When you consider what subject to study in college, chances are that you and you
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When you consider what subject to study in college, chances are that you and your parents will think about what you can make out of it after graduation. You will likely ask the question: “Can I find a well-paid job or simply a job with a degree in this in the future?”
This consideration also influences students when they come to choose between studying science or humanities (人文学科) at college. People generally believe that the humanities, which include literature , history, cultural studies and philosophy, do not prepare students for a specific vocation (职业). Science subjects, however, are considered vocational courses that produce scientists, engineers and economists (经济学家).
“I"ve decided to take finance as my college major. My parents and I think this subject will help me get a good job or start a business,” said Huachen Yueru, 17, a science student at Wuxi No. 1 High School.
Even those who choose a liberal arts (文科) education often pick the humanities subject which they think will best help them later find a job.
“I"m going to study Spanish in college, which I believe will open doors to a high-paying job for me,” said Liu Chao, 18, a Senior 2 student at Dalian No 20 High School. He said few of his classmates show interest in subjects like philosophy and history, which are seen as “less promising” in job markets.
The popularity of liberal arts subjects among college students has also been decreasing in the United States. American scholars (学者) and universities are concerned that in the ongoing economic crisis (经济危机) liberal arts subjects will be hit hardest. As money tightens (紧缩), they worry that the humanities may become “a great luxury (奢侈品) that many cannot afford”, according to the New York Times.
小题1: When you consider what to study in college, what does you and your parents usually think about ? | A．whether you are interested in the subject. | | B．if you can lead a happy life. | | C．what you can make out of it after graduation. | | D．How much you can learn in the college. |
小题2:Why do students show little interest in the subjects, like philosophy or history ? | A．Because they are not interested in them. | | B．Because they think these subjects are useless. | | C．Because they see these subjects as less-promising in job market. | | D．Because they like the science subjects. |
小题3: What can we infer from the passage ?| A．Humanities are becoming less and less popular with the students. | | B．Studying science subjects is sure to find a well-paid job. | | C．The humanities in college should be cancelled. | | D．The writer thinks those who choose the liberal arts education will choose their favorite subjects. |
小题4: What does the underlined word “it” refer to in the first paragraph ?| A．the subject you study in college | B．science | C．humanities | D．liberal arts |
体裁：说明文 词数：326 难度系数：☆☆☆☆ 建议用时：8分钟
类别：细节理解+推理判断题+词义猜测题 本文标题 ：…Arts in crisis… |
答案
小题1:C
小题2:C
小题3:A
小题4:A |
解析
文章主要向人们介绍了在大学里面的人文科学的科目正在受到人们的冷落，并解释了该种现象产生的原因。
小题1:细节理解题。
【参考答案】C。
【解题思路】文中第一段提到you and your parents will think about what you can make out of it after graduation，可知你和父母首先考虑的是毕业后的问题。
小题2:事实细节题。
【参考答案】C。
【解题思路】文中第五段中提到which are seen as "less promising" in job markets，可知人们把哲学和历史这样的人文学科看成是没有工作市场的学科，故C 项正确。.
小题3:推理判断题。
【参考答案】A。
【解题思路】文中提到在大学里人文科学已经越来越不受学生和家长的欢迎，为了毕业后的就业，人们更多的是选择具有很好的就业形势的理科类。因此A项符合题意，其余选项说法不恰当。.
小题4:词义猜测题。
【参考答案】A。
【解题思路】 文中第一段提到的是家长和学生在选择专业时考虑的是毕业后的形式，因此可推知此处的it 代指前面的the subject to study in college，故A 项正确。 |
举一反三
Disposing(处理)of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it.As more and more people choose to live close together in cities,the waste-disposal problem becomes Increasingly difficult.
During the eighteenth century,it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site.Residents or trash haulers(垃圾拖运者)would transport household rubbish,rotted wood,and old possessions to the site.Periodically(定期的)some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried.The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by.
Factories,mills,and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of.Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water.Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.
Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society.The first problem is space Dumps,which are now called landfills,are most needed in heavily populated areas.Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose.Property is either too expensive or too close to residential(住宅区的) neighborhoods.Long-distance trash hauling has been a common practice but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere,cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is almost nonexistent.
Awareness(意识) of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers,ground water,land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste,however,continues to grow.
Recycling efforts have become commonplace,and many towns require their people to take part.Even he most efficient recycling programs,however,can hope to deal with only about 50 Percent of a city’s reusable waste.
小题1:The most suitable title for this passage would be _______.| A．Places for Disposing Waste | B．Waste Pollution Dangers | | C．Ways of Getting Rid of Waste | D．Waste Disposal Problem |
小题2:During the 18th century,people disposed their waste in many ways EXCEPT for _______.| A．burying it | B．recycling it | | C．burning it | D．throwing it into rivers |
小题3:What can be inferred from the fourth paragraph?| A．Farm areas accept waste from the city in modern society. | | B．There is cheap land to bury waste in modern society. | | C．It is difficult to find space to bury waste in modern society. | | D．Ways to deal with waste in modern society stay the same. |
小题4:The main purpose of writing this article is to _______.| A．draw people’s attention to waste management | | B．warn people of the pollution dangers we are facing | | C．call on people to take part in recycling programs | | D．tell people a better way to get rid of the waste |
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EDGEWOOD—Every morning at Dixie Heights High school, customers pour into a special experiment :the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.
Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.
By closing time at 9.20 a.m. , the shop usually sells 90drinks.
“whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schwartzman says it was good, ”Christy McKinley , a second year student , announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.
The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.
They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.
Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.
Not that it was easy. Chevalier’s first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?
Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition（营养）guidelines.
The whole school has joined in to help.
Teachers agreed to give up their lounge(休息室)in the morning. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.
小题1:.What is the text mainly about？| A．A best-selling coffee. | | B．A special educational program. | | C．Government support for schools. | | D．A new type of teacher-student relationship. |
小题2:The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to .| A．raise money for school affairs | | B．do some research on nutrition | | C．develop students’ practical skills | | D．supply teachers with drinks |
小题3:How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schwartzman’s opinion of the chi tea？| A．She met her in the shop. | | B．She heard her telling others. | | C．She talked to her on the phone. | | D．She went to her office to deliver the tea. |
小题4:We know from the text that Ginger Gray .| A．manages the Dixie PIT program in Kenton County | | B．sees that the drinks meet health standards | | C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School | | D．owns the school’s coffee shop |
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Educators are seriously concerned about the high rate of dropouts among the doctor of philosophy candidates and the consequent loss of talent to a nation in need of Ph. D. s. Some have placed the dropouts loss as high as 50 percent. The extent of the loss was, however, largely a matter of expert guessing. Last week a well-rounded study was published. It was published. It was based on 22,000 questionnaires sent to former graduate students who were enrolled in 24 universities and it seemed to show many past fears to be groundless.
The dropouts rate was found to be 31 per cent, and in most cases the dropouts, while not completing the Ph. D. requirement, went on to productive work. They are not only doing well financially, but, according to the report, are not far below the income levels of those who went on to complete their doctorates.
Discussing the study last week, Dr. Tucker said the project was initiated ‘because of the concern frequently expressed by graduate faculties and administrators that some of the individuals who dropped out of Ph. D. programs were capable of competing the requirement for the degree. Attrition at the Ph. D. level is also thought to be a waste of precious faculty time and a drain on university resources already being used to capacity. Some people expressed the opinion that the shortage of highly trained specialists and college teachers could be reduced by persuading the dropouts to return to graduate schools to complete the Ph. D.’
“The results of our research” Dr. Tucker concluded, “did not support these opinions.”
Lack of motivation was the principal reason for dropping out.
Most dropouts went as far in their doctoral program as was consistent with their levels of ability or their specialities.
Most dropouts are now engaged in work consistent with their education and motivation.
