nanafly

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2022年考博英语阅读理解模拟题大全

　Most of us are taught to pay attention to what is said—the words. Words do provide us with some information， but meanings are derived from so many other sources that it would hinder our effectiveness as a partner to a relationship to rely too heavily on words alone. Words are used to describe only a small part of the many ideas we associate with any given message. Sometimes we can gain insight into some of those associations if we listen for more than words. We don't always say what we mean or mean what we say. Sometimes our words don't mean anything except “ I'm letting off some steam. I don't really want you to pay close attention to what I'm saying. Just pay attention to what I'm feeling.” Mostly we mean several things at once. A person wanting to purchase a house says to the current owner， “This step has to be fixed before I'll buy.” The owner says， “ It's been like that for years.” Actually， the step hasn't been like that for years， but the unspoken message is： “ I don't want to fix it. We put up with it. Why can't you?” The search for a more expansive view of meaning can be developed of examining a message in terms of who said it， when it occurred， the related conditions or situation， and how it was said.
　　When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning. Let us assume two couples do exactly the same amount of kissing and arguing. But one couple always kisses after an argument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behaviors may mean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A friend's unusually docile behavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that required an abnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developing pattern of responses and defy logic. For example， a person who says “No!” to a serials of charges like “You're dumb，” “You're lazy，” and “You're dishonest，” may also say “No!” and try to justify his or her response if the next statement is “And you're good looking.”
　　We would do well to listen for how messages are presented. The words， “If sure has been nice to have you over，” can be said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phrase can be said once or repeated several times. And the meanings we associate with the phrase will change accordingly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance; sometimes the more we say something the less importance it assumes.
　　1.Effective communication is rendered possible between two conversing partners， if ___.
　　A.they use proper words to carry their ideas.
　　B.they both speak truly of their own feelings.
　　C.they try to understand each other's ideas beyond words.
　　D.they are capable of associating meaning with their words.
　　2.“I'm letting off some steam” in paragraph 1 means___.
　　A.I'm just calling your attention.
　　B.I'm just kidding.
　　C.I'm just saying the opposite.
　　D.I'm just giving off some sound.
　　3.The house-owner's example shows that he actually means___.
　　A.the step has been like that for years.
　　B.he doesn't think it necessary to fix the step.
　　C.the condition of the step is only a minor fault.
　　D.the cost involved in the fixing should be shared.
　　4.Some responses and behaviors may appear very illogical， but are justifiable if___.
　　A.linked to an abnormal amount of assertiveness.
　　B.seen as one's habitual pattern of behavior.
　　C.taken as part of an ordering sequence.
　　D.expressed to a series of charges.
　　5.The word “ritualistically” in the last paragraph equals something done___.
　　A.without true intention.
　　B.light-heartedly.
　　C.in a way of ceremony.
　　D.with less emphasis.
　　答案：DBABC

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nanafly

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沙发发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

Working out exactly what students and taxpayers get for the money they spend on universities is a tricky business. Now the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a Paris-based think-tank for rich countries, is planning to make the task a bit easier, by producing the first international comparison of how successfully universities teach.

　　“Rather than assuming that because a university spends more it must be better, or using other proxy measures for quality, we will look at learning outcomes,” explains Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's head of education research. Just as the OECD assesses primary and secondary education by testing randomly chosen groups of youngsters from each country in reading and mathematics, it will sample university students to see what they have learned. Once enough universities are taking part, it may publish league tables showing where each country stands, just as it now does for compulsory education. That may produce a fairer assessment than the two established rankings, though the British one does try to broaden its inquiry by taking opinions from academics and employers.

　　There is much to be said for the OECD's approach. Of course a Nobel laureate's view on where to study may be worth hearing, but dons may be so busy writing and researching that they spend little or no time teaching—a big weakness at America's famous universities. And changes in methodology can bring startling shifts. The high-flying London School of Economics, for example, tumbled from 17th to 59th in the British rankings published last week, primarily because it got less credit than in previous years for the impressive number of foreign students it had managed to attract.

　　The OECD plan awaits approval from an education ministers' meeting in January. The first rankings are planned by 2010. They will be of interest not just as a guide for shoppers in the global market, but also as indicators of performance in domestic markets. They will help academics wondering whether to stay put or switch jobs, students choosing where to spend their time and money, and ambitious university bosses who want a sharper competitive edge for their institution.

　　The task the OECD has set itself is formidable. In many subjects, such as literature and history, the syllabus varies hugely from one country, and even one campus, to another. But OECD researchers think that problem can be overcome by concentrating on the transferable skills that employers value, such as critical thinking and analysis, and testing subject knowledge only in fields like economics and engineering, with a big common core.

　　Moreover, says Mr Schleicher, it is a job worth doing. Today's rankings, he believes, do not help governments assess whether they get a return on the money they give universities to teach their undergraduates. Students overlook second-rank institutions in favour of big names, even though the less grand may be better at teaching. Worst of all, ranking by reputation allows famous places to coast along, while making life hard for feisty upstarts. “We will not be reflecting a university's history,” says Mr Schleicher, “but asking: what is a global employer looking for?” A fair question, even if not every single student's destiny is to work for a multinational firm.

