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1、通过阅读学词汇CET6（ahbing上传）-59-UnitoneElementarySchoolsinearlyAmericaWhataccountsforthegreatoutburstofmajorinventionsinearlyAmerica--breakthroughssuchasthetelegraph,thesteamboatandtheweavingmachine?Amongthemanyshapingfactors,Iwouldsingleoutthecountry'sexcellentelementaryschools;alaborforcethatwelcomed
2、thenewtechnology;thepracticeofgivingpremiumstoinventors;andabovealltheAmericangeniusfornonverbal,"spatial"thinkingaboutthingstechnological.Whymentiontheelementaryschools?Becausethankstotheseschoolsourearlymechanics,especiallyintheNewEnglandandMiddleAtlanticstates,weregenerallyliterateandathomein
3、arithmeticandinsomeaspectsofgeometryandtrigonometry.Acuteforeignobserversrelatedamericanadaptivenessandinventivenesstothiseducationaladvantage.AsamemberofaBritishcommissionvisitingherein1853reported,"Withamindpreparedbythoroughschooldiscipline,theAmericanboydevelopsrapidlyintotheskilledworkman."
4、Afurtherstimulustoinventioncamefromthe"premium"system,whichprecededourpatentsystemandforyearsranparallelwithit.Thisapproach,originatedabroad,offeredinventorsmedals,cashprizesandotherincentives.IntheUnitedStates,multitudesofpremiumsfornewdeviceswereawardedatcountryfairsandattheindustrialfairsinma
5、jorcities.Americansflockedtothesefairstoadmirethenewmachinesandthustorenewtheirfaithinthebeneficenceoftechnologicaladvance.Giventhisoptimisticapproachtotechnologicalinnovation,theAmericanworkertookreadilytothatspecialkindofnonverbalthinkingrequiredinmechanicaltechnology.AsEugeneFergusonhaspointe
6、dout,"Atechnologistthinksaboutobjectsthatcannotbereducedtounambiguousverbaldescriptions;theyaredealtwithinhismindbyavisual,nonverbalprocess.Thedesignerandtheinventorareabletoassembleandmanipulateintheirmindsdevicesthatasyetdonotexist."Thisnonverbal"spatial"thinkingcanbejustascreativeaspaintingan
7、dwriting.robertfultononcewrote,"Themechanicshouldsitdownamonglevers,screws,wedges,wheels,etc.,likeapoetamongthelettersofthealphabet,consideringthemasanexhibitionofhisthoughts,inwhichanewarrangementtransmitsanewidea."Whenallt
