Bill Gates recently predicted that online learning will make place-based colleges less significant, and five years from now, students will be able to find the best lectures in the world online. I applaud Mr. Gates. But what's taking us so long?

    As early as 1997, MIT(麻省理工) decided to post videos of all university lectures online. for free, for all people. But today, how many students have you met who mastered advanced mathematics or nuclear physics from an MIT online video? Unfortunately, the answer is not many. The problem is the poor quality of online education websites and the experience they provide to students. Those who go to the MIT website and watch courses online are surely very smart people, but it's not like playing a video game such as World of Warcraft. Only the most ardent students, those who are highly motivated, will devote themselves to studying these boring online videos.

    The real question is why we aren't spending more to develop better online education platforms. Where is the Avatar of education? Think about this. The market for Hollywood films per year is worth around 30 billion USD. Education in the world is a trillion-dollar-a-year market, hundreds of times bigger than Hollywood movies. Yet the most expensive digital learning system ever built cost well under 100 million dollars.

    Bill Gates' prediction is going to happen. There is no doubt about it. But it will only happen when we create high level educational content and experiences that engage and excite more than has ever been possible in the real world.

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    Last week, about 600 teenagers in the US imagined a future changed by technology in which their lessons are taught by robots and they learn about celebrities and alien languages. They believe they will use jet packs, and hoverboards (旋转飞盘), as everyday transport.

    All the participants (参加者) of the survey are teenagers born into the Internet age. The study is to show how the first cyber (与电脑有关的) generation dream about a future life created by advanced technology.

    Most believe there will still be schools to go to, but that technology will play an increasingly important role in learning. The 600 teens surveyed think there will still be teachers, but 37 percent imagine them to be robots. Some 24 percent believe that teachers will still be human but they will have interchangeable microchips (微型芯片) so that one person can teach all subjects.

    More than one in two believe hoverboarding will be popular, while one-third say that wearing rocket boots will be their favourite activity. Another third think jet packs will be popular. Nearly 30 percent think football and bike-riding will remain popular.

    When it comes to the courses, they think future generations will be learning about robot building (63 percent), alien languages (47 percent), celebrities (26 percent) and R&B music (22 percent).

Children will wear virtual reality helmets (可视头盔) to bring lessons to life, say 40 percent, while over 20 percent believe they will not need lessons because microchips put in their head will send relevant (相关的) information into the brain.

    Matt Whyman, adviser to the chief medical officer on youth issues at American Online, said, “The kids seem very aware of the liberating qualities of technology.”

They Just Can't Help It

    My theory is that the female brain is mainly built for empathy — the ability to understand other people — and that the male brain is mainly built for building systems. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} For example, women are more likely to read magazines on fashion and parenting, while men will choose magazines that feature computers and sport.

    You may think that these preferences are influenced by the way people are taught to behave when they are growing up. However, this is not the case. A new study carried out at Cambridge University shows that newborn girls look longer at a face, and newborn boys look longer at a mobile.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has also been observed (that girls are better at noticing signs of changes in other people's feelings. Boys, however, seem to enjoy building toy towers and playing with toys which have clear functions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} People whose jobs are in the construction industries are almost male. Math and engineering, which require high levels of systems-thinking, are also male-chosen disciplines. Why do men and women have the difference? Actually women have four times as many brain neurons (神经) that connect the right and left part of their brains. Because of it, women have a better ability to multitask than men. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Men tend to focus on a limited number of problems at a time. They will separate themselves from problems and view tasks as independent from one another.

    Some people may worry that I am suggesting one gender (性别) is better than the other, but this is not the case. My theory says that males and females differ in the kinds of things that they find easy, but that both genders have their strengths and weaknesses. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It is not true. The study simply looks at males and females as two groups, and asks what differences exist, and why they are there.

