It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects(前景) of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less serious for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual(智力的) opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary(包括各种学科的) team, manage budgets and negotiate(谈判) contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”By “a one-way street” in the first paragraph, the author means ________.
A.university researchers know little about the commercial world |
B.there is little exchange between industry and academia |
C.few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university |
D.few university professors are willing to do industrial research |
The word “deterrent” most probably refers to something that _____.
A.keeps someone from taking action |
B.helps to move the traffic |
C.attracts people’s attention |
D.brings someone a financial burden |
What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?
A.Flexible work hours. |
B.Her research interests. |
C.Her preference for the lifestyle on campus. |
D.Prospects of academic accomplishments. |
Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.
A.do financially more rewarding work |
B.raise his status in the academic world |
C.enrich his experience in medical research |
D.have better intellectual opportunities |
What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?
A.Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market |
B.Develop its students’ potential in research. |
C.Help it to obtain financial support from industry. |
D.Adapt its research to practical applications. |
Boston College is a state-supported college on the East coast of England which has been recruiting overseas students for over 20 years and now has almost 200 international students from more than 20 different countries. You and your parents can be sure you will receive the care and support you need to succeed at our college.
We have excellent teaching staff, with time and patience to help you learn in a stimulating but relaxed atmosphere. We are accredited by the British Council for the quality of our English Language teaching so you can be sure your learning experience will be good.
Our new modular English course is flexible and enables you to choose the best time to join us. Not only will you cover all aspects of the English Language but you will have the choice of option subjects such as IELTS Preparation, British Culture, Literature, Business English or Study Skills. We will assess your level of English when you arrive so you can be sure you will study with students of the same ability. Classes are small: usually 12-16 students so you will receive the individual attention you need to help you succeed.
Boston College is based on two main campuses with English courses being taught in our state-of-the-art language building convenient for our Hall of Residence on the Rochford Campus. A-Level and International Foundation classes are taught on both Rochford and De Montfort Campuses. Classrooms are modern and well equipped with a number of specialist facilities for photography and video, computer suites, art and music studios and an all weather sports pitch. Both campuses have large Learning Resource Centres, well equipped with computers for student use, also available for research or assignment work. Our diploma courses include catering, hairdressing, computing and engineering, each with its own specialist facilities. We also have a Music Centre providing teaching rooms, recording studio and concert hall.
65. What is Boston College famous for?
A. Its long educational history in Britain.
B. Its good location in the country.
C. Its good education conditions for overseas students.
D. Its way of living for the overseas visitors.
66. The underlined word “accredited” in Paragraph 2 most probably means __________.
A. helped B. recognized C. forbidden D. measured
67. If you decide to go to Boston College in Britain, you __________.
A. should at first pass some English language tests
B. can major in English as well as some other courses
C. have to live and study with students at different levels
D. should have achieved a high level of English proficiency
68. What is the purpose of the above passage?
A. To introduce the British education system.
B. To invite more overseas students to study in Boston College.
C. To show the modernization of British society.
D. To tell new students the rules in Boston College.
When it comes to parenting, it can be hard to know which issues are important and which ones are not. According to parenting expert Anne Murphy, a family dinner matters. “Having a family dinner doesn’t only mean hours of sharing various kinds of food,” she said. “It means getting together as long as you can —even if it’s just 15 minutes for pizza. Or make it breakfast or lunch—whatever you can do.
Never waste your valuable time on TV. Keep the conversation joyful—Murphy thinks it makes a difference. Studies have shown that teenagers whose families eat together are less likely to abuse drugs. They also have better grades and—perhaps most importantly—better relationships with their parents. It brings more benefit to children than many after-school activities, she added.
Homework has become a hot issue recently. According to a study, the amount of time kids spend on homework has increased by 51 percent since 1981.