　　1. The project by OECD is aimed to_____

　　[A] assess primary and secondary education of each school that subscribe to the service.

　　[B] appraise the learning outcomes of university students as part of their academic performance.

　　[C] establish a new evaluation system for universities.

　　[D] set up a new ranking for compulsory education.

　　2. The assessment method by OECD is different from the established rankings in_____

　　[A] that its inquiry is broader as to include all the students and staff.

　　[B] that its samples are chosen randomly based on statistical analysis of method.

　　[C] that it attaches more importance to the learning efficiency.

　　[D] that it takes opinions from the students to see what they have learnt.

　　3. By the case of London School of Economic, the author wants to show that_____

　　[A] the OECD’s approach is very fair.

　　[B] the Nobel laureate’s opinion is not worth hearing.

　　[C] the British rankings pays more attention to the foreign students.

　　[D] different assessment methods may lead to different ranking results.

　　4. The best universities in the Nobel laureate’s eye are _____

　　[A] those of high reputation.

　　[B] those ambitious universities.

　　[C] the feisty upstarts.

　　[D] those high-flying universities.

　　5. The OECD’s ranking system will probably be welcomed most by_____

　　[A] parents who pay for the children’s secondary education.

　　[B] the famous colleges.

　　[C] those ambitious second-rank institutions.

　　[D] shoppers in the global market.

　　[答案]

　　1. C

　　2. C

　　3. D

　　4. A

　　5. C

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板凳发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

New York is in themiddle of a culture fest celebrating Berlin,a 17-day marathon of music, film, architecture, literature and photography thatbegan on November 2nd. “Berlin In Lights” is largely the brainchild of SirClive Gillinson, a former managing director of the London Symphony Orchestrawho became executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall in July 2005.Determined to make the New Yorkconcert hall more international, he is initiating a series of culturalfestivals celebrating cities, nations or artistic movements. Berlin is the first of these.

　　A visit by the BerlinPhilharmonic Orchestra, under its principal conductor Sir Simon Rattle had beenplanned for some time. Much taken by the extraordinarytransformation of Berlinsince reunification—the city thrives through culture and politics; there ishardly any business or finance—Sir Clive decided to expand that visit into afull-blown festival. He got an enthusiastic response from other New York institutions.

　　Berlin and New York have sizeable mutual admiration societies but,until recently, post-war Berlin could onlydream of being in the same league of creative effervescence as New York. Now, inpartnership with the American Academy in Berlin, Carnegie Hall has put togethera crowd of seminars—on literature, the visual arts, film-making—inviting starssuch as Volker Schl?ndorff and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, bothOscar-winning German directors. The Goethe-Institut and the Germanconsulate-general are showing photographs, the Museumof Modern Art is screening films aboutBerlin and the P.S.1 ContemporaryArt Centre is screening the 13 episodes and epilogue of Rainer WernerFassbinder's television epic “BerlinAlexanderplatz” in 14 separate rooms.

　　The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, extending its visit to eight days,will be performing Gustav Mahler's last three major works as well as music byThomas Adès, Magnus Lindberg and Gy?rgy Kurtag, three contemporary composers.In addition, various chamber ensembles made up of Philharmonic musicians areplaying both at Carnegie and at “neighbourhood concerts” in the city's fiveboroughs. The most innovative of the Philharmonic's offerings will be theperformances on November 17th and 18th at the United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights of Igor Stravinsky's “The Riteof Spring”, danced by kids from state schools who have been trained for justeight weeks. To those who think that the result will be shambolic, theorganisers retort that the experiment worked well with children—includingrefugees—from state schools in Berlin.

　　“Berlin In Lights” is not comprehensive: there is no theatre and littledance. A festival that gets too big loses its charm, says Sir Clive: “We wouldlike to capture people's imagination and incite them to explore new horizons.”

　　The audience at some of the shows—a performance by Max Raabe and thePalast Orchestra of songs from the 1920s and 1930s, Ute Lemper, a German chanteusespecialising in Kurt Weill, in cabaret—were made up largely from whatone participant described as the geriatric intelligentsia from the UpperWest Side. As many of them have German- or Austrian-Jewish origins, they have aloving, knowledgeable relationship with German culture. One critic hissed thatMs Lemper was a poor copy of Lotte Lenya, Weill's wife, whom she had seenperform in the 1940s. Sir Clive hopes that concerts by the Nomad SoundSystem, aBerlin band performing western dance music andNorth African melodies, and concerts by Berlin'sTurkish and Kurdish communities may bring in a younger crowd.

　　1. What does the word “marathon” (Line 1, Paragraph 1) mean in the text?

　　[A] A festival

　　[B] A sport competition

　　[C] A culture fest

　　[D] A large event

　　2. The Goethe-Institut is probably situated in_____

　　[A] New York.

