我们会有两次课后练习，每次练习三个小时，至于三小时的练习时间是可以选择的。所有可以练习的期间都已经排定好，详见“作业”那一页。每一次练习，同学必须在规定的期间内跟助教利用邮件在约好时间接收练习作业，然后在三小时内完成练习后将邮件回寄给助教。第二次的练习将不涵盖第一次的内容。
There are two take-home exercises. Students have three hours for an exercise, and some choice as to the particular three-hour period. The exercises have been scheduled to be available during the periods shown below. For each exercise, each student will make arrangements with the TA to receive the exam by e-mail at a mutually determined time during the availability period, and will e-mail back the completed exam within three hours of receiving it. The first exercise will cover material from lectures 1-12. The second will cover only material not covered by the first: lectures 13-21.

在练习期间，同学不能向其它人请教课程内容。
During the period the exercises are available, students may not consult any other person about the content of the course.

练习内容着重在指定阅读资料，而问题和格式将与往年类似（虽然与往年练习篇幅不同）。以前的练习题目及参考答案将会提供给学生。
The exercises heavily emphasize the required readings. The questions and format will be similar to previous years (although the exercises from some past years were of different lengths.) Past exercises and a sample answer will be made available to students.

同学不见得要用整整三个小时来作答，我采用这样的方式是因为速度快不见得就高分，这点或许对英语为第二外语的学生很重要。
It is not expected that students will need the full three hours to complete the exercise. I use this format so that a student does not have to write fast to do well. This may be of special importance to students for whom English is a second language. If you take more than one of my courses, an additional research paper will be required in the second course, on a topic to be determined in discussions with the instructor.