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Assignment 4 - Reading and Writing Practice

The document discusses a study on motivating science students. The study found that students performed better after learning about famous scientists' personal and professional struggles compared to just their achievements. It also discusses the relationship between beliefs about intelligence and motivation.

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14 views4 pages

Assignment 4 - Reading and Writing Practice

The document discusses a study on motivating science students. The study found that students performed better after learning about famous scientists' personal and professional struggles compared to just their achievements. It also discusses the relationship between beliefs about intelligence and motivation.

Uploaded by

noamvinter333
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Assignment 4 Adv 1 Fall 2023 - Reading / Writing Exam Practice

Part 1: Read the article and answer the questions that follow (70 pts.)
LEARNING THE HARD WAY

One of the most powerful learning tools we have is motivation. It is that inner
drive that pushes us to work hard in order to succeed. But how do we become
motivated, and what can teachers do to light that inner fire? Over the years,
numerous studies have been conducted to answer these questions. Recommended
tactics vary from praising students for their work, to rewarding them for good
behavior. But now a new study by Professor Lin-Siegler from Columbia
University suggests a different approach. She discovered that low-performi9ng
science students can be motivated when they learn about the personal and
professional struggles of great scientists.
2
Professor Lin-Siegler’s research focused on ninth- and tenth-grade students from
four New York City high schools in low-income areas of the Bronx and Harlem.
At the beginning of the experiment, she divided the students into three groups. The
first group read an excerpt from a textbook about the accomplishments of Einstein,
Curie and Faraday (an English scientist). The second group read about the
personal struggles of the same scientists, including Einstein’s flight from Nazi
Germany to avoid persecution. And the last group read about the scientists’
professional setbacks, such as their failed experiments.
3
After six weeks, the two groups that had read about the scientists’ personal and
professional hardships, improved their grades significantly. In contrast, the
students who had only learned about the scientists’ achievements, performed
worse than before the experiment, admitting that the information about the
scientists’ achievements caused them to lose confidence. “They were discouraged
because they believed that the scientists were innately gifted – unlike them,”
explains Martin Palling, who teaches at one of the New York City high schools
where the experiment took place.
4
Mr. Palling’s observation ties in with a ground-breaking study on motivation and
self-esteem, conducted by Professor Carol Dweck from Stanford University. Her
research shows that students who view cognitive ability as fixed or unchangeable
tend to give up when faced with a difficult task. In contrast, students who believe
that academic abilities can be improved over time are not likely to be discouraged
by setbacks. On the contrary, they are motivated to keep trying in the face of
adversity until they succeed. “People need to modify their prejudices about the
nature of human intelligence,” says neuroscientist Dr. Tom Clark from Madison,
Wisconsin. “There is no such thing as fixed intelligence,” he says. “Our brains are
constantly creating new connections to process the things we learn.”
5
And this is important to remember, especially when we make a mistake or don’t
know how to solve a problem. “There is always room for improvement,” says Dr.
Clark. As he sees it, intelligence is a malleable thing with endless potential for
growth. But for this to happen, it is essential to have a positive attitude. “You must
be willing to invest in yourself,” he says. “Then, the sky is the limit!”

QUESTIONS (70 points)


1. COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.
In paragraph 1, the writer mentions several strategies to… become motivated, and
how can teachers light that inner fire in students.
2. What are we told about Professor Lin-Siegler’s research in paragraph 2?
CIRCLE THE TWO CORRECT ANSWERS.
i) How many students participated.
ii) What the students’ socio-economic status was.
iii) How long it lasted.
iv) How it was conducted.
v) What the findings were.
vi) Why it was a failure.
(2 x 7 = 14 points)

3. COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.


Einstein’s flight from Nazi Germany (paragraph 2) is mentioned as an example of
What students in the second group read in the study, its an example of scientist
struggle. (7 points)
4. COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.
From paragraph 3, we can understand that it is a good idea to… Teach children about
hardships and failures and not only about successes. (7 points)
5. What is being contrasted in paragraph 4?
i) Accomplishments of various scientists.
ii) Attitudes towards neuroscience.
iii) Student performance in different schools.
iv) Beliefs about intelligence.
(5 points)

6. What is the relationship between the fourth and the fifth paragraphs?
i) The fourth presents a study and the fifth explains how it was conducted.
ii) The fourth presents a situation and the fifth gives its causes.
iii) The fourth presents a study and the fifth draws conclusions about it.
iv) The fourth presents a theory and the fifth contradicts it.
(5 points)

7. In the last paragraph, Dr. Clark mentions the fact that “intelligence is a malleable
thing”. Give an example from another paragraph to show this.
ANSWER: " Our brains are constantly creating new connections to process the
things we learn.”

part 2

(8 points)

8. What do the following words refer to? (8 points)


(i) "it", paragraph 1 line 1: motivation.
(ii) "she" paragraph 1 line 7: Professor Lin-Siegler from Columbia University.
(iii) "they", paragraph 4 line 6: students who believe that academic abilities can be improved
over time.
(iv) "this" paragraph 5 line 5: intelligence is something that can be shaped with infinite
potential for growth

9. What can be an antonym to the word powerful in paragraph 1 line 1? (2 points)


(i) weak
(ii) strong
(iii) forceful
(iv) available

10. What can be a synonym to the word struggle in paragraph 2 line 6? (2 points)
(i) assistance
(ii) problems
(iii) experiments
(iv) breakthroughs
11. What can be an antonym to the word discouraged in paragraph 4 line 5? (2
points)
(i) worried
(ii) scared
(iii) dishonest
(iv) encouraged

12. What can be a synonym to the word malleable in paragraph 5 line 3? (2 points)
(i) dangerous
(ii) flexible
(iii) fixed
(iv) clever

Part II: Writing Task (30 points)

Write between 90-110 words about one of the following topics. You must use your own
words. Write according to the structure we learned.

Choose ONE of the following Topics:

1. Do you think it is important for all students to be strong in science? Support your
opinion.

2. Do you think an award for outstanding students is a good way to motivate the class?
Support your opinion.
Writing task
In my opinion, prize for outstanding students is not a good way to motivate the class,
First, many students will feel that they are less good than other students who won an award
and will experience a sense of failure compared to others which can bring them down and
create a sense of failure, Exactly the opposite of the real intention.
Second, outstanding students can only want to be outstanding for the prize and not for the
success.
I will be able to support the claim if there are several options to win the prize such as social
or behavioral, which will give room for my students who also have a challenging time in their
studies to win and not only for those who succeed.
In conclusion, student excellence is important, but it's more important that they do it out of
motivation and not out of a desire for an award.

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