Pre-reading Activities How long can America remain a world power if we value social skills and physical abilities rather than intelligence and hard work? How can we expect to compete on the world market if we do not support our best pupils or their underpaid teachers? In order to succeed in the 2lst century, America must teach our children that the key to a good and satisfying life is to exercise one' s mind. Not until“nerd”and“" geek”are words of praise, rather than insults, do we stand a chance. values
The fact that we use insulting words such as “nerd” and “geek” to describe our most intelligent, hard-working students shows that something is very wrong with American society. The word “geek” refers to a performer who shocks the public by biting the heads off live chickens. The word “nerd” creates the image of an awkward student, good at math but terrible socially. By using these words to describe our best students, America shows that it has a mixed-up sense of values. Throughout the U.S., children who prefer to read books rather than play football become socially unpopular. Even at a top university like Harvard, students are ashamed to admit how much they study. Our economic rivals in East Asia don’t have this problem. In those nations, a kid who studies hard is praised and held up as an example. In those countries, university professors are respected and well-paid professionals, but in America athletes are the heroes. Ballplayers get popularity and huge salaries while professors and other intellectuals are ignored and underpaid. How long can America remain a world power if we value social skills and physical abilities rather than intelligence and hard work? How can we expect to compete on the world market if we do not support our best pupils or their underpaid teachers? In order to succeed in the 21st century, America must teach our children that the key to a good and satisfying life is to exercise one’s mind. Not until “nerd” and “geek” are words of praise, rather than insults, do we stand a chance. Pre-reading Activities
工 ntensive Study Intensive Study Difficult sentences Key words, phrases usages Comprehension exercises
Intensive Study ➢ Difficult sentences ➢ Key words, phrases & usages ➢ Comprehension exercises • Intensive Study
Text A: Nerds and Geeks Nerds and Geeks by Leonid Fridman 1 There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that has only unkind terms like nerd and geek for the Intellectually curious and academically serious
Nerds and Geeks by Leonid Fridman 1 There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that has only unkind terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious. Text A: Nerds and Geeks
Text A: Nerds and Geeks 2 We all know what a nerd is: someone who wears thick glasses and ugly clothes; someone who knows all the answers to the chemistry or math homework but can never get a date on a Saturday night. And a geek, according to "Websters New World Dictionary,, is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off heads of live chickens. It is a revealing fact about our language and our culture that someone dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge is compared to such a freak
2 We all know what a nerd is: someone who wears thick glasses and ugly clothes; someone who knows all the answers to the chemistry or math homework but can never get a date on a Saturday night. And a geek, according to “Webster’s New World Dictionary”, is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off heads of live chickens. It is a revealing fact about our language and our culture that someone dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge is compared to such a freak. Text A: Nerds and Geeks
Text A: Nerds and Geeks 3 Even at a prestigious educational institution like Harvard, anti intellectualism is widespread: Many students are ashamed to admit, even to their friends, how much they study. Although most students try to keep up their grades, there is but a small group of undergraduates for whom pursuing knowledge is the most important thing during their years at Harvard. Nerds are looked down upon while athletes are made heroes of
3 Even at a prestigious educational institution like Harvard, antiintellectualism is widespread: Many students are ashamed to admit, even to their friends, how much they study. Although most students try to keep up their grades, there is but a small group of undergraduates for whom pursuing knowledge is the most important thing during their years at Harvard. Nerds are looked down upon while athletes are made heroes of. Text A: Nerds and Geeks