Engineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality (理性)，but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool. In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and, of course, any reasonable student with my aims would have chosen a college with a large engineering department, many famous professors and lots of good labs and research equipment. But that's not what I did.
I chose to study engineering in a small liberal-arts (文科）university that doesn't even offer a major in electrical engineering. Obviously, this was not a practical choice; I came here for more noble reasons. I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my job. I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by communicating with people who weren't studying science or engineering. My parents, teachers and other adults praised me for such a wise choice. They told me I was wise and grown-up beyond my 18 years, and I believed them.
I headed off to the college and sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering "factories" where they didn't care if you had values or were flexible. I was going to be a complete engineer: technical expert and excellent humanist all in one.
Now I'm not so sure. Somewhere along the way my noble ideas crashed into reality, as all noble ideas finally do. After three years of struggling to balance math, physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses, I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile engineering with liberal-arts courses in college.
The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don't mix as easily as I supposed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult. At present, the writer is studying _____.
| A．Engineering at a college with a large engineering department. |
| B．Engineering in a small liberal-arts university. |
| C．Literature in a liberal-arts university. |
| D．Communicating and technology. |
What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4?
| A．No noble idea can be out of touch with reality eventually. |
| B．The writer's noble ideas are practical. |
| C．Noble ideas have nothing to do with reality. |
| D．The writer considered his noble ideas as valuable as others. |
What problem has the writer found in his study at college?
| A．He can't get used to the engineer factory. |
| B．Math, physics and engineering courses are too difficult to learn. |
| C．It's hard to combine engineering with the literal arts. |
| D．He has made no progress in the literal arts. |
How has the writer felt about his choice?
| A．He felt proud at the beginning but a bit doubtful at present. |
| B．He has been feeling positive all the time. |
| C．He has decided to give up. |
| D．He shares the same opinion with his parents and teachers. |
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. “Houses” have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented(专利的)and have trade mark licenses(许可). The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing(安装)the dirt drain(排水管)at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores and in a more useful manner.The first paragraph tells us the importance of _________.
| A．the particular changes in houses |
| B．human beings’ role in making inventions |
| C．the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| D．the difference between human beings and animals |
What plays the most important role in causing people to invent new things?
| A．To earn more money and gain awards. |
| B．To be recorded by some special companies. |
| C．To improve the present living conditions. |
| D．To meet the new demands of new science. |
It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to _________.
| A．prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
Common people can also make good inventions because __________.
| A．wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| B．some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by common people |
| C．common people have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
The passage is mainly talking about _________.
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．different ideas about household inventions |
| C．the history of household inventions |
| D．household inventions and their influence |
As we have seen, the focus of medical care in our society has been shifting from curing disease to preventing disease—especially in terms of changing our many unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits, smoking, and failure to exercise. The line of thought involved in this shift can be pursued further. Imagine a person who is about the right weight, but does not eat very nutritious (有营养的) foods, who feels OK but exercises only occasionally, who goes to work every day, but is not an outstanding worker, who drinks a few beers at home most nights but does not drive while drunk, and who has no chest pains or abnormal blood counts, but sleeps a lot and often feels tired. This person is not ill. He may not even be at risk for any particular disease. But we can imagine that this person could be a lot healthier.
The field of medicine has not traditionally distinguished between someone who is merely “not ill” and someone who is in excellent health and pays attention to the body’s special needs. Both types have simply been called “well”. In recent years, however, some health specialists have begun to apply the terms “well” and “wellness” only to those who are actively striving to maintain and improve their health. People who are well are concerned with nutrition and exercise, and they make a point of monitoring their body’s condition. Most important, perhaps, people who are well take active responsibility for all matters related to their health. Even people who have a physical disease or handicap (缺陷) may be “well” in this new sense, if they make an effort to maintain the best possible health they can in the face of their physical limitations. “Wellness” may perhaps best be viewed not as a state that people can achieve, but as an ideal that people can strive for. People who are well are likely to be better able to resist disease and to fight disease when it strikes. And by focusing attention on healthy ways of living, the concept of wellness can have a beneficial impact on the ways in which people face the challenges of daily life.Today medical care is placing more stress on ________.
| A．keeping people in a healthy physical condition |
| B．monitoring patients’ body functions |
| C．removing people’s bad living habits |
| D．ensuring people’s psychological well-being |
In the first paragraph, people are reminded that ________.
| A．good health is more than not being ill |
| B．drinking, even if not to excess, could be harmful |
| C．regular health checks are essential to keeping fit |
| D．prevention is more difficult than cure |
Traditionally, a person is considered “well” if he ________.
| A．does not have any unhealthy living habits |
| B．does not have any physical handicaps |
| C．is able to handle his daily routines |
| D．is free from any kind of disease |
According to the author, the true meaning of “wellness” is for people ________.
| A．to best satisfy their body’s special needs |
| B．to strive to maintain the best possible health |
| C．to meet the strictest standards of bodily health |
| D．to keep a proper balance between work and leisure |
According to what the author advocates, which of the following groups of people would be considered healthy?
| A．People who have strong muscles as well as slim figures. |
| B．People who are not presently experiencing any symptoms of disease. |
| C．People who try to be as possible, regardless of their limitations. |
| D．People who can recover from illness even without seeking medical care. |
Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities (operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government’s Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would-be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other’s patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by ______.
| A．a church | B．a corporation | C．a city | D．a state |
The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.
| A．schooling and retraining | B．practice in a hospital |
| C．facilities he or she uses | D．education he or she receives |
According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?
| A．About seven year. | B．Eight years. |
| C．Ten years. | D．About twelve years. |
Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.
| A．there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them |
| B．they can take turns to work long hours |
| C．facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder |
| D．no one wants to assume too much responsibility |
Which of the following statements could fully express the author’s view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?
| A．For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay. |
| B．It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous. |
| C．Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions. |
| D．Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded. |
A butcher watching over his shop was really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He went over to the dog and noticed it had a note in its mouth. He took the note and it read “Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well.”
