撰写小论文必读

朽木易折，金石可镂。千里之行，始于足下。第页/共页撰写小论文必读TheAmericanstateofKansas,locatednearthecenterofNorthAmericaintheGreatPlainsregion,isnormallyaquiet,provincialplace.ButrecentlyanincidentatahighschoolinasmalltownthereturnedintoanationwidecontroversyreportedonbothCNNandthefrontpageoftheTheNewYorkTimes.Thesubjectofthecontroversywasplagiarism.Plagiarismmeansusingsomeoneelse'swordsorideaswithoutgivingcredittothatperson.Forexample,ifIwriteabookcontainingthephrase,”blusterywinterswithlittlesnow,whenthecountryisstrippedbareandgrayassheet-iron,”thatwouldbeplagiarism,asthephraseiscopiedfromtheAmericanauthorWillaCather.ButnowsupposeIwritethis:InhernovelMyAntonia,WillaCatherwritesof“blusterywinterswithlittlesnow,whenthecountryisstrippedbareandgreyassheet-iron.“Thatwouldnotbeplagiarism,becauseIhavegivenCatherpropercreditforherwords.InDecember2001,biologyteacherChristinePeltonofPiperHighSchoolinPiper,Kansas,discoveredthat28sophomoreshadcommittedplagiarisminwritingtheirreportsforabotanyproject.Thestudentsallreceivedgradesofzeroforthereports,whichisatypicalpunishmentforplagiarismintheAmericaneducationalsystem.Severalofthestudents'parents,however,believedthatthepunishmentwastooharsh.Theycomplainedtotheschoolboard,theelectedgroupsoflocalcitizensgoverningthePiperpublicschools.Theparentsclaimedthatthe15-year-oldstudentshadnotfullyunderstoodtherulesprohibitingplagiarismandhadnotintentionallyviolatedthem.Theschoolboard,respondingtotheparents'demands,orderedMrs.Peltontoraisetheplagiarists'grades.Mrs.Peltonresignedinprotest.Theschoolboardheldpublichearingsatwhichmanylocalresidentssharplycriticizedtheschoolboard'sdecisiontoforceMrs.Peltontoraisethestudents'grades.Thenewsmediadiscoveredthestory,anditsoonbecameanationwidecontroversy,withthetideofpublicopinionrunningoverwhelminglyinfavorofMrs.Pelton.AccordingtoanarticleinTheNewYorkTimes,inthedaysafterthestorybecamenewsshereceiveddozensofphonecallseverydayofferingnotonlysupportbutalsonewemployment.ThePiperHighSchoolcontroversyisoneofseveralrecentplagiarismscandalsintheUnitedStates.Inthelastseveralmonths,bothStephenAmbroseandDorisKearnsGoodwin,twoofAmerica'sbest-knownpopularhistorians,wereaccusedofplagiarizingfromotherauthorsintheirbooks.Theallegationswereextensivelyreportedinthenewsmediaandseriouslydamagedbothwriters'reputations.Goodwinadmittedcopyingbutclaimedthatitwasdoneaccidentally.Ambroseacknowledgedthattherewere“omissions”inhisuseofquotationmarksandsaidhewas“sorry”.Bothauthorspromisedtocorrectfutureeditionsoftheirbooks.Lastyear,whenIwasavisitingprofessoroflawatPekingUniversity,IwasamazedwhenIreadmystudents'papersanddiscoveredthatvirtuallyallhadcommittedplagiarism.Infact,somehadplagiarizedfromthetextbookweusedinclass,thusmakingitinevitablethattheywouldbecaught.HadthisbeenanAmericanuniversity,thestudentsprobablywouldhavebeengivenzerogradesfortheirpapersandpossiblyfacedadditionaldisciplinaryactionaswell.ButIdidnotreactsoharshly,forIhadlearnedthatplagiarismistreatedlessstrictlyinChinathanintheUS.Thestudentswereallowedtorewritetheirpaperssothattheygavefullcredittotheauthorstheyquotedfrom,andthenthepaperswerere-gradedasiftheplagiarismhadneveroccurred.WhyisplagiarismsuchaseriousoffenseintheUnitedStatesbutnotinChina?IthinkthereasonisthattheAmericaneducationalsystemprizesindividualityandcreativity,whiletheChineseeducationalsystememphasizesimitatingandtherebylearningfromthemasterpiecesofthepast.InAmericanschools,studentsspendverylittletimememorizingclassicpoemsorrecopyingfamouswritings.Inallmyyearsofschooling,IcanrecallonlyonetimewhenIwasaskedtomemorizeafamousliterarypassage(inmycaseitwasMarkAntony'sfuneralorationinShakespeare'splayJuliusCaesar).Insteadofmemorizingandcopyingwhatothershavewritten,Americanstudentsareurgedfromayoungagetowritetheirownthoughtsintheirownwords-oratleasttousefreshlanguageinexplainingotherpeople'sthoughts.Theyarealsoinvitedtocreateoriginalartwork,nottoimitatemodels.Discussion,experimentationandindependentthinkingareencouraged.Becausecreativityan