Cambridge graduates are the most employable in the world,according to a global league table.The ancient university is the best at producing graduates who are‘ready to work’,a poll of major employers found.
Oxford slipped to fourth place in the rankings having taken top spot last year.Harvard and Yale—part of the US‘Ivy League’of universities—were second and third respectively.
Five British universities were ranked in the top 20—one more than last year—and 12 were in the full list of 150.
But the UK as a country came third—behind the US and Germany—when companies were asked to name the best nation for producing work—ready graduates.
The table—the Global Employability(就业能力)University Ranking published by the International New York Times—also showed that universities in Asian countries were rapidly gaining ground on their western counterparts (对手).
Asian universities claimed 20 percent of the top 150 places in 2014 compared with only 10 percent when the tables were first published in 2010.
The other British universities in the top 20 were University College London,in 14th place,Imperial College London,in 15th,and Edinburgh,18th.
The table showed the gap between a small number of top UK universities and less famous institutions.
Laurent Dupasquier,managing partner at Emerging,a French human resources consultancy,said:“The top tier players.global brands (which tend to be all American and British).continue to lead,while other Anglo—Saxon universities,those that are mainly regional players,tend to develop less well,with an average of five places lost in comparison with last year.”
“Like the Premier League(英超联赛),the champions have an international community of students and think internationally,unlike their more locally oriented counterparts.”
The table was made following a survey of 2,500 major companies in 20 countries.Employers were asked to rank universities against a range of criteria including their production of graduates who are ready to work and their links with business.
The study claimed that‘the days of ivory towers are over’.Which university had the best work-ready graduates last year?
| A.Cambridge. | B.Oxford. | C.Harvard. | D.Yale. |
The underlined phrase“gaining ground”in Paragraph 5 probably refers to ____________.
| A.falling behind |
| B.coming into conflict |
| C.making room |
| D.becoming more successful |
What can we learn about the UK universities from the text?
| A.There are many quality gaps between UK universities. |
| B.The UK produced the most work-ready graduates this year. |
| C.Universities in the UK make up most of the top 20. |
| D.Almost all UK university graduates are employable. |
Why do regional UK universities tend to develop less well this year?
| A.They couldn’t raise enough education fund. |
| B.They have students from all over the world. |
| C.They lack international students and think locally. |
| D.The UK government didn’t support them at a11. |
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
As China’s women’s gymnastics team enjoyed the glory of winning the country’s first team Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,the young gymnasts took the opportunity to remind the world that they are old enough to compete.
Weeks before the Beijing Games, some international media raised questions about the ages of some of the members of China’s gymnastics team, particularly He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan. They said the girls might be younger than 16, the minimum age for the Olympics. But the Chinese Gymnastics Association quickly provided copies of the gymnasts’ ID cards and passports, proving they are indeed old enough to compete.
In the final, He Kexin gave a clean performance on her favorite uneven bars(高低杠), earning the second highest score after falling from the bars during qualification. “Although I fell down in the qualification, I became more confident today to make up for my mistake and I finally made it.”She said. It was a great moment for head coach Lu Shanzhen. “Our team made history today and proved to the world that we are the best.” the coach said, “The gold medal is not only for the gymnastics team,but also for the whole Chinese delegation at the Beijing Games.”
The coach owed the team’s success to a series of reforms. The Chinese team used to train a 1ot, but competed less, which led to poor results in international competitions. To improve their ability to compete and to strengthen their psychological power, the Chinese team sent more team members to compete abroad, so they could bring a competitive spirit back to the team. All six gymnasts in the Olympic team final were selected from fierce competition, and they proved themselves today.
1. Before the Beijing Games started,some international media doubted whether ________.
A. Chinese women gymnasts could win the team gold medal
B. He Kexin would fall from the bars during qualification
C. Chinese women gymnasts could make history at the Beijing Games
D. some Chinese women gymnasts were old enough for the Games
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The international media’s doubts proved to be true.
B. He Kexin’s fall in the qualification had no bad effect on her performance in the final competition.
C. Chinese women gymnasts’ success at the Beijing Games proved that the reforms did work.
D. Each team is made up of 6 members to compete for the team gold medal in women gymnastics.
3. In the opinion of Lu Shanzhen, the key to achieving success for athletes is to________.
A. practice harder than ever B. experience more competitions abroad
C. have strong psychological power D. have a competitive spirit
4. The main purpose of the text is to________.
A. tell a story B. provide evidence C. give a report D. compare opinions
Board, But Not Boring
Roll the Dice and Take a Chance on Something New…
Are you vacationed-out, tired of video-gaming, waterlogged by too many trips to the pool and ready to scream if you see one more “SpongeBob” rerun?