　　[B] Berlin.

　　[C] Carnegie University.

　　[D] Germany.

　　3. The first sentence of the third paragraph implies that_____

　　[A] Berlin is lagging behind New York in artistic invention.

　　[B] Berlin and New York have a long history of artistic exchange in the societal level.

　　[C] Berlin is the German equivalence of New York in terms of creative vigour.

　　[D] Both Berlin and New York boast of people with high admiration of art.

　　4. The festival is carried out in order to_____

　　[A] enhance cultural exchange between the two cities.

　　[B] propagate new Berlin of culture and politics in the form of art.

　　[C] goes along with the 8 day visit of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

　　[D] internationalize New York music world.

　　5. From Sir Clive’s statements, it can be infered that he holds the view that a festival ______

　　[A] should be comprehensive.

　　[B] should be innovative.

　　[C] should be full-blown.

　　[D] should be limited in scale.

　　[答案]

　　1. D

　　2. A

　　3. A

　　4. D

　　5. D

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地板发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

Publishers cannot have enough of books from serious historians aboutthe “whys” of war. Why do they start? Why do they last? What makes a peacefragile? The past is one place to look for answers. Charles Esdaile, a lecturerat the University of Liverpool, is too gooda scholar to make easy comparisons between then and now. But the “whys” of warrun through his masterly account of the Napoleonic wars, a 12-year conflictbetweenFranceand Europe's other powers that killed almost 2m soldiers. Mr Esdaile, in apolitico-military survey of extraordinary scope and detail, tells us what hebelieves caused the conflict, what it was about and why it lasted so longdespite, as it seemed, frequent chances for peace. Neither battlefieldchronicle nor biography in disguise, “Napoleon's Wars” is explanatory historyof high order.

　　Historians date the Napoleonic wars from 1803, whenBritaindeclared war onFranceafterthe brief Peace of Amiens. Mr Esdaile recounts how Napoleon came to power in1799, masteringFranceandthen Europe.Britaincommanded the seas afterTrafalgar in 1805. ButFranceheld the continent thanks to victories on land against the Austrians, Prussiansand Russians. Setbacks inSpain,which Napoleon's troops entered in 1807, and disaster inRussiain 1812, led to eventual defeat at Waterloo.

　　Mr Esdaile makes that familiar story fresh in three connected ways. Heshows how marginal-looking conflicts—for example over the Romanian lands,Sweden,Portugal,Canada—ignitedlarger ones or divided potential allies. He reminds us that defeating Napoleonwas never sure. Europe's armies had first tolearn from their own failures and their rulers had to make common cause. Boththings happened, but late in the day. Above all, he stresses that the conflictwas not ideological but geopolitical. It was about the balance of power,disturbed for a century by Ottoman decline, Russian and Prussian growth andFranco-British rivalries.

　　Few if any ofFrance'sfoes were fighting for regime change in Paris.At many times they would have settled with Napoleon—had he settled with them.But they could never trust him to settle, and the wars went on. His twostrongest opponents,BritainandRussia,resisted him, in Mr Esdaile's view, not because he was a revolutionary, arepublican or the head of an upstart dynasty. They fought him because aslong as he controlledFrance,there was no telling whereFrancewould stop.

　　At this point Napoleon's character enters Mr Esdaile's intricategeopolitical equations. Without accepting a great-man theory of history, hethinks the Napoleonic wars deserve their name. Europe'spowers would have fought over their differences without Napoleon. But the scaleand ferocity of conflict was due in large part to the emperor's“aggression, egomania and lust for power”.

　　Mr Esdaile's book reflects a vast and varied range of recentscholarship. But he never leaves his geopolitical story for long. War started,he believes, because Europe was not inbalance. It dragged on because Napoleon could not be trusted. Peace came—andlasted until later generations forgot the horror of the alternative.

　　1.Mr. Esdaile’s book can be best described as_____

　　[A] a politico-military survery of the Napoleonic wars.

　　[B] an account of the Napoleonic wars in extrodinary scope and detail.

　　[C] a historical chronicle of the Napoleonic wars with comparisons of the past and the present.

　　[D] an exploration of the deep-rooted reason that led to the long war.

　　2. Mr. Esdaile’s novelty in recounting the conflict in _____

　　[A] that he dates from 1799 when Napoleon came to power in France.

　　[B] that he explains Napoleon’s character and history in detailed and vivid account.

　　[C] that he reminds us the importance of some marginal-looking conflicts.

　　[D] that he thinks the war was indeed started due to geopolitical factors.

　　3. Mr Esdaile holds the view that the Napoleonic wars are originated by _____

　　[A] marginal conflicts.

　　[B] imbalance of power in Europe.

　　[C] Napoleon’s aggressive ambition.

　　[D] Franco-British rivalries.

　　4. France’s rivals fought against Napoleon despite chances for peace because_____

　　[A] the political imbalance of Europe stimulated inevitable hatred and conflict between the countries and Napoleon.

