The U.S. Department of Labor statistics(统计) show that there is an oversupply of college trained workers and that this oversupply is increasing. Already there have been more than enough teachers, engineers, physicists, aerospace experts, and other specialists. Yet colleges and graduate schools continue every year to turn out highly trained people to compete for jobs that aren’t there. The result is that graduates cannot enter the professions for which they were trained and must take temporary jobs which do not require a college degree.
On the other hand, there is a great need for skilled workers of all sorts: carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, TV repairmen. These people have more work than they can deal with, and their annual incomes are often higher than those of college graduates. The old gap that white —collar workers make a better living than blue collar workers no longer holds true. The law of supply and demand now favors the skilled workmen.
The reason for this situation is the traditional myth that college degree is a passport to a prosperous future. A large part of American society matches success in life equally with a college degree. Parents begin indoctrinating(灌输) their children with this myth before they are out of grade school. High school teachers play their part by acting as if high school education were a preparation for college rather than for life. Under this pressure the kids fall in line. Whether they want to go to college or not doesn’t matter. Everybody should go to college, so of course they must go. And every year college enrollments(入学) go up and up, and more and more graduates are overeducated for the kinds of jobs available to them.
One result of this emphasis on a college education is that many people go to college who do not belong there. Of the sixty percent of high school graduates who enter college, half of them do not graduate with their class. Many of them drop out within the first year. Some struggle on for two or three years and then give up.
1. It’s implied but not stated in the passage that _______.
A. many other countries are facing the same problem
B. white-collar workers in the US used to make more money than blue-collar workers
C. fewer students will prefer to go to college in the future
D. the law of supply and demand has a strong effect on American higher education
2. Which of the following is NOT a reason why college enrollments go up every year?
A. Many people believe that the only way to success is a college education.
B. Many parents want their children to go to college.
C. High school teachers urge their students to go to college.
D. Every young man and woman wants to go to college.
3. By saying that “many people go to college who do not belong there”, the author means that _______.
A. many people who are not fit for college education go to college
B. many people who do not have enough money go to college
C. many people who go to college drop out within the first year
D. many people who go to college have their hopes destroyed
4. We can infer from the passage that the author believes that _______.
A. every young man and woman should go to college
B. college education is a bad thing
C. people with a college education should receive higher pay
D. fewer people should go to college while more should be trained for skilled jobs
Many people believe Henry Ford invented the automobile (汽车). But Henry Ford did not start to build his first car until 1896. That was eleven years after two Germans developed the world's first automobile. Many people believe Henry Ford invented the production line that moved a car's parts to the worker, instead of making the worker move to the parts. That is not true, either. Many factory owners used methods of this kind before Ford. What Henry Ford did was to use other people's ideas and make them better. And he made the whole factory a moving production line.
In the early days of the automobile, almost every car maker raced his cars. It was the best way of gaining public notice. Henry Ford decided to build a racing car. Ford's most famous race was his first one. It was also the last race in which he drove the car himself.
The race was in 1901, at a field near Detroit. All of the most famous cars had entered, but only two were left: the Winton and Ford's. The Winton was famous for its speed. Most people thought the race was over before it began.
The Winton took an early lead. But halfway through the race, it began to lose power. Ford started to gain. And near the end of the race, he took the lead. Ford won the race and defeated the Winton. His name appeared in newspapers and he became well-known all over the United States. Within weeks of the race, Henry Ford formed a new automobile company. In 1903, a doctor in Detroit bought the first car from the company. That sale was the beginning of Henry Ford's dream. Ford said: "I will build a motor car for the great mass of people. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for one person to operate and care for. It will be built of the best materials. It will be built by the best men to be employed. And it will be built with the simplest plans that modern engineering can produce. It will be so low in price that no man making good money will be unable to own one."
The Model T was a car of that kind. It only cost $850. It was a simple machine that drivers could depend on. Doctors bought the Model T. So did farmers. Even criminals. They considered it the fastest and surest form of transportation. Americans loved the Model T. They wrote stories and songs about it. Thousands of Model T's were built in the first few years.What do we know about Henry Ford from Paragraph 1?
A.He made good use of ideas from others. |
B.He produced the first car in the world. |
C.He knew how to improve auto parts. |
D.He invented the production line. |
Why did Henry Ford take part in the 1901 car race?
A.To show off his driving skills. |
B.To draw public attention. |
C.To learn about new technology. |
D.To raise money for his new company. |
“That sale” in Paragraph 4 refers to .
A.the selling of Ford cars at reduced prices |
B.the sale of Model T to the mass of people |
C.he selling of a car to a Detroit doctor |
D.the sales target for the Ford Company |
What was Henry Ford's dream according to the text?
A.Producing cars for average customers. |
B.Building racing cars of simple design. |
C.Designing more car models. |
D.Starting more companies. |
How words came into being is unknown. All we assume (猜测) is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
The power of words, then, lies in their associations—the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style (文体). Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.We learn from the text that language might have begun with _______.
A.expressions | B.actions | C.signs | D.sounds |
What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?
A.The learning of new words. |
B.The importance of old words. |
C.The relation of human experience with words. |
D.The gradual change and development of words. |
In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?
A.Use words skillfully. | B.Make musical speeches. |
C.Learn poems by heart. | D.Associate with listeners. |
Ariau Amazon Towers
The Ariau Amazon Towers hotel lets you sleep in a tree house. Eight towers make up this hotel that offers over 300 rooms. If you really want to get into the spirit, book the Tarzan Suite which is large enough for a big family. You’ll be thirty feet up in the air and can travel between the towers through their wooden walkways.
