【英语趣味课堂】写作-Writing

 Todd: OK, John, you were saying that you taught writing in America

 

John: Yeah.

 

Todd: OK, and you said it was a paperless class.

 

John: Paperless class

 

Todd: OK, what does that mean, a paperless class?

 

John: Basically¹, it means that we didn't use paper. Right, there was no paper. All of the students' assignments were posted on a web page, so for each of their papers that they had to write, each of their essays, they could just go online and read the description of the assignment and all their requirements, and then they had two options for handing in their essays; they could either type them up and e-mail them to me or they could type them up directly in like a text format² screen on the web, so that I could, I would do all of the grading for the papers like online.

 

Todd: OK, did you like it as a teacher?

 

John: It was a bit difficult cause it takes a lot to get used to reading everything on the screen, and it's, actually as far as like marking papers and grading them, it's easier for you because you can just highlight³ something and make it red and be like, you know, red needs spelling or whatever, and it's much quicker than like circling it and writing "spelling" once you get in the habit of doing it with the mouse and have your color skeem worked out, it goes very quick, and if you want to do a comment you can just, you know, change the font or the size, and type directly in the text, and they know, "oh well, here's John's comment."

 

Todd: Did the student like it?

 

John: Most of the students liked it, but there was a small majority that, you know, usually when they were late, or whenever they wanted to just like slip a paper under my door, and they couldn't do that, because you know they would, I would know if their paper was late because you know, it wasn't, the computer doesn't lie. It was logged⁴ in at this time and you know sent to me, so "yes it was late!" They couldn't, you know get around that kind of paper trail.

 

Todd: So, you're a writer, do you think it actually helps students to do this stuff⁵ on computers or should you go back to the pencil paper method?

 

John: I think it is important to be able to do both. I think that's the most important thing about being a writer is being able to be versatile⁶ and go in different directions and write in different forms, but probably as far as tools go these days, it's more important for students to be able to compose on a computer, because most likely that is what they'll be doing most of their writing.

 

学习内容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

go online

 

Instead of writing their essays on paper, the students go online to do it.

 

When you go on the internet you are 'going online.' Notice the following:

 

Let's go online and do a little research.

I need to go online and check my email.

hand in

 

The students have two options for handing in their essays.

 

When you 'hand in' a document you give it to your teacher or superior⁷.  Usually you must hand something in by a specific deadline. Notice the following:

 

He always tries to hand in his projects late.

When do you have to hand in your application?

get used to or get in the habit

 

It is difficult to get used to it at first, but it gets easier once you get into the habit of doing it.

 

When you become accustomed to something or adapt to it you 'get used to' it.  When you do something repeatedly⁸ without thinking too much about it you are 'in the habit' of doing it. Notice the following:

 

I got in the habit of watching television when I got home instead of going to the gym.

It will take me a long time to get used to this heat.

get around or paper trail

 

The students can't get around that kind of paper trail.

 

To 'get around' something is to avoid doing something that you are supposed to do without consequences. A paper trail is evidence of something because of documentation. Notice the following:

 

By talking to one of his professors he was able to get around taking the placement exam for the class.

If you plan to be a criminal you should learn how to destroy your paper trail.

versatile

 

It's important for a writer to be versatile and go in different directions.

 

If a writer is 'versatile' he can write about many different topics and change his style. We frequently use this phrase to mean adaptable⁹. Notice the following:

 

He isn't a very versatile actor. Most of the time he plays basically the same role.

These pants are very versatile.  They are formal or casual¹⁰ depending on what I wear with them.

 

1 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

2 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

3 highlight   

n.加亮区；v.加亮，强调；[计算机]醒目

参考例句：

• Her performance was the highlight of the show.她的表演是那场演出中最精彩的部分。
• The highlight of this term is the school trip to Austria.这学期最重要的活动就是去奥地利的校外旅行。

4 logged   

adj.笨拙的，（树）劈成木材的

参考例句：

• We have logged up a remarkable series of gains in technical innovation. 我们已在技术革新方面取得一系列可观的成就。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They asked the pilot how many hours he had logged. 他们问那飞行员累积了多少飞行时数。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

6 versatile   

adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的

参考例句：

• A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
• He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。

7 superior   

n.上级，高手，上标；adj.上层的，上好的，出众的，高傲的

参考例句：

• This machine is superior in many respects to that.这台机器在很多方面比那台好。
• He acted in obedience to the orders of his superior.他是遵照他的上级指示行动的。

8 repeatedly   

adv.重复地，再三地

参考例句：

• The loudspeakers blared the speech repeatedly.扬声器里反复大声地播送那篇演讲。
• He repeatedly beat his foot upon the floor.他反复用脚敲着地板。

9 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

10 casual   

adj.漠不关心，冷漠的；随便的，非正式的；偶然的，碰巧的

参考例句：

• He earns a living by casual labour.他靠做临时工为生。
• The guests wore casual clothes.客人们穿着便服。