　　[B] they were alert to the possible aggression by Napoleon.

　　[C] they attempted to settle with Napoleon but in vain.

　　[D] Napoleon was too ambitious to be trusted by them.

　　5. According to the passage, which one of the following statements is NOT true of the Napoleonic wars?

　　[A] The wars would not have been fought without Napoleon.

　　[B] The wars were due to the emperor’s aggression, egomania and lust for power.

　　[C] The wars lasted for so long time because France’s rivals could not trust Napoleon.

　　[D] The wars were fought over the difference of the Europe’s powers.

　　[答案]

　　1. D

　　2. D

　　3. B

　　4. B

　　5. B

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地下室发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

　Breakingrecords can become monotonous after a while. The Baltic Dry Index, whichtracks the costs of shipping “dry” goods such as iron ore, coal and grainaround the world, dipped this week after hitting an all-time high on November13th. But it is still up 154% from a year earlier.

　　Aswith so much to do with commodities, the extraordinary rise in freight rates ispartly because ofChina'sappetite for raw materials. A dearth of new ships, and flotillaswaiting to berth in overcrowded ports (especially inAustralia), are also driving rateshigher. The cost of shipping iron ore fromBraziltoChinais now more than the cost of digging up the ore itself.Yet what makesthe problem worse (or better, if you are a ship-owner) are the ways in whichshifts in supply and demand are altering trade patterns around the world,especially in commodities like iron ore and coal, which are the most frequentlytraded cargoes in international shipping.

　　Takeiron ore.China's biggestsuppliers—AustraliaandIndia—have beenunable to cope with the surge in demand. According to Icap Hyde, a firm of shipbrokers,Australia's market share ofChina'siron-ore imports fell from 70% around 15 years ago to about 40% last year.Earlier this year, to ensure enough iron ore for its own industries,Indiaimposedtariffs on sales of iron ore abroad.Over the years, Chinese steel producers have scoutedelsewhere for the metal—mainly inBrazil, where they have securedlong-term supply contracts. But it takes three times as long to move cargofromBraziltoChinaas it does fromAustralia,which, in effect, reduces shipping capacity for each shipment of Brazilian ironore toChinathat comes atAustralia'sexpense.

　　Meanwhile,Chinaused to export much more coal than it imported, according to Jon Chappell ofJPMorgan. As recently as 2001, its net exports of coal were 89m tons. So far this year, it hasimported almost as much as it has exported. Other East Asian countries such asJapan,South Korea relied heavily onChinafor coal and now have to import it fromAustralia,South Africaand theAmericas.So doesIndia.Meanwhile, drought inAustraliahas meant that large Asian importers have had to ship grain from as far away asAmerica.

　　Ingeneral, points out Icap Hyde, there is an “oceanic imbalance” between the Atlantic and Pacific. Supply is spread across bothoceans, even as demand is concentrated in Asia.Shipping ton-miles for the major “dry” goods, which indicates the extent towhich more freight is moved over longer distances, rose by 45% between 2001 and2006. That is good news for freight rates, if any more were needed. By allaccounts, the bull run is likely to last until 2009, when a huge number of newships are due to be launched. Let's hope they are built for trans-oceanictravel.

　　1. Which one of the following statements is TRUE of the Baltic Dry Index?

　　[A] The index is increased by 154% compared with the previous year.

　　[B] The index keeps track on the trade cost of all sorts of dry goods.

　　[C] The index has been breaking records for at least a few years.

　　[D] The index is monotonous during this period.

　　2.The word “scout” (Line 5, Paragraph 3) most probably means_____

　　[A] change

　　[B] turn

　　[C] seek

　　[D] outsource

　　3. Australia’s market share of China’s iron-ore imports went through a steep fall because_____

　　[A] the ports in Australia are overcrowded.

　　[B] the shipping capacity is reduced.

　　[C] the iron-ore demand of China is increased greatly.

　　[D] the tariffs are imposed on sales of iron ore.

　　4. The “oceanic imbalance” between Atlantic and Pacific refers to_____

　　[A] the imbalance in dry goods supply.

　　[B] the imbalance in dry goods demand.

　　[C] the imbalance in shipping ton-miles for the dry goods.

　　[D] the imbalance in freight rates.

　　5. The bull run of dry goods shipping will most probably be ended by_____

　　[A] rise of the shipping ton-miles for the major “dry” goods.

　　[B] the shifts in supply and demand.

　　[C] the increase of the shipping capacity.

　　[D] the launch of new ships in great number.

　　[答案]

　　1. C

　　2. C

　　3. C

　　4. B

　　5. D

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5楼发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

Asdusk falls, kerosene stoves ignite in the poorer kitchens of Delhi. Sengeni, who lives on an alley wedgedbetween the Nizamuddin railway tracks and a tributary known as ganda nallah(or dirty ditch), is looking forward to a dish of rice. He is entitled to aquota of 11 litres of cheap kerosene every fortnight, which he buys for aboutnine rupees (23 cents) a litre, compared with a free-market rate of about 25rupees. The price hasn't changed for months, he says, despite the surge inoil prices.

