Improve Computer-research SkillsLike many college students, Jose Juarez carries around a p

Improve Computer-research Skills

Like many college students, Jose Juarez carries around a pocket-sized computer that lets him watch movies, surf the Internet and text—message his friends.

He's part of "Generation M" — those born after 1985 who【51】up connected to everything from video game to cellphones.

"For us, it's everyday life," said Juarez, 18, a freshman【52】California State University at Sacramento (CSUS).

【53】, educators are now saying that not all Generation M-ers can synthesize the piles of in- formation they're accessing.

"They're geeky, but they don't know what to【54】with their geekdom(滑稽)," said Barbara O'Connor, a Sacramento State communications studies professor who has been involved in a nationwide【55】to improve students' computer-research skills.

In a recent nationwide test to【56】their technological "literacy" — their ability to use the Internet to complete class assignments — only 49 percent correctly evaluated a set of Web sites for objectivity , authority and timeliness (合时) . Only 35 per cent could correctly narrow an overly【57】Internet search.

About 130 Sacramento State students, including Juarez, participated in the experimental test,【58】to 6,300 college students across the country.

The hour-long assessment test is conducted by Educational Testing Service. It is a web-based scavenger hunt (拾荒游戏)【59】simulated Internet search engines and academic databases that spit out purposely misleading information.

"They're very good a【60】in and using the Internet, but don't always understand what they get back," said Linda Golf, head of instructional services for the CSUS library.

"You see an open search box, you type in a few words and you【61】the button," said Golf, who is involved in the testing.

"They take at face value【62】shows up at the top of the list as the best stuff." Educators say that these sloppy research skills are troubling.

"We look at that as a foundational skill, in the same way we【63】math and English as a foundational skill," said Lorie Roth, assistant vice-chancellor for academic programmes in the CSU system.

Measuring how well students can "sort the good【64】the bad" on the Internet has become a higher priority for CSU, Roth said.

CSU is considering【65】a mandatory assessment test on technological literacy for all freshmen, much as it has required English and math placement tests since the 1980s.

Students in freshman seminars at Sacramento State were asked to take the test early in the semester and were expected to finish another round this week to measure their improvement.

(51)

A．brought

B．built

C．stood

D．grew