Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
It is much easier to learn in a small class than in a large one. Use specific examples and reasons to support your answer.
在大班學習效果好還是小班學習效果好的問題上人們會有不同的看法：有的認為小班好，也有的認為大班好，而我則認為大班和小班各有可褒及可貶之處，但更為關鍵的問題是老師如何，也就是說，如果老師好，那班大、班小就不會有什么問題。
首先，小班、大班各有利弊。拿小班來講，學生人數少，教室里會相對安靜些，學生可以安心地學習，這一點應該很容易明白，畢竟10人、20人所制造出的聲響會遠遠低于100人、200人所制造出的聲響的。其次，學生人數少，任課教師容易掌控。人太多時，教師會感到無所適從，因為要掌控整個局面本身就不是一件簡單的事情。另外，學生人數少，可以與教師形成互動，教師從而也可以對學生實行針對性的指導。如果學生多，一對一的指導或者說一對幾的指導根本是不可能的事情。但這并非說小班就一無所非，而大班就一無所是了。事實證明，小班容易形成倦怠和枯燥，所以，也會對學生的學習帶來不利。大班就不同了，因為上大班對老師要求高，這樣一來，教大班的老師就必須做到活力四射、風趣幽默，能夠調動班級氣氛，能夠抓住學生注意力，那受益的自然是學生。另外，在一個大班里，學生彼此之間會結識更多的朋友，因為他們有了更大的選擇余地，而結交朋友本身就是件有意義的事情，因為這可以使學生們更加喜歡自己的班級，而這種狀況從長遠角度講肯定是有利于學習成效的。
其次，我們應該承認：班小、班大絕對沒有老師來得關鍵。不管班級多小，哪怕只有一個學生，但如果老師不合格，根本就不懂教學，那學生也無法專心聽講，也就無法真正學到知識。相反，如果老師好，哪怕有一千名學生，也照樣可以保證老師講得起勁，學生聽得有滋味，學習的效果也就不言自喻了。我曾經參加過一個500人的班級學習，因為老師好，學生們都喜歡他，所以，我們都學得很開心，而且，為了坐得離老師近，很多學生提前1小時就去搶前排的座位。這充分說明了一點：老師是關鍵。
基于以上論證，我們說，班級規模的大小本身不會對學生的學習產生什么影響，真正決定學生學習熱情的更為關鍵的因素是教師的優劣。
參考譯文：
People’s views on the size of a class vary. While some people hold that a small class is better for learning, there are others who argue that a big one is better. On a personal note, I am convinced that each size of classes has its merits and demerits and what really counts is the teacher. That is to say, if the teacher is good, then class sizes would be no big deal.
In the first place, both small and big classes have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a small class for example. With a small number of students in one class, the classroom atmosphere would be relatively quiet and, therefore, it would be possible for students to concentrate on their learning. This can be easily understood, for, after all, the noise made by 10 or 20 people is much lower than that made by 100 or even 200 people! Also, with fewer students, the teacher would find it much easier to manipulate the class, that is, to have the whole class under complete control. If there are too many students, the teacher would be at a loss as to what to do in that controlling the situation itself would be challenging enough. Besides, in a small class, the students could have more interactive activities with the teacher and the teacher can give each student whatever instructions or help that he or she needs. However, this is not to say that a small class is all good and a big one is all bad. In fact, as researches show, a small class is more likely to give rise to tiredness and boredom, which hinders learning. In this respect, a big class prevails as it places higher pressure on the teacher, thus compelling him or her to be more energetic and more humorous so as to create a more lively learning atmosphere and, therefore, having the students’ attention. Who will benefit from all these? The students! Of course! Moreover, in a big class, the students could get to know more people, thereby making more friends as they have more choices. And making friends itself is meaningful in that it makes the class a more attractive place and in the long run, this makes for students’ learning.
In the second place, we must acknowledge the very fact that no matter how small or big a class is, it is simply not that important as the teacher. Even in a class where there is only one student, if the teacher proves to be inefficient, not knowing how to teach at all, it would be impossible for the students to listen attentively, so there would be no way for them to really learn anything. Quite the opposite, if the teacher is good, then no matter how many students there are in one class, say, 1,000 of them, the teacher would still be able to teach enthusiastically and the students listen enjoyably, and the learning effect would be beyond any doubt. I had the experience of sitting in a 500-student classroom. The teacher was warmly received by the students and so we all learned happily. Moreover, just for the sake of securing a seat close to the teacher, many students would go to the classroom 1 hour earlier. This well confirmed the point that the teacher is what really counts.
