英美文化概论 纯正英语版╲t╲t╲tEducationin the US

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1、The Contents I.The goal of EducationII.Education-A Local MatterIII.Features of EducationIV.Levels of SchoolingV.Higher EducationVI.The Servicemens Readjustment ActVII.Affirmative Action ProgramsI.The Goal of Education The goal is to achieve universal literacy and to provide individuals with the know

2、ledge and skills necessary to promote both their own individual welfare as well as that of the general public.II.Education-A Local Matter The federal government does not provide a national education system except for some basic rules.The law,for example,says that all American children enjoy equal ri

3、ght to education.Separate education for black and white children is forbidden.Religious preaching in public schools is illegal and all the children before the age of 16 are required to attend school by law.Continues From Hawaii to Delaware,from Alaska to Louisiana,each of the 50 states in the United

4、 States has its own laws regulating education.From State to state,some laws are similar;others are not.For example:All states require young people to attend school.(The age limits vary:32 states require attendance to age 16;eight to 18;etc.)Thus,every child in America is guaranteed up to 13 years of

5、 education.This is true regardless of a childs race,religion,sex,learning problems,physical handicap or inability to speak English.Continues Some states play a strong role in the selection of learning material for their students.For example,state committees may decide which publishers textbooks can

6、be purchased with state funds.In other cases,decisions about buying instructional material are left entirely to local school officials.Americans have a strong tendency to educate their children about major public concerns-problems such as environmental pollution,nuclear issues,neighborhood crime and

7、 drugs.Responding to public pressure,boards of education in different areas often add courses on various relevant issues to the elementary and secondary school curriculum.III.Features of Education1.Cultivating a Students mind American education emphasizes cultivating a students mind rather than requ

8、iring him to memorize mere facts.Students are encouraged to learn by doing,by expressing themselves and by discussing.It is not unusual for an American student not to know which city is Chinas capital or how many people there are in Mongolia.American students are not interested in learning what is o

9、f little use for their future work.Continues2.Cultivating the spirit of self-reliance American education pays much attention to cultivating the spirit of self-reliance.Working ones way through college is commonplace in America.Schools often adjust the students program of studies so that he can do pa

10、rt-time jobs.Students are encouraged to form their own organizations,clubs,and research groups.IV.Levels of Schooling Americas school education can be divided into three stages:elementary education,secondary education and higher education.1.PreschooluThe federal government funds the Head Start presc

11、hool program for children of low-income families,but most families are on their own with regard to finding a preschool or childcare.u In the large cities,there are sometimes upper-class preschools catering to the children of the wealthy.2.Elementary Education Elementary/primary education begins at t

12、he age of five or six,ending at the age of 11 or 12.Public elementary schools founded with community school taxes are controlled by a school board which is composed of members elected by local voters.The major responsibilities of the school board are the hiring of teachers and support staff,determin

13、ing the local curriculum and approving the budget to carry out educational programs.Continues Curriculum The elementary school normally covers grades 1-8.But there is another pattern under which the elementary school covers grades 1-5 or 6.The elementary school curriculum mainly consists of the“basi

14、cs”,such as reading,writing,and arithmetic or mathematics.Elementary schools usually pay more attention to making children happy and interested instead of giving rigid（死板的）instructions.All American children are brought up with competitive ideas,but primary school pupils are taught more about patriot

15、ism and mutual help.3.Secondary Education Secondary education is given by high schools which are also called secondary schools.They can be subdivided into senior high schools and junior high schools.A junior high school and a senior high school are usually combined into one.The junior high school co

16、vers grades 6 or 7-9,and the senior high school covers grades 10-12.Secondary education ends at the age of 17 or 18.It is free of charge for all American children.ContinuesClassification of High Schools American high schools can be generally divided into several kinds:comprehensive,academic,vocation

17、al,and technical schools.They have somewhat different tasks.Comprehensive high schools give both academic and vocational education.Their students may go to university for paid jobs after graduation.Academic high schools pay more attention to academic study and aim at preparing students for higher ed

18、ucation.Vocational and technical schools teach the skills of a variety of occupations.Continues Among the subjects offered by high schools are English grammar,literature,history,algebra（代数）,geometry（几何）,mathematics,chemistry,physics and trigonometry(三角学).Many high schools offer electives-courses for

19、 students to choose.Elective courses vary from school to school.They include：European history,political issues,business,industrial trades,foreign languages and so on.American high schools normally begin classes in early September and finish the school year soon after the end of May,with optional sum

