Part Ⅰ Writing Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below. You should start your essay with a brief account of the phenomenon of many parents accompanying their children for college and then explain the consequences of overprotecting children. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
1.
Accompanying Parents
In modern society we can often see the phenomenon mirrored by the picture. When a child goes to college, all the family members accompany him, carrying all the things he need. Some parents evensettle down in the city where their child studies, rent a house nearby their child's college and take care of him every day. Indeed, it will bring lots of negative effects that parents spoil and protect their kids too much. The worst one is that it leads to kids' lack of independence. With parents around them, the kids lose many chances to face difficulties and frustrations by themselves, which will hinder their growth and progress. Personally, the behavior that parents accompany kids for school should not be encouraged. Parents should give their kids more chances to grow independently, and instead of too much care, parents should provide kids with more useful instruction.
Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
[听力原文] M: John must have been joking when he said that he was going to quit his job. W: Don't be too sure. He told me that his parents had arranged a better job for him. Q: What does the woman mean?
[解析] 选项中的She believes/thinks,John等表明,本题可能与男士对John行为的看法有关。 观点态度题。男士认为John说要辞职一定是在开玩笑,女士让男士别那么肯定(Don't be too sure.),还说John曾经告诉过她他父母已经给他安排了一个更好的工作,由此可知女士认为John会辞职的,故答案为B。
2.
A.At a supermarket.
B.At a hotel.
C.At a restaurant.
D.At a cinema.
A B C D
B
[听力原文] W: I don't want a double room. I want a single room. M: I'm sorry, madam, but I'm afraid there is no single room available at present. Q: Where does this conversation most probably take place?
[听力原文] M: Honey, you might want to bring your umbrella today. It's going to start raining very hard this afternoon, according to the weatherman. W: But there's not a cloud in the sky right now. He's wrong so much of the time. Q: Why doesn't the woman want to take the umbrella?
[听力原文] W: I need two pieces of identification and your account number before I can cash your check, sir. M: Here's my driver's license and a credit card. Q: Who is the woman likely to be?
D.Sam should have stopped playing basketball earlier.
A B C D
D
[听力原文] W: Sam won't be able to play in the basketball game this week. M: Yes. He hurt his knee pretty badly a month ago. I don't know why he didn't quit right away. Q: What does the man mean?
[解析] 选项中的Sam to quit,knee,stopped playing表明,对话可能与Sam退出某运动组织有关。 观点态度题。女士说Sam不能参加这周的篮球比赛了,男士说Sam的膝盖一个月前受了重伤,他不明白为什么Sam当初不立刻退出比赛,言外之意就是Sam早就应该退出篮球比赛了,故答案为D。
[听力原文] W: Our boss has been under a lot of pressure recently. I'm sure he didn't mean to lose temper with you. M: Well, I know he has the blues, but it doesn't mean he can vent his anger on me. Q: What can we learn about the man?
[听力原文] W: I was supposed to meet Tim here nearly 30 minutes ago. I wonder what's taking him so long. M: He probably forgot about your meeting. He's so disorganized and forgetful. He never makes any of his appointments. Q: What kind of person is Tim, according to the man?
B.The band will give a better performance hereafter.
C.The band members have been working hard.
D.Band practice begins in an hour.
A B C D
C
[听力原文] M: What a wonderful performance! The marching band has never sounded better. W: Thanks. I guess all those hours of practice are finally paying off. Q: What does the woman mean?
