Classroom on wheels

四川 王 磊

主題語境：人與社會 篇幅：399詞 建議用時：8分鐘

1Handing power tools over to young students could result in some disastrous situations.But if those tools are combined with effective supervision and teaching,the students can learn valuable new skills and might even find a new career path.

2One such program,in Washington,D.C.,aims to teach woodworking and finished carpentry skills to teens and young adults.It includes a woodshop,completely housed inside a truck,which acts as a kind of“classroom on wheels”.

3The Mobile Woodshop program was started by the non-profit Zenith Community Arts Foundation.Its director Goldberg is an artist and wood sculptor.She had long dreamed of creating a mobile woodshop to assist students and that dream finally came true.What made her happy was that the city gave her a large grant for the program.

4The subjects and skills taught in the program are similar to those offered by a local carpenters'union that also supports the program.Students can learn the same skills as a beginning carpenter would.These include cutting,marking,measuring,nailing and how to use different tools.

5The class textbook provides step-by-step instructions on how to make things from simple wooden birdhouses,to more complex wooden containers and objects.The truck is equipped with all the instructional materials and tools necessary to operate as a complete mobile classroom.Mobile workstations are also available so students can work on projects outside the truck.

6If students pass the class,they can seek to enter the union apprenticeship program.Instead of a usual four-year apprenticeship,graduates of the mobile woodshop can finish in less time.

7Much of the class centers on teaching students soft skills.These are skills that are desirable in all jobs,such as teamwork,having a strong work ethic,being able to follow instructions and arriving to work on time.Students also learn basic skills like math and how to read a ruler.

8Building-related jobs are currently in high demand across the United States.One study found that 2.2 million jobs would be needed by 2024 to keep up with building demand and more than 89,000 openings for carpenters will be probably created each year in the US over the next 10 years.

9Goldberg believes woodshop programs can help prepare the next generation of woodworkers.She said other schools in Washington,D.C.have expressed interest in the mobile woodshop and the program might be expanded in the coming years.

Reading Check

Detail 1.What had Goldberg hoped to do for a long time?

A.Provide a new career for her community.

B.Set up a mobile woodshop for students.

C.Raise enough funds to create a program.

D.Assist students to improve practical skills.

Detail 2.When can students start the union apprenticeship program?

A.After passing the class.

B.After leaving for four years.

C.After mastering some skills.

D.After graduating from a woodshop.

Detail 3.What do the students mainly learn in the Mobile Woodshop program?

A.Maths.

B.Practical skills.

C.Soft skills.

D.How to read a ruler.

Inference 4.What's Goldberg's attitude towards her woodshop program?

A.Hopeful. B.Uncaring.

C.Negative. D.Disapproving.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

The subjects and skills taught in the program are similar to those offered by a local carpenters'union that also supports the program.該項目所教授的課程和技能與支持該項目的一個當地的木匠聯盟提供的課程相似。

【點石成金】本句中，taught in the program作后置定語，修飾The subjects and skills；offered by a local carpenters'union that also supports the program 作后置定語，修飾代詞those；此外，that also supports the program 為修飾union 的定語從句，that 在定語從句中作主語。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

hand sth over to sb 把某物交給某人

be combined with 與……結合

act as 充當

dream of 夢想

come true 實現

center on 以……為中心

in high demand 高需求

keep up with 跟上