Prices: starting at $300 one night for each person for a regular room and going all the way up to $3000 for the Tarzan Suite.
For more information, visit the website: http://www.ariautowers.com
The Ice Hotel
Every winter in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, a special kind of hotel called the Ice Hotel is built. Each year, world-famous artists are invited to design and produce works of art from the ice, many of which can be found in the rooms. You’ll have your choice between hot or cold rooms, but you will be well advised to stay at least one night in a cold room for a true experience.
Prices: starting at $318 one night for each person for either a cold room or a warm one.
For more information, visit the website: http://www.icehotel.com
Propeller Island
Propeller Island City Lodge is a very special hotel that was designed by a German artist. Each room provides you with the possibility of living in a work of art. Every single piece of furniture in the thirty rooms of the hotel has been hand-made and each room is completely different. You’ll be able to choose a room based on your own personal tastes.
Prices: starting at just $91 a night, and an additional person for only 20 extra dollars.
For more information, visit the website: http://www.propeller-island.com
For information about other cool hotels in the world, visit the website:
http://www.bahamabeachclub.comWhat is special about the Ariau Amazon Towers hotel?
A.You can sleep in tree houses. |
B.You can choose any of the towers. |
C.It is designed for big families. |
D.Every room has a walkway. |
For two persons spending a night in one of these hotels, they have to pay at least ______.
A.$111 | B.$182 | C.$600 | D.$636 |
Which website should you visit if you want to find out whether there exists a hotel under the sea?
A.http://www.icehotel.com |
B.http://www.ariautowers.com |
C.http://www.propeller-island.com |
D.http://www.bahamabeachclub.com |
Which hotel would invite artists to come to work every year?
A.Propeller Island City Lodge. |
B.Ariau Amazon Towers. |
C.The Ice Hotel. |
D.Bahama Beach Club. |
In early autumn I applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University, but my mother fought strongly against it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up.
“You can’t say it’s not a great university, just because Papa went there.”
“That’s not it at all. And it is a top university.” She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money. Do you want me to get a job to help support you and Papa? Things aren’t that bad, are they?”
“No,” she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”
Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop, His chief customers were his old college friends. To get new customers, my mother had to help. She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she could get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns. What’s more , they had not wanted enough to be rich and successful ;otherwise they could not possibly have managed their lives so badly.
I was torn between the desire to help them and change their lives, and the determination not to repeat their mistakes. I had a strong belief in my power to get what I wanted. After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship. My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because
A.his father graduated from the university |
B.his mother did not thinks it is a great university |
C.his parents needed him to help support the family |
D.his parents did not have enough money for him |
The father started his small shop with the money from
A.a local league | B.his university |
C.his relatives | D.his college friends |
Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?
A.To help with her husband’s business |
B.To raise money for her son |
C.To meet her long-forgotten friends |
D.To better manage her life |
According to the text, what was the author determined to do in that autumn?
A.To get a well-paid job for himself |
B.To improve relations with his mother |
C.To go to his dream university |
D.To carry on with his father’s business |
Culture and Cuisine
The United States is known for jazz and blue jeans.But travel to Paris and ask your average French citizen about American cuisine (烹饪) and he’s likely to answer,“ McDonalds.” Ask the same thing of any American citizen on any American street and I’m afraid you’d get the same answer,or something close to it.
Hamburgers and hotdogs and fries are all fine,but with American malls and other outlets standardizing everything from clothing to food,the sad truth is that American cuisine is becoming more homogeneous―all the same―no matter where you live.True,many Americans are eating more varied foods these days,but these are largely the cuisines of immigrant groups,and they are quite likely to be affected by homogenization of American cuisine.
So what exactly is American cuisine? Well,to some extent it is a reflection of our melting pot culture,meaning that Europeans made huge contributions in the form of wheat,dairy products,pork,beef and poultry.But American cuisine also includes products that once were known only to the New World,including potatoes,corn,pumpkin,sweet potatoes,and peanuts.
The one region of the country where you still find all these things in daily use is the Deep South.The South lost the Civil War,but children of the southerners are winning the battle to preserve and advance their cooking traditions—and in this case one of the few cuisines can truly be called American,which is why we’re pleased to have Low Country cuisine in this issue of food creation.That’s right,grits and gravy are back in a big way in cities like Charleston and Savannah.Truth is,they never really left,but up until a decade ago Low Country cuisine was more common at home than in restaurants.
In fact,a large number of tourists now go to the lower Atlantic region in order to experience this extraordinary cuisine for themselves.Time will tell whether Low Country cuisine becomes popular in other regions of the country in the way that,say,Italian cuisine has,but it’s amazing and heartening to see one of our true cultural treasures enjoying renewed popularity in these increasingly homogeneous times.According to the passage,American cuisine impresses people as being _______.
A.dull and changeless |
B.rich and various |
C.popular and delicious |
D.disagreeable and unpleasant |
It can be seen that the writer feels regretful that _______.
A.cuisines of other countries play a more important role in America |
B.American cuisine has become increasingly lacking in variety |
C.American cuisine tends to vary because of immigration |
D.American cuisine is being changed by foreign cuisines |
From the passage,we know that grits and gravy _______.
A.were cooked with new materials after the Civil War |
B.are gaining popularity in the south of America |
C.were more popular over ten years ago |
D.are seldom served in restaurants |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the renewal of Low Country cuisine in America?
A.Concerned and cautious. |
B.Hopeless and doubtful. |
C.Positive and supportive. |
D.Critical and disapproving. |