[听力原文] W: I know that you believe central banks should normally be independent from the govermment, rather than a government department. Why is this? M: Well, the main reason is what we call, in economics, the political business cycle. If the central bank mainly acts as a branch of government, then this government is inclined — incited — to increase abruptly, for instance, money supply just before elections in order to favour employment, but, of course, this has a negative effect on inflation. W: And this happens in America, in Germany? M: Mainly in Germany. The two most independent central banks we can think of are really Switzerland and Germany. W: Not the Fed, the Federal Reserve? M: Tshe Fed, yes, but the Fed is slightly less independent, in the sense that, for instance, it doesn't have a goal of price stability as clearly stated as the German or the Swiss central banks, for instance. W: And examples of central banks which are influenced by the government? M: Well, there's Britain, for instance. France is being slowly privatized — well, made independent. Italy, contrary to what most people think, is a quite independent central bank. It's one of the most efficient public bodies, I would say. W: But you think the independent bank is a model for the future? M: Yes, I would argue it is not, it should not be completely independent. Actually I'm working presently on something that tends to show that the independence should actually be adapted to the economic conditions in the country and outside the country, but yes, generally a more independent central bank is certainly more, well, certainly more desirable than a non-independent central bank.
Why should central bank be independent from the government?
[解析] 选项均以动词不定式开头,由help/avoid/prevent等动词推测,本题应该是考查某事的目的或原因。 推断题。对话开头女士问男士为什么认为中央银行应该独立于政府,男士回答说主要原因就是the political business cycle(政治性经济周期),接着解释说如果中央银行成为政府机构的分支,那么政府就很可能会为了在大选前提高就业率而突然增加货币供应,从而导致通货膨胀,由此可推断男士之所以认为中央银行应该独立于政府,就是为了避免经济受政治的影响,故答案为C。
10.
A.Swiss National Bank.
B.The Federal Reserve.
C.Bank of France.
D.Bank of Italy.
A B C D
A
[听力原文] Which of the following central banks is the most independent, according to the man?
A.A course that helps students in college build up their creativity.
B.A magazine that introduces how the arts and business work together.
C.An organization that develops creative combinations between business and the arts.
D.A TV program that features artists and businessmen.
A B C D
C
[听力原文] W: Peter, could you tell our listeners why Art & Business, an organization that develops creative partnerships between business and the arts, was created? M: Well, in the twenty first century productivity is no longer a matter of machines. The success of a company depends on its people and on the creativity of its people. It makes sense that the way to increase productivity is to stimulate creativity. W: And what better way to stimulate creativity than through reading books. M: Exactly. Every reader knows that a good book can stimulate the imagination and the intellect... get you thinking along lines you might not have thought of before... open up new worlds. W: How can reading help somebody to become a more creative worker? M: Successful managers need to be well-rounded people. They need active imaginations. When they interpret fictional scenarios they are using their creativity. Readers combine imaginative skills with critical and analytical skills. W: Are we talking about the right and left sides of the brain? M: Yes. Our logical left side of the brain interprets the language of a book. The creative right side looks at the forms of expression. The left side analyzes the plot while the right side is more interested in the relationships between characters — the emotional aspects. W: How does this transfer to the world of business? M: Creative ideas make businesses more competitive. Shared reading experiences improve communication and morale at work. W: Can you give listeners some examples of how this scheme has been brought — successfully into the workplace? M: Employees at WH Smith have stuck poems and quotations above their desks, for inspiration.
What is Art & Business?
[解析] 选项均为名词短语,且性质不同,故本题很可能考查对话谈论的主要内容,听音时应留意对话开头。 细节题。女士在对话开头处提到Art & Business是一个机构,培养如何将商业与艺术创造性结合起来的能力(an organization that develops creative partnerships between business and the arts),故答案为C。
13.
A.It focuses on the forms of expression.
B.It analyzes the relationships between characters.
C.It visualizes what one has read in a book.
D.It interprets the language of a book and analyzes the plot.
A B C D
D
[听力原文] What do we learn about the left side of the brain from the conversation?
[解析] 选项内容表明,本题很可能是问It的作用或功能。 细节题。男士提到,左脑阐释书本中的语言(interprets the language of a book),并分析其中的情节(analyzes the plot),故答案为D。
14.
A.By sticking extracts of literary works above their desks.
B.By reading books that develop creativity.
C.By exchanging thoughts with their coworkers.
D.By watching television programs that broaden their horizons.
