Is the ‘Go to College’ Message Overdone?
Even in a weak job market, the old college try isn’t the answer for everyone. A briefing paper from the Brookings Institution warns that “we may have overdone the message” on college, senior fellow Isabel Sawhill said.
“We’ve been telling students and their families for years that college is the only way to succeed in the economy and of course there’s a lot of truth to that,” Ms. Sawhill said. “On average it does pay off… But if you load up on a whole lot of student debt and then you don’t graduate, that is a very bad situation.”
One comment that people often repeat among the years of slow job growth has been the value of education for landing a job and advancing in a career. April’s national unemployment rate stood at 7.5%, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate for high-school graduates over 25 years old who hadn’t attended college was 7.4%, compared with 3.9% for those with a bachelor’s degree or more education. The difference is even bigger among those aged 16-24. The jobless rate for those with only a high school diploma in that age group is about 20%. At the same time, recent research by Canadian economists cautions that a college degree is no guarantee of promising employment.
Ms. Sawhill pointed out that among the aspects that affect the value of a college education is the field of one’s major: Students in engineering or other sciences end up earning more than ones who major in the arts or education. The cost of tuition and the availability of financial aid are other considerations, with public institutions generally a better financial bargain than private ones.
She suggested two avenues for improving the situation: increasing vocational(职业的)-technical training programs and taking a page from Europe’s focus on early education rather than post-secondary learning. “The European countries put a little more attention to getting people prepared in the primary grades,” she said. “Then they have a higher bar for whoever goes to college—but once you get into college, you’re more likely to be highly subsidized(资助).”
She also is a supporter of technical training—to teach students how to be plumbers, welders and computer programmers—because “employers are desperate” for workers with these skills.People usually think that _____.
| A．the cost of technical schooling is a problem |
| B．one will not succeed without a college degree |
| C．technical skills are most important for landing a job |
| D．there is an increased competition in getting into a college |
What does the underlined part “taking a page from” mean?
| A．Hearing from. | B．Changing from. |
| C．Differing from. | D．Learning from. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Public institutions charge more for education. |
| B．European universities are stricter with students. |
| C．Students with certain skills are in great demand. |
| D．Canadian students prefer to major in engineering. |
Ms. Sawhill may probably agree that _____.
| A．too much stress has been put on the value of college degrees |
| B．technical training is more important than college education |
| C．a college degree will ensure promising employment |
| D．it’s easier for art students to find favorite jobs |
B
At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.
The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.
The real attractions of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded (相邻) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition of the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.
I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (无牵挂的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.
46. What do we know about the author?
A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he live.
B. He made a study of many farms before buying.
C. He made money by buying and selling farms.
D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.
47. Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?
A. It was of good market value. B. It was next to the highway.
C. It was is a good position. D. It was behind a nice garden.
48. Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?
A. He was afraid the owner might change his mind.
B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.
C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was. D. He was eager to become a farm owner.
49. The underlined words “the loss” in the last paragraph refer to ________.
A. the money the author lost in buying the farm
B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place
C. the removal of the trees around the house
D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place
50. What does the author believe as important in life?
A. To own a farm. B. To satisfy his needs.
C. To be free from worries. D. To live in the countryside.
三、阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并把答案写在答题卷上。（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
A
Some people have the feeling that nothing can be done about their poor reading ability. They feel hopeless about it. Can you learn to read better, or must you agree that nothing can be done about it?
To be sure, people are different. You cannot expect to do everything as well as certain other people
do. If all the students in a class tried out for basketball, some would be very good players; others would be very poor; and many would be in between. But even the very poor players can become much better players if they are guided in the right way, and with plenty of practice. It is the same with reading. Some seem to enjoy reading and to read well without any special help. Others find reading a slow and tiring job. In between, there are all degrees of reading ability.
Many experiments have shown that just about every poor reader can improve his reading ability. In these experiments, the poor readers were given tests of reading ability. After some of the causes of their reading were discovered, they were given special instruction and practice in reading. After a few months, another test of the same kind was given. In nearly all cases, these people had raised their reading scores.
