视角

为进一步增加《英语沙龙·阅读版》的可读性和与广大读者的互动，本刊从今年起增设一纯英语栏目“专家在线”，并特邀加拿大人Brad Franklin主持本栏目。Brad是一位年近70的加拿大老先生，曾经长期担任电台播音员，后长期在政府部门从事公共关系方面的工作，还曾在中国当过外教，游览过中国的很多地方。“专家在线”栏目设有两个专栏：视角、与Brad对话。前者是Brad和他的夫人Wendy写的一些有关生活感悟、旅游见闻、时事见解等方面的随笔文章；后者由Brad与市刊读者以电子邮件对话的形式进行交流．就大家来信提出的学习和日常生活中遇到的种种问题（成长的烦恼）谈谈看法，同时也以长者的身份提出一些建议。广大读者如有什么问题或想法要与Brad对话，可以通过contriprim@gmail．com和askbrad@shaw．ca这两个信箱与Brad用英语交流，本刊将酌情选登一些读者的来信及Brad的答复。     

Engineering education at a new public university in Brazil: first students’ contact with engineering methods

This paper describes the experience of an introductory discipline to the engineering curricula at the Brazilian Federal University of ABC (UFABC). The university offers a common basic curriculum that must be accomplished by every student and can be followed by professionalising courses. The discipline ‘Introduction to Engineering’ presents the basis of the engineering career, methods and thinking together with professional commitments and regulations. The objective is to help students to consciously choose their careers, minimising the precocity problem in deciding a professional future. The discipline methodology includes activities proposed by the TryEngineering website and from Brazilian engineering councils. Lectures with invited professors introduce UFABC engineering specialities: Aerospace, Bioengineering, Energy, Environmental & Urban, Information, Instrumentation & Automation & Robotics, Management, Materials. This paper reports the proposed activities, results obtained by the students, a methodology critical analysis and the impacts on the following steps of students embracing an engineering career.     

Protecting Our Earth

毫不夸张地说,地球上的每个人都为我们共同居住的环境造成了某种程度的压力。看看人类为这个地球做了什么:砍伐森林、捕食动物、丢弃对环境有害的废弃物……。事实虽然很讽刺,但我们不得不承认:正是人类,这个创造了世界文明并推进社会发展的群体,才是最需要对我们赖以生存的星球负责的人。现在开始醒悟还来得及,你还在等什么?