The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts(文科) in higher education isn't an either/or proposition(命题),although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM(science,technology,engineering,maths)-related fields can make it seem that way.
The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training,but also states firmly that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central components of America's educational system at all levels.Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society,become creative leaders,and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.
Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates' job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs.Under these circumstances,it's natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical” way out of the problem “Major in a subject designed to get you a job” seems the obvious answer to some,though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often,in fact,lead to employment and success in the long run.Indeed,according to surveys,employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well,think critically,research creatively,and communicate easily.
Moreover,students should be prepared not just for their first job,but for their 4th and 5th jobs,as there's little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers.The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible.The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight—picked up from science,arts,and technology—to solve the problems of the future,and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves,will be helpful to them and the United States.What does the latest congressional report suggest?
A.STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society. |
B.Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society. |
C.The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students' spiritual life. |
D.The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance. |
What kind of job applicants do employers look for?
A.Those who have a strong sense of responsibility. |
B.Those who are good at solving practical problems. |
C.Those who are likely to become innovative leaders. |
D.Those who have received anall-round education. |
What advice does the author give to college students?
A.Seize opportunities to explore their potential. |
B.Try to take a variety of practical courses. |
C.Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems. |
D.catch asmany chances as possible to change their jobs. |
Do you dream of being a reporter or an editor? Are you a good writer who loves the news? If so, then you may have what it takes to be a winner in the TFK Kid Reporter Talent Search.
We’re looking for 12 students from around the nation to be members of the TFK Kid Reporter Team for the 2008-2009 school year. Next year’s team will continue the tradition of reporting local and regional news stories for TIME FOR KIDS magazine and TIME FOR KIDS online.
Professional(职业的)journalists from TIME magazine and TIME FOR KIDS will select this exclusive team. In the past, TFK kid Reporters have
★Interviewed national leaders, celebrities and other newsmakers.
★Written news stories, reviews and opinion pieces for TIME FOR KIDS.
★Appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Today and The Tonight Show with another famous kid Jay Leno to talk about their work.
How to Enter
Get the official rules at time for kids. com/contest.
Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 20, 2008. Good luck!This ad is written for ___________________.
A.professional reporters and editors |
B.student reporters and editors |
C.kids who are interested in politics |
D.kids who love to write news |
If you want to become a TFK Kid reporter, you must _________________.
A.write news stories for local newspapers |
B.sign up through TFK’s official website |
C.post your entries before Dec 20, 2008 |
D.know a lot about the newspaper and its style |
Winners of the talent search will be able to do all the following EXECPT _____.
A.write reports on celebrities and other newsmakers |
B.become a professional journalist for TIME magazine |
C.write down their opinions for TIME FOR KIDS |
D.share their working experiences with other kids on famous media |
If you're in charge of a project, the key to success is getting everyone to want to help you. As a director, I point, I suggest, I gently push the actors in the direction I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie Nothing in Common, Jackie Gleason's character, Max Basner, gets fired (or unemployed) from his job as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot (拍) on a boat, shows Max's despair(绝望) about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that would allow Max to show his feelings.
Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and at first I was frightened. What could I possibly tell “The Great One” about acting? Out of fear I decided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. “So Max is sad, right?” I said.
Gleason nodded.
“And he’s probably still carrying his pens with his name on them ---the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?”
Gleason nodded.
“ So what would you want to do with the pens after you were fired?” He was silent for a moment. “Why don’t I throw them overboard (or all over the boat)?” I stood up and turned toward the crew. “Hey, everybody, Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let’s shoot it.”
After filming the scene, Gleason called me over and said with a smile, “Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?” You and your team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or gold stars for who gets the solution (or the way to work out a problem) first, you'll all benefit (or get something of use or value) when everything turns out right.The author tells us that to succeed in a project you are in charge of, you should __.
A.make everyone work for you |
B.get everyone willing to help you |
C.let people know you have the final say |
D.keep sending out orders to them |
It can be inferred(推断) that ______________.
A.Jackie Gleason is the director of the film Nothing in common |
B.Jackie Gleason is very angry when he is fired from his job |
C.Max, a character in a film, is in very low spirits(情绪) when he loses his job |
D.Jackie Gleason is the writer of the film Nothing in common |
The Great One” in paragraph 3 refers to ___________.
A.Gleason | B.the director himself |
C.Max | D.Max's boss |
Why did Gleason call the director over and smile at him? That’s because Gleason ___
A.thought his wonderful idea was accepted by the latter(后者) |
B.succeeded in hitting upon (or think of) a wonderful idea |
C.was certain about his work the next day |
D.appreciated the latter's way of directing films |
The best title for the passage is ____________.
