On any given weekend, the Washington, D.C., public library system offers nearly a dozen classes. You can try Matt McEntee’ s class, where he’ll teach you how to fix anything from a clock to a broken heart in person.
I decided to check out a small class early one morning. It’s called Homebuying 101. Today, there are about 10 adults — ranging in age from their mid-20s to early 50s- finding their seats.
In the second row, Whenna Andrews, 28, already has her notebook out.
I ask Andrews why she came to a class at the library, instead of learning how to buy a home online. “This is going to be my first time buying a home and I have a lot of questions,” Andrews answers. “I feel like if T m reading by myself online I can get lost in the information.”
Andrews’ decision to learn in a physical classroom is still the preferred choice for adults, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
Pew looked at nearly 3,000 people, ages 18 and older. Pew wanted to know how, and where, adults learn, after they leave their formal schooling.
“Learning is still very much a place-based thing,” says Pew researcher John Horrigan. “The Internet plays a role, but it,s secondary in most respects.”
For the 74 percent of adults who considered themselves to be personal learners, only a third turned to the Internet for most or all of their learning.
The study also found differences when it comes to education and income level. For those with a bachelor1 s degree (学士学位),technology is helping. But for those with just a high school diploma (毕业文凭),it’s not playing as big a role. The study even found that many weren’ t aware of online resources like lots of open online courses or learning tools like Khan Academy.
Whenna Andrews knows about those things — she even found the homebuyers class on Facebook. But she prefers learning in person.
“I feel like the library seems more credible (可信的),if that makes sense,” she says.
25. What can we infer about Matt McEntee’s class?
A. It’s aimed at older people.
B. It provides online classes.
C. It’s open every morning.
D. It’s a face-to-face class.
26.____________ For Andrews, the online information about homebuying seems .
A. valuable B. incorrect
C. confusing D. out-of-date
27. What does Andrews think of the classes the library offers?
A. She looks forward to them.
B. She shows interest in them.
C. She thinks they should be improved.
D. She thinks there is no market for them.
28.The text mainly discusses .
A. the development of online courses
B. the important role technology plays
C. the leading way of lifelong learning
D. the roles of the public library system