Nearly 75 per cent of the dropouts said there was no academic reason for their decision, but those who mentioned academic reason cited failure to pass the qualifying examination, uncompleted research and failure to pass language exams. Among the single most important personal reasons identified by dropouts for non-completion of their Ph. D. program, lack of finances was marked by 19 per cent.
As an indication of how well the dropouts were doing, a chart showed 2% in humanities were receiving $ 20,000 and more annually while none of the Ph. D. ‘s with that background reached this figure. The Ph. D. ‘s shone in the $ 7,500 to $ 15,000 bracket with 78% at that level against 50% for the dropouts. This may also be an indication of the fact that top salaries in the academic fields, where Ph. D. ‘s tend to rise to the highest salaries, are still lagging behind other fields.
As to the possibility of getting dropouts back on campus, the outlook was glum. The main condition which would have to prevail for at least 25 % of the dropouts who might consider returning to graduate school would be to guarantee that they would retain their present level of income and in some cases their present job.
小题1:The author states that many educators feel that
[A] steps should be taken to get the dropouts back to campus.
the fropouts should return to a lower quality school to continue their study.
[C] the Ph. D. holder is generally a better adjusted person than the dropout.
[D] The high dropouts rate is largely attributable to the lack of stimulation on the part of faculty members.
小题2:Research has shown that
[A] Dropouts are substantially below Ph. D. ‘s in financial attainment.
the incentive factor is a minor one in regard to pursuing Ph. D. studies.
[C] The Ph. D. candidate is likely to change his field of specialization if he drops out.
[D] about one-third of those who start Ph. D. work do not complete the work to earn the degree.
小题3:Meeting foreign language requirements for the Ph. D.
[A] is the most frequent reason for dropping out.
is more difficult for the science candidate than for the humanities candidate.
[C] is an essential part of many Ph. D. programs.
[D] does not vary in difficulty among universities.
小题4:After reading the article, one would refrain from concluding that
[A] optimism reigns in regard to getting Ph. D. dropouts to return to their pursuit of the degree.
a Ph. D. dropout, by and large, does not have what it takes to learn the degree.
[C] colleges and universities employ a substantial number of Ph. D. dropouts.
[D] Ph. D. ‘s are not earning what they deserve in nonacademic positions.
小题5:It can be inferred that the high rate of dropouts lies in
[A] salary for Ph. D. too low.
academic requirement too high.
[C] salary for dropouts too high.
[D] 1000 positions.
Vocabulary
dropout 辍学者，中途退学
well-rounded 全面的
attrition 缩/减员，磨损
drain 枯竭
bracket 一类人，（尤指按收入分类的）阶层
lagging behind other fields 落后于其它领域
glum 阴郁的 |
How would you like to teach yourself, rather than have teachers? According to the UK’s Department of Education and Skills, students will teach themselves in the schools of the future. This means that there will be no more problems such as finding enough teachers.
Estelle Morris, the UK Education Secretary, opened the 2002 Education Technology Conference in London recently. To start the conference, she presented a video showing a computer—generated model of the school of tomorrow.
Greater use of computer technology and classroom assistants will help students develop their own way of learning, Morris said. She added that this is a more exciting as well as a more interesting way of learning.
At the same time, teachers will be “freed from their traditional role as the source of all knowledge”.
Children of all abilities will “form the curriculum(课程)around their individual needs.” They will “learn in their own time, at their own speed and in their own environment”.
At home or at school, they will follow their learning programmes by looking at online libraries and watching lessons by world-class teachers and subject experts.
Instead of going on field trips, students will use virtual reality. If they don’t understand something, they can ask other students—“take part in virtual communities with learners with similar needs”—or e-mail their teachers. They will hand in their work electronically to be “auto-marked”.
The classroom of the future is fast becoming a reality.
And the Department of Education will soon produce a guide to help schools adapt buildings for new technology, Morris said. These ideas are based on the UK government’s plan to create an education system that provides students with a strong grounding of knowledge and skills at primary school level. And provides the chance for students to develop their individual skills at secondary school level.
