One Purpose of School
Have you ever asked youself why students go to school? You will probably say that they go to school to learn their own language and other languages, mathematics, history, science and all the other subjects. That is quite true. But why do they learn these?
Youngsters go to school to prepare themselves for the time when they will grow up and will have to work. Nearly everything they study at school has some practical use in their life. But is that the only reason why they go to school?
Of course not. There is more in education than just learning facts. Students go to school partly to learn how to learn so that after they graduate, they can continue to learn. One of the purposes of school is to teach students the way to learn.
In addition, they go to school not only to be educated, but also to learn how to get along with others. A school is a small society. One's classmates are all different in character, and they all have different backgrounds. This experience helps the students to get along better with different kinds of people in later life.
[点评]
提起上学，人人都知道孩子们是去学各种知识为将来做准备的。作者正是从大多数人的观点谈起，但他的观点主要表达在第二段和第四段，即学校教育的目的之一是教学生学习的方法以及如何与人相处。这似乎比学习知识本身更重要，它会影响一个人一生的成功与否。本文论述循序渐进，很有说服力。
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上学的目的之一
你是否曾问过自己学生为什么要上学?你可能会说他们上学校学习自己国家的语言和其他国家的语言、数学、历史、科学以及其他各种课程。确实如此，但他们为什么要学这些呢?
少年儿童去上学是为了他们将来长大以后工作做准备。他们在学校所学的东西几乎在生活中都有实际用途。但这是他们去上学的惟一理由吗?
当然不是。教育不仅仅是学习具体事情。学生上学校还要学会如何来学习，这样他们毕业以后就可以继续学习。学校教育的目的之一就是教学生学习的方法。
另外，他们去上学不仅是受教育，而且要学会如何与人相处。学校就是一个小社会。各人的同学在性格上都有所不同，而且他们都有着不同的家庭情况。这样的经验有助于他们在日后的生活中与各种各样的人更好地相处。
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