Thereisnodenyingthatstudentsshouldlearnsomethingabouthowcomputerswork,justasweexpectthematleasttounderstandthattheinternal-combustionengine(内燃机)hassomethingtodowithburningfuel,expandinggasesandpistons(活塞)beingdriven.Forpeopleshouldhavesomebasicideaofhowthethingsthattheyusedowhattheydo.Further,studentsmightbehelpedbyacoursethatconsidersthecomputer’simpactonsociety.Butthatisnotwhatismeantbycomputerliteracy.Forcomputerliteracyisnotaformofliteracy(读写能力);itisatradeskillthatshouldnotbetaughtasaliberalart.
Learninghowtouseacomputerandlearninghowtoprogramonearetwodistinctactivities.Acasemightbemadethatthecompetentcitizensoftomorrowshouldfreethemselvesfromtheirfearofcomputers.Butthisisquitedifferentfromsayingthatalloughttoknowhowtoprogramone.Leavethattopeoplewhohavechosenprogrammingasacareer.Whileprogrammingcanbelotsoffun,andwhileoursocietyneedssomepeoplewhoareexpertsatit,thesameistrueofautorepairandviolin-making.
Learninghowtouseacomputerisnotthatdifficult,anditgetseasierallthetimeasprogramsbecomemore“user-friendly”.Letusassumethatinthefutureeveryoneisgoingtohavetoknowhowtouseacomputertobeacompetentcitizen.Whatdoesthephraselearningtouseacomputermean?Itsoundslike“learningtodriveacar",thatis,itsoundsasifthereissomesetofdefiniteskillsthat,onceacquired,enableonetouseacomputer.
Infact,"learningtouseacomputer"ismuchmorelike“learningtoplayagame”,butlearningtherulesofonegamemaynothelpyouplayasecondgame,whoserulesmaynotbethesame.Thereisnosuchathingasteachingsomeonehowtouseacomputer.Onecanonlyteachpeopletousethisorthatprogramandgenerallythatiseasilyaccomplished.
Choosecorrectanswerstothequestion:
1.Tobethecompetentcitizensoftomorrow,peopleshould_______.
A.trytolayasolidfoundationincomputerscience
B.beawareofhowthethingsthattheyusedowhattheydo
C.learntouseacomputerbyacquiringacertainsetofskills
D.understandthatprogrammingacomputerismoreessentialthanrepairingacar
2.Inthesecondparagraph“autorepair”and“violin-making”arementionedtoshowthat_______.
A.programmingacomputerisasinterestingasmakingaviolin
B.oursocietyneedsexpertsindifferentfields
C.violinmakingrequiresasmuchskillascomputerprogramming
D.peoplewhocanuseacomputerdon'tnecessarilyhavetoknowcomputerprogramming
3.Learningtouseacomputerisgettingeasierallthetimebecause_______.
A.programsarebecominglesscomplicated
B.programsaredesignedtobeconvenienttousers
C.programmingisbecomingeasierandeasier
D.programsarebecomingreadilyavailabletocomputerusers
4.Accordingtotheauthor,thephrase“learningtouseacomputer”(Lines3,4,Para.3)meanslearning_______.
A.asetofrulesB.thefundamentalsofcomputerscience
C.specificprogramsD.generalprinciplesofprogramming
5.Theauthor'spurposeinwritingthispassageis_______.
A.tostresstheimpactofthecomputeronsociety
B.toexplaintheconceptofcomputerliteracy
C.toillustratetherequirementsforbeingcompetentcitizensoftomorrow
D.toemphasizethatcomputerprogrammingisaninterestingandchallengingjob