In other words, are you bored with summer?
We’ve got a suggestion: Kill that boredom with some great board boredom games. We went to game expert Lizzy Palmer of Barston’s Child’s Play in the District and ask for suggestions. All the games you see on this page are a ton of fun, she said, and there are sure to be at least one or two that you don’t already have.
Maptangle
Borderline Games
Ages 7 and older, 4 to 6 players, $24.95
This clever take on the classic game of Twister
challenges your gymnastic and geographic
skills at the same time. A huge floor map of
the world serves as the game board. There are
lots of geographic elements: countries, oceans,
rivers, deserts, even man-made landmarks. A
deck of cards tells you where to put one foot,
then the other. The round is over when someone falls.
Jungle Speed
Ages 7 and older, 2 to 8
players, $25.99
This is a fast-paced shape-
recognition game. A wooden totem
(图腾柱) sits in the middle. Players flip
(翻) over cards one at a time. When your
card matches another, be the first to grab
the totem so that you can give your card to the loser. But be careful: Some cards look the same but aren’t!
Enchanted Forest
Ravensburger Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6 players,
$24.99
A classic memory game. Take a winding path
through the forest and check under the trees for
fairy-tale treasure. Remember what you saw so
that when you need a particular treasure you can
go back to that tree to get it. Cool rule: You can split your dice (骰子) roll—for example, move five spaces in one direction and two in the other to land at the right tree.
Go fish for Wildlife Birdcage Press All ages, $9.95
Birdcage has several decks (副) of cards that are
more like trading cards. You fish for sea creatures,
reptiles, wild animals. Each deck has instructions
for several card games, and each card has great
photos and fun facts. Great for a trip.
HedBanz Funrise Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6
players, $13.99
Put on a headband and slip in a card that shows an
animal or thing. Everyone else can see it but you.
Ask questions until you guess what it is—but do it
before time runs out!
1. What’s the purpose of writing the article?
A. To advertise several board games to attract potential consumers.
B. To introduce several board games for readers to pass the summer.
C. To try to persuade readers to give up video games and choose board games.
D. To make some suggestions on how to spend the long summer.
2. Suppose Doris, a mother with a six-year old boy, wants to buy some board games for her child. How many kinds of board games can she choose?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5
3 Which of the following games will be the best choice for Mr Smith who wants to find an indoor game that can benefit both his daughter’s mind as well as her body?
A. Go Fish for Wildlife B. Jungle Speed
C. Maptangle Borderline Games D. Hedbanz
4. Which of the following can match the games with their benefits to players?
(1) Enchanted Forest a. to practice your quick response
(2) Maptangle Borderline Games b. to practice your memory
(3) Jungle Speed c. to practice your geographic knowledge
(4) Go fish for Wildlife d. to increase the knowledge about animals
A. bacd B. bcad C. cbad D. cdab
I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.
I can’t count the times I called my siste
r and said, “How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would gasp and stammer (结结巴巴地说), “ I can’t . I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.” And my personal favo
rite response: “It’s just Monday.” She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.
Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awake, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of “I’m going to”, “I plan on” and “someday”, when things are settled down bit.
When anyone calls my “seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungle cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now…go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to…not something on your SHOULD DO list.
1. The example of the writer’s sister serves as ____.
A. an argument B. an introduction C. a support D. a conclusion
2. The writer thinks that the underlined excuse “It’s just Monday.” is acceptable,
because ____.
A.it is still likely that they can have lunch together some time later
B.it sounds most reasonable of all the excuses
C.it shows respect for the writer’s suggestion
D.it indicates the time when they can have lunch together
3. The underlined word “contagious” in the fourth paragraph means “______”.
A. appropriate B. influential C. practical D. evident
4. What did the purpose of the writer by writing this passage?
A. To suggest how time flies. B. To persuade busy people to relax.
C. to advise people to keep their promise.
D. To convince readers to be flexible on their schedule for practical joy.
Some people look at a hole and see empty space. Others see opportunity. That’s what Sheri Schmelzer spotted a few years ago when everyone—including her three children—started wearing Crocs, the colorful shoes dotted with holes.
“My kids and I were clowning around, and my eldest daughter, Lexie, got
the sewing kit out. I brought one of the Crocs, pulled some buttons, rhinestones, and fabric out of the kit, and stuck them in the holes. Lexie said, ‘Mom, I love that!’”
