Question

    I arrived in my Chinese classroom, ready to share my vast knowledge and experience with the 75 students who would be my English Literature class. Having taught in the USA for 17 years, I had no worry at all about my ability to plant in my students enthusiasm for the literature of my mother tongue.

I was really shocked when the monitor shouted “Stand up” and the entire class rose as I entered the room, and I was somewhat confused and anxious about how to get them to sit down again, but once that embarrassment was over, I quickly calmed down and launched into what I thought was a fact-packed lecture, sure to gain their respect-perhaps even their admiration. I went back to my room radiating that rosy glow (光泽) that comes from a sense of significant accomplishment.

My students kept journals, however, and as I read them, the rosy glow was gradually replaced by an overwhelming sense of frustration. The first journal said, “Our literature teacher didn’t teach us anything today. Perhaps her next lecture will be better.” Heartbroken, I read journal after journal, each expressing a similar theme. Didn’t teach them anything? I sketched the entire philosophical framework of thought AND laid the historical background for all the works we’ll study in class.” I complained, “How can they say I didn't teach them anything?”

Determined to clear myself, I dug out all my reference books, adding background material to my next lecture, researching into the sociological setting and even the psychological state of the author. After the second class, I eagerly opened the journals, expecting enthusiastic reviews at last. Again, I was crushed by their continuing comments that I was going too slowly without giving meaningful details.

More determined than ever. I dived into sources of criticism, deciding to devote more time to the texts by providing summaries of all the interpretations I could find of each work. This material would give my students ample information for drawing their own conclusions about the work’s meaning, “Our teacher seems confused about the real meaning of the works,” the journals said. “One minute she gives one interpretation; the next minute she gives another. Then she asks for our opinions. We’re the students. She’s the teacher. She should tell us what the works mean.”

It was a long semester, and it gradually became clear to me that my ideas about education were purely Western, and that Chinese ideas differed significantly. I thought a teacher’s job was to raise interesting questions and provide enough background so that students could draw their own conclusions. My students thought a teacher’s job was to provide accurate information as directly and concisely as possible. Americans wanted to interpret and experience. The Chinese wanted to master and memorize.

1.How did the writer feel before he began his teaching in China?

A.Worried. B.Confident.

C.Disappointed. D.Confused.

2.What might be the reason why the writer was shocked when the monitor shouted “Stand up”?

A.The students intended to scare their new foreign leacher.

B.The students refused to stand up before their new foreign teacher.

C.The writer was a little shy and felt embarrassed when he entered the classroom.

D.The writer didn’t know much about the Chinese classroom and that was totally unexpected.

3.What does the writer mean by saying “determined to clear myself” in Para. 4?

A.He wanted to better understand the students’question.

B.He wanted to prove his ability in teaching the course.

C.He was a little bit angry with the students.

D.He was very disappointed with himself.

4.Which of the following might the writer agree with?

A.Chinese and Western ideas about education are slightly different.

B.A teacher’s job is to make students think and have their own opinions.

C.Teaching is to provide accurate information directly and clearly.

D.Both Americans and the Chinese tend to draw conclusions by themselves.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。文章以轻松幽默的笔调讲述了“我”第一次来中国教书的“不幸”经历，生动形象地展现了中国与西方在教育内容、思维方式上的巨大差异。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中I had no worry at all about my ability to plant in my students enthusiasm for the literature of my mother tongue.可知，我一点都不担心自己的能力，相信自己能够培养学生对我的母语文学充满热情。因此作者在来中国教学之前，心中充满了自信，故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段中I was really shocked when the monitor shouted “Stand up” and the entire class rose as I entered the room, and I was somewhat confused and anxious about how to get them to sit down again 可知，当我走进教室班长大喊“起立”时，我真的很震惊，我对如何让他们再次坐下来感到困惑和焦虑。由此可判断出，“我”真的很震惊的原因是“我”不了解中国的教育文化，故选D。

3.词句猜测题。根据上文中How can they say I didn’t teach them anything?可知，学生认为老师没有教什么有用的东西，作者产生了挫败感。下文I dug out all my reference books, adding background material to my next lecture, researching into the sociological setting and even the psychological state of the author.我找到所有的参考书，为下一次课程添加了背景材料，研究了作者的社会学背景甚至心理状态。这是在讲述我为下一节课所做的精心准备，因此可以猜测出划线部分的意思是“我决心把自己的能力证明给学生看”，故选B。

4.推理判断题。由最后一段中I thought a teacher’s job was to raise interesting questions and provide enough background so that students could draw their own conclusions.可知，我认为老师的工作是提出有趣的问题并提供足够的背景知识，以便学生得出自己的结论。因此，作者认为老师的工作是让学生思考并发表自己的看法，故选B。