The Cost of Higher Education
Individuals (个人) should pay for their higher education.
A university education is of huge and direct benefit to the individual. Graduates earn more than non-graduates. Meanwhile, social mobility is ever more dependent on having a degree. However, only some people have it. So the individual, not the taxpayers, should pay for it. There are pressing calls on the resources (资源) of the government. Using taxpayers' money to help a small number of people to earn high incomes in the future is not one of them.
Full government funding (资助) is not very good for universities. Adam Smith worked in a Scottish university whose teachers lived off student fees. He knew and looked down upon 18th-century Oxford, where the academics lived comfortably off the income received from the government. Guaranteed salaries, Smith argued, were the enemy of hard work; and when the academics were lazy and incompetent, the students were similarly lazy.
If students have to pay for their education, they not only work harder, but also demand more from their teachers. And their teachers have to keep them satisfied. If that means taking teaching seriously, and giving less time to their own research interests, that is surely something to celebrate.
Many people believe that higher education should be free because it is good for the economy (经济). Many graduates clearly do contribute to national wealth, but so do all the businesses that invest (投资) and create jobs. If you believe that the government should pay for higher education because graduates are economically productive, you should also believe that the government should pay part of business costs. Anyone promising to create jobs should receive a gift of capital from the government to invest. Therefore, it is the individual, not the government, who should pay for their university education.
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The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 2 refers to
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| 2． |
The author thinks that with full government funding
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The author mentions businesses in Paragraph 5 in order to
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One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk．He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase．I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store．
On the outside was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties．His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, bright smile covered his face．I gave in immediately．The power of that broad smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding．
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" I remarked, passing．Then I turned back．"I really owe you a debt of thanks," I said softly．
His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer．A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby．The woman stepped forward and volunteered, "Sir, but he doesn't speak English．Do you want me to tell him something?" In that moment I felt transformed．The young man's smile had made a big person of me．My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stand ten feet tall．
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said, ‘Thank you!’”
“Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled．
I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave．"Just tell him that," I insisted．"He'll understand．I am sure!"
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning．From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently anywhere and everywhere, with everybody． Why did the author leave the store angrily?
| A．He couldn't buy what he wanted． |
| B．The clerk treated him unkindly． |
| C．The clerk didn't speak English． |
| D．The store's goods were too dear． |
By saying "I felt the muscles in my own face happily responding"(in Para. 2), the author means ___________.
| A．he smiled back at the young man |
| B．he did not want to smile |
| C．he would thank the young man |
| D．he was still in a bad mood |
The author asked the woman to say "Thank you!" to the young man because the young man.
| A．had helped the author before |
| B．taught the author how to smile |
| C．taught the author a valuable lesson |
| D．was a kind employee of the store |
In the passage, the author seems to suggest that we should _____.
| A．be generous to strangers |
| B．practice smiling every day |
| C．help people in trouble |
| D．smile at other people |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项多余选项。
It’s not news that we spend more time than ever texting and online.1 Yes, that’s right: a 2010 study shows that more teens are reading good old-fashioned, ink-on-paper books.
Reading is a good way to discover the next big thing and to learn a little more about yourself while you’re at it.2 Here are some tips.
Start with your interests
Reading on your own isn’t like reading for school. You can pick something that’s all about your interests, whether it’s ancient martial arts, computers, or fashion design.
Reading the blurbs(简介)
The reviews and quotes on the back and inside covers of many books are called “blurbs”. 3if you find a book you really like, take a minute to read the quotes(if there are any) and see which authors praised the book. Often, they’ll have similar styles and you might find you like books by those authors too.
Ask an expert
4 Explain your interests--- rock stars, sports teams, historical events, humors, whatever you’re into—and any writers you like, and your librarian can point you toward books that you’ll love.
Finally, you’ll probably enjoy what you’re reading a lot more if you find a quiet place and make time for the book.5 You can put on some good music(ideally without lyrics), get yourself some tea and a comfy spot, and let yourself be carried away by the book.
You’ll see that time does fly when you are reading something you love!
| A．Join a group with your friends and people you trust. |
| B．But do you know how to pick a book you’ll really like? |
| C．But did you know that we also spend more time reading? |
| D．Your local library can hook you up with a whole lot of great book ideas. |
E. What was your mother’s favorite book when she was your age or your dad’s?
F. We all multitask, but most reading is best enjoyed when you can concentrate and focus on it.
G. They give you an idea of what the book is about, and can also help you pick future books too.
Camping wild is a wonderful way to experience the natural world and, at its best, it makes little environmental influence. But with increasing numbers of people wanting to escape into the wildness, it is becoming more and more important to camp unobtrusively(不引人注目的) and leave no mark.
Wild camping is not permitted in many places, particularly in crowed lowland England. Wherever you are, find out about organizations responsible for managing wild spaces, and contact them to find out their policy about camping and shelter building. For example, it is fine to camp wild in remote parts of Scotland, but in England you must ask the landowner’s permission, except in national parks
Camping is about having relaxation, sleeping outdoors, experiencing bad weather, and making do without modern conveniences. A busy, full-equipped campsite seems to go against this, so seek out smaller, more remote places with easy access to open spaces and perhaps beaches. Better still, find a campsite with no road access: walking in makes a real adventure.
