第四部分:任务型阅读(共 10 小题,每小题 1 分,满分 10 分)
When students arrive on campus with their parents, both parties often assume that the college will function in loco parentis(处在父母位置),watching over its young charges, providing assistance when needed. Colleges and universities present themselves as supportive learning communities-as extended families, in a way. And indeed, for many students they become a home away from home. Ideally, the college nurtures(养育)its students, guiding them toward adulthood. Lifelong friendships are formed, teachers become guides, and the academic experience is enriched by social interaction. For some students, however, the picture is less beautiful. For a significant number, the challenges can become overwhelming(压力过大).
In reality, administrators at American colleges and universities are often forced to focus as much on the new generation of students.Public institutions in particular are often faced with tough choices about which student support services to fund. Private colleges are feeling the pinch(棘手)as well.Although tuition and fees can increase as much as 6.6 percent in a single year, as they did in 2007, the high cost of doing business at public and private institutions means that students are not necessarily receiving more support in return for increased tuition and fees. To compound the problem, students may be reluctant to seek help even when they desperately need it. Just as colleges are sometimes ill equipped to respond to the challenges being posed by today's students, students themselves are sometimes ill equipped to respond to the challenges posed by college life. Although they arrive on campus with high expectations, some students struggle with shyness or perfectionism, learning disabilities or eating disorders·Still others experience failed relationships; some suffer from acute loneliness, or mental illness.
Unfortunately, higher education is sometimes more of an information delivery system than a responsive, collaborative(合作的)process. We have created cities of youth in which students can pass through unnoticed, their voices rarely heard, and their faces rarely seen. As class size grows in response to budget cuts, it becomes even less likely that troubled students, or even severely disturbed, will be noticed. When they are not, the results can be tragic.
As a teacher of creative writing who has worked with many overwhelmed students, I have found that there are ways to communicate more effectively. Most students have stories they want to share, and students in trouble can be desperate to find someone who will listen to them. Parents, as their children's primary listeners, have a key role to play. Some young people are unable to find their own way out of the dark, and a meaningful dialogue can become a light for them to see by. That is not to say that writing can be used to identify mental illness; rather, I think some of the approaches writing teachers use to enter into a reflective dialogue with students can be adopted by parents and students who want to learn more about each other. Having witnessed what can happen when a student communicates with himself, I believe this kind of responsive, one-on-one communication is more important than ever. Students in creative writing classes may have no idea that they have revealed so much about themselves because, for them, writing is like speaking inside the pages of a journal. In fact, all of us who write reveal more than we imagine. This is one of the reasons why writing, even more than speaking, can provide us with important insights into ourselves and others.
Many of us don't know our students as well as we should, yet it can be easier than we imagine to begin these necessary dialogues.
It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations. ”I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial(财政的)package.
The cost of Dream School’s tuition(学费), room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus (校园)including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream”university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?
A.He was lost in his dream. |
B.He was full of joy. |
C.He was worried about the money. |
D.He was uncertain which school to go to. |
We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.
A.honest | B.supportive | C.strict | D.decisive |
In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride”can be replaced by “_______”.
A.would charge me nothing for tuition |
B.would pay for transport to the school |
C.would show me around the campus |
D.would offer free meals at all events |
What does the author mainly want to say?
A.You should consider comfort in your choice of schools. |
B.You should try your best to attend your dream school. |
C.Your second-choice college may actually by your best fit. |
D.Your choice of schools should be based on their fame. |
It was a cold evening and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora did. She wasn’t even four, but she 36 at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, 37 we take him home?”
I don’t remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden 38 feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her 39 , whether it was 40 in flight or children playing. But now she was noticing 41 and beggary.
A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and 42 it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I 43 us up. Nora was 44 about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how 45 our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to 46 myself to leave the house. On the way to the school, I fought an urge to turn 47 . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting at home. Why do this? 48 , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She 49 us right over.
The building was in a sad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed. 50 inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged, I walked home in tears.
Professionals call such a(n) 51 “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities, I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have opportunity to do something 52 that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve to needy people and 53 clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve 54 her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has 55 more?
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There are many famous museums throughout the world where people can enjoy art. Washington, D.C. has the National Gallery of Art; Paris has the Luvre; London, the British Museum. Florida International University (FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see. And it does so without building, or even a wall for its drawing and paintings. FIU has opened what it says is the first computer art museum in the United States. You don’t have to visit the University to see the art. You just need a computer linked to a telephone. You can call the telephone number of a university computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings. Robert Shostak is direction of the new computer museum. He says he starts the museum because computer artists had no place to show their works.
A computer artist can only record his pictures electronically and send the records to others to see on their computers. He can also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist needs an expensive laser printer (激光印刷) . Robert Shostak says the electronic(电子的) museum is mostly for art or computer students at school and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostake said the FIU museum will take computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience for the electronic museum.The main purpose of this text is to give information about_______.
A. museums throughout the world
B. an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A.
C. art exhibitions(展览会) in Florida International University
D. latest development of computer artTo see the art in FIU museum, you need______.
A.floppy discs(软盘) |
B.a computer and a printer |
C.pictures and drawings on paper |
D.a computer connect to the museum by telephone line |
The museum was started when______.
A Robert Shostak wanted to do something for computer scientists
B. Robert Shostak wanted to help computer artists
C. art students needed a place to show their works
D. computer scientists wanted to do something about artThe words “an audience” in the last paragraph refer to ________.
A.art students | B.computer owners |
C.exhibits in the museum | D.those who will enjoy art. |
We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.
The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.
Each of the guests liked Kelly more, the younger one, enjoying her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a unusual girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.
I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big “to do” over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.
But we seldom think of how it might affect(影响) the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being paid no attention. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying. I said, “What are you doing here, my dear?”
She turned to me with a sad expression and said,” Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Why don’t they say nice things about me as much?”
I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging(拥抱) her to make her feel better.
Now whenever I visit a friend’s home. I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.The underlined expression “make a big ‘to do’ over” (paragraph 4) means_______.
A.show much concern about | B.have a special effect on |
C.list jobs to be done for | D.do good things for |
We can conclude from the passage that_______.
A.parents should pay more attention to the elder children |
B.the younger children are usually more easily hurt |
C.people usually like the younger children more |
D.adults should treat children equally |
Kristen felt sad and cried because_______.
A.the guests gave her more coats to carry |
B.she didn't look as pretty as Kelly |
C.the guests enjoyed her sister more than her |
D.her mother didn’t introduce her the guests |
Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving Day and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes(统一服装) to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate(捐赠) the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
A.November 29. | B.25 days before Christmas. |
C.After Thanksgiving. | D.The first day after Christmas. |
People usually buy many gifts_______.
A.before Thanksgiving | B.on Christmas |
C.before Christmas | D.anytime |
How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
A.In California, parents and children get together to play games. |
B.In England, people celebrate by performing plays. |
C.In Mexico, high school students dress up. |
D.They buy nothing and persuade others not to buy things. |
What did the students do in New Mexico for the day?
A.They donated the food of their own. |
B.They talked to others about it. |
C.They made some slogans(标语口号) for it. |
D.They organized a luxurious(奢华的) dinner. |