　　InIndia, as inmany countries, the government dares not allow the rising price of crude to befelt in the common man's pockets. Only a third of the 48 developing countriesstudied in an IMF review let the market set fuelprices. The governments ofYemenandIndonesia,for example, spent more holding down the price of fuel than they spent onhealth and education combined. Attempts to raise energy prices—as inYemenin 2005,Nigeriain 2000 orIndonesiain 1998—have a sorry record of prompting riots and revolutions.

　　India's government subsidises kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) directly. It keeps other fuels, such as diesel,artificially cheap by the simple expedient of stopping state oil companies fromraising their prices. These firms keep themselves afloat with “oil bonds”,which the government guarantees but does not enter on its books. In October,for example, the government announced it would issue bonds worth 235 billionrupees this fiscal year, which will compensate oil-market companies for about43% of their losses. All told,India'sfuel subsidies might cost as much as $17.5 billion this year, according toLombard Street Research, a British firm of economists. That amounts to as muchas 2% of the country's GDP.

　　Cheapkerosene fires the poor man's stove inIndia's cities and lights his homein the country's villages. More prosperous city folk cook instead with morerefined gases. Thus a kerosene subsidy can at least claim to be progressive aswell as expensive. This is more than can be said forIndia's cheap LPG.According to Bharat Ramaswami of the Indian Statistical Institute, the richerhalf ofIndia'surban population captures about three-quarters of this subsidy. Unfortunately,about half ofIndia'ssubsidised kerosene never makes it to household stoves, he says. It isdiverted to the black market, where it is either sold at a higher price or usedto adulterate diesel, which sells for about 30 rupees per litre.

　　Thisthen poses an acute dilemma for the government. The subsidies are costly. Yetmore expensive kerosene would hurt the poor (not to mention the government'sown electoral prospects). And if it kept kerosene cheap while letting dieselrise in price, it would only increase the scope for arbitrage betweenthe two.

　　Not all fuel inIndiais subsidised. By the Nizamuddin rail tracks, a gaggle of children warmthemselves on a chilly night by burning scraps of wood. One thick-skinnedshow-off waves his foot in the flames for a foolhardy second.India's fragilegovernment, on the other hand, is in no mood to play with fire.

　　1. The word “sorry” (Line 5, Paragraph 2) probably means_____

　　[A] apologizing.

　　[B] negative.

　　[C] feeling bad.

　　[D] unsatisfactory.

　　2. Which one of the following statements is TRUE of India’s subsidies on fuel?

　　[A] The subsidies mainly go to the state oil companies.

　　[B] The subsidy policy is executed by companies that maintain low prices.

　　[C] Diesel is subsidized through “oil bonds”.

　　[D] Half of the subsidized fuel is sold to the black market.

　　3.The dilemma for the government is caused by_____

　　[A] the costly subsidies.

　　[B] the fixed kerosene price.

　　[C] the price gap between the kerosene and diesel.

　　[D] the rise in diesel price.

　　4. India’s government is in no mood to play with fire because_____

　　[A] it subsidizes kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) directly.

　　[B] not all of the fuel is subsidized in India because the rich population does not need it.

　　[C] it is facing a difficult dilemma whether to continue fuel subsidy or not.

　　[D] it is too costly to subsidize all the fuel.

　　5. Towards the fuel subsidization in India, the author’s attitude can be said to be _____

　　[A] supportive.

　　[B] positive.

　　[C] neutral.

　　[D] negative.

　　[答案]

　　1. B

　　2. C

　　3. C

　　4. C

　　5. D

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6楼发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

Once upon a time—when the U.S. dollar was king—American students blithely flocked overseas to nibble on affordable scones and croissants between classes. How times have changed.As the dollar dips to all-time lows, college students are feeling the pinch. Especially in the United Kingdom and countries that use the euro—which currently is at 68 cents to the dollar—the cost of living has skyrocketed. "Years ago we could say studying abroad was the same price as staying on campus," says Daeya Malboeuf, an associate director at Syracuse University. "There's no way we can say that anymore."

　　Yet this unfavorable economic environment hasn't stopped students from scrambling overseas. According to the Institute of International Education, study-abroad programs have grown 144 percent in the past decade and continue to increase around 8 percent each year. Considering the rising costs, "it's surprising how little the students haven't been deterred," says Natalie Bartush, who handles the study-abroad program at the University of Texas.

　　Where the real change appears to be happening as a result of rising prices is in the length and location of students' foreign study choices. The number of participants in short-term summer programs has swelled, as has the interest in courses at more exotic locales. For Middlebury College students, for example, a year in Florence costs around $37,000; at Santiago, Chile, it's $27,000. Such price differences have contributed to modest or flat growth at traditionally popular programs in western Europe and Australia, whereas schools in Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and China (particularly Hong Kong) are aggressively expanding to meet rising demand.