Finding the right spot to camp is first step to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. Choose a campsite with privacy and minimum influence on others and environment. Try to use an area where people have obviously camped before rather than creating a new spot. When camping in woodland, avoid standing dead trees, which may fall on a windy night. Avoid animal runs and caves and possible homes of biting insects. Make sure you have most protection on the windward side. If you make a fire, do so downwind of your shelter. Always consider what influence you might have on the natural world. Avoid damaging plants. A good campsite found, not made-changing it should be unnecessary.You needn’t ask for permission when camping in____.
| A．national parks in England |
| B．most parts of Scotland |
| C．crowded lowland Britain |
| D．most parts of England |
The author thinks that a good campsite is one_____.
| A．with easy access |
| B．used previously |
| C．with modern convenience |
| D．far away from beaches |
The last paragraph mainly deals with____.
| A．protecting animals |
| B．building a campfire |
| C．camping in woodland |
| D．finding a campsite with privacy |
The passage is manly about____.
| A．the protection of campsites |
| B．the importance of wild camping |
| C．the human influence on campsites |
| D．the dos and don’ts of wild camping |
Nature is full of color, from rainbows and roses to butterfly wings and peacock tails. Even the fruits and vegetables you eat have different colors: blue blueberries, red strawberries, green broccoli, and orange carrots.
Plant and animals often use color to attract attention. The substances responsible for these colors belong to a class of chemical called antioxidants(抗氧化物). Plants make antioxidant to protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet(UV)(紫外线)light.
Ultraviolet light causes chemicals called free radicals(自由基)to form within plant cells. They can destroy parts of plant. Free radicals also have damaging effects on human beings. Some of these effects like wrinkled skin can be seen. The damage is caused by the free radicals attacking cells in our bodies. Certain cancers and heart disease are linked to free radicals.
Our bodies have natural defences for fighting off free radicals. While we are young, our defences are pretty strong. However, they get weaker as we get older. The body’s built-in defences can only go so far without extra help.
The key to fighting free radicals with fruits and vegetables is to mix and match colors. It’s like sunscreen(防晒霜)for the inside of your body. Go for a range of very bright colors. Colorful foods contain hundreds of healthy chemicals not found anywhere else.
Research into how chemicals in blueberries affect the brain’s function in rats suggests that these chemicals may help our own brains work more efficiently.
Don’t just blame the sun. Ultraviolet light isn’t the only source of free radicals. If you breathe polluted air such as smog, automobile exhaust(废气), or wasted gas from a factory, you take in chemicals that also cause such damage. And, the body itself produces free radicals as it processes food.Which of the following not true?
| A．Antioxidants are responsible for plant colors |
| B．Plants use color to attract attention |
| C．Antioxidants can protect plants from UV light |
| D．Antioxidants help free radicals to attack plants |
In which order do the following facts occur?
a Wrinkled skin can be seen
b UV light causes free radicals to form
c Free radicals damage cells in our bodies
d The sun gives out UV light
| A．a,b,c,d | B．d,b,c,a |
| C．c,a,d,b | D．d,b,a,c |
We need extra help for fighting off free radicals from fruits and vegetables because ____.
| A．our bodies’ defences are not natural |
| B．we are too young to defend ourselves |
| C．our defences get weaker as we get older |
| D．our bodies’ built-in defences can only go away |
Which of the following can not cause free radicals to form?
| A．Colorful food | B．UV light from the sun |
| C．Polluted air | D．The body itself |
While I was on my way to Walmart, I was greeted by an elder woman who was working at the door as a greeter, I had a return to make so she stopped me and asked to tag my bag. Usually I would have gotten annoyed because I know I don’t steal, so why does my bag need to be tagged? I’d just witnessed someone ahead of me being not so nice, and treating the lady like she was a nobody. I could see this lady looked to be at retirement age, trying to make ends meet. The look on her face and the energy she gave was that of someone afraid and not knowing where they stood in life. Not to mention the person ahead of me who’d just snatched(夺) a bag back from her and stormed off without even saying thank you. I could tell this woman was hurt by that, and no one knows how many people had been treating her that way all day long.
What if she was a grandmother who’d recently taken care of her grandchildren for whatever season? What if her husband she had to support recently fell sick and they couldn’t afford the medical expenses, so she had to go back to work? What if she just lost everything she had in her retirement and now she had to go back to work?
All she wants is to do her job and do it well. All she wants is to serve customers the way she was trained. All she needs is to be appreciated. Can I be that someone she needs, just for the moment?
I looked her in her eyes as she scanned my bag, smiled and said, “Your hair is beautiful and fits you well!” Her face lit up and she smiled back and began to tell me how much easier it is to manage. It was salt-and-pepper hair and was cut in the prettiest style. She handed my bag back, smiled and told me the service desk was straight down to my left. I said “Thank you!”At the door of Walmart, the old woman_____.
| A．asked every customer for money to feed her family |
| B．was made to welcome customers and check their bags |
| C．was asked to keep the door open all the time |
| D．worked as guide to give customers direction |
Seeing the look of the old woman and the treatment she received, the author_____.
| A．became annoyed | B．showed sympathy |
| C．was puzzled | D．turned generous |
It could be learned from paragraph2 that the author_____.
| A．didn’t understand why the old woman did such a job |
| B．insisted the old woman should stay at home comfortably |
| C．was sure the old woman was respected by people |
| D．supposed the old woman might be in trouble for some reason |
By saying “Your hair is beautiful and fits you well.” the author wanted to ____.
| A．make the old woman feel appreciated |
| B．please her so as not to let her bag tagged |
| C．praise her for her hair style and clothes |
| D．confirm her hard work and special beauty |