The butcher looked carefully and was surprised to find that there was really a ten-dollar note there. So he took the money and put the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog’s mouth. The butcher was so impressed, and since it was about closing time, he decided to shut up shop and follow the dog.
So off he went. He followed the dog to a bus stop. The dog stopped and started looking at the timetable. The dog checked out the time, and then sat on one of the seats provided. Along came a bus. The dog walked around to the front, looked at the number, and went back to its seat. Another bus came. Again the dog went around to the front, looked at the number and climbed on. The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, followed it onto the bus.
The bus traveled through the town and out into the suburbs. Eventually the dog got up, and moved to the front of the bus. It stood on two back paws and pushed the button to stop the bus. Then it got off with groceries still in its mouth.
Well, the dog and the butcher were walking along the road, and then the dog turned into a house. It walked up the path, and dropped the groceries on the step. Then it walked back down the path, took a big run, and threw itself against the door. Then again, it threw himself against it. There’s no answer at the house. so the dog waited at the door.
The butcher watched as a big guy opened the door, and started shouting at it. The butcher ran up, and stopped the guy. “Why do you shout at the dog? It is really a genius.” The guy responded, “You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog’s forgotten its key.”Which may be the best title of the passage?
| A．A clever dog. | B．A curious butcher. |
| C．A cruel owner. | D．A second lost key. |
Why was the butcher surprised when he saw the dog?
| A．Because there was a note in the dog’s mouth. |
| B．Because a dog was not supposed to come into his shop alone. |
| C．Because the dog was not afraid of being butchered. |
| D．Because the dog could read. |
The passage implies that _________.
| A．dogs are cleverer than man |
| B．dogs are our best friend |
| C．the butcher is a cruel person |
| D．some people are never satisfied with what they have got |
The dog threw itself against the door, because _________.
| A．it wanted to force the door open |
| B．it wanted its owner to open the door |
| C．it wanted to punish itself for forgetting the key |
| D．it wanted to get the butcher’s help |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The butcher was curious so he followed the dog. |
| B．The dog didn’t get on the first bus because it was the wrong number. |
| C．To get off the bus, you should let the driver know by pressing the button. |
| D．The dog would be driven away by the big guy. |
One is never too old to learn. Life learning (sometimes called un-schooling or self-directed learning) is one of those concepts that are almost easier to explain by saying what it isn’t than what it is. And that’s probably because our own schooled backgrounds have convinced us that learning happens only in a fine building on certain days, between certain hours, and managed by a specially trained professional.
Within that schooling framestudy, no matter how hard teachers try and no matter how good their textbooks, many bright students get bored, many slower students struggle and give up or lose their self-respect, and most of them reach the end of the process unprepared to enter into society. They have memorized a certain body of knowledge long enough to rush back the information on tests, but they haven’t really learnt much, at least of the official curriculum.
Life learners, on the other hand, know that learning is not difficult, that people learn things quite easily if they’re not compelled and forced, if they see a need to learn something, and if they are trusted and respected enough to learn it on their own timetable, at their own speed, in their own way—no matter what age and no matter whether we’re at school or at home.
Life learning is independent of time, location or the presence of teacher. It does not require mom or dad to teach, or kids to work in workbooks at the table from 9 to noon. Life learning is learner-driven. It involves living and learning—in and from the real world. It is about exploring, questioning, experimenting, making messes, taking risks without fear of making mistakes, being laughed at and trying again.
Furthermore, life learning is about trusting kids to learn what they need to know and about helping them to learn and grow in their own ways. It is about providing positive experiences that enable children to understand the world and their culture and to interact with it.It is implied in the text that it is hard to ______.
| A．tell the nature of life learning | B．carry life learning through |
| C．learn without going to school | D．find a specially trained teacher |
According to the author, the schooling framestudy often ______.
| A．produces slow students with poor memories |
| B．ignores some parts of the official curriculum |
| C．fails to provide enough knowledge about life |
| D．gives little care to the quality of teaching materials |
Life learners recognize that learning will not be difficult if they are ______.
| A．able to respect other people | B．careful to make a time table |
| C．clear about why to learn | D．cautious about any mistakes |
According to the author, life learning ______.
| A．could prevent one from running risks |
| B．teaches a kid how to avoid being laughed at |
| C．makes a kid independent of his parents |
| D．could be a road full of trials and errors |
Through life learning, children ______.
| A．will grow without the assistance from parents |
| B．will be seperated from the negative side of society |
| C．will be driven to learn necessary life knowledge |
| D．will learn to communicate with the real society |