Is the “Go to College” Message Overdone?

Even in a weak job market, the old college try isn’t the answer for everyone. A briefing paper from the Brookings Institution warns that “we may have overdone the message” on college, senior fellow Isabel Sawhill said.

“We’ve been telling students and their families for years that college is the only way to succeed in the economy and of course there’s a lot of truth to that,” Ms. Sawhill said. “On average it does pay off… But if you load up on a whole lot of student debt and then you don’t graduate, that is a very bad situation.”

One comment that people often repeat among the years of slow job growth has been the value of education for landing a job and advancing in a career. April’s national unemployment rate stood at 7.5%, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate for high-school graduates over 25 years old who hadn’t attended college was 7.4%, compared with 3.9% for those with a bachelor’s degree or more education. The difference is even bigger among those aged 16—24. The jobless rate for those with only a high school diploma in that age group is about 20%. At the same time, recent research by Canadian economists warns that a college degree is no guarantee of promising employment.

Ms. Sawhill pointed out that among the aspects that affect the value of a college education is the field of one’s major: Students in engineering or other sciences end up earning more than ones who major in the arts or education. The cost of tuition (學(xué)費) and the availability of financial aid are other considerations, with public institutions generally a better financial bargain than private ones.

She suggested two ways to improve the situation: increasing vocational (職業(yè)的)-technical training programs and taking a page from Europe’s focus on early education rather than post-secondary learning. “The European countries put a little more attention to getting people prepared in the primary grades,” she said. “Then they have a higher bar for whoever goes to college—but once you get into college, you’re more likely to be highly subsidized (資助).”

She also is a supporter of technical training—to teach students how to be plumbers, welders and computer programmers—because “employers are desperate” for workers with these skills.

1.People usually think that .

A. the cost of technical schooling is a problem

B. technical skills are most important for finding a job

C. one will not succeed without a college degree

D. there is an increased competition in getting into a college

2.What does the underlined part “taking a page from” (in Para.5) possibly mean?

A. Learning from. B. Changing from.

C. Differing from.D. Hearing from.

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A. Public institutions charge more for education.

B. European universities are stricter with students.

C. Canadian students prefer to major in engineering.

D. Students with certain skills are in great demand.

4.Ms. Sawhill may probably agree that .

A. technical training is more important than college education

B. too much stress has been put on the value of college degrees

C. a college degree will ensure promising employment

D. it’s easier for art students to find favorite jobs

Denmark is one of the happiest nations on earth with some of the best quality of life. You don’t need statistics to understand the Dane’s happy lot. Walk around any Danish town and you’ll experience some of the most harmonious civic spaces anywhere. Their intimate scales and perfect transport systems combine the rich history and bold modern lines of the built environment to delight the eye, and the locals’ manners and sense of humor is refreshing.

Denmark’s capital Copenhagen is a remarkable city with well-preserved medieval streets, renowned art galleries, Michelin-starred restaurants and a healthy business center. Finding something to do is never a problem and if all else fails, just admiring the streets with a hotdog in hand is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours .

Beyond the capital and the bigger cities, Denmark offers a mix of lively towns such as Ribe and Odense plus rural countryside, medieval churches , Renaissance castles and tidy 18th-century villages.

The coastline of Denmark with its sand dunes and greenery is a sight that always attracts visitors. So, no matter what time of year you’re in Denmark, you shouldn’t miss out on a trip to the nearest beach .

It’s hard , in short , to find fault with the place. The visitor’s most heartfelt complaint is usually the cost of visiting Denmark. True, it is not a cheap destination , but no more so than the UK, and which nation’s public transport system would you rather use?

Cheer yourself up by thinking of the country’s remarkable organization and clockwork railway timetable as being financed by the extremely high taxes paid by your hosts. When viewed in this way , this first-rate destination seems like good value, and you get the fairy tales thrown in for free: the Danish royal family is genuinely loved and respected by the vast majority of its citizens, not least handsome Prince Frederik , his beautiful Australian-born princess-bride, Mar, and their young family.

1.Which of the following words can best describe Danes ?

A. Polite and humorous .B. Happy and romantic.

C. Kind and friendly. D. Out-going and humorous .

2.The writer implies in the last two paragraphs that __________ .

A. Visiting the U.K. will cost less than travelling in Denmark .

B. The transport system in the UK can’t equal that in Denmark .

C. People in Denmark pay high taxes to welcome visitors .

D. The Danish royal family plays an important role in politics .

3. How does the passage mainly develop ?

A. By providing examples.B. By making comparisons.

C. By giving descriptions.D. By following time order.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage ?

A. To introduce Danish culture .

B. To show the attractions of Denmark .

C. To share experiences of travelling in Denmark .

D. To describe the happy life people live in Denmark .

Now Hear This

What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common? Both men have hearing damage from exposure to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids as a consequence. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.

Temporary hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.

"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says a physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.

What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分貝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.

The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather. "I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "

Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "

1.From Paragraph 1, we can learn that .

