Unit 6

Text A

Listening

First listening
Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

insult
侮辱

bite
咬

prefer
寧愿

constructive
建設性的

rival
對手

professional
專業人員

ignore
忽視, 不理

compete
競爭

Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

1. The main purpose of this listening passage is to_________.
A) argue against higher salaries for athletes
B) offer solutions to current economic problems
C) complain about the lack of respect for intellectuals
D) describe changes in the English language
2. What is the meaning of the words "nerd" and "geek"?
A) They are insulting terms which are applied to smart students.
B) They are used in the U.S. to describe students from other countries.
C) A nerd is a good student and a geek is a poor student.
D) A nerd is a poor student and a geek is a good student.
3. The passage says that in nations other than the U.S.,_________.
A) hardworking students are praised
B) professors are paid better salaries
C) more respect is given to intellectuals
D) all of the above
4. The passage suggests that the words "nerd" and "geek" should_________.
A) be made illegal
B) become words of praise, rather than insults
C) be used to describe athletes instead of students
D) all of the above

Pre-reading Questions

1. Have you heard the terms, "nerd" and "geek", before? If so, explain what they refer to. If not, read the first two paragraphs and try to guess their meaning from the context. Discuss your ideas with your classmates.
2. In China, how are the most hardworking and intelligent students seen by the rest of society? Has this view changed over time? Explain.
3. Based on the introductory and concluding paragraphs, what is the author's opinion about the situation in America?

Nerds and Geeks

Leonid Fridman

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.
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 pursuit of knowledge is compared to such a freak.
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.
The same thing happens in U.S. elementary and high schools. Children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than idle away their time at parties with their classmates, become social outcasts. Because of their intelligence and refusal to conform to society's anti-intellectual values, many are deprived of a chance to learn adequate social skills and acquire good communication tools.
Enough is enough.
Nerds and geeks must stop being ashamed of what they are. Those who don't study hard must stop teasing those who do, the bright kids with thick glasses. The anti-intellectual values that have spread throughout American society must be fought.
There are very few countries in the world where anti-intellectualism runs as high in popular culture as it does in the U.S.. In most industrialized nations, not least of all our economic rivals in East Asia, a kid who studies hard is praised and held up as an example to other students.
In many parts of the world, university professorships are the most prestigious and materially rewarding positions. But not in America, where average professional ballplayers are much more respected and better paid than professors of the best universities.
How can a country where typical parents are ashamed of their daughter studying mathematics instead of going dancing, or of their son reading Weber while his friends play baseball be expected to compete in the technology race with Japan? How long can America remain a world-class power if we constantly put social skills and physical strength over academic achievement and intellectual ability?
Do we really expect to stay afloat largely by importing our scientists and intellectuals from abroad, as we have done for a major portion of this century without making an effort to also cultivate a pro-intellectual culture at home? Even if we have the political will to spend a lot more money on education than we do now, do we think we can improve our schools if we laugh at our hardworking pupils and fail to respect their impoverished teachers?
Our fault lies not so much with our economy or with our politics as within ourselves, our values and our image of a good life. America's culture has not adapted to the demands of our times, to the economic realities that demand a highly educated workforce and innovative intelligent leadership.
If we are to succeed as a society in the 21 st century, we had better do away with our anti-intellectualism and teach our children that a good life depends on exercising one's mind and pursuing knowledge to the full extent of one's abilities.
Not until the words "nerd" and "geek" become terms of praise rather than insults do we stand a chance.
(608 words)

New Words

nerd
n. [俚語] 討厭鬼；呆子

geek
n. [俚語] 1. 反常的人, 畸形人
2.“野人”（街頭演出隊的雜耍演員，其表演通常有咬下活雞頭或活蛇頭等怪招）

system
n. 1. a group of related parts working together 體系，系統
2. an ordered set of ideas, methods, or ways of working 制度，體制

term
n. a word or phrase used to express an idea, esp. a specialized concept（有特定意義的）詞，詞語；術語

date
n. （尤指男女間的）約會；（異性的）約會對象