41. With the example of basketball players, the author shows ________.
A. why certain people are poor readers B. that there are differences in people’s abilities
C. why some people are good basketball players
D. that good basketball players can be good readers
42. To improve their reading ability, people should ________.
A. work long and hard B. take different forms of tests
C. have special help and practice D. try different reading materials
43. The experiments mentioned in the text show that ________.
A. good readers seem to enjoy reading
B. almost all poor readers can make progress
C. causes of poor reading were difficult to find out
D. tests help people improve their reading ability
44. What does the underlined sentence “many would be in between” mean?
A. It means that many are the best basket players.
B. It means that many are the worst basket players.
C. It means that many are standing in the middle of the line.
D. It means that there are several levels of players in many students.
45. What’s the purpose of the author’s writing this passage?
A. To encourage people to improve their reading ability.
B. To suggest that readers should do practice only in reading.
C. To tell us that readers can’t improve their reading ability without special help.
D. To tell us that to be a good reader, one should be guided in the right way.
E
The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to the diet as well, especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, about 35 years ago, government researchers realized that nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives, which we eat, are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and living animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cow. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue.
61. What is the best possible title of the passage?
A. Drug and Food B. Cancer and Health C. Food and Health D. Health and Drug
62. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasons
B. Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are given to the living animals
C. Researchers have known about the potential dangers of additives for over thirty---- five years.
D. Food may cause forty percent of cancer in world.
63. How has science done something harmful to mankind?
A. Because of science, diseases caused by polluted food have been virtually eliminated.
B. It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food.
C. Because of the application of science, some potentially harmful substances have been added to food.
D. The scientists have preserved the color of meats, but not of vegetables.
64. What are nitrates used for?
A. They preserve flavor in packaged food. B. They preserve the color of meats
C. They are the objects of research.D. They cause the animals to become fatter.
65. The word “carcinogenic” most nearly means _________________
A. trouble–making B. color– retaining C. money –making D. cancer–causing
D
To find out how the name Canada came about, we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of discovering and controlling more land across the world. In 1535 Francois I, King of France, ordered a navigator (航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore the New world and search for a passage to India.
Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know
what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it
was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upwards along the St. Lawrence
River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called
it. It was at this point that the term “Canada” entered the country’s history. Clearly the word
“Canada” came from an Indian word “Kanata”, which means village. Cartier first used it when he
referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “village” Canada is!
57. What was Cartier ordered to do?
A. To build a new country
B. To find the New World
C. To get in touch with the American Indians
D. To know more about America and find a new way to Asia
58. When Cartier reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence he hoped ________.
A. he had got to the Far East B. it was a water way to the New World
C. it was a water way to the Far East D. he had sailed into the Pacific
59. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Quebec and Stadacona were tow islands.
B. The Indian language for village is Stadacona.
C. Quebec and Stadacona were two villages in Canada.
D. Stadacona was what the Indians called Quebec.
60. Canada was first used to refer to __________.
A. Asia B. the New World C. a village D. Quebec
C
Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration (注意力) is their biggest problem. It seriously affects their ability to study, so do their test results.
If so, use these tips to help you.
Study Techniques
You should always study in the same place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for
another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it .
Your eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your
book at an angle of 30 degrees.
Be realistic and don’t try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before
beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
All your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty
of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts for a few months.
Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also
improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
When you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and
deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.
54. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. You should study in a different place every day, so you don’t get bored.
B. Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time.
C. Check the time during the exam at a certain time.
D. Staying up all night and studying is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method.
55. What does the underlined word “it” refer to in the 3rd paragraph?
A. Your study desk or table. B. Your textbook.
C. Your dictionary. D. The equipment you need.
56. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test.
B. You will have enough energy to deal with your study and exams by eating healthy diet.
C. You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you.
D. If you feel tired during study, you can walk around for a few minutes.