Question

    Textbooks represent an 11 billion dollar industry, up from $8 billion in 2014. Textbook publisher Pearson is the largest publisher-of any kind-in the world.

It costs about $1 million to create a new textbook. A freshman textbook will have dozens of contributors, from subject-matter experts through art editors to expert reviewers and classroom testers. Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways that alternatives, such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources, simply do not. This connection happens not only by means of cooperative development, review and testing, but also at conferences where all the teachers of a school regularly decide on their textbooks and curricula for the coming year.

It is true that textbook publishers have recently reported losses, largely due to students renting or buying used print textbooks. But this can be chalked up to the unreasonably high cost of their books-which has increased over 1000 percent since 1977. A restructuring of the textbook industry may well be in order. But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.

While they may not be as dynamic as an iPad, textbooks are not passive or lifeless. For example, over the centuries, they have simulated (模拟) dialogues in a number of days.From 1800 to the present day, textbooks have done this by posing questions for students to answer inductively (归纳性地). That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions. Today’s psychology texts, for example, ask: “How much of your personality do you think you were born with?” while ones in physics say: “How can you predict where the ball you threw carelessly will land?”

Experts observe that “textbooks come in layers, something like an onion.” For an active learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience. Readers progress at their own pace. They “customize (定制)” their books by engaging with different layers and linkages. Highlighting, Post-It notes, dog-ears and other techniques allow for further customization that students value in print books over digital forms of books.

1.What does the passage say about open educational resources?

A.They don’t profit as much as traditional textbooks do.

B.They can’t connect professors and students as textbooks do.

C.They contribute to teaching as much as to learning.

D.They compete fiercely for customers with textbook producers.

2.What are students expected to do in the learning process?

A.Give answers showing their distinctive personality.

B.Ask questions based on their own understanding.

C.Think carefully before answering each question.

D.Answer questions using their personal experience.

3.What do experts say about students using textbooks?

A.They can purchase customized versions.

B.They can digitalize the prints easily.

C.They can learn in an interactive way.

D.They can adapt the material themselves.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Textbooks Are Expensive to Create B.Textbooks Are Active and Interactive

C.Textbooks Are Not Going Away D.Textbooks Are Suffering Poor Sales

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.C

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。文章通过讲述教科书能把教授，老师和学生连接在一起，且教科书并不是被动的，学生在使用的过程能体会到互动等好处来证明教科书并未远离我们。

1.

细节理解题。根据第二段第二句“Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways that alternatives, such as open e-textbooks and open educational resources, simply do not.(教科书出版商把教授，教师和学生连接在一起，这种连接是比如电子教科书和开放的教育资源所做不到的)”可知，开放的教育资源不能像教科书那样把教授和学生连接在一起。故选B项。

2.

细节理解题。根据第四段中“That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions.(那意味着学生要使用他们自己的经验来找出一般性问题的答案)”可知，在学习过程中，学生要使用个人经验来回答问题。故选D项。

3.

细节理解题。根据最后一段第二句“For an active learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience.(对于一个积极的学习者，使用教科书可以是一个互动的经历)”可知，专家认为，学生使用教科书，可以以一种互动的方式学习。故选C项。

4.

主旨大意题。通读全文内容并结合第三段最后一句“But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.(但是这并不意味着教科书本身的结束)”可知，文章通过讲述教科书能把教授，老师和学生连接在一起，且教科书并不是被动的，学生在使用的过程能体会到互动等好处来证明教科书并未远离我们。所以短文的最佳标题为“教科书不会消失”。故选C项。