The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand—a system
of rapid handwriting, and now it’s threatening to finish off handwriting as a
whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class
of 2012, just 15% of the most1.5 million students wrote their answers in
cursive(草寫字母). The rest? Block letters.
And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of
a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the
primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more
students struggle to read and write cursive.
At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all
their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are
taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered
handwriting say it doesn’t affect their grades.
There are those who say the culture is at a crossing,
turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost
form of communication, does it matter?
It was at University Virginia that researchers
recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique
script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say,
because their authenticity(真實性) can be confirmed.
Students also find them more fascinating.
The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive(認知的) opportunity missed. Several academic studies have
found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express
their thoughts better—a lifelong benefit.
It doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting
skills. At some schools in Prince George’s County, elementary school students
use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn
the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive
letters in third grade.
There are always going to be some kids who struggle
with handwriting because of their particular neurological(神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的) writing, learning issues or poor motor skills.
Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.
1.What is the author concerned about after 2012 Sat
exams?
A. Keyboarding. B.
Shorthand. C.
Handwriting. D. Block letters.
2.A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to
____________.
A. prove how valuable handwriting is
B. explain what a famous poet he is
C. show how unique his poem
is
D. stress how fascinating the documents are
3.The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to
argue that _____________.
A. the schools are responsible for the loss of
handwriting
B. the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity
missed
C. it doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting
skills
D. the culture is turning from the written word to the
typed one
4.According to the author, when is a perfect time to
learn handwriting?
A.
Kindergarten.
B. Primary school.
C. High
school.
D. College.
5.What is the author’s attitude towards this
debate?
A. Devotion. B.
Encouragement. C.
Critical. D. Objective.