20、mer class taught from June to July.4.Schools Run by Church and Private Schools In addition to these public schools,there are schools run by the church.In America no one is allowed to teach religion in public schools.Churches run their own schools where they can preach Gods teaching and train student

21、s into clergymen.The best of the elementary and high schools are the expensive,private boarding schools which are also called“Prep”schools.They are financed by the rich who want to prepare their children for the best universities.These schools have very fine equipment and qualified teachers.But in m

22、ost cases they are too expensive for common American families.And the number of this kind of school is very small.5.Boards of Education It refers to groups of people who make policies for schools at the state and/or district level.They also make decisions about the school curriculum,teacher standard

23、s and certification and the overall measurement of student progress.V.Higher Education1.General Introduction2.Functions of Universities and Colleges3.Undergraduate Curriculum4.Graduate Study5.Admission to Higher Education6.The Ivy League Schools7.The Governing of Universities8.Tuition1.General Intro

24、duction Higher education in the United States began with the founding of Harvard College in Massachusetts in 1636.Now America has a large number of universities.According to the 1994 Carnegie classification of Institutions of Higher Education,the United States has 3,595 institutions of higher educat

25、ion.They include 125 research universities,111 doctoral universities,529 masters comprehensive universities and colleges,637 liberal arts colleges,1471 junior colleges and 722 specialized institutions.Continues Research universities are the best universities.They offer a full range of program.They g

26、ive high priority to research and award doctoral degrees.A research university normally receives many millions of dollars from the federal government each year.Doctoral universities also provide a full range of programs leading to a BA(Bachelor of Arts)degree and through the doctorate.But they award

27、 fewer doctoral degrees than the research universities.Masters comprehensive universities and colleges give a full range of programs leading to BA degrees and can award the masters degree.Continues Liberal arts colleges are mostly undergraduate colleges.They can only award BA degrees in liberal arts

28、 fields.Junior colleges include community and technical colleges.Generally,they do not award degrees.Special institutions include Bible colleges,medical schools,medical centers,schools of engineering and technology,schools of business and management,schools of law,teachers colleges and military scho

29、ols.Many universities and colleges have won reputations for offering particularly challenging courses and providing their students with a higher quality of education.The great majority are generally regarded as quite satisfactory.%of all schools of higher education are privately operated by religiou

30、s organizations.Both public and private colleges depended on three sources of income:students tuition,endowments and government funding.Continues2.Functions of Universities and Colleges American universities and colleges have three functions:teaching,research and public service.The total funding pro

31、vided by the US government for higher education is more than$150 billion each year at present.Universities are required to serve the public.Their libraries,for example,are open to all Americans who have the right to borrow books from any university library freely.Continues3.Undergraduate Curriculum

32、American university students study a variety of subjects.A typical undergraduate curriculum can be divided into three parts:the general education,the major,and the supporting courses.The general education program normally consists of 20 to 40 percent of all the required courses.It applies to all stu

33、dents regardless of their field of specialization.It usually includes studies in writing,literature,history,biological sciences,physical sciences,mathematics,social-behavioral sciences and fine arts.These subjects are usually learned at the freshman and sophomore levels(the first and second years)Co

34、ntinues A university student in America must attend a certain number of courses.He usually takes courses in a wide range of subjects in his first year(as a freshman)and second year(as a sophomore).In the third year(as junior)and fourth year(as senior),he specializes in his major subjects.A typical c

35、ourse consists of 3 classes per week for one semester(a half year term).A bachelors degree requires about 36 courses,each lasting one semester.A student is given credits for every course he has successfully completed.When his credits amount to the required number,he is awarded the bachelors degree.T

36、hats about three to four years study at a college or university.Continues4.Graduate Study Graduate study,both at the masters and doctoral levels,aims at preparing students for professional work.At the masters level the study program is primarily an extension of undergraduate study.The masters degree

37、 can normally be earned in one or two years by students holding a bachelors degree.The doctoral program requires at least three years postgraduate study.Usually,the student pursuing the doctoral program teaches or serves as a research assistant part-time.As a result,a student holding the bachelors d

38、egree has to study 5-8 years to earn the Ph.D.Continues5.Admission to Higher Education Admission to higher education is determined by each college or university.The government does not interfere and there is no national standard.But admission to private universities as well as prestigious public col

39、leges and universities is selective and competitive.The general standards of admission include successful completion of high school,high school grade point average(GPA)and class rank,results from standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT)and American College Testing Programs examin

40、ation(ACTP).Continues But some universities and colleges practice open admissions.All applicants with a high school diploma or its equivalent are admitted.Some universities and colleges admit not only high school graduates but also all residents of the state,18 years old or older.But some universiti