A B C D
A
[听力原文] How do employees at WH Smith inspire themselves?
[解析] 选项均为By doing的形式,结合其中的creativity, thoughts,horizons等推测,本题很可能是考查某人增长知识或提高认识的方法。 细节题。男士提到,员工们为了激发灵感,把诗歌和一些作品节选(poems and quotations)贴在桌子上,故答案为A。
15.
A.Employer and employee.
B.Professor and student.
C.Lecturer and listener.
D.Radio host and guest.
A B C D
D
[听力原文] What is the possible relationship between the two speakers?
Section B Directions:In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D, Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre.
[听力原文] Findings suggest blood pressure goes up increasingly for every extra can of sugary drink consumed per day. Drinking more than 355ml a day of sugar-sweetened fruit juice can be enough to upset the balance, data on over 2,500 people reveals. The precise mechanism behind the link is unclear, but scientists believe too much sugar in the blood disrupts blood vessel tone and salt levels in the body. Non-sugar sweetened diet drinks did not carry the same risk. For the study, the participants, who were aged 40-59 from the UK and the US, were asked to record what they had eaten in the preceding 24 hours on four separate occasions. They also provided a urine sample and had their blood pressure measured. The researchers found that sugar intake was highest in those consuming more than one sugar-sweetened beverage daily. Overall, the people who consumed a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages appeared to also have less healthy diets and were more likely to be overweight. But regardless of this, the link with blood pressure was still significant even after adjusting for factors such as weight and height. And the soft drink industry responded the findings by maintaining that the beverages are safe to drink "in moderation".
What is the border line amount of sugar-sweetened fruit juice for people?
[解析] 选项表明本题可能考查每天摄入某种物质的量,听音时留意数字及其相关信息。 细节题。文中开头明确提到,只要每天摄入超过355亳升的加糖果汁(sugar-sweetened fruit juice),就会打乱人体血压的平衡,因此355ml per day的量即是判断是否过多摄入加糖果汁的标准线(border line),故答案为D。
2.
A.They are under age 50 with healthy condition.
B.They are asked to record what they had eaten.
C.They provide their urine and blood sample before the study.
D.Most of them are from Britain and America.
A B C D
B
[听力原文] What is true about the participants in the study?
B.They begin to put more investment in non-sugar drinks.
C.They maintain moderate consumption of the drinks are safe.
D.They launch a campaign to protest for their product.
A B C D
C
[听力原文] What is the sort drink industry's response to the study results?
[解析] 选项中的their product,drinks提示,They很可能指饮料生产商;believe,maintain,launch等表明,本题可能考查他们对自己饮料的态度或采取的行动。 细节题。短文最后提到,饮料行业对于这项研究结果的反应是,他们坚持认为适度摄入这些饮料是安全的(the beverages are safe to drink "in moderation")。C为原文的同义转述,故为答案。
A.They don't function well due to the lack of fund.
B.They are good but not enough to stop the trend of obesity.
C.They can't feedback in a short period.
D.They are helpful in making children exercise with parents.
A B C D
B
[听力原文] Childhood obesity campaigns are good, but they may not be enough to truly stop the tide of obesity, according to a perspective article published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. There's no doubt that school and home interventions focusing on nutrition and exercise are helpful, and more attention is being paid to improving school lunches and encouraging physical activity. But some studies show that those efforts may be too little too late, say the paper's authors, Janet Wojcicki and Dr. Melvin B. Heyman of the department of pediatrics at UC San Francisco, who make a strong case that more importance needs to be placed on pregnancy and infancy. Too many overweight and obese children are showing ill effects such as high blood pressure and early signs of heart disease by the time they're in school. And that doesn't foretell well for later years. "Prevention must start as early as possible," the authors wrote, "since school-age children already have an unacceptably high prevalence of obesity and associated medical conditions." Issues that should be targeted include excessive maternal weight gain, smoking during pregnancy and shortened breast feeding. "Studies have shown," the authors wrote, "that early interventions can potentially prevent the development of obesity in school-age children, along with associated health conditions." Wojcicki and Heyman point out that attempts are being made to address this critical period, such as stop-smoking campaigns and the Institute of Medicine's stricter guidelines for pregnancy weight gain for obese women.
