Observe the criticisms of nearly any major
public education system in the world, and a few of the many complaints are more
or less universal. Technology moves faster than the education system. Teachers
must teach at the pace of the slowest student rather than the fastest.
And—particularly in the United States—grade school children as a group don't
care much for, or excel at, mathematics. So it's heartening to learn that a new
kind of "classroom of the future" shows promise at mitigating some of these
problems, starting with that fundamental piece of classroom furniture: the
desk. AUK study involving roughly 400 students, mostly aged
8-10 years, and a new generation of multi- touch, multi-user, computerized
desktop surfaces is showing that over the last three years the technology has
appreciably boosted students' math skills compared to peers learning the same
material via the conventional paper-and-pencil method. How? Through
collaboration, mostly, as well as by giving teachers better tools by which to
micromanage individual students who need some extra instruction while allowing
the rest of the class to continue moving forward. Science, Clay
Dillow, classroom of the future, education, engineering, math, mathematics,
Synergy Net Traditional instruction still shows respectable efficacy at
increasing students fluency in mathematics, essentially through memorization and
practice—dull, repetitive practice. But the researchers have concluded that
these new touch screen desks boost both fluency and flexibility—the critical
thinking skills that allow students to solve complex problems not simply through
knowing formulas and devices, but by being able to figure out what there all
problem is and the most effective means of stripping it down and solving
it. One reason for this, the researchers say, is the
multi-touch aspect of the technology. Students working in the next-gen classroom
can work together at the same tabletop, each of them contributing and engaging
with the problem as part of a group. Known as Synergy Net, the software uses
computer vision systems that see in the infrared spectrum to distinguish between
different touches on different parts of the surface, allowing students to access
and use tools on the screen, move objects and visual aids around on their
desktops, and otherwise physically interact with the numbers and information on
their screens. By using these screens collaboratively, the researchers
say, the students are to some extent teaching themselves as those with a
stronger grasp on difficult concepts pull other students forward along with
them.
单选题
Which of the following statements is NOT true of the public education
system?
A. It does not catch up with the development of technology.
B. Some similar complaints about it are heard in different countries.
C. Many students are not good at learning mathematics.
D. Teachers pay more attention to fast learners than slow
learners.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第一段第三句话“Teachers must teach at the pace of the slowest student rather than the fastest.”可知，公共教育体系中，教师应该以反应最慢的学生的节奏授课，不是反应最快的学生，所以本题选D。
单选题
What has been found after the new tech is employed?
A. Students become less active in learning mathematics.
B. Students show preference to the conventional paper-and-pencil
method.
C. Teachers are able to give individualized attention to students in no
difference.
D. The gap between slow learners and fast learners gets more
noticeable.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第二段内容“Through collaboration, mostly, as well as by giving teachers better tools by which to micromanage individual students who need some extra instruction while allowing the rest of the class to continue moving forward.”可知，新技术的应用为教师提供了更好的工具，来关注每个需要额外指导的学生，而使其他同学继续前进。
单选题
What is the benefit student get from the new tech?
A. It makes them more fluent in public speech.
B. It enables them to develop critical thinking ability.
C. It offers them more flexibility in choosing courses.
D. It is effective in helping them solve physical problems.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第三段内容“But the researchers have concluded that these new touch screen desks boost both fluency and flexibility——the critical thinking skills that allow students to solve complex problems not simply through knowing formulas and devices, but by being able to figure out what there all problem is and the most effective means of stripping it down and solving it.”可知，新技术的应用可以激发学生的批判性思维技能。
单选题
What happens when students are using the desktop of the new tech?
A. Every student has an individual tabletop.
B. The multi-touch function stimulates students.
C. The software installed automatically identifies different users.
D. Students use different tools to interact with each other.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第三段内容“But the researchers have concluded that these new touch screen desks boost both fluency and flexibility”可知，多点触控功能能够激励学生。
单选题
How does the new tech work to improve student's mathematical learning?
A. It helps fast learners to learn faster.
B. It enables them to work together.
C. It makes teacher's instruction unnecessary.
D. It allows the whole class to learn at the same pace.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章最后一段最后一句话“By using these screens collaboratively, the researchers say, the students are to some extent teaching themselves as those with a stronger grasp on difficult concepts pull other students forward along with them.”可知，通过合作使用屏幕，学生能够一起掌握难懂的数学概念。