41、es and colleges practice open admissions.All applicants with a high school diploma or its equivalent are admitted.Some universities and colleges admit not only high school graduates but also all residents of the state,18 years old or older.Continues6.The Ivy League Schools The most prestigious of al

42、l universities are the Ivy League schools,including Harvard,Yale,Princeton,Columbia,University of Pennsylvania,Brown,Dartmouth and Cornell.All these universities are private ones and a student has to pay the tuition of several dozen thousand dollars each year.It is almost beyond the reach of common

43、American families.High scores are one of the requirements for admission into these universities.Since they enjoy high prestige and have famous professors and extremely fine equipment,American youths have to compete with each other for admission.7.The Governing of Universities America has more privat

44、e universities than public ones.But about 78 percent of the more than 140 million students in higher education attend public universities and colleges.Private universities and colleges are usually smaller than public ones.Each private university or college is governed by a board of trustees(董事)while

45、 each public university or college is governed by a board of regents（摄政者；管理者）.Continues Trustees and regents are mostly laymen(non-professional).They receive no pay from the university or college they serve.The system is based on the belief that laymen not paid by the school will be more likely to r

46、epresent the public interests than professionals because they can not benefit from board decisions.The board chooses the president or chancellor of the university,establishes policies,reviews all major decisions made by administrators,and approves budgets and all purchases.Continues8.Tuition All uni

47、versity students have to pay tuition and other educational fees for the higher education they receive.But the tuition charged by private universities is usually several times higher than that of public universities.The tuition and fees charged by a member university of the Ivy League may reach$30,00

48、0 for one academic year.A state university charges a lower rate of tuition for students who are citizens of the state,known as in-state students.But for students from other states(known as out-of-state students),the tuition is usually doubled.Students from other countries are charged the same rate o

49、f tuition as out-of-state students.Private universities charge the same rate of tuition for all the students.Continues Financial support is available in most universities and colleges.Students who excel in their fields of study are awarded scholarships.Students who are in need of financial help may

50、receive loans granted by the Federal government and other sources.Many students do part-time jobs to earn some money by themselves.It is estimated that now the federal government each year provides about$150 billion in financial assistance to students in higher education.VI.The Servicemens Readjustm

51、ent Act军人重新安置法案 Passed in 1944,It was soon popularly called the“GI Bill of Rights”.GI was a nickname for the American soldier,which came from the abbreviation for“Government Issue”the uniforms and other articles“issued”to a soldier.The Act promised financial aid,including aid for higher education to

52、 members of the armed forces after the end of WWII.VII.Affirmative Action Programs First Advocated by some colleges in 1960.The purpose of the programs was to equalize educational opportunities for all groups and to make up for past inequality by giving special preference to members of minorities se

53、eking jobs or admission to college.Affirmative Action Programs “肯定性行动计划（平权法案）”美国政府为弥补以往对某些特殊群体（如少数民族和妇女）的歧视而给这些群体再就业和受教育机会方面提供较为优惠的照顾性的政策。该项政策始于20世纪60年代，但到70年代后期，因设立种族配额制度偏向少数族裔和妇女而被指责为“逆向歧视”。Some famous Universities in the United StatesHarvard University Stanford UniversityUniversity California-Ber

54、keley Massachusetts Institute Technology Columbia UniversityPrinceton Univ Univ Chicago Yale Univ Cornell Univ Johns Hopkins Univ 哈佛大学哈佛大学 Harvard Univ成立于1636年，哈佛大学是全美最古老的大学之一，先有哈佛，后有美国，这说明了哈佛大学在美国历史上的地位。迄今哈佛己培育出6位美国总统、29位诺贝尔奖得主和27名普利策奖得主。不论从学校的名气、设备、教授阵容、还是学生素质方面，哈佛大学都堪称世界一流斯坦福大学斯坦福大学 Stanford Univ

55、,有着“西部哈佛”之称的斯坦福创办于1891年，学校位于富庶的加利福尼亚州，与美国文化底蕴丰富的旧金山(San Francisco)和有“高科技圣地”之称的硅谷(Silicon Valley)为邻，培育了不少顶尖级的科学家、企业家和学术界名人，在科研和学术领域双双取得骄人的成绩。斯坦福的过人之处在于它与工商业界和各政府部门有着密切关系，使它在天时、地利、人和方面取得优势，而跻身世界级大学 伯克利加州大学伯克利加州大学 Univ California-Berkeley 作为加州大学九所分校之一，伯克利加大是其中最著名的一所。这所占地1232英亩、在读学生3.5万左右的巨型大学有22位教授、校友获

