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
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品 ) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store., selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A．earn more money for his family | B．learn something from a salesman |
| C．get away from the farm | D．get enough to eat. |
Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.
| A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods. |
| B．he cut down the price by half |
| C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. |
| D．the sign he put on the table was well designed. |
The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C．the knives were made in Germany, where labour (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D．the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________ make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A．His business skills and his wealth. |
| B．The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D．His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |
Two years after the First World War (1914-1918), a small group of soldiers left the army and returned to their hometown in France. Most of them lived well, but one of them was poor. His name was Clinton. Once a year they had supper in Barton’s house. Barton was very rich.
One evening Barton showed his friends a large gold coin at the supper table. The coin was passed around and praised by everyone. At the same time they were talking and talking. They soon forgot about the coin. After supper, Barton asked for his coin, but nobody could tell where it was. It was lost. One man said that everyone must be searched. One by one they turned their pockets inside out. Only Clinton refused, however.“I didn’t steal the coin, and I will not be searched,” he said.After that, people turned their heads away from Clinton when they met him. He grew poorer. Soon his wife died.
A few years later, Barton had his house repaired. The lost coin was found under the floor. Barton felt sorry and went to Clinton to apologize. “But,” he asked, “you knew the coin was not in your pocket. Why did you refuse to be searched?” “Because I was a thief,” Clinton answered. “My pockets were full of food at that time. I had taken some food from the table to carry to my hungry wife and children.” The story took place ________.
| A．in 1920 | B．after 1945 | C．in 1950 | D．1916 |
The coin was passed and praised because ________.
| A．Clinton was rich | B．the supper was good |
| C．it was a large gold coin | D．they were happy |
Everyone was to be searched because _________.
| A．they were thieves | B．the gold coin was lost |
| C．Clinton stole the gold coin | D．they stole the gold coin |
Clinton refused to be searched because _________.
| A．he was afraid to be found that there was some food in his pockets |
| B．he didn’t steal the coin |
| C．he was poor enough |
| D．the gold coin was in his pocket |
“After that, people turned their heads away from Clinton when they met him.” From the sentence we know that _____.
| A．people thought of him as a beggar |
| B．people took no notice of him |
| C．people look down upon him |
| D．Clinton refused to see his friends |
In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop. They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take. About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along. They prepared to get on. Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted insulting remarks about the foreigners. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus.
Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to ensure a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, You might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and assume (认为) that he is disagreeing. But in many parts of India a rotating (旋转) movement of the head is a gesture that express agreement or acceptance. Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty. In that country you shake your head to express “yes” — a nod means “no”.
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting, talking to someone, even at an important meeting. Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand, however, could cause offence (冒犯). It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion. Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult — it’s just not done. Attitudes to women vary considerably around the world. In Japan, for example, it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home.
Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are travelling, but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality (礼节).The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed because ________.
| A．they didn’t know the English language |
| B．the bus conductor told them to jump the queue |
| C．they didn’t know the custom of lining up for a bus |
| D．they thought they were looked down upon |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “insulting” in Para. 1?
| A．Modest. | B．Entertaining. | C．Misunderstanding. | D．Rude. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．In Europe, using the left hand is considered less respected. |
| B．In India, the left hand is not used as a sign of respect to others. |
| C．In Thailand, you’d better cross your legs when sitting or talking. |
| D．In Japan, it is considered bad manners to touch the head of an adult. |
The underlined sentence “Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty” means in Bulgaria _______.
| A．you are probably thirsty if you nod your head |
| B．you’re possibly eager to have a drink if you nod your head |
| C．you probably refuse to drink when you nod your head |
| D．you’d like to have a cup of tea because you nod your head |
We can infer from the passage that _________.
| A．in Asian countries, women are equal to men in every field |
| B．learning a language well is a necessity before going abroad |
| C．attitudes to women vary from country to country |
| D．in Japan, men are still the centre of the family |
The National Dark-Sky Week (NDSW) is a week during which people all over the United States turn off their lights to enjoy the beauty of the night sky without light pollution. This even was started by Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia in 2003, and it is becoming more popular each year. It has been supported by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical League.