　　Program directors are quick to point out that the shift is not just about money. "You can't understand the United States today without understanding what's going on outside our borders, and that's not just Europe anymore," says Rebecca Hovey, dean of the study-abroad program at the School for International Training. Interest in nontraditional locales spiked even before the dollar began dropping, and foreign countries are marketing themselves to American students. A surge of support from education nonprofits and the State Department also has fueled the trend.

　　Study-abroad costs also vary wildly based on the way colleges structure their programs. Schools that effectively swap students with a foreign college are less affected by the falling dollar, but American schools that operate their own student centers often end up paying more for rent, utilities, and faculty salaries as the U.S. currency falters. The dollar's slide also means that trying to set student fees in advance is a tiresome guessing game for college officials. Most of these educators' energy, however, is spent scrounging up extra financial aid for needy travelers. Students already getting help can usually transfer their aid to tuition and fees abroad, but basics like housing and food are often at the mercy of the fluctuating dollar. Airfare, which can exceed $1,000 round trip, is not generally included in school fees, and whirlwind trips across continents are rarely cheap.

　　The emphasis on student financial responsibility is especially evident at private schools like Syracuse, which charges the same pricey tuition abroad as at home. Even at more affordable public universities and private colleges like Middlebury—which charges U.S. students the often cheaper tuition of the international host schools—counselors are quick to peddle the virtue of thrift, a lesson no longer lost between those on safety and culture shock.

　　1. The fact that American students blithely flocked overseas to nibble on affordable sconesa and croissants implies that_____

　　[A] studying abroad cost almost the same as staying in U.S. for higher education.

　　[B] American students were encouraged to study overseas to enrich their experience.

　　[C] the cost of living at abroad was moderate for American students.

　　[D] the U.S. dollar was the strongest currency in the world.

　　2. The changes of study-abroad caused by the dollar’s depreciation are the following ones except_____

　　[A] students’ enthusiasm of studying abroad in short period does not disappear but vice versa.

　　[B] students become hesitant when considering long-term overseas programs.

　　[C] programmes in western Europe and Australia suffer declining popularity.

　　[D] students who chose to study at certain continents are at a rapid growth.

　　3. Rebecca Hover’s statement implies that_____

　　[A] the United States are now more readily influenced by the other countries than before.

　　[B] shift in the mainland may also be caused by factors outside of America.

　　[C] Europe can no longer influnece the United States as before.

　　[D] the United States are extending its influence beyond its boraders.

　　4. Who are probably most affected by the dollar’s dip?

　　[A] The international exchange students.

　　[B] The students who have got scholarships.

　　[C] The students at costly private schools.

　　[D] The students at public universities.

　　5. The best title for this passage is_____

　　[A] Impact of the Dollar’s Devaluation.

　　[B] American Students at Abroad.

　　[C] Study-abroad Costs for American Students.

　　[D] Shift of American Students’ Foreign Study.

　　[答案]

　　1. C

　　2. B

　　3. B

　　4. C

　　5. D

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nanafly

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7楼发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

　The company that revolutionized the delivery of information now aims to do the same with electricity. Technology powerhouse Google today announced it would spend "tens of millions" of dollars next year in research and development and investments in an effort to drive down the cost of large-scale renewable energy to make it cheaper than coal. Not only will Google be hiring engineers and energy experts for its new initiative, known as RE (renewableenergy at less cost than coal), but it also will make investments in fledglingcompanies—starting with those that focus on solar-thermal technology, enhanced geothermal, and high-altitude windpower. "

　　Cheap renewable energy is not only critical for the environment but also vital for economic development in many places where there is limited affordable energy of any kind," said Sergey Brin, Google cofounder and president of technology, in a prepared statement.

　　Coalsupplies 40 percent of the world's electricity and more than half of U.S.power, and if current trends continue, it is expected to grab an everincreasing share because it is a plentiful and cheap fuel for big consumerslike China and the United States. But coal is also the worst fuel in itsproduction of the global warming gas carbon dioxide. Google cofounder LarryPage said the company's goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewableenergy capacity that is cheaper than coal within "years, notdecades." Google says that's enough electricity to power a city the sizeof San Francisco(about 330,000 households).

　　Google,located in Mountain View, Calif.,said it was initially working with two other California companies. They are eSolar, ofPasadena, which is specializing in solar-thermal power, using large fields ofmirrors to concentrate sunlight and generate steam to run utility-scaleelectric turbines, and Makani of Alameda, which is developing windenergy technology that takes advantage of the much stronger and more reliablecurrents available at high altitudes.

　　Google did not specify how much money it was putting intoits projects with these companies but said they both had "promising scalableenergy technologies." This portion of the initiative will be fundedthrough the company's philanthropic arm, Google.org, which is not atraditional charity but can make equity investments in companies. Brin and Pagehave pledged 1 percent of Google's equity and profits toward effortsincluding climate change and global poverty.