56、得过诺贝尔奖,有8位教授、校友获得过图灵奖有8位（其中5位是校友）。23位教授荣获过美国国家科学奖.坚持学术本位，充分尊重教授会决定的学术方针是伯克利加州大学成功的关键。伯克利以多元文化著称,华裔教授田长霖曾任伯克利加州大学校长麻省理工学院麻省理工学院 Massachusetts Inst Tech 1865年创建于波士顿，1961年迁到坎布里奇，麻省理工学院（MIT）是美国培养高级科技人才和管理人才、从事科学与技术教育与研究的一所私立大学，已被公认为世界一流的大学 加州理工学院加州理工学院 California Inst Tech 创办于1891年,加州理工学院是一所私立，专门性院校。学校位

57、于加州南部风光迷人的巴萨迪那市，下设生物学、化学及化学工程系、工程与应用科学、地质学及行星学、人类学和社会科学、物理数学和天文学六大系。学院是美国乃至全世界最“牛”的研究型大学之一，2004年美国新闻与世界报道的“全美最佳综合大学”中名列第五位，并在多个工程学科分支中名列前十名哥伦比亚大学哥伦比亚大学 Columbia Univ 建于1754年，是美国最古老的7所大学组成的“常春藤联合会”成员之一，哥伦比亚大学阵容强大，有十六个学院、六十九个系所。一般来说哥伦比亚大学之法律、文史哲、管理、新闻、国际关系系所名声较大，工学院由于成立比较晚，排名靠后 普林斯顿大学普林斯顿大学 Princeton

58、Univ 成立于1746年，位于美国新泽西州普林斯顿镇。普林斯顿大学是举世公认的著名大学，它的招生口号是“只要你是优秀的，付学费不用顾虑”。普林斯顿大学最引以自豪的是重视本科生教育，另一大特点则是坚持自身优势基础研究，二战后一度被称为世界“数学之都”的普林斯顿大学，迄今仍保持着这一名望，其物理学研究也处于一流水平芝加哥大学芝加哥大学 Univ Chicago是一所成立于1892年的著名私立大学，由石油大亨洛克菲勒（John D.Rockefeller）投资建立。学校设有数十个学科专业，其中人类学、地球科学、经济学、地理学、历史学、语言学、统计学、社会学等学科专业在美国大学的相应领域排名中均居前

59、十名，具有较强的学术实力 耶鲁大学耶鲁大学 Yale Univ 成立于年，其前身是创建于年的一所教会学校，年更名为耶鲁学院。耶鲁大学如今已发展成为一所世界级名校，拥有来自美国和其他多个国家和地区的多名学生,下设耶鲁学院（本科生院）、艺术与科学研究生院及所专业学院，即建筑、艺术、神学、戏剧、林业与环境、法学、管理、医学、音乐和护理。耶鲁学院是耶鲁大学的核心，共有个系所，每年开设多门本科课程康奈尔大学康奈尔大学 Cornell Univ 于1865年创立,位于纽约州芬戈尔湖地区,是美国常青藤八大盟校之一.它是“公私合营”式的大学。在七所学院中，农业与生物学院、人类环境学院和工业与劳工关系学院是公立

60、学院，受纽约州政府管辖。而其他四所学院：艺术科学学院、建筑艺术与规划学院、工程学院和旅馆管理学院则是私立的.该校包括本科生,研究生和专业人员在内共19000人宾夕法尼亚大学宾夕法尼亚大学 Univ Pennsylvania 是美国宾夕法尼亚州费城的一所私立大学，也是美国常春藤联合会成员之一,它由本杰明富兰克林创办于1740年.宾夕法尼亚大学现有的12个学院分别是：文理、沃顿商学院、工程、医学、护理、牙医、兽医、法学、设计与规划、教育、社会工作和通讯学院威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校 Univ Wisconsin-Madison 威斯康星大学有十几个校区,最大的中心校区是麦迪逊分校，麦迪逊分校的新闻学、

61、生物化学、植物学、化学工程、化学、土木工程、计算机科学、地球科学、英语、地理学、物理学、经济学、德语、历史学、语言学、数学、工商管理(MBA)、微生物学、分子生物学、机械工程、哲学、西班牙语、心理学、政治学、统计学、社会学、动物学等诸多学科具有相当雄厚的科研和教学实力，大部分在美国大学相应领域排名中居于前10名约翰约翰霍普金斯大学霍普金斯大学 Johns Hopkins Univ 创办于1876年2月22日，位于美国马利兰州的巴尔的摩市，约翰霍普金斯大学以医科驰名于世，其医学院仅次于哈佛。该校所有跟生物沾亲带故的专业，都在美国名声斐然，其中包括生物医学工程、化学和生物化学等。其它科目如英语、历

