Virtual Learning

By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: October 30, 2003

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.

Many people remember the day in school when they had to 1)cut up a dead frog. Students often perform this 2)dissection¹ as a requirement for biology class. A 3)smelly chemical, 4)formaldehyde, preserves the body of the frog. The students remove and identify the organs as part of learning about the science of life.
But some schools no longer require students to cut apart frogs. Cost may be an issue. Also, animal rights activists² may object.
Today, more and more students learn about frogs by computer, through "virtual³ dissection." A company called Froguts sells educational services to schools. But it also offers a free demonstration⁴ on its Web site. First, the image of a whole 5)bullfrog appears on the screen. Users of the site direct cutting tools with clicks of their computer mouse. Lines show where to cut. Several steps later, the frog is open. The next steps are to remove and identify the heart, lungs and other organs.
The Web site is froguts-dot-com. That's spelled f-r-o-g-u-t-s.
Some educators praise virtual dissection. Others say nothing can replace the real thing.
Other virtual activities are also increasingly popular in schools. Some schools cannot send their students to places like museums and zoos. Distance and money may prevent them. But children can still “visit” zoo animals, museum collections and historic⁵ places by computer.
Last year, Maine launched a plan to become the first state to provide laptop computers to each of its middle school students and teachers. Maine is a small Northeastern state which, like many other states, is facing budget troubles. But now seventh and eighth graders and their teachers in more than two-hundred-forty schools have these wireless⁶ computers.
And the idea is spreading. Michigan, for example, has started to spend twenty-two-million dollars for laptop or hand-held computers for sixth graders. Schools can get the computers if they can pay twenty-five dollars for each student.
Yet such plans have critics, as a story in the magazine U.S. News and World Report noted⁷. They say there is little proof that computers are better than traditional teaching methods. Other teachers say the computer is simply another tool that depends on how it is used.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Steve Ember.

注释：
1) cut up  v.切碎, 歼灭
2) dissection [ di5sekFEn ] n.解剖, 切开
3) smelly [5smeli] adj.发臭的, 有臭味的
4) formaldehyde [ fC:5mAldi7haid ] n.（化）甲醛, 蚁醛
5) bullfrog [ 5bulfrC^ ] n.（动物）牛蛙, 菜蛙

1 dissection   

n.分析；解剖

参考例句：

• A dissection of your argument shows several inconsistencies.对你论点作仔细分析后发现一些前后矛盾之处。
• Researchers need a growing supply of corpses for dissection.研究人员需要更多的供解剖用的尸体。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

6 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。