A. Generally speaking, there are clear differences.

B. Their preference for building systems may change over time.

C. You can see the same kind of pattern in the adult workplace.

D. They will consider many sources of information at the same time.

E. It is important to stress that the female brain may be built more for empathy.

F. That suggests certain differences between male and female brains are biological.

G. Others may think the theory creates a belief of what a particular type of person is like.

    Radar is an electronic device that detects planes, ships, coastlines, landmarks, and even storm clouds. The name radar comes from the first letters of the words radio direction and ranging. As the human eye uses light waves to see, radar "sees" with radio waves. Without radar, planes could not land safely in bad weather and ships could not move safely in thick fog. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    In the 1800s it was discovered that radio waves could be reflected from objects. But scientists did not make great advances in radar research until the 1930s, when the world was threatened by war.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It has been used widely in almost every conflict since then.

    Echoes make it possible for radar to work. When a beam of radio waves is sent out, it strikes on an object and returns an echo. This echo is picked up by radar and recorded on a screen similar to television screen. On the screen an observer sees a flash, or a blip, that shows the direction and distance of the object. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Airport control towers use radar to guide planes in for safe landings. Almost all large ships depend on radar to prevent collisions with icebergs or other ships. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Weather forecasters "see" the size, direction, and speed of storms on radar screens. Astronomers can even use radar to measure accurately the distance to the moon. Thus, the device has generated major advancements.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Huge radar antennas have been installed all over the United States. They guard us against possible enemy attacks. We have ballistic—missiles (战略导弹)warning systems that can alert us to attacks when missiles are more than 1,000 miles away. Other radar systems warn us against enemy aircraft and even spying space satellites.

A. Police track speeders in radar-equipped cars.

B. These measurements are now highly accurate.

C. The device can be used in a wide range of fields.

D. It is therefore especially valuable to shippers and travelers.

E. During World War II many countries used radar effectively.

F. Today radar is used by commercial airliners and weather forecasters.

G. Strengthening national defense is one of radar's most important functions.

    A new study has found that social media could be affecting the sleep of young adults.

    The study is a project of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine. They found that young people who often use social media are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than those who use social media less. The researchers say doctors should ask young adults about their use of social media when treating sleep issues.

    "This is one of the first pieces of evidence that social media use really can influence your sleep." said Jessica C Levenson. She was the lead author of a report on the study.

    The researchers set out to examine the connection between social media use and sleep among young adults. Levenson noted that these young adults are possibly the first "generation to grow up with social media."

    The researchers wanted to find out how often young people used social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Credit and Tumbler. For the study, they gave questionnaires to nearly 1,800 adults, aged 19 to 32. On average, members of the study group used social media sites one hour a day. They also "visited various social media 30 times per week."

    Thirty percent of the study's participants reported having serious problems with sleeping. Those people who used social media a lot were three times more likely to have a sleep disorder. And those who spent the most time on social media were two times as likely to suffer from sleep disturbances.

    Levenson said the number of times a person visits social media is a better predictor of sleep problems than overall time spent on social media. If this is true, she adds, then practices that stop such behaviors may be the most effective.

Critical thinking is the process of carefully and systematically analyzing problems to find ways to solve them. It involves identifying several possible solutions and then logically evaluating each one, comparing them to one another, and then selecting the one that you conclude is the most promising

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Employers prefer job candidates who can demonstrate a history of using critical thinking skills. They want to have employees who can solve problems quickly.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

You may think there isn't enough time to take a slow and measured approach to problem solving. After all, time is limited, and quick and easy answers are appealing.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Critical thinking is one of several life skills you should try to develop while still in school.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Your assignments will require you to generate hypotheses (猜想) and then test them before coming to conclusions. Students taking art classes also use critical thinking. To complete projects, you will have to select media and techniques that will best allow you to achieve your artistic vision

Graduates aren't out of luck. Practice your critical thinking while performing everyday activities.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}When deciding where to have dinner, weigh your alternatives regarding the type of food, healthfulness, and cost. If making a purchase, do your research and read reviews of different brands.

A. Sign up for science classes, for example.

B. Choose a lesson that benefits your critical thinking.

C. The ability to think critically is a valuable soft skill in the job market.

D. But more importantly, they want ones who can solve them effectively.

E. We all need some critical thinking skills living in this challenging world.

F. For example, before going out, learn about each means of transportation.

G. However, rushing to make a decision is less productive than using critical thinking.