What do Wojcicki and Heyman say about childhood obesity campaigns program in their article?
[听力原文] Comparatively speaking, Americans give gifts on a relatively small number of occasions and to a relatively small circle of people. Since offering gifts to people who do not expect them can be mutually embarrassing and can even lead to the suspicion that the gift giver is seeking to influence the recipient in an inappropriate way, foreign visitors will want to be mindful of Americans' practices concerning gifts. Generally, Americans give gifts to relatives and close friends. Frequently they give gifts (flowers, wine, or candy are common) to hosts or hostesses. They do not normally give gifts to teachers (except perhaps elementary-school teachers), business colleagues, or other people who might be in a position to grant or withhold favorable treatment (such as a good grade in a class or a contract for a sale). In fact, giving gifts to people who are in a position to grant or withhold favors can be interpreted as an improper attempt to gain favor. Many states have laws strictly limiting the value of gifts that public employees can accept. Christmas comes close to being a national gift-giving day in the United States. Except for adherents of non-Christian religions, Americans exchange Christmas gifts with relatives, schoolmates, and close friends. Other popular gift-giving occasions include birthdays, graduations, weddings, and childbirths. Some people give gifts on Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Valentine's Day. A "house-warming" gift is sometimes given to people who have moved into a new home. Americans try to select a gift they believe the recipient could use or would enjoy. People are not expected to give expensive gifts unless they can readily afford them. "It's the thought that counts," Americans say, not the amount of money the gift cost.
D.The one that satisfies the need of the recipient.
A B C D
B
[听力原文] What kind of gift will Americans value according to the passage?
[解析] 一选项均描述礼物的特点,本题很可能是考查什么样的礼物受欢迎。 细节题。短文结尾提到,美国人认为送礼物的人的心意很重要(it's the thought that counts),由此可知美国人很看重有心意的礼物,故答案为B。
Section C Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. Niagara Falls has been a famous honeymoon spot for over a hundred years: some honeymooners have been more 1 to it than to each other. Since the falls were formed during the late Pleistocene period, about twelve thousand years ago, they have 2 the force of erosion. As they erode, the falls are moving upstream, so they will one day disappear into Lake Erie. Like all waterfalls, Niagara erodes because water 3 the softer rock at the base of the cliff, where a turbulent (湍流的) pool forms below the waterfall. Because erosion affects the base of the cliff, the old cliff face will 4 and the new edge will be 5 upstream. The rate of erosion depends on 6 like the volume of water going over the edge, the 7 of the drop, and the type of rocks that make up the base of the waterfall. At Niagara, the volume of water is very high. In fact, one-fifth of the world's fresh water 8 from the Great Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie over the falls into Lake Ontario. Niagara is the second largest waterfall in the world. Before you 9 your honeymoon suite with the heart-shaped tub, 10 that in the past 12,000 years the falls have moved about seven miles upstream and, at this rate, they will disappear into Lake Erie in just under 23,000 years. Enough time to visit on a honeymoon and even a second honeymoon.
[听力原文] Niagara Falls has been a famous honeymoon spot for over a hundred years: some honeymooners have been more faithful to it than to each other. Since the falls were formed during the late Pleistocene period, about twelve thousand years ago, they have been subject to the force of erosion. As they erode, the falls are moving upstream, so they will one day disappear into Lake Erie. Like all waterfalls, Niagara erodes because water wears away the softer rock at the base of the cliff, where a turbulent (湍流的) pool forms below the waterfall. Because erosion affects the base of the cliff, the old cliff face will collapse and the new edge will be slightly upstream. The rate of erosion depends on factors like the volume of water going over the edge, the height of the drop, and the type of rocks that make up the base of the waterfall. At Niagara, the volume of water is very high. In fact, one-fifth of the world's flesh water empties from the Great Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie over the falls into Lake Ontario. Niagara is the second largest waterfall in the world. Before you cancel your honeymoon suite with the heart-shaped tub, keep in mind that in the past 12,000 years the falls have moved about seven miles upstream and, at this rate, they will disappear into Lake Erie in just under 23,000 years. Enough time to visit on a honeymoon and even a second honeymoon.
