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 CreateB. Textbooks Are Active and InteractiveC. Textbooks Are Not Going AwayD. Textbooks Are Suffering Poor Sales
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
题目解答
答案
(2)D. 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)C. 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)C.标题归纳题.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.
解析
文章主旨:本文主要探讨教科书行业的现状及其未来发展趋势,强调教科书在连接师生、促进互动学习中的独特价值,反驳了“教科书即将被淘汰”的观点。
考查要点:
- 开放教育资源的局限性(第1题):对比传统教科书与开放资源在连接师生方面的差异。
- 学生学习方式的转变(第2题):理解教科书如何通过引导学生结合个人经验回答问题,培养主动思考能力。
- 教科书的互动性(第3题):分析专家对教科书“分层结构”与“定制化学习”的评价。
- 文章核心观点(第4题):归纳文章对“教科书是否会被取代”的明确态度。
破题关键:抓住文章反复强调的“连接性”“互动性”“未被取代性”等关键词,结合具体段落细节推断答案。
第(1)题
关键句:第二段“Textbook publishers connect professors, instructors and students in ways that alternatives... simply do not.”
解析:文章明确指出,教科书出版商通过合作开发、会议讨论等方式将师生紧密联系,而开放资源(如电子书)无法做到这一点。选项B直接对应此对比关系。
第(2)题
关键句:第四段“That means students are asked to use their individual experience to come up with answers to general questions.”
解析:教科书通过提问引导学生结合个人经验回答问题,强调主动思考而非被动接受。选项D“用个人经验回答问题”最符合题意。
第(3)题
关键句:最后一段“For an active learner, engaging with a textbook can be an interactive experience.”
解析:专家认为教科书的“分层结构”允许学生以不同方式互动(如标注、笔记),形成个性化学习路径。选项C“互动式学习”准确概括此观点。
第(4)题
关键句:第三段“But this does not mean the end of the textbook itself.”
解析:文章多次反驳“教科书即将消亡”的观点,强调其持续价值。标题C“教科书不会消失”最能概括全文核心。