“The point of homework is to make students continue to learn after school hour,” Murphy said. “However, giving too much homework runs the risk of turning kids off school and even worse—turning them off learning in all forms. They will turn to other things, such as computer games, some of which are aggressive, or drinking for fun. Therefore, some experts came up with an idea, that is, kindergarteners and first-graders get 10 minutes of homework. Second-graders get 20 minutes, and so on.”
Murphy offered tips to parents who think their children are getting too much homework. “Talk to other parents to see if they also think so, and then talk to the teacher,” she said. “Have a discussion about it, and let the teacher know that you want to work together on a solution.”
60. According to Anne Murphy, ___________.
A. parents should tell children what matters during dinner time
B. parents should save time and not cook for children
C. it’s important for the family to have a good talk during dinner time
D. it’s important for the family to discuss sharing together
61. Which of the following is the benefit of families eating together?
a. Children are more likely to avoid drugs.
b. Children may have better grades.
c. Children may have a close relationship with their parents.
d. It can save children’s time and prevent them from watching TV.
e. It encourages children to have more after-school activities.
A. a, b, c B. c, d, e C. a, c, e D. b, c, e
62. What do we know about homework from the passage?
A. The time spent on homework shouldn’t be over 10 minutes.
B. Too much homework may make students lose interest in study.
C. Homework does not help children continue learning after school.
D. Parents should decide the amount of homework for their children.
63. From the passage, we can learn that___________.
A. children’s time spent on after-school activities is being reduced
B. computer games are making children increasingly aggressive
C. it is unnecessary for young children to do homework
D. some experts think it necessary to reduce children’s homework
64. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. What matters most in parenting.
B. How to develop a close relationship with children.
C. Family education is important for children.
D. Parents say no to too much homework.
四、阅读理解。(共20小题:每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
The Winter Olympics are also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colourful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games, a group of stamps were published in Germany in November, 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colourful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
56. The White Olympics is _______________.
A. the Games whose color is white.
B. the Olympic Games that is held in winter.
C. the winter when the stamps are published.
D. the Games held in turn by each country.
57. When did the Chinese first participate in the Winter Olympics?
In 1932 B. In 1950 C. In 1936 D. In 1980
58. We can inferred from the passage that _________________.
Stamps are published only to mark the Winter Olympics during the Games.
Only host countries publish stamps.
Japan is the only one of the countries in Asia published stamps to mark the Games.
China hasn’t hosted the White Olympics so far.
59. Which one is the best title of the passage?
A. the Winter Olympic Games B. Stamps for the White Olympics
C. Olympic Countries D. the History of the Stamps
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit.
But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public education.
At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing.
The United States does a good job enrolling (招生) teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree.
So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that. Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos. The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive. About half of the low-income students with a grade-point average of at least 3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. “I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr. Bowen.
In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel(擅长)in producing drop-outs. “It’s really a waste,” Mr. Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country.” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen.
What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer.
71. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?
A. The government. B. Public education
C. The Detroit automakers. D. The Wall Street firms.
72. What is a big problem with American higher education?
A. It is hard to enroll enough students into college.
B. Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.
C. Many college students stay away from classes.
D. It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government.
73. The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______.
A. running to the end of the line B. going to college
C. finishing college education D. working hard in college
74. Why do some students under--match ?
A. Because they have financial difficulty.B. Because they face ambition crisis.
C. Because they lack confidence.D. Because they can’t get guidance.
75. The passage is mainly about _______.
A. problems with secondary American education and possible solutions
B. America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence
C. low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence
D. relationship between American education and its economy
In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her free time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip (退稿条) from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and ruined hopes can surface.
A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?”
“No”, she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
67. What do we learn form the first paragraph?
A. Now too many entertainments take up too much time.
B. Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities.
C. Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her free time.
D. Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing.
68. What did the author say about her own writing experience?
A. She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
B. Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
C. She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
D. Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
69. Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?
A. She had won a prize in the previous contest.
B. She wanted to share her stories with readers.
C. She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.
D. She believed she possessed real talent for writing.
70. What’s the author’s advice for parents?
A. Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
B. Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.
C. Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.
D. A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.