Section A Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before you making your choices. Each choice in the blank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. An environmental group on Thursday gave notice that it intends to sue the US government for what conservationists consider a failure to protect critical habitat for polar bears from harmful oil and gas development. The Centre for Biological Diversity 1 sent the required notice to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The Interior Department 2 more than 484,000km2 in and near the Beaufort and Chukchi seas as polar bear critical habitat, said the group's Alaska representative, attorney Rebecca Noblin. But its agencies also have reaffirmed a Bush-era plan that authorized oil leasing in the newly designated(指定)polar bear critical habitat in the Chukchi Sea, and are considering a 3 to allow Shell Oil to drill this year in polar bear critical habitat in the Beaufort Sea. "Unfortunately, Interior seems profoundly 4 about whether to actually protect polar bear critical habitat or 5 it to oil companies," Noblin said. She also said the Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies make a 6 that any actions they 7 do not damage or destroy critical habitat. Daily activity of the offshore oil industry—seismic testing, transit of vessels, flights to drill sites—will do that, she said. The industry's greenhouse gas and particulate emissions add to climate warming and sea ice melt, the main 8 to polar bears, she said. A worst case scenario would be a catastrophic spill. "Given that it is 9 to clean up an oil spill in the icy waters of the Arctic, if Secretary Salazar ultimately approves drilling in polar bear critical habitat he will actually have demonstrated that all his promises of reform following the Gulf disaster ultimately 10 to nothing," Noblin said. A. benefit I. occasionally B. authorize J. threat C. sacrifice K. compacted D. promising L. appointed E. guarantee M. confused F. impossible N. finally G. prove O. proposal H. amount
[解析] 分析句子结构可知,所填词应该是充当谓语动词,其主语为all his promises of reform。另外,所填词能直接与to连用,从备选项G和H中选择,若选prove,nothing前应有系动词be,amount to nothing意为“无结果”,能使文意通顺,故答案为H.amount。
Section B Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
The College Calculation
A. The most subversive question about higher education has always been whether the college makes the student or the student makes the college. Sure, Harvard graduates make more money than graduates of just about any other college. And most community-college students will end up making far less than graduates of flagship (一流) state universities. But of course these students didn't enter college with the same preparation and skills. Colleges don't help to clear up the situation either, because they do so little to measure what students learn between freshman and senior years. So doubt lurks: how much does a college education—the actual teaching and learning that happens on campus—really matter? B. A recession makes such doubt all the more salient. Last month, National Public Radio ran a segment called "Is a College Education Worth the Debt?" in which an economist noted that 12 percent of mail carriers have college degrees—the point being that they could have gotten the same jobs without the degrees. In January, "20/20" ran a similar segment, in which somebody identified as an education consultant and a career counselor summed up the case against college. "You could take the pool of collegebound students and you could lock them in a closet for four years," he said, and thanks to their smarts and work ethic, they would still outearn people who never went to college. I heard a more measured version of these concerns when I recently sat down with a group of college students. They were paying tuition and studying hard, and yet they weren't sure what they would find on the other side of graduation. C. Along with all this skepticism, though, economic downturns also create one big countervailing force that pushes people toward college: many of them have nothing better to do. They have lost their jobs, or they find no jobs waiting for them after high school. In economic terms, the opportunity cost of going to school has been reduced. Over the course of the 1930s, the percentage of 17-year-olds who graduated from high school jumped to 50 percent, from less than 30 percent. Boys—many of whom would have been working in better times—made up the bulk of the influx. In our Great Recession, students have surged into community colleges. D. So