When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they’ll be joined by a new face: Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost(教务长) of Yale, who’ll become Oxford’s vice-chancellor——a position equal to university president in America.
Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc. have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it’s gone global. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel(人员) tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.
The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board finally picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist(活动家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a particularlly American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student numbers. The decline in government support has made fund-raising an increasingly necessary ability among administrators (管理人员), and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.
In the past few years, well-known schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen “a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position.”
Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind to promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective(视角) on established practices.What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?
| A．Institution worldwide are hiring administrators from the US. |
| B．A lot of activists are being hired as administrators |
| C．American universities are enrolling more international students. |
| D．University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising. |
What is the chief consideration of American universities when hiring top-level administrators?
| A．The political correctness. | B．Their ability to raise funds. |
| C．Their fame in academic circles. | D．Their administrative experience. |
What do we learn about European universities from the passage?
A．The tuitions(学费) they charge h  ave been rising considerably. |
| B．Their operation is under strict government control. |
| C．They are strengthening their position by globalization. |
| D．Most of their money comes from the government. |
In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?
| A．They can improve the university’s image. |
| B．They will bring with them more international personnel. |
| C．They will view a lot of things from a new angle. |
| D．They can set up new academic subjects. |
Which of the following would make the best title of the passage?
| A．Higher Education Globalization | B．Global Headhunting In Higher Education |
| C．Global Higher Education Cooperation | D．Universal Higher Education Development |
Shane Thomas is a 10-year-old pianist from England. He’s being called the next Mozart because of his amazing abilities.
He has only been having piano lessons for four months, and practices four hours a week, but he has already played difficult classical pieces. He was just seven when he sat down at the piano, and could play at once. He also says he never gets nervous.
When Shane was three years old, he said that he could play the piano, but nobody took him seriously. At school, he could listen to the teacher and do his work while composing (作曲) in his head. Shame remembers all the melodies（旋律）,and when he gets home he plays them on the piano, while his father records them. Shane loves playing the piano, and when he grows up he wants to be a composer.
His tutor, Richard Goffin-Lecar, says he is like Amadeus Mozart, who lived during the 18th century in Salzburg, Austria, and was one of the most famous composers ever. Mr. Goffin-lecar says, “I don’t teach Shane very much. I just give him directions, then sit back and watch.”
His father, a single parent with two other children, says that although he has little money, he wants to send Shane to a good music school. “I’m a single father, but I have this gifted child. I don’t have much money, but I want to give him the best teachers, and also take him into a studio to record.”When did Shane tell others that he could play the piano?
| A．At age three. | B．At age ten. | C．At age seven. | D．At age four. |
Which of the following is TRUE about Shane?
| A．He feels nervous while playing the piano |
| B．He can compose in his head while doing his work. |
| C．He wants to be a piano tutor when he grows up. |
| D．He doesn’t like to listen to the teacher at school. |
What do we learn about Shane’s father?
| A．He also plays the piano well. |
| B．He’s a single father with two children. |
| C．He believes in Shane’s talent for music and will support him. |
| D．Not having enough money, he will ask the teachers for help |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils（灾祸）.
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions （反应）toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites（食欲）. Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their .
| A．cultural values | B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences | D．physical reactions to the color |
Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to make a purchase. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
What color might help lose weight according to the text?
| A．Red | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
| A．Colors and Human Beings | B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences | D．The Meaning and Function of Color |
I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenager girl, and I couldn’t bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads, Coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to step rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work.
One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something,“I’m awfully sorry,”I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost. This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop,which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn’t stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to try to guess if the bus had arrived.
Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help,I tried to guess at the sound.Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow my pride and ask someone at the stop for help.
But on this particular evening no one joined me at the stop;It seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass,or I thought I did.But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself,I let them all go by.I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one.Then I gave up.I decided to walk on to the next stop.The girl refused to ask for help because she thought_________
| A．she might be recognized | B．asking for help looked silly |
| C．she was normal and independent | D．being fond blind was embarrassing |
After the girl got off the bus that evening,she_________.
| A．began to run | B．hit a person as usual |
| C．hit a lamppost by accident | D．was caught by something |
What was the problem with guessing at the sound to stop a bus?
| A．Other vehicles （车辆）also stopped there. |
| B．It was unreliable for making judgments. |
| C．More lorries than buses responded to the girl. |
| D．It took too much time for the girl to catch the bus. |
Finally the girl decided to walk to the next stop,hoping__________.
| A．to find people there | B．to find more buses there |
| C．to find the bus by herself there | D．to find people more helpful there |
Have you ever heard anyone say “It’s raining cats and dogs”? It means “It’s raining hard!”
But sometimes cats and dogs do drop from the sky! Here’s how it happens.
Not so long ago, a country far away had many large rats. The people there said, “ We need cats!” So cats were sent to them by airplane. But the country had many mountains. It was hard for an airplane to land. So the cats came down by parachute(降落伞). Did the cats like the ride? They didn’t say they didn’t! And today they are still catching rats!
In another country far away, there is snow the year around. People sometimes got lost in it.
“We need big dogs!” the people said, “The dogs could find people lost in the snow. The dogs could help bring them home. Where can we get big dogs?”
A man across the sea had big dogs to sell. “I will send dogs to you,” he said. “ I have some very big ones. They can find people lost in the snow.”He sent the dogs by airplane.
But the airplane did not land in the snow. The dogs came down by parachute ---- you guessed it !Did the dogs like the ride? They didn’t say they didn’t! And today they are well and happy.They find anyone who gets lost in the snow. Then they help him get home. Good dogs!Remember it, so you can say, “ Yes, it does rain cats and dogs sometimes. They came down by parachute!”The underlined word “ it” In Paragraph 2 refers to __________.
| A．the weather |
| B．the saying “It’s raining cats and dogs.” |
| C．the saying “It’s raining hard.” |
| D．the fact that real cats and dogs drop from the sky. |
Cats and dogs drop from the sky because ______.
| A．there are many mountains in the country. |
| B．it snows the year around in the country. |
| C．was hard for a plane to land in the two countries. |
| D．coming down by parachute could save money. |
The main purpose of the passage is to _________________.
| A．tell the readers cats and dogs do drop from the sky |
| B．tell the readers of a new meaning about an old saying. |
| C．show cats and dogs are our good friends. |
| D．show parachute is an important |
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear（鞋类）in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits（展品）from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.
| Room 1 The celebrity（名人）footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities’ choice of footwear extremely interesting. |
Room 2 Most of our visitors are amazed —and shocked— by the collection of “special purpose”shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk, that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much! |
| Room 3 As well as shoes and boots the museum also exhibits shoe-shaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that resembles a pair of shoes, and Greek wine bottles that like legs! |
The footwear Library People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear. |
Where would you find a famous singer’s shoes?
| A．Room1. | B．Room 2. | C．Room 3 | D．The footwear Library |
All exhibits in each room ________________ .
| A．share the same theme | B．have the same shape |
| C．are made of the same material | D．belong to the same social class |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The oldest exhibits in Room 1 were made in the 1950s. |
| B．Room 2 is the most visited place in the museum. |
| C．Room 3 has a richer variety of exhibits than the other two. |
| D．Researchers come to the Footwear Library for data. |
The purpose of the text is to get more people to __________________.
| A．do research | B．design shoes |
| C．visit the museum | D．follow celebrities |