A study suggests that although most students at UK universities are happy with their courses, dissatisfaction has grown as fees rise．The study highlights a big variation in teaching time, and lists different ideas about the value of getting university degrees．
Katharine Collins, a second-year college student
The course has been very interesting, but I was expecting a little more one-to-one time with my teacher．
We do about four assignments （作业） each term, each of which is about 3,000 words．However, sometimes they are not that helpful．We hope to be given the right to write feedback （反馈） after every assignment, but we had no feedback at all throughout the first year．We are given grades about three weeks after we hand the assignments in．There is no feedback on where we have gone wrong or how we might improve．
Lee Millington, a creative-writing student
I choose the courses because of its reputation．There is a lack of one-to-one teaching．I would like personalized feedback from an expert in my field of writing．Some of the lectures have been quite helpful but they try to use too many different styles of writing．For example, if you want to be a poet, you might find that the lectures focus too much on novels．
I think there is too much attention paid to sharing our work in workshops and giving each other feedback．I think there should be more time given to actual teaching, rather than to feedback from people who are at a similar level to me．
Reporters from Hounsdown Secondary School, Ella, 16
When I work independently, I feel I have more freedom to develop my ideas and come up with more original viewpoints．The price of university will still be worth it to get the qualifications （资格证书）necessary for better jobs．
Tyier, 16
Although the cost of university is very high now, I think university is required for gaining a good and well-paid job．
AgenciesWe can learn from the beginning of the article that .
| A．Most of the university students at UK are dissatisfied with their courses. |
| B．The higher and higher pay for their courses accounts for the rise of the UK students’ dissatisfaction. |
| C．All the students at UK universities hold a similar attitude towards the value of getting university degrees. |
| D．The student’s purpose is to highlight the importance of gaining a university diploma. |
According to Katharine Collins in Paragraph 2, we can infer that .
| A．She is content with the assignments given in each term. |
| B．She has never been given one-to-one time with her teacher before. |
| C．She didn’t think highly of the value of the assignments at the university. |
| D．She benefits from the assignments a lot because they are helpful. |
Why does Lee Millington choose the course-- writing?
| A．Because he wants to be a great writer in the future. |
| B．Because he is interested in it from his heart. |
| C．Because he hope to make a better living before long． |
| D．Because the course has a high reputation in society． |
Who will most tend to be a professional novelist among the students mentioned in the passage?
| A．Ella． | B．Tyler． | C．Lee． | D．Katharine． |
What does the author mainly tell us at UK in this passage?
| A．The value for university degrees． |
| B．The higher pay for courses at university． |
| C．The terrible assignments at university． |
| D．The puzzle of the students at university． |
Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands. Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn't forget that Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired (启发) his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin's footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands. The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be. The most well-known animal of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise(巨型海龟), which can be seen moving slowly around the highlands of Sanra Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago(群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been seen in their youth by Darwin himself. Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures: diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and, most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air. Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time. What do we know about Darwin's visit to the islands?
| A．He studied different creatures on the islands |
| B．He completed his famous book on the islands |
| C．He was touched by the geography of the islands |
| D．He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands |
Which of the following plays a role in making the islands "a paradise for wildlife"?
| A．Animals on the islands feed on grass. |
| B．Local government forbids killing wildlife. |
| C．People cannot visit the islands as they wish. |
| D．Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals. |
Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of_________.
| A．The beautiful sea views |
| B．Darwin's inspiring trip |
| C．a closer view of animals |
| D．various daring activities |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A Unique Attraction for Wildlife Lovers |
| B．Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventures |
| C．Charles Darwin as a Symbol of Galapagos |
| D．A Successful Example of Wildlife Protection |
It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (嫁妆). Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife’s right to receive a tenth of all her husband’s property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband’s personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro’s personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, “for the sake of peace.” Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position. Originally, the purpose of a dowry is to_________.
A give a woman the right to receive all her husband’s property
B help a woman to enjoy a higher position in the family
C protect a woman against the risk of desertion
D both A and C According to the passage, the legal status of the wife in marriage was__________.