小题1:According to the UK’s Department of Education and Skills, the school of the future will ______.| A．cause more problems such as being able to find enough teachers | | B．set no homework and no tests for students | | C．make good use of the computer technology and classroom assistants | | D．enable students to learn by themselves without teachers |
小题2:Estelle Morris thinks that computer technology does good to teachers in ________.| A．helping students develop their own way of learning | | B．enabling students to experience interesting and exciting ways of learning | | C．providing students with knowledge of all sorts | | D．not being considered the source of various knowledge |
小题3: If the students do not understand something, they can _______.| A．go on a field trip | | B．go to ask their teachers to help them | | C．send e-mail to ask for a teacher’s help | | D．have a look at other learners’ homework |
小题4: If s a student is under the UK’s newly-developed education system,he will be ________.| A．provided with a basic knowledge from the beginning | | B．given more knowledge at primary school level | | C．helped to use computers better | | D．supplied chance to develop their basic skills |
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Mass transportation revised the social and economic fabric of the American city in three fundamental ways. It catalyzed physical expansion, it sorted out people and land uses, and it accelerated the inherent instability of urban life. By opening vast areas of unoccupied land for residential expansion, the omnibuses, horse railways, commuter trains, and electric trolleys pulled settled regions outward two to four times more distant form city centers than they were in the premodern era. In 1850, for example, the borders of Boston lay scarcely two miles from the old business district; by the turn of the century the radius extended ten miles. Now those who could afford it could live far removed from the old city center and still commute there for work, shopping, and entertainment. The new accessibility of land around the periphery of almost every major city sparked an explosion of real estate development and fueled what we now know as urban sprawl. Between 1890 and 1920, for example, some 250,000 new residential lots were recorded within the borders of Chicago, most of them located in outlying areas. Over the same period, another 550,000 were plotted outside the city limits but within the metropolitan area. Anxious to take advantage of the possibilities of commuting, real estate developers added 800,000 potential building sites to the Chicago region in just thirty years – lots that could have housed five to six million people.
Of course, many were never occupied; there was always a huge surplus of subdivided, but vacant, land around Chicago and other cities. These excesses underscore a feature of residential expansion related to the growth of mass transportation: urban sprawl was essentially unplanned. It was carried out by thousands of small investors who paid little heed to coordinated land use or to future land users. Those who purchased and prepared land for residential purposes, particularly land near or outside city borders where transit lines and middle-class inhabitants were anticipated, did so to create demand as much as to respond to it. Chicago is a prime example of this process. Real estate subdivision there proceeded much faster than population growth.
小题1:With which of the following subjects is the passage mainly concerned?
[A] Types of mass transportation.
[B] Instability of urban life.
[C] How supply and demand determine land use.
[D] The effect of mass transportation on urban expansion.
小题2:Why does the author mention both Boston and Chicago?
[A] To demonstrate positive and negative effects of growth.
[B] To exemplify cities with and without mass transportation.
[C] To show mass transportation changed many cities.
[D] To contrast their rate of growth.
小题3:According to the passage, what was one disadvantage of residential expansion?
[A] It was expensive.
[B] It happened too slowly.
[C] It was unplanned.
[D] It created a demand for public transportation.
小题4:The author mentions Chicago in the second paragraph as an example of a city,
[A] that is large.
[B] that is used as a model for land development.
[C] where the development of land exceeded population growth.
[D] with an excellent mass transportation system.
Vocabulary
1.revise 改变
2.fabric 结构
3.catalyze 催化，加速
4.sort out 把……分门别类，拣选
5.omnibus 公共汽车/马车
6.trolley （美）有轨电车，（英）无轨电车
7.periphery 周围，边缘
8.sprawl 建筑物无计划延伸，蔓延，四面八方散开
9.lot 小片土地
10.underscore 强调，在下面划横线
11.transit lines 运输线路
12.subdivision （出售的）小块土地，再划分小区 |
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