From the above discussion, we can safely come to the conclusion that the size of a class does not have much influence on the students’ learning effect. What is really more crucial in this issue is the quality of the teacher.
Context-based study:
Passage 1:
Do translation work from Chinese to English, comparing students’ version and the version supplied below.
Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour. Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board and the decks were soon covered with colorful rugs from Persia, silks from India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful handmade silverware. It was difficult not to be tempted. Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen, but I decided not to buy anything until I had disembarked.
I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a diamond ring. I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I was impressed by the size of the diamonds, some of which were as big as marbles. The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real. As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep impression in the glass. It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.
The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches. I examined one of the pens closely. It certainly looked genuine. At the base of the gold cap, the words ‘made in the U. S. A.’ had been neatly inscribed. The man said that the pen was worth ￡50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for ￡30. I shook my head and held up a finger indicating that I was willing to pay ￡5. Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous, but he eventually reduced the price to ￡10. Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands. Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the ￡5 that I gave him. I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain—until I got back to the ship. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day, it has never written a single word!
Passage 2:
Very few goods sell themselves; most need to be promoted in some way. Personal selling is one of the most common methods of promotion. In making the sale, sales personnel must gear their presentation so that it takes the potential buyer through four phases:
1. The selling begins when the salesperson tries to attract the buyer’s notice. A casual “Hello, can I help you?” is often a good opening of initial conversation with the buyer. A well-constructed sales display or a brochure handed to the potential customer is also helpful. Many times in selling equipment or machinery, the manufacturer provides a short written description of the product’s features and advantages. Similarly, when promoting a washer, dryer, vacuum cleanser, or oven, it is common for the salesperson to provide some kind of short pamphlet, often printed on glossy paper and containing some pictures and a description of the product. All these selling aids help to attract the buyer.
2. An effective salesperson will then try to get customers to tell a little about what they are looking for and what services they want out of the product. As the individual talks, the seller has an opportunity to determine what is available and how it can satisfy the buyer’s needs. The seller can also screen out those who are only “looking” from those who seem really attracted. After all, there is no point in going through an entire sales presentation for people who are obviously not interested. For those who are, reference to sales brochures or comments on the high quality of the product can be helpful.
3. Next the salesperson can go on to illustrate exactly how the company’s product can be of value. At this point, it is often helpful to demonstrate the item. The salesperson can show the customer how to use it, or the seller may urge the individual to “try it on and see how it looks”. To sport goods, some stores try to employ only salespeople who have actually used the products, for they can talk better about the items. In all cases, the seller’s objective is to arouse a strong wish is the buyer.
4. The final step is to get the buyer to purchase the goods. Many sellers fail to close the sale because they never ask for the order. In fact, there are many techniques that can help close the sale. To get round asking directly, one can review the strong points of the product and gear the discussion to the needs of the buyer. When this is done, the individual will often ask the salesperson for the merchandise. If this does not occur, one can ask the person “Shall we send that out to your house or would you like to take it with you?” This may not only avoid embarrassment to the seller but serve as the little push the buyer needs in making the decisions to purchase.
Passage 3:
At the Harvard Negotiation Project, we have been developing a new method of negotiation explicitly designed to produce good results efficiently and amicably. This method, called principled negotiation or negotiation on the merits, can be boiled down to four basic points.
1. The first point recognizes that human beings are not computers. People have strong emotions, often see things very differently, and do not always communicate clearly. In negotiation it often happens that emotions get mixed up with the objective rights and wrongs of the situation. Taking up a fixed position makes this worse because people’s personalities become identified with their positions. So before the actual negotiation begins, we need to distinguish between personal differences and differences over solutions to the problem.
2. The second point distinguishes between what people say they want, their stated positions, and what they really want, their underlying interests. Negotiating positions often hide what you really want. A compromise between two positions is not likely to produce an agreement which satisfies the needs underlying each position.
3. The third point acknowledges the problem of having to find a perfect solution while you’re under pressure. Making up your mind in the presence of your opponent restricts your ideas. Deciding on something very important or trying to find the perfect answer limits creative thought. You can get around these limitations by arranging a set amount of time to think up a wide range of possible solutions which help both sides and creatively bring them together.
4. When both sides find that their interests are directly opposed, one negotiator may try to win simply by being stubborn. However, you can respond to such tactics by insisting that his opinion alone is not enough and that some fair independent standard is needed. This does not mean that you yourself select the independent standard, rather that both of you decide on one, such as market value, expert opinion, or law. By discussing such criteria, neither side needs to give in to the other.
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