　　TheRE

　　Thecompany also has a project to accelerate development and adoption of ultrahigh-efficiency plug-in hybridcars. Google has been lobbying for inclusion of a nationwiderenewable energy portfolio goal in the energy legislation currently undernegotiation on Capitol Hill. And the company is working on an energy-efficientcomputing initiative with other Silicon Valleycompanies.

　　1.The word “fledgling” (Line 7, Paragraph 1) most probably means_____

　　[A] inexperienced.

　　[B] promising.

　　[C] new.

　　[D] initiative.

　　2. Which one of the following statements is TRUE of the coal?

　　[A] It is a kind of controversial fuel given its large quantity and its harm to the harm the environment.

　　[B] It is a plentiful and cheap fuel that will surely earn more market share.

　　[C] It will be totally replaced by the renewable energy in years because it produces the worst gas—a carbon dioxide.

　　[D] It is supported by enthusiastic countries like China and U.S.

　　3. Google.org is a _____

　　[A] conventional type of charity organization.

　　[B] equity investor in companies.

　　[C] a branch website of Google.com that focuses on charity activities.

　　[D] environmental organization that specializes in promoting green fuel.

　　4. Which one of the following is not TRUE of RE

　　[A] It will be realized through investments in solar and wind energy companies.

　　[B] It is a programme of environmental protection.

　　[C] It is one of the measures taken to neutralize carbon.

　　[D] It can come into true in a few years.

　　5. The best title of this passage is_____

　　[A] Google’s RE

　　[B]Google, the Energy Revolutionary.

　　[C] Google, the Environmental Protector.

　　[D] Google’s Renewable Energy Project.

　　[答案]

　　1. C

　　2. A

　　3. A

　　4. A

　　5. B

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nanafly

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8楼发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

China makes computers, but imports most of its chips. India makes drugs, but copies almost all of the compounds; it writes software, but rarely owns the result. The bolder claims made for all three industries thus have a similar, hollow ring. They have flourished, but mostly on the back of other countries' technology. “We are not at the stage of Intel Inside,” admits Arvind Atignal of Clinigene, a clinical-research firm, drawing his own analogy between desktops and drugs. “We are the keyboard, screens and peripherals.”

　　How much does this matter? Joseph Xie of SMIC, the Chinese chipmaker, spent seven years working inside Intel. Its strategy, he says, was simple: “get there first; make most of the money; let the second guy get the change.” That is certainly one way to run a technology firm. But competing in that race is expensive and exhausting. Few of Intel's rivals still try to keep up with it, nanometre by nanometre.

　　Countries of China's and India's heft and ambition cherish the idea of pushing back the limits of technology. But that push is risky, costly, frustrating work. A country shouldn't do it unless it has to. Although China and India could devote their considerable intellectual resources to solving the problems faced by economies on the technological frontier, why cross that bridge until you reach it? Seen in this light, India's generic drugmakers are models not laggards. They invest in just enough know-how to exploit the rest of the world's discoveries. Thanks to them, Indians enjoy some of the world's cheapest medicines.

　　Under the WTO's Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement (TRIPS), India has ceded the right to free-ride foreign advances. It now grants 20 years of patent protection to inventions hatched after 1995. In return, it hopes tighter laws will inspire Indians to new exploits in innovation, and reassure foreigners wary of inventing or making original products in the country.

　　The tougher laws may yet succeed. A recent study by Bruce Abramson of the World Bank expresses high hopes. A “patent chic” is already detectable in the country, he reports. He has even heard of Indian farmers calling lawyers in the hope of patenting their prize vegetables.

　　But, as yet, the new regime has not proved its worth. Over 17,000 patent applications were filed in India in 2004-05, almost 40% more than the year before. But only 3,500 were by Indians. Of the 49 most prolific filers in the past decade, 44 are either foreign companies or subsidiaries. Of the five Indian firms, all are either government-sponsored institutes or generic-drug companies, which did fine before TRIPS.

　　The new regime will be costly to run, if India takes it seriously. But the larger cost lies in the opportunities for unabashed imitation that India has now forgone. These lost opportunities might be quite big. Had Indian firms been prevented from copying fluoroquinolones, for example, the Indian public would have been worse off by the equivalent of $255m a year, reckons a study of the antibiotics market by Shubham Chaudhuri of the World Bank, Pinelopi Goldberg of Yale and Panle Jia of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

　　1. Arvind Atignal draws an analogy between desktops and drugs because_____

　　[A] both of them have a similar prospect in China and India.

　　[B] both industries in India are still lacking core technology.

　　[C] drug-making in India is like making peripherals for desktops.

　　[D] the two industries have a similar operation in India.

　　2. The idea maintained by countries like China and India is _____

　　[A] to do the best they could.

　　[B] to solve the technological problems to the best of their ability.

　　[C] to go beyond the limits of technology.

　　[D] to do what they have to.

