Computer Literacy

There is no denyingthat students should learn something about how computers work,just as we expectthem at least to understand that the internal-combustion engine（内燃

机）hassomething to do with burning fuel, expanding gases and pistons（活塞）being driven. For people should have some basic idea of how thethings that they use do

what theydo.Further,students might be helped by a course that considers the computer'simpact on society. But that is not what is meant by computer literacy. Forcomputer

literacy is not aform of literacy（读写能力）。Itis a trade skill that should not be taught as a liberal art.

Learning how to usea computer and learning how to program one are two distinct activities. A casemight be made that the competent citizens of tomorrow should free

themselves fromtheir fear of computers.But this is quite different from saying that all oughtto know how to program one. Leave that to people who have chosen

programming as acareer. While programming can be lots of fun,and while our society needs somepeople who are experts at it,the same is true of auto repair and violin-

making.

Learning how to usea computer is not that difficult,and it gets easier all the time as programsbecome more"user-friendly".Let us assume that in the future everyoneis going

to have to know howto use a computer to be a competent citizen.What does the phrase"learningto use a computer" mean? It sounds like"learning to drive acar",that is,it

sounds as if thereis some set of definite skills that,once acquired,enable one to use a computer.

Infact,"learning to use a computer" is much more like"learning toplay a game",but learning the rules of one game may not help you play asecond game,whose rules may not

be the same. Thereis no such a thing as teaching someone how to use a computer. One can onlyteach people to use this or that program.Learning to use acomputer is getting easier all the time because_______.

A.programs arebecoming less complicated

B.programs aredesigned to be convenient to users

C.programming isbecoming easier and easier

D.programs arebecoming readily available to computer users