Sheri and Lexie, then seven, spent the rest of the day filling holes in the family’s 12 pairs of Crocs. Every look-alike shoe was suddenly unique. When her husband, Rich, experienced in setting up businesses, came home later that day, says Sheri, “I could see the light bulb go on over his head,” Crocs had sold millions of pairs of shoes; the couple figured they could create a business simply by riding the wave. Rich refused to let a decorated Croc leave their Boulder, Colorado, house until he’d filed a patent.
But first they needed a name. “Rich and I had seen a movie where Meg Ryan says to Tom Hanks, ‘I’m such a flibbertigibbet!’ That became my nickname, so I called the business Jibbitz.” While Sheri designed, Rich strategized. They decided to sell the charms through a website, Jibbitz.com
Six months later, in February 2006, Sheri was doing so well that Rich left his business to work with her full-time. She was making hundreds of Jibbitz to order, by hand, by herself, in their basement. And filling those holes wasn’t as easy as it looked. The bigger the shoe, the bigger the holes; it took six models before Sheri figured out how to make her charms one-size-fits-all. Later Rich found a way to get plastic Jibbitz manufactured in China.
Someone at Crocs was sure going to notice the charms—after all, the company was headquartered (总部设在) just ten miles down the road. Duke Hanson, one of Crocs’ founders, spotted Lexie and her Jibbitz at the local pool, handed her his business card, and said, “Have your mom call me.”
Sheri and Rich met with Crocs executives, but no one suggested buying the company. Sheri was actually relieved because she wanted to see if she, not Crocs, could make it big. And she did. In December 2006, Crocs bought Jibbitz for $20 million, with the Schmelzers staying on board.
1. The passage is mainly about ____.
A. how the Schmelzers found opportunities out of nothing.
B. how the Schmelzers found opportunities and developed their business
C. how creativity matters to a successful business
D. how the business of Crocs became successful.
2. When Sheri said, “I could see the light bulb go on over his head”, she meant that ____.
A. Rich was really excited B. Rich liked their shoe charms
C. saw this as a business opportunity
D. Rich wasn’t satisfied with the decorations
3. From Paragraph 5, we can learn that ____.
A. the Schmelzers kept improving to make their business successful
B. Sheri does not trust others when it comes to designing Jibbitz
C. making the products unique is key to business success
D. Rich made a lot of sacrifices for their family business
4. Which of the following is arranged in the right order according to the text?
a. the Schmelzers applied for a patent b. Crocs’ shoes sold well
c. the Schmelzers set up their website
d. by making their products in China, the Schmelzers spread their business.
A. acdb B.bacd C. bcad D. adcb
Children are being indirectly affected by the impact of the recession (经济衰退) on their parents, the Children’s society warns.
The chief executive of the Children’s Society, Bob Reitemeier, said that children were “on the front of recession”. He said the recession made it even more important to try to end child poverty.
The answers suggest children from poorer backgrounds are more likely to be affected, but over a third of children across all backgrounds said they were aware that the recession was worrying their parents.
Fifteen-year-old Patricia said her family felt the impact of the recession on their everyday budget. “We have to save up our money and do not spend it so much on unnecessary things,” she said.
Those questioned appeared to have great awareness of the economic crisis, which, unsurprisingly, was higher among the older children. But around 15% said they hadn’t been affected by it.
Recent figures showed that in 2007 there were 850,000 young people with no particular occupation. An official from the government said it was so “disappointing” that some young people were concerned about the economy.
Parents are clearly best placed to talk to their children about their worries, but schools also play an important role in teaching young people the skills they need to become healthy, happy and confi
dent individuals.
1.Which of the following is true?
A. It is more important to try to end child poverty in the recession.
B. Children from poorer areas are less likely to be affected.
C. All the children questioned are worried about the economy.
D. That some young people are worrying about the economy is “good news”.
2.What does the underlined word “it” refer to in Paragraph 5?
A. The poorer background. B. The impact of the recession.
C. Everyday budget. D. The government.
3. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Many children are concerned about the recession.
B. Children are being directly affected by the recession.
C. The recession influenced children indirectly.
D. Schools play an important role in teaching young people how to become healthy, happy and confident individuals.
4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage ?
A. The writer is very disappointed that so many people are out of job.
B. families and teachers should teach children t
he value of budgeting
C. Children are not supposed to know too much about the impact of the recession
D. Children with good personalities deal with the impact of recession better.