who is right—these students or the skeptics? It isn't too much of an exaggeration to say that the field of labor economics has spent the past 30 years trying to come up with an answer. In one paper after another, economists have tried to identify the portion of a person's success for which schooling can fairly claim credit. One well-known study, co-written by Alan Krueger, a Princeton professor now serving as the Treasury Department's chief economist, offered some support for the skeptics. It tracked top high-school students through their 30s and found that their alma maters had little impact on their earnings. Students who got into both, say, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn State made roughly the same amount of money, regardless of which they chose. Just as you might hope, the fine-grain status distinctions that preoccupy elite high-school seniors (and more to the point, their parents) seem to be overrated. E. The rest of the evidence, however, has tended to point strongly in the other direction. Several studies have found a large earnings gap between more- and less-educated identical twins. Another study compared young men who happened to live close to a college with young men who did not. The two groups were similar except for how easy it was for them to get to school, and the upshot was that the additional education attained by the first group lifted their earnings. "College can't guarantee anybody a good life," says Michael McPherson, an economist who runs the Spencer Foundation in Chicago, which finances education research. "But it sure ups the odds substantially." F. Earnings may be a flawed measure of an education's value, but they're about the only tangible measure we have. And the work that labor economists have done suggests that colleges do indeed deserve credit for much of the earnings gaps between their graduates and everyone else. The median earnings of full-time workers with bachelor's degrees was nearly $47,000 in 2007, according to the Census Bureau. The median for someone who had attended college but failed to get a four-year degree was nearly $33,000, and the median for a high-school graduate was nearly $27,000. Compare these numbers with the typical education debt that a college student has on graduation day—$20,000—and it's clear that a college education is worth the debt. McPherson slyly points out that even the pundits (专家) and professors who suggest otherwise seem to understand this; they tend to send their children to college, often to quite expensive ones. G. Yet the skeptics do make one crucial point. Nationwide, half of all students who start college don't end up with a four-year degree. Not only do these dropouts spend less time in class, but they also miss out on the signalling benefit of the degree- a mark of those who, among other things, have the discipline to finish what they start. H. Some would-be dropouts may stay in school if Congress approves a pending proposal to increase Pell Grants to needy students. Still, college tuitions are rising and resources are being cut—two factors that affect graduation rates. Federal spending cushions the blow but isn't large enough to make up for state cutbacks. At Dyersburg State Community College, in northwest Tennessee, enrollment rose a staggering 28 percent this fall compared with last fall, but the state cut the college's budget by 16 percent, thanks to the recession, Karen Bowyer, the college's president, told me. For similar reasons, the University of California system plans to enroll fewer freshmen this year than last. Given the current debate in Washington, it's worth noting that the rising cost of health care puts more pressure on state budgets than perhaps anything else. I. When you look at what's happening at Dyersburg State and dozens of similar places across the country, you're left thinking that students understand that they don't make the college. They need the college. The rest of us would probably say that they do, too. The clichés are familiar enough: the children are our future, I'll be the education president, etc. J. Yet when you look at our actual policies, you have to wonder. Many colleges and high schools still fail to do a good job, year after year, with little consequence. And in the deepest recession in a generation, at the very moment when education would be of most value, money for it is disappearing. It's almost as if we've been convinced that college isn't, after all, all that different from locking somebody in a closet for four years.
