泛读教程第一册unit1

I. Question for discussion:

How do you define a student?/ What is a student?

What is a good student (what qualities should a good student have)?

What should a student do?

What makes a student stand out from the rest?

Goal of education:

What other qualities of a good student were suggested by the author?

What challenges is education faced with?

Are there any problems with the present education system?

II. Background Information

about the author:

DONALD E. SIMANEK

Personal data:

Born Dec. 10, 1936. Married, no children.

Education:

Ph.D. in Physics, Dec. 1983, The Pennsylvania State University.

M.S. in Physics, 1962, The University of Iowa.

B.A. in Liberal Arts/Physics, 1959, The University of Iowa.

High School graduation, 1955, Valedictorian.

Elementary and Secondary School: Walker Consolidated School, Walker, Iowa.

Honors and Awards:

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (Penn State Univ.) 1972.

Van Allen Physics Scholarship (Univ. of Iowa) 1958-59.

Phi Eta Sigma national honorary fraternity (Univ. of Iowa), 1956-57.

University of Iowa Merit Scholarship, 1955-56 and 1956-57.

Employment [chronological order]:

Teaching and research assistantships in physics at Univ. of Iowa from 1956 (sophomore year) through 1961 (graduate school).

Instructor of Physics, Mankato State College, 1961-1964.

Assistant Prof. of Physics, Lock Haven State College, 1964-1973.

Associate Prof. of Physics, Lock Haven State College, 1973-1983.

Professor of Physics, Lock Haven University, 1983-1999. (LHSC's name changed to LHU in 1983) Retired, Jan 1, 1999.

Research experiences

1.1980-82 Condensed Matter research project at the Pennsylvania State University under

Anthony Baratta.

2.1957. Research expedition doing high altitude studies of cosmic rays using instrumented

rockoons, with James A. Van Allen, near the Arctic Circle.

Publications:

1.Since 2007 I've done a regular column titled Toys, Tricks and Teasers in MAKE:

magazine, and occasional feature articles for them.

2.Book reviews in MAKE:, Skeptic and The Skeptical Inquirer

3.Editor, The Vector an informal Lock Haven University publication, 1976 to 1991.

4.Anisotropy of Conduction Electron Scattering from Vacancies in Copper. Ph.D. Thesis,

Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, Dec. 1983.

5.Simanek, D. E., Baratta, Lodder and Ehrlich. "Conduction Electron Scattering from

Vacancies in Copper. "Physical Review B, 36, 9082 (15 Dec 1987).

6.Baratta, A. J., Lodder and Simanek. "Calculation of Conduction Electron Scattering Rates

from Vacancies in Copper and Gold." Physical Review B, 36, 9088 (15 Dec 1987).

7.Simanek, D. E. "Constructive Fun." The Physics Teacher. (Feb 1994).

8.Simanek, D. E. and John C. Holden Science Askew. The institute of Physics Publishing,

2002.

Since 1997 I have developed and maintained a web site devoted to physics education, science and pseudoscience, skepticism, philosophy of science and other topics. This site has received favorable comment from Physics Today, The Physics Teacher, The New Scientist, Science, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and The London Sunday Times.

Areas of special interest:

•History and philosophy of science.

•The science/pseudoscience boundary.

•Photography (Stereo).

•Visual illusions.

•Meccano/Erector designs for physics demos and labs.

•Concept development in physics.

/%7Edsimanek/vitadon.htm

III. Language points:

1. Academic

1). [usually before noun] relating to education, especially at college or university level

He possessed no academic qualifications.

a program designed to raise academic standards

2). [usually before noun] concerned with studying from books, as opposed to practical work

the study of art as an academic discipline

academic year [countable]

the period of the year during which there are school or university classes