MOOCs, an acronym for "massive open online courses," mark an important, possibly revolutionary, development in education. These courses are online, free of charge, and open to anyone in the world who has a laptop and an Internet connection. Moreover, they are mainly offered by elite universities like Standford, Berkeley, Harvard and Columbia. The courses, like normal college courses, are sequenced by difficulty, enabling students to progress from beginners to the advanced. The courses cover not only a broad range of technical subjects such as math and computer science, but also courses in the social sciences and the humanities . Though MOOCs are not offered for credit and degree, many students enroll in the courses for real skills or knowledge which they can put to some practical use. Some students even form online study groups, or in-person groups with students who live nearby. The format seems superior to the traditional school class. The average quality of the lecturer is much higher, because students do not have to stick with a mediocre lecturer. Besides, students can scroll back or forward--in short, they can go at their own learning speed, which they cannot do in a live lecture. And, of great importance, they do not have to travel anywhere to attend an online lecture. One can obtain a first-class American college education wherever he or she lives and however little money he or she has. There is a problem of asking questions of the lecturer in a class of ten thousand students, but some MOOCs have solved it by allowing students to post questions online for a vote, and only the most popular questions are put to the lecturer. In a knowledge era, lifelong learning is not confined to a traditional classroom. Of course, students enrolling in MOOCs cannot be compared with those who are in traditional universities, but we need to rethink what a "students" is. Students in MOOCs are very clever, have work experience, and in many cases, have already developed a set of core competences. Moreover, they also offer... Which word is the best to describe students enrolling in MOOCs? A) Mediocre B) Creative C) Practical D) Competent
C
Bright blue Citi Bikes are becoming a fine sight in the New Yorker street. New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops ? Is City Bike booming at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, a manager who gave his name as "Ben W." said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. "It's getting more people on the road, more people learning about the sport and getting involved," he said. An employee at Danny's Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. "They can try out a bike without buying one:' James Ryan said. Rentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles. But for Frank's Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St., the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said that his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was launched last month. Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes. However, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. "People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves," he noted. Christian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. said at first he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, "I was happy to see people on bikes." Farrell's early concerns were repeated by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. "It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to put into use:' Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non-cyclists. However, he said, it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted . While it's possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks agreed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City. What is the general attitude of the local bike shops towards Citi Bike? A) Doubtful. B) Negative. C) Uninterested. D) Approving.
D
(Question)
One day,I received a call from a colleague.He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem,while the student claimed a perfect score.I was elected as their arbiter .I read the examination problem,"Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer ." The student had answered,"Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it,lower it to the street,and then bring it up and measure the length of the rope.The length of it is the height of the building." The student had really answered the question completely,but the answer didn't confirm his competence in physics.I suggested the student try again.I gave him six minutes to answer the question,warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics.Five minutes later,he said he had many answers and dashed off one,which read "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof.Drop the barometer,timing its fall with a stopwatch,then use the physical formula to calculate the height of the building." At this point,my colleague had to accept it,and then the student made almost full marks.I couldn't help asking the student what the other answers were.He listed many others,and then added,"Probably the best one is to take the barometer to the administrator and say to him,'Sir,here is a fine barometer.If you tell me the height of the building,I will give it to you.'" Then,I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question.He admitted that he did,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think. The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over the world.He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. We know from the passage that _ . A) the student knew the expected answer B) the administrator told Bohr the height C) the author preferred Bohr's last answer D) the teacher was a very stubborn person
(Answer)
A