1. If Congress can pass the proposal to increase the grants, the dropout rate might be reduced.
H
[解析] 关键词为Congress,increase the grants,dropout,reduced。 该段第一句指出如果国会(Congress)通过一项悬而未决的决议(approves a pending proposal),增加为有需要的学生提供的佩尔助学金(increase Pell Grants),那么一些将要辍学的学生(would-be dropouts)就可能继续留在学校(may stay in school,也就是说辍学率就可能下降。由此可知题目内容出自本段。
2. The example about mail carriers seems to be a good support to the doubt that college education is not cost-effective.
B
[解析] 关键词为mail carriers,doubt,college education, not cost-effective。 该段叙述的都是对大学教育的质疑观点,其中第二句提到国家公共电台开播了一个栏目板块叫做“大学教育值得所负的债务吗?”,一位经济学家在栏目中提到了邮递员的例子(mail carriers):12%的邮递员都有大学学历(college degrees),但即使他们没有大学学历,他们也能获得同样的工作(could have gotten the same jobs without the degrees)。显然该例子是为了说明大学教育可能并不划算。由此可知题目内容出自本段。
3. One tracking study on some high-school students found that it had little to do with their earnings which school they graduated.
D
[解析] 关键词为tracking study, earnings, school... graduated。 该段第四句往后介绍了一项为质疑者们提供支持的研究,其中第五句指出,该研究跟踪调查了受过高等教育的30多岁的学生(tracked top high-school students),发现他们的母校对他们的收入没什么影响(their alma maters had little impact on their earnings)。题目正是对此的同义转述。
4. The skeptics about college students point out an important thing that a large number of college students drop out before getting a degree.
G
[解析] 关键词为skeptics,important thing, drop out。 该段指出,质疑者们(skeptics)确实说中了重要的一点(one crucial point)。全国有一半上大学的学生没有完成四年学业(don't end up with a four-year degree)。题目正是对此的同义转述。
5. Michael McPherson thinks college education increases the chances to live a good life.
E
[解析] 关键词为Michael McPherson, increases the chances to live a good life。 该段最后两句提到Michael McPherson的观点:“大学不能保证每个人都能过上好生活(can't guarantee anybody a good life),但是它确实大幅增加了这样的机会(ups the odds)。”由此可知题目内容出自本段。
6. The government fails to provide enough money at the critical moment when education would play the most important role.
J
[解析] 关键词fails... money, critical moment, most important role。 该段第二句说,在衰退的漩涡中,在教育对一代人来说最有价值的时刻(at the very moment when education... most value),教育经费却缺勤了(money... disappearing)。题目正是对此的同义转述。
7. Under the influence of recession, the University of California plans to reduce the enrollment this year to save the budget.
H
[解析] 关键词为the University of California, reduce the enrollment。 该段倒数第二句提到,由于相同的原因(for similar reasons),加利福尼亚大学计划今年比去年录取更少的新生(enroll fewer freshmen),这里的similar reasons指的就是上句提到的因经济衰退而削减预算。由此可知题目内容出自本段。
8. Many people change their minds to go to college during recession because there are no suitable jobs available for them.
C
[解析] 关键词为go to college,recession,no suitable jobs。 该段第一句指出,经济下滑(economic downturns)还造就了一种巨大的反向力量,把更多人推进了大学(pushes people toward college),冒号后给出了原因:很多人都没有更好的选择(nothing better to do);接着第二句进一步说明该原因:他们丢了工作(lost their jobs),或是高中毕业后找不到工作(no jobs waiting for them)。题目正是对此的同义转述。
9. At present, earnings are the only tangible way by which we can measure the value of college education.
F
[解析] 关键词为tangible way, measure the value。 该段第一句就指出,作为衡量教育价值的手段(measure of an education's value),收入可能是有瑕疵的(flawed),但是收入是我们目前拥有的唯一有形的工具(the only tangible measure)。题目正是对此的同义转述。