62、史、美术、国际关系、政治科学等也相当出色诺伊大学香槟分校诺伊大学香槟分校 Univ Illinois-Urbana Champaign 成立于1867年，一直被列为全美最优秀的理工大学之一,位于香摈和乐本那之间的双子城，大学排名全国前5名或前10名的研究所课程有物理学,化学,计算机科学,心理学,教育学,工程学,会计学,大众传播学,图书馆科学,音乐,数论,代数,逻辑学,微生物学等 洛克菲勒大学 Rockefeller Univ 坐落在曼哈顿，洛克菲勒大学是世界顶级的医学研究中心，在细胞生物学和神经生物学领域拥有突出的地位和贡献美国西北大学美国西北大学 Northwestern Univ 建立于年

63、，位于伊利诺州密歇根湖岸的小城埃文斯顿（Evanston）。西北大学设有温伯格文理学院，传播学院，音乐学院，莫迪尔新闻学院，迈考米克工程及应用科学学院，教育及社会政策学院，法学院，凯洛格商学院，以及芬伯格医学院杜克大学 Duke Univ 建于1838年,位于北卡罗莱纳州,是美国东南海岸的一所私立名校，有“南方哈佛”之称。杜克大学工科较弱，理科除生物外，也难称一流，但医、法、商实力不俗，足可使杜克挤身美国最佳大学之列纽约大学纽约大学 New York Univ 成立于1831年，是全美最大的私立大学之一。属下的Tisch School of the Arts是全美最佳的美术学院之一，因此，纽约

64、大学的电影、电视、戏剧、舞蹈和摄影都很好。纽约大学是一所阴盛阳衰的高等学府，女生占了全校学生57%。由于地处纽约市中心，是美国高中生心目中最受欢迎的大学明尼苏达大学明尼苏达大学 Univ Minnesota-Twin Cities 始建于1851年，拥有四所校园，是美国最具综合性的高等学府之一，2001年，明尼苏达大学被列为美国公立大学中最好的三所研究型大学之一。其化工系，机械工程系，经济学系，应用经济学系，心理系，教育系，应用数学，人力资源管理，信息管理系统，森林，药学及医疗系统管理等多门学科在全美始终名列前茅科罗拉多大学科罗拉多大学 Univ Colorado-Boulder创建于1876

65、年，是全美中北部著名的公立大学，位于风景秀丽的科罗拉多州首府丹佛市。她是一所注重文化交融和国际合作的大学，该大学，该大学系统包括四个校区：科罗拉多大学波德校区、科罗拉多大学丹佛校区、科罗拉多大学斯普林司校区、科罗拉多大学医学中心。科罗拉多大学是科罗拉多州最大的公立大学，也是该地区主要的高等教育机构美国德州大学西南医学中心 Univ Texas Southwestern Med Center 范德比尔特大学范德比尔特大学 Vanderbilt Univ 位于美国田纳西州的那什维尔，是一所历史悠久、文理兼顾的著名私立大学。范德比尔大学设有艺术、商业、工商行政管理、电工工程学、历史、生物化学、生理学

66、、病理学、数学、生物医学工程、化学、物理、心理学、生物物理等数十个学科专业，其中生理学和工商管理等专业在相应领域具有较大的影响德州大学奥斯汀分校德州大学奥斯汀分校 Univ Texas-Austin成立于1881年，是一所在全世界都享有盛名的公立大学，也是“德州大学系统”十五所成员学府中最有名气的大学匹兹堡大学匹兹堡大学 Pittsburgh Univ 成立于1787年，根据US News&World Report 2006的评比,匹兹堡大学在全美大学的排名为第58名.匹兹堡目前共有16个学院，最有名的科系包括哲学系,医学院与大学医学中心(University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,简称UPMC)同样是声名远播,特别是在器官移植手术上,没有任何机构能出其左右美国南加州大学美国南加州大学 Univ Southern California 位于洛杉矶市市中心，是个典型的国际化的大学，其国际学生数量在全美排名第二位。南加州大学是近几年发展势头最猛的大学，其工学院，电影学院，商学院排名很高美国罗切斯特大学 Univ Rochester创建于1850年，是美国