The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away． An initiative（措施）started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day．
If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent（一贯的）way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices． And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve．
Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach． But given that the federal government spends nearly $190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students．
Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency（透明）from colleges． The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates． And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account．
But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place． The administration’s new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools．
President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about $10 billion from the current $2．7 billion． He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job． That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence to determine how colleges are doing．
The transparency initiatives are a good place to start and should be embraced by both parties in Congress． If students and families, facing higher tuition and rising debt, are to make sound choices, they need more and better information．Why did the Obama administration start the initiative last fall?
| A．To require colleges to make their graduation rates known to the public． |
| B．To help colleges perform better in the future． |
| C．To help parents and students make better choices of colleges． |
| D．To put more pressure on colleges that are not doing well enough． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Critics agree that the government should require colleges to obey the disclosure rules． |
| B．Congress has approved and made the transparency initiatives a law． |
| C．SAT scores alone do not determine one’s choice of college． |
| D．Students and families find it very difficult to choose their ideal colleges now． |
A most suitable title for the passage could be______．
| A．Congress To Require Greater Transparency |
| B．What College Parents and Students Need to Know |
| C．What a Good College Is Measured By |
| D．Parents and Students Need to Make Wise Choices |
What attitude does the author hold towards the transparency initiative?
| A．supportive | B．critical | C．indifferent | D．not stated |
Excused from recycling(回收利用)because you live in a high rise with a rubbish chute(垃圾滑道)? You_won't_be_for_long. Miami's Mark Shantzis has made it simple for those living in tall buildings to use the chute and recycle too.
In Shantzis' HiRise Recycling System, a chute leads to pieshaped container with six boxes that can turn around when operated. The system, which fits in the same space as the chute and container now in use, enables glass, plastic, paper, metal and other rubbish to go into separate boxes.
The system is controlled from a board fixed next to the chute door. The board has a button for each class of recycling materials(as well as for un-recyclables). At the press of a button, a microcomputer locks all other floor's chute doors and sets the recycling container turning until the right box comes under the chute. The computer also counts the loads and gives a signal by phone when the box is full. And a particular piece of equipment breaks up the nonrecyclables.
Sorting(分类)recyclables before they are collected saves the use of expensive materials recovery equipment which otherwise has to do the sorting. Such equipment often makes recycled materials very expensive, so expensive that tons of recyclables remain wasted! Shantzis believes his system could help recycled materials become more costeffective.The purpose in writing this text is________.
| A．to encourage people to recycle their rubbish |
| B．to introduce a recycling system for high rises |
| C．to describe the use of computer technology in recycling |
| D．to explain the need for rubbish collection in high rises |
When he says“You won't be for long”the writer means that________.
| A．you'll soon be living in a cleaner building |
| B．rubbish chutes will become out of date before long |
| C．you won't wait long for your turn to recycle rubbish |
| D．it won't be long before you'll have to recycle rubbish |
Before dropping rubbish into the chute you have to________.
| A．lock the other floors' chute doors |
| B．check if the container is full |
| C．press the correct button |
| D．break up the rubbish |
The biggest advantage of this new system is that________.
| A．it reduces the cost of recycling |
| B．it saves time and space |
| C．it saves money for people living in high rises |
| D．it makes better use of the existing recovery equipment |
B
(2010·安徽卷)American cities are similar to other cities around the world: In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War Ⅱ， the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts(转移)to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents(居民)became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs(效区)．
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are alive. |
| B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar. |
| D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Ⅱ？
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities________.
| A．are faced with housing problems |
| B．are forced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings |
| D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that________.
| A．American cities are changing for the worse |
| B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
A
The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The threeday event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by locals.
During the opening ceremonies, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the stands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns and best drums as they dance in different designs. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair：their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance.
The local and visiting Indian dogs are anxious to run after hares. The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish line in front of the cheering people.
Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horseback. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles. Some even ride upside down—heir legs and feet straight up in the air—all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful!The Sahara Festival is a festival which________.
| A．has a very long history in North Africa |
| B．is held in the same place on the same day |
| C．is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara |
| D．is celebrated mostly by travelers from different countries |
Before the races begin, ________take part in the activities during the opening ceremonies________.
| A．musicians, dancers, horses and hares |
| B．camel riders, musicians, dogs and hares |
| C．horseman, dancers, camels and dogs |
| D．musicians, officials, camels and horses |
The underlined word“finale”in the fourth paragraph most probably means the________of the opening day.
| A．first part |
| B．middle |
| C．last part |
| D．whole |
This passage mainly tells readers________.
| A．what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival |
| B．how people celebrate during the threeday Sahara Festival |
| C．what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival |
| D．how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
E
What makes a person a scientist? Does he have ways or tools of learning that are different from those of others? The answer is“No”. It is not a tool a scientist uses but how he uses these tools that makes him a scientist. You will probably agree that knowing how to use a power is important to a carpenter. You will probably agree, too, that knowing how to investigate, how to discover information, is important to everyone. The scientist, however, goes one step further：he must be sure that he has a reasonable answer to his question into a large set of ideas about how the world works.
The scientist's knowledge must be exact. There is no room for half right or right just half the time. He must be as nearly right as the conditions permit. What works under one set of conditions at one time must work under the same conditions at other times. If the conditions are different, any change file scientist observes in a demonstration must be explained by the change in the conditions.
This is one reason that investigations are important in science. Albert Einstein, who developed the theory of relativity, arrived at this theory through mathematics. The accuracy of his mathematics was later tested through investigation. Einstein's ideas are shown to be correct. A scientist uses many tools for measurements. Then the measurements are used to make mathematical calculations that may test his investigations.“...knowing how to investigate, how to discover information, is important to everyone.”The author says this to show________.
| A．the importance of information |
| B．the difference between carpenters and ordinary people |
| C．the difference between scientists and ordinary people |
| D．the importance of thinking |
A sound scientific theory should be one that________.
| A．works under one set of conditions at one time and also works under the same conditions at other times |
| B．leaves no room for improvement |
| C．does not allow any change even under different conditions |
| D．can be used for many purposes |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Scientists are different from the ordinary people. |
| B．The theory of relativity. |
| C．Exactness is the secret of science. |
| D．Exactness and way of using tools is the key to the making of a scientist. |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
D
Most people around the world are“righthanded”. This also seems to be true in history. In 1979, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1500 B．C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are righthanded so the scientist guessed that righthandedness has always been common through history. Today, about 10% of 15% of the world's population is lefthanded.
Why are there more righthanded people than lefthanded ones? Scientists now know that a person's two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the left hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right side of the brain, which makes a person's hand and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be lefthanded, and studies have found that lefthandedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs. No one really knows what makes a person become righthanded instead of lefthanded. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become lefthanded because their main brain is damaged when they are born. however, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become lefthanded.
One idea is that people usually get righthanded from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene(基因)for righthandedness, he/she may become either righthanded or lefthanded according to the chance and the people they work or live with. Though righthandedness is more common than lefthandedness, people no longer think lefthanded people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, lefthanded children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don't have to.After studying works of art made at different times in history, the scientists found________.
A．the art began from 1500 B．C.
B．the works of art ended in 1950s
C．most people shown in the works of art are righthanded
D．most people in the works of art the lefthandedWhat is the left hand for most people used to do?
| A．It's used to find or hold things. |
| B．It's used to work with things. |
| C．It's used to make a person's eyes and hands work together. |
| D．It's the centre for thinking and doing problems. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．No one really knows what makes a person become righthanded. |
| B．Lefthandedness is cleverer than righthandedness. |
| C．Today children are not made to use their right hands only. |
| D．Scientists think there must be some reason why people become lefthanded |