Having just quit a highly moneymaking job with tech giant Microsoft in the United States,where he’d made millions working as a program manager,Patrick Awuah would wake up once in a while wondering if he’d done the right thing.
What Awuah wanted was to create a university in his native Ghana.a state-of-the-art education centre that would help educate the country’s next generation of leaders.Awuah moved with his family back to Ghana.There,he invested his own money and with the help of other donors he founded Ashesi University.
“Africa needs to have a renaissance(复兴),” says Awuah as he explained what drove him to take the risky decision.“The world needs to change in this way and I strongly believe that people like me need to be part of the solution;I need to be really actively involved in helping to drive this change in Africa‘‘
Located about an hour's drive from the capital Accra,Ashesi,which appropriately translates to “beginning,” is the first Ghanaian university to combine technical majors with a liberal arts approach.Its campus,set on 100 acres in a town called Berekuso,was designed to be inspiring for the more than 500 young Ghanaians studying there.
“So when I look at universities I see Africa fast—forward 30 years.When this 20-year-old is now in his or her 50s,that person is going to be a leader.”
Today Ashesi,which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year,offers degrees in business,information systems and computer science.There are plans to offer engineering and economics majors in the near future.The school’s graduation rate is between 70%and 90%,according to Awuah.
In our last freshman class,50% of the students paid full tuition(学费),25%were on full scholarships and 25%on partial scholarships ,”he said.“The reason why variety is so important is that the most important conversation on campus is a conversation about the good society—what is the good society we would like to see in Africa? That conversation is a lot more interesting if you have variety in the classroom,”adds Awuah.In Awuah’s opinion,Africa should be changed by
A.investing more money for development |
B.developing computer science |
C.training future leaders for development |
D.founding more universities |
The underlined sentence in the first paragraph infers that “_____”.
A.Awuah regretted that he had once worked with Microsoft |
B.Awuah would doubt if he should resign from Microsoft |
C.Awuah wondered whether it was right to invest for a university |
D.Awuah felt it wrong that he had refused a job with a large salary |
The university founded by Awuah_____.
A.came into being 10 years ago | B.was named with “beginning” |
C.is located in the capital of Ghan | D.will be run for 30 years |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A.Ashesi has offered five degrees since it was founded. |
B.Awuah had earned millions of dollars before he left Microsoft. |
C.50% of the new students in Ashesi receive education for free. |
D.Awuah was the only investor in setting up Ashesi University. |
B
When I was about 10 one day, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I knew I could see Mr. Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable, “You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street.” That sentence sounds simple but it made me become who I am.
At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the café and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no matter how humble(低微的) they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.
I’ve become vice-president, but that hasn’t changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.
The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.What is the best title for this passage?
A.The Power of Being Talkative |
B.My Mother’s Influence on Me |
C.The Power of Saying hello |
D.My Way to Become Vice-President |
It is implied in the first paragraph that____.
A.the writer didn’t know Mr. Lee |
B.the writer didn’t say hello to Mr. Lee on that occasion |
C.the writer didn’t get along well with his mother |
D.the writer’s mother stopped to say hello to everyone she met |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A.The writer didn’t say hello to everyone in the company. |
B.The writer made a very good impression on the president of the company. |
C.The president of the company thought the writer was much better than him. |
D.The president of the company actually didn’t like the writer at all. |
For the writer, saying hello to others_______.
A.is a way to get what he wants |
B.has become a habit and a way of life. |
C.is a way to show respect for his mother |
D.is important in making him remembered. |
According to paragraph 3, in the writer’s opinion, speaking to others can______.
A.make our world much better |
B.make people much happier every day. |
C.help people understand each other better |
D.help people work much better |
A
Car needs gas to run as your body needs food to work for you. Eating the right kinds of food is very important. A good eating habit can help your body grow strong if you take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all of these foods together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may be easier to eat fish and chips for your supper all the time. But you will find yourself tired and you will not be able to think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having good eating habits with some exercise is the key to your health.According to the passage, which of the following diets do you think is the best one?
A.Eggs, tomatoes and chicken. |
B.Milk, bread, cabbages and beef. |
C.Corn, fish, ice cream and pork. |
D.Rice, beancurd(豆腐),fish and chicken. |
Which of the following is a good eating habit?
A.Going to school without any breakfast. |
B.Eating fish and chips for supper all the time. |
C.Having at least food from one of the four groups each meal. |
D.Having different food from all four food groups. |
In this passage the writer mainly tells us that____.
A.every person needs food to grow well. |
B.taking exercise can keep your body strong. |
C.the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy. |
D.enough energy helps people think more quickly. |
The underlined word “dairy” in the second paragraph means_____.
A.the food made out of cows such as milk and butter |
B.the shop that sells milk and butter |
C.a farm where cows are kept |
D.a place where milk products are made |
D
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains.But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against rain.Its first use was as a shade against the sun.
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times.Probably the Chinese were the earliest to use it in the eleventh century BC.We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade.And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor and authority.In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royalty or by those in high offices.
In Europe, the Greeks were the earliest to use the umbrella as a sunshade.And the umbrella was allowed in common use in ancient Greece.But it is believed that the earliest persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared.Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century.And again, it was considered a symbol of power and authority.In around 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later on in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe.Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight.It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made in a whole variety of colors.The first use of umbrella was as ______________.
A.protection against rain | B.shade against the sun |
C.a symbol of power and authority | D.a symbol of honor and authority |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against rain ___________.
A.in Greece | B.in Rome | C.in England | D.in France |
From the text, we can infer that _________.
A.the umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century. |
B.no one knows why the umbrella was used in very ancient times. |
C.once ordinary people had no right to use umbrellas. |
D.during the Middle Ages the umbrella was common in Europe. |
This passage talks mainly about ____________.
A.when and how the umbrella was invented. |
B.why the umbrella was so popular in Europe. |
C.the development of the umbrella. |
D.the history and use of the umbrella. |
C
Education is not an end but a means to an end.In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them.Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modern countries, it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation.But we have already seen that free education for all is not enough; we find in some countries a far larger number of people with university degrees.They refuse to do what they think “low” work and, in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries.But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of professor.We can live without education, but we die if we have no food.If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in certain ways.Firstly each of us can do whatever work suited to our brains and ability.Secondly, we should realize that all jobs are necessary to society.It is very bad to be shamed of one’s work.Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.What would be the best title for the text?
A.The Means of Education. | B.The System of Education. |
C.The Value of Education. | D.The Type of Education. |
From the second paragraph of the passage we know that ________.
A.work with hands is low work because it is dirty and shameful. |
B.the work of the completely uneducated is the most important. |
C.education is no more important than food in order to live. |
D.we shouldn’t think of work with hands as low work. |
What kind of educational system is valuable to society?
A.A large number of people can go to university. |
B.Everyone can solve all the problems of society. |
C.All the people can get free education. |
D.Everyone must be educated differently to fit them for society. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Our society needs all kinds of jobs. |
B.Free education for all is enough. |
C.A farmer is more important than a professor. |
D.People with university degrees shouldn’t do low work. |
B
It is the duty of every man to work. The life of a lazy man is of no use to himself and to others. The man who is too lazy to work is the man who is generally most ready to beg or to steal. Every boy, when he is young, should learn how to do some useful work.
But it is not enough that a boy should learn some kind of work. He should put his heart and soul completely into his work, and not waste his spare time. “Work while you work and play while you play” is as good a rule for young people as for the old!
There is no better help to diligence (勤奋) than the habit of early rising, and this, just like all other good habits, is most easily formed in youth. There is an English saying, “Lost time never returns”. This means that everybody must be diligent and make good use of his time. One must study hard when one is young so that one may make great progress, succeed in life and become useful to one’s country. Those who are diligent will never become beggars. Therefore, we can say that diligence is the mother of success.From the passage, we know that those who are too lazy to work will_________.
A.waste their time |
B.help others |
C.become beggars or thieves |
D.make progress some day |
In order to learn to be diligent, it’s important for young people to _________.
A.form the good habit of getting up early in youth |
B.learn about some good habits |
C.work while they work and play while they play |
D.work all the time without playing |
One can’t be successful in life unless he _________when he is young.
A.is diligent in his study |
B.loves life |
C.spends some time learning something |
D.makes up for his lost time |