10. It has taken economists many years to try to find out how much schooling can contribute to one's success.
D
[解析] 关键词为economists,many years,schooling,conturbute。 该段第二、三句指出,劳动经济学用了过去30年的时间来寻找答案(spent the past 30 years),这种说法一点都不为过;在一篇又一篇论文中,经济学家们努力探寻学校教育在一个人的成功中占有多大功劳(identify the portion of a person's success for which schooling can fairly claim credit)。题目正是对这两句的概括转述。
Section C Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Passage One Once upon a time—last week, as it happens—the schools secretary, Ed Balls, called on parents to read a bedtime story to their children every night. And it was surely by complete coincidence that the Daily Mirror began giving away a dozen Ladybird books so that young readers could enjoy such traditional adventures as Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Little Pigs. Of course, there will have to be a few changes if the government is to give official backing to these traditional stories. Let's start with Little Red Riding Hood. And let's ignore the fact that this little girl's mother sends her alone into the woods, even though a well-known wolf is at large. The more serious issue is the story's misleading picture of the National Health Service. Why is Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother left alone in her woodside cottage, when in the real world she would be treated in a district general hospital, where the number of patients being eaten by wolves has dropped to virtually zero since Labour came to power in 1997? Then there is the woodcutter, who rescues grandma in the story by attacking the wolf with his axe. That would now be out of the question without a full risk assessment. What's more, the health and safety people might want to know what he is doing working in the woods without a safety harness and a proper hard hat. Officials would also have issues with The Three Little Pigs. The story is very clear when it comes to building materials: one little pig builds a house with straw, another uses twigs, while another builds with bricks. Yet the details are much more hazy (模糊) about planning permission. And as for Hansel and Gretel, who explain to their father that they have murdered their stepmother because she was a witch who lived in a house made of sweets—yes, children, now tell that to the nice judge.
1. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A.Daily Mirror handed out books in response to Balls's call.
B.Ed Balls' insisting telling story during the day was time-wasting.
C.Daily Mirror set out to distribute books last week.
D.Ed Balls aimed to popularize traditional stories among children.
Passage Two When I was in the sixth form at St Paul's girls' school in London in the 1980s there was, famously, a section of the notice board in the staff room not for info about further maths, not for the latest league tables, but reserved for something even scarier: fashion pages torn from Vogue magazine showing teenage models... who were currently pupils at the school. The message was clear. Not only did you have to be clever, in the sense of having lots of As, a grade 8 in cello (大提琴)and an offer from Oxbfidge. You also had to look as unlike an 18th century bluestocking(女学者) as it is possible to look and instead resemble a top model. No pressure, then. In the 18th century, of course, girls received a bare fraction of the education of boys and were taught only "accomplishments" such as modesty, piano, obedience and needlework. They had few outlets for their creative or intellectual urges. And now, nearly 200 years on, an education expert has just warned us that girls' education has progressed so far in the opposite direction that schools and parents risk creating a generation of "brittle, high-achieving" teenage girls who are "unable to cope with failure" and who fall apart if they can't live up to their own impossibly high expectations of themselves. However, women get proportionately fewer firsts than men and they don't dominate the highest echelons (级别) of any profession. Why is this? If young women have a go only at what they know they're going to do well, that means they are still aiming low rather than high—despite all the As—and their ambitions are lower than those of risk-taking boys. So it's time we stopped praising our daughters for being good little girls, for being so pretty, sweet and clever. This is clearly leading to a self-defeating cult(狂热的崇拜)of perfectionism (完美主义)and low achievement. We should instead praise girls for breaking rules and hitting each other, for climbing trees, kicking balls, for excelling at the subjects they're genuinely interested in, for reading the ghosted biographies of footballers, for doing their own thing.
1. In the 1980s, a section of the notice board in the staff room of St Paul's girls' school was famous for
A.posting fashion magazines with teenage models
B.giving comments on the latest league tables
C.introducing students who get first place in tests
Part Ⅳ Translation Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to translate a passage from Chinese into English. You should write your answer on Answer Sheet 2.
Temple fairs, which originated with the development of Buddhist and Taoist activities, are a kind of mass gatherings that integrate religious worship, entertainment and commerce. Temple fairs are important traditional cultural activities during the Spring Festival. Temple fairs in Beijing have a very long history, and saw a boom especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties as well as the Republic of China. In traditional temple fairs around Beijing, there are performances and booths demonstrating and selling traditional arts and crafts. The fairs have lots of games to play and foot to eat, which attract lots of people.