　　3. India has ceded the right to free-ride foreign advances because_____

　　[A] it wants to push back the limits of technology.

　　[B] it is in accordance with TRIPS.

　　[C] it wants to inspire Indians to making innovation.

　　[D] it wants to protect the inventions by the foreigners.

　　4. From the data of the sixth paragraph, it can be inferred that_____

　　[A] the tougher laws are not successful since it failed to raise Indians’ enthusiasm for patents.

　　[B] Indians are not so inventive as the foreign counterparts measured by patent application.

　　[C] Indians’ inventions are negligible because most firms are funded by the government and thus lack incentive.

　　[D] Indians are still left behind in inventions even under the system that encourage patenting.

　　5. Towards the future of the new regime, the author’s attitude can be said to be_____

　　[A] pessimistic.

　　[B] optimistic.

　　[C] dubious.

　　[D] objective.

　　[答案]

　　1. C

　　2. D

　　3. B

　　4. D

　　5. A

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nanafly

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9楼发表于: 2021-04-22

只看该作者 ┊ 小中大

Scores of workers from MTV Networks walked off the job yesterday afternoon, filling the sidewalk outside the headquarters of its corporate parent, Viacom, to protest recent changes in benefits. The walkout highlighted the concerns of a category of workers who are sometimes called permalancers: permanent freelancers who work like full-time employees but do not receive the same benefits.

　　Waving signs that read ''Shame on Viacom,'' the workers, most of them in their 20s, demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning Jan. 1. In a statement, MTV Networks noted that its benefits program for full-time employees had also undergone changes, and it emphasized that the plan for freelancers was still highly competitive within the industry. Many freelancers receive no corporate benefits. But some of the protesters asserted that corporations were competing to see which could provide the most mediocre health care coverage. Matthew Yonda, who works at Nickelodeon, held a sign that labeled the network ''Sick-elodeon.'' ''I've worked here every day for three years -- I'm not a freelancer,'' Mr. Yonda said. ''They just call us freelancers in order to bar us from getting the same benefits as employees.''

　　The changes to the benefits package were announced last Tuesday. Freelancers were told that they would become eligible for benefits after 160 days of work, beginning in January. While that eased previous eligibility rules, which required freelancers to work for 52 weeks before becoming eligible, it would have required all freelancers not yet eligible for benefits to start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1. The 401(k) plan was also removed. On Thursday, acknowledging the complaints, MTV Networks reinstated the 401(k) plan and said freelancers who had worked consistently since March would be eligible.

　　Fueled by a series of blog posts on the media Web site Gawker -- the first post was headlined ''The Viacom Permalance Slave System'' -- a loose cohort of freelancers created protest stickers and distributed walkout fliers last week. Caroline O'Hare, a unit manager who has worked for MTV for more than two years, said the new health care plan -- with higher deductibles and a $2,000 cap on hospital expenses each year -- had provoked outrage. ''They think they can treat us like children that don't have families, mortgages or dreams of retirement,'' she said.

　　Outside Viacom's headquarters, several workers held posters with the words, ''There's too many of us to ignore.'' It was unclear how many freelancers are on the company's payroll; an MTV Networks spokeswoman said the figure was not known because it rises and falls throughout the year. The company has 5,500 full-time employees, excluding freelancers, around the world.

　　Two freelancers and one full-time employee, who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, estimated that the percentage of freelancers in some departments exceeded 75 percent. Another labor action is expected to take place outside Viacom later this week. Members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike for five weeks, are expected to picket there on Thursday.

　　1.Which one of the following statements is NOT true of MTV Networks’ new benefits plan for freelancers?

　　A. Its benefits plan for freelancers is highly competitive in the industry.

　　B. Its freelancers cannot receive the same benefits as the full-time employees.

　　C. The freelancers who are not eligible for benefits should start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1.

　　D. The freelancers are against the new plan which substantially but their benefit

　　2. According to the new benefits program of MTV Networks, the following freelancers are eligible for benefits except_____

　　A. those who have worked for 160 days.

　　B. those who have worked for 1 year.

　　C. those who have worked since March.

　　D. those who have worked since Jan. 1.

　　3.The word “reinstate” (Line 6, Paragraph 3) most probably means_____

　　A. redesign.

　　B. restore.

　　C. repair.

　　D. reset.

　　4. The MTV Networks spokeswoman did not provide the number of freelancers on the payroll mostly probably because_____

　　A. the figure fluctuates throughout the year and it is impossible to calculate the precise number.

　　B. the company wants to keep it as a secret so as to better stand the protest.

　　C. the company has no record of the freelancers since there is no such necessity.

　　D. the company does not want to provide the freelancers with benefits enjoyed by the full-time employee.

　　5. Towards MTV Networks’ change on the benefits plan, the author’s attitude can be said to be_____

　　A. affirmative.

　　B. negative.

　　C. biased.

　　D. neutral.

　　[答案]

　　1. C

　　2. D

　　3. B

　　4. B

　　5. B

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