This even always occurs in April, during the week of the new moon so that the sky can be as dark as possible for the best viewing conditions.
“It is my wish that people could see the night sky without other light in the sky as our ancestors (祖先) saw it hundreds of years ago,” explains Barlow.
Since it only lasts a week and not everyone in the country will take part in it, how will the National Dark-Sky Week reduce light pollution? The main goal of NDSW is to increase awareness (意识) of the harmful effects of light pollution. It is not possible for all of the light pollution in this part of the world to disappear. However, it is possible to make a small difference in the quality of the night sky. Another goal of this even is to promote (促进) the use of better lighting systems that direct light toward the ground instead of up into the sky.
Jennifer Barlow states, “The night sky is a gift of such beauty that it should not be polluted by wasted light. In this way, our children will not lose touch with the wonder of our universe.”This passage is mainly about ______________.
| A．better lighting systems | B．the beauty of the night sky |
| C．the harm of light pollution | D．the National Dark-Sky Week |
Which of the following statements about the National Dark-Sky Week is WRONG?
| A．It is becoming more and more popular in America. |
| B．The event was started in 2003 by Jennifer Barlow. |
| C．The event takes place in the first week of every April. |
| D．American people are supposed to turn off their lights during that week. |
What is Jennifer Barlow’s wish?
| A．That light would be directed up into the sky. |
| B．That the sky would always be as dark as possible. |
| C．That people could see the night sky without light pollution as our ancestors did. |
| D．That people could spend time enjoying the beauty of the sky every night. |
We can infer from the underlined（划线的）sentence in Paragraph 4 that ________.
| A．many people in America hate this event |
| B．it may be hard to reduce light pollution |
| C．the event should last a month every year |
| D．light will no longer pollute the sky soon |
What is the main goal of the National Dark-Sky Week?
| A．To promote the use of better lighting systems. |
| B．To help people realize the harm of light pollution. |
| C．To cause all the light pollution in America to disappear. |
| D．To help young children enjoy the wonder of our universe. |
Most children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones. They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. Some are shy “in real life” but are confident to communicate with others online; others find support from people of their own age on relationship issues, or problems at home.
Sometimes the online world, just like the real world, can introduce problems, such as bullying or arguments. Going online is great fun, but there are also a few people who use the Internet for offensive (冒犯性的) or illegal aims. Children must be made aware of both the good things and the dangers.
To keep children safe your management must cover the family computer. Just as you decide which TV pro-grams are suitable, you need to do the same for the websites and chat rooms your children visit. Remind your children that online friends are still strangers. Re-minding them of the risks will keep them alert (警惕).
Computer studies are part of schoolwork now, so it’s likely that your children may know more than you do. We get left behind when it comes to the latest gad-gets and the interactive areas of websites, like chat rooms and message boards, which are especially strange. The language of chat is strange to many parents, too. Chatters love to use abbreviations (缩写) such as: atb — all the best, bbfn — bye bye for now, cul8er — see you later, gr8 — great, Idk — I don’t know, imbl — it must be love, kit — keep in touch, paw — parents are watching, lol — laugh out loud, xlnt — excellent!
It seems like another language, and it is! The passage is meant for ______.
| A．children | B．parents | C．teachers | D．net bar owners |
Which of the following will the author probably agree with?
| A．The Internet is not good for children. |
| B．The chat language is strange to adults. |
| C．Children shouldn’t chat so much online. |
| D．The Internet is a good place for children. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to advise ______.
| A．people not to use the net language in real life |
| B．children not to meet online friends freely |
| C．teachers to have students study on computers |
| D．parents to protect their children from online dangers |
In order to keep children safe online, you’d better ______.
| A．choose suitable websites and chat rooms for them |
| B．teach them to use correct net words |
| C．surf the Internet together with them |
| D．forbid them to use the Internet |
If you stand beside him when your son is chatting about something secret online, he may use ______.
| A．bbfn | B．lol | C．paw | D．cul8er |