. applying
7. A. point B. half C. rest D. basis
8. A. enjoying B. preparing C. attending D. watching
9. A. less B. later C. worse D. further
10. A.committed B. motivated C. embarrassed D. confused
11.A. Interetingly B. Fortunately C. Obviously D. hopefully
12. A. focus B. act C. rely D. try
13. A. want B. do C. support D. know
14. A. steps B.orders C. rules D. games
15. A. roles B. part C. mind D. value
16. A.process B. operation C. movement D. situation
17. A. expressed B. improved C. preserved D. recognized
18. A.dreaming B. playing C. relaxing D. hiding
19. A. by B. for C. with D. to
20. A. lucky B. happy C. sure D. satisfied