A.Directing a Film | B.The Key to Success |
C.A Wonderful Experience | D.Working with Film Stars |
Business people must keep records of the money they take in and the money they spend. The work of keeping such records is called book keeping. The work of deciding how the records should be set up is called accounting. An accountant also finds out, from the records, whether or not a business is doing well. Suppose a man owns a small clothing store. He keeps records that show that he spent money for newspaper advertising, and for suit, coats, shoes, and neckties to sell to his customers. He had to pay a young man to help him in the store. He also paid rent and had other expenses.
At the end of the year. He must take an inventory. That is, he counts how many pieces of clothing he has on hand. Then he must find out exactly how many he sold, how much money he spent in running the business. If he took in more than he spent, he made a profit(利润) for the year. If he spent more than he took in he suffered a loss.
The owner of a small clothing store can keep accounting records without much trouble. But a giant(庞大的) oil company or a big bank has many difficult accounting problems. The company must know how much money is to be paid by its debtors (债务人) and how much it owns other companies for supplies. It must know how much the company’s buildings and machines are worth, and how much the company has lost in depreciation(折旧), or wear and tear, of its equipment. All of this information must be kept in the company’s accounts. Big companies employ many accountants.In which following way does the passage develop?
A.It develops by time | B.It develops by space |
C.It develops by order | D.It develops by examples |
Which is the best title of the passage?
A.Good Records |
B.How to Make Profit |
C.How to Run a Clothes Store And a Company |
D.Accounting And Bookkeeping |
How many examples does the writer use in the passage?
A.three | B.two | C.four | D.five |
According to the passage,_________.
A.bookkeeping seems more difficult from accounting. |
B.bookkeeping seems as difficult as accounting. |
C.bookkeeping seems less difficult than accounting. |
D.bookkeeping seems no more difficult than accounting. |
Who doesn’t love sitting beside a cosy fire on a cold winter’s night ? Who doesn’t love to watch flames (火苗) curling up a chimney? Fire is one of man’s greatest friends, but also one of his greatest enemies. Many big fires are caused by carelessness. A lighted cigarette thrown out of a car or train window or a broken bottle lying on dry grass can start a fire. Sometimes, though, a fire can start on its own. Wet hay (草) can begin burning by itself. This is how it happens: the hay starts to rot (腐烂) and begins to give off heat which is trapped inside it. Finally, it bursts into flames. That’s why farmers cut and store (贮存) their hay when it’s dry.
Fires have destroyed whole cities. In the 17th century, a small fire which began in a baker’s shop burnt down nearly every building in London. Moscow was set on fire during the war against Napoleon. This fire continued burning for seven days. And, of course, in 64 A.D. a fire burnt Rome. Even today, in spite of modern fire-fighting methods, fire causes millions of pounds’ worthy of damage each year both in our cities and in the countryside. It has been wisely said that fire is a good servant but a bad master . The writer considers it ________ to sit beside a fire on a cold winter night .
A.nice | B.dangerous | C.unhappy | D.painful |
Which of the following describes the way how hay begins burning on its own ?
A.wet hay ---- becomes dry ---- gives off heat ---- burns |
B.dry hay ---- gets too much heat from the sun ---- gives out heat --- starts to burn |
C.wet hay ---- begins to rot ---- gives out heat ---- starts to burn |
D.dry hay ---- gives off heat ---- starts to rot ---- starts to burn |
Many big fires are caused __________ .
A.by cigarette | B.by their own |
C.by dry grass | D.by people’s carelessness |
How many examples did the writer give to show fires can destroy the whole city ?
A.One | B.Two | C.Three | D.Four |
Which of the following statement is not true ?
A.Fires still cause much damage now although there are modern fire - fighting methods . |
B.Fires cause less damage in the country than in the city . |
C.Fire can be man’s good friend and also great enemy . |
D.One should be careful not to throw a lighted cigarette everywhere . |
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he required. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she said rudely. The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the bill and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, nearly beside the empty dish, were seven five-cent coins and fifteen one-cent coins---her tip.How much money did the boy probably have in his pocket?
A.No more than fifty cents. | B.More than fifty cents. |
C.Not more than fifty cents. | D.Less than fifty cents. |
Why did the little boy have only a dish of plain ice cream?
A.The plain ice cream cost him much less. |
B.He enjoyed the cheaper ice cream better. |
C.The coins were not enough for an ice cream sundae. |
D.He wanted to save some coins to tip the waitress. |
We can infer that the waitress might have felt_______when she got the tip.
A.very surprised | B.a bit of shame |
C.quite pleased | D.a little worried |