A. loud music is a major cause of hearing loss

B. famous people tend to have hearing problems

C. teenagers should stay away from school bands

D. the problem of hearing damage is widely known

2.In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means .

A. not to be seen B. to fill with sound

C. to become larger in size D. to make good again

3.The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show .

A. a list of harmful sounds

B. the effect of rock concerts

C. the noise levels of familiar sounds

D. relationship between daily activities and hearing loss

4.Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?

A. When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead.

B. Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice.

C. Many are taking the risk of losing hearing.

D. Doctors know how to cure hearing loss.

There is distinction between reading for information and reading for understanding. ____1.____

The first sense is the one in which we read newspapers, magazines, or anything else. ____2.____ Such materials may increase our store of information, but they cannot improve our understanding. And clearly we don’t have any difficulty in gaining the new information, for our understanding was equal to them before we started. Otherwise, we would have felt the shock of puzzlement.

The second sense is the one in which we read something that at first we do not completely understand. Here the thing to be read is at the first sight better or higher than the reader. The writer is communicating something that can increase the reader’s understanding. _3.___ Otherwise one person could never learn from another. Here “l(fā)earning” means understanding more, not remembering more information.

What are the conditions in this kind of reading? First, there is inequality in understanding. ___4. Besides, his book must convey something he possesses and his potential readers lack. Second, the reader must be able to overcome this inequality in some degree. And he should always try to reach the same level of understanding with the writer. If the equality is approached, success of communication is achieved.

__5. It is the least demanding and requires the least amount of effort. Everyone who knows how to read can read for entertainment if he wants to. In fact, any book that can be read for understanding or information can probably be read for entertainment as well.

A. The writer should have a better communicating skill.

B. Such communication between unequals must be possible.

C. We can get access to the content of those materials easily.

D. The writer must be “superior” to the reader in understanding.

E. Thus, we can employ the word “reading” in two distinct senses.

F. Reading for entertainment is capable of increasing our understanding for information.

G. Besides gaining information and understanding, there’s another goal of reading—entertainment.

I went to India for a 2-week vacation to visit my relatives. We stopped on a red light, and as always, there were a lot of activities outside the cars near the . People walked in, between the cars newspaper, water and a number of kids looked for a bit of charity from the car owners. It’s a familiar in most poor developing countries.

While we were for the red light to turn green, I noticed a man outside a couple of in front of ours trying to sell bottles of water. It’s unusual at first. He was a man in his 40s with relatively clothes. But he walked around in a strange way. He kind of his way around the spaces. He was blind.

Carrying a couple of water bottles on one hand, he got to the outside of our car. Out of , my mum decided to buy one water bottle. As she gave the man the money, the light turned green. The car behind sounded loudly and , trying to get ahead of traffic. Seeing this, my mum kindly told the man to the change. However, with his sense of touch, he quickly went through his shirt pocket and threw the money at my mum’s . It was the exact change. The cars behind us were really getting out of control, we decided to go on our way.

I broke down and even when I got home. Here’s a blind man, born in , trying to sell water bottles on the streets to make ends meet. He our sympathy. Life hasn’t been to him, yet he’s giving it his best shot. I think that is what is all about facing life bravely.

1.A. signs B. crossroads C. stations D. theatres

2.A. giving B. buying C. selling D. throwing

3.A. scene B. play C. activity D. street

4.A. watching B. asking C. waiting D. changing

5.A. blocks B. crossings C. turns D. cars

6.A. everything B. something C. anything D. nothing

7.A. expensive B. fashionable C. ragged D. fastened

8.A. pushed B. drove C. cleared D. felt

9.A. eventually B. quickly C. frequently D. happily

10.A. curiosity B. sympathy C. thirsty D. politeness

11.A. impatiently B. casually C. naturally D. carefully

12.A. keep B. return C. borrow D. count

13.A. poor B. superior C. limited D. enlarged

14.A. hand B. arm C. face D. lap

15.A. still B. yet C. so D. but

16.A. smiled B. shouted C. complained D. cried

17.A. pain B. poverty C. sadness D. loneliness

18.A. refused B. enjoyed C. doubted D. cheated

19.A. rich B. unfair C. kind D. bad

20.A. kindness B. courage C. experience D. challenge

Once a farmer's donkey (驢) fell into a deep well. The animal cried loudly for hours, but the farmer couldn't figure out what to do 1. it. Finally, he decided that the animal was old and that the well needed to be covered anyway, so he 2. (think) the donkey wasn't worth saving.

Then, he invited some of his neighbors to come over and help 3. . They all took a shovel (鐵鏟) and began to put dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried 4. (pitiful). Then, to everyone's surprise, the donkey became quiet. A few shovel loads later, the fanner looked down into the well and was astonished at 5. he saw.

Each shovel of dirt hit its back, but the donkey was doing something 6. (amaze). It was shaking the dirt off and taking a step up. 7. the neighbors continued to put more dirt on