A higher than that of a single woman
B higher than that of her husband
C lower than that of her husband
D the same as that of her husband Why does the author give us the example of Maria Vivas?
A To show that the wife shared in the management of her husbands personal property.
B To show that the wife can defend her own inheritance.
C To prove that women have powerful position.
D To illustrate how women win her property. The compensation Maria Vivas got for the field is____________.
A some of the land Miro had inherited
B a tenth of Miro’s land
C money for household expenses
D money form Miro’s inheritanceThe author’s attitude towards Maria Vivas is_____________.
A sympathetic B disapproval C indifferent D objective
It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers(生产商) follow certain uniform standards for various features(特征) of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men's clothes tend to button from the right, and women's from the left. Considering most of the world's population----men and women----are right-handed, the men's standard would appear to make more sense for women. So why do women's clothes button from the left? History really seems to matter here. Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women's shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men's shirts button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt. Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change. At a time when all women's shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women's shirts that buttoned from the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men's shirts. What is surprising about the standard of the clothing industry?
| A．It has been followed by the industry for over 400 years. |
| B．It is different for men's clothing and women's. |
| C．It woks better with men than with women. |
| D．It fails to consider right-handed people. |
What do we know about the rich men in the 17th century?
| A．They tended to wear clothes without buttons. |
| B．They were interested in the historical matters. |
| C．They were mostly dressed by servants. |
| D．They drew their swords from the left. |
Women's clothes still button from the left today because.
| A．adopting men's style is improper for women |
| B．manufacturers should follow standards |
| C．modern women dress themselves |
| D．customs are hard to change |
The passage is mainly developed by.
| A．analyzing causes |
| B．making comparisons |
| C．examining differences |
| D．following the time order |
When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London，a poet described her paintings as “a ribbon(丝带) around a bomb”．Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time.Sadly，she is actually a_much_bigger_name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City，Kahlo suffered from polio(小儿麻痹症) at the age of seven.Her spine(脊柱) became bent as she grew older.Then，in 1925，her back was broken in several places in a schoolbus accident.Throughout the rest of her life，the artist had many operations，but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back.However，the accident had an unexpected side effect.While lying in her bed recovering，Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929，she got married to Diego Rivera，another famous Mexican artist.Rivera’s strong influence on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works，but her later works from the 1940s，known today as her best works，show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately，her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s，even in her home country.Her first onewoman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954，Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world，but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last. (2012·安徽，C)What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in Paragraph 1 most nearly mean?
| A．a far better artist |
| B．a far more gifted artist |
| C．a much stronger person |
| D．a much more famous person |
The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by________.
| A．polio | B．her bent spine |
| C．back injuries | D．the operations she had |
Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the________.
| A．1930s | B．1940s |
| C．1950s | D．1970s |
What is the author’s attitude toward Kahlo?
| A．Devotion. | B．Sympathy. |
| C．Worry. | D．Encouragement. |
It was a village in India.The people were poor.However，they were not unhappy.After all，their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day，some visitors from the city arrived.They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs.However，they did not have enough frogs of their own，and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing.There were millions of frogs in the fields around，and they were no use to the villagers.All they had to do was catch them.Agreement was reached，and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs.Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money.For the first time，the people were able to dream of a better future.But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first，but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well.More worrying was that the children fell ill more often，and，there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak.They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines.Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening.It was the frog.They hadn’t been useless.They had been doing an important job—eating insects.Now with so many frogs killed，the insects were increasing more rapidly.They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now，the people are still poor.But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs.These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
(2010·辽宁，A)From Paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers ________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．The frogs were easy money. |
| B．They needed money to buy medicine. |
| C．They wanted to please the visitors. |
| D．The frogs made too much noise. |
What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
| A．The crops didn’t do well. |
| B．There were too many insects. |
| C．The visitors brought in diseases. |
| D．The pesticides were overused. |
What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country. |
| B．Health is more important than money. |
| C．The harmony between man and nature is important. |
| D．Good old days will never be forgotten. |