Discussion Task 3

A Great Boon to Education

Hundreds of colleges now require their students to lease or buy a laptop computer. The theory is that the computers will help students do research and increase their chances for interactive learning. Yet in many classrooms, laptops have become more of an obstacle than an enhancement to learning, and professors need to think seriously about prohibiting their use during class time. Many students who bring their computers to class do not use them to take lecture notes or refer to web sites for more information about the professor’s lecture topic. Far from it. In the history classes I teach, many laptop users don’t even pretend to pay attention to my lecture or to participate in the discussion. They are more inclined to visit networking sites like MySpace; e-mail or instant message their friends, and even shop online. No wonder, then, that so many of them have ended up with low grades or are flunking out altogether. Many of these same kids no longer know how to produce an original thought on their own. Ask them a question and they search the Internet rather than think. For me, this was the last straw. Laptops, like cell phones, have no place in my classroom until someone can prove to me that they really are the great boon to education I have been promised. 

1. The purpose of this reading is to

a. persuade the reader to believe that lap top computers are the great boon to education. 

b. describe the advantages and disadvantages of lap top computers in classroom. 

c. persuade readers that laptops are more a hindrance than a help in the classroom

2. The tone of this reading is

a. comical                    b. annoyed                       c. objective                         d. puzzled.

 

Sweet 16: Not for Driving

Because about 8,000 teenagers were killed in traffic accidents in 2003, many Americans are suggesting that the legal driving age should be raised from 16 to 17 years. Proponents of this change say that in the United States, 16-year-olds lack the maturity to drive responsibly, and that's the reason they have a crash rate five times greater than that of 18-year-olds.  In England, teen fatality rates are lower than they are in the United States since the driving age is at the age of 17 years old. Raising the driving age, they claim, would instigate an uproar among the growing numbers of youngsters who have already manipulated their parents into thinking that they are entitled to a car for their 16th birthday. They also point out, in what they apparently consider to be a serious objection, that increasing the driving age would upset those overworked parents who are tired of being full-time chauffeurs for their teenagers.

3. Identify the best answer that describes the author’s bias.

a.The author is biased in favor of raising the driving age to 17.  

b.The author is biased against raising the driving age to 17.  

c.The author reveals no personal bias.

III. Stolen Art Can Reappear in Unexpected Ways

Why do thieves steal art masterpieces from museums or private collectors' homes? Unlike gold or jewels, a famous painting, easily recognized as one created by say Rembrandt, Picasso, or Degas, cannot be sold on the legitimate market, no matter how much it is worth. Nor can it be displayed as a trophy. Sooner or layer, word of its location would get back to the rightful owner. Nevertheless, criminals persist in stealing famous masterpieces even though some soon find out that the painting is a burden and end up discarding it because it can't be sold. Other thieves, however, try to use artworks in underworld deals, exchanging them for drugs, forged documents, or illegal weapons. Still other criminals use the paintings to gain prestige among their colleagues. In fact, stolen works are occasionally recovered because a robber brags about the crime, and someone tells the police in exchange for a reward. 

4. What can be inferred about art thieves?

a. Offering a reward for a stolen artwork is a waste of time. 

b. Drug dealers tend to be knowledgeable about fine art. 

c. For art thieves, paintings are more valuable than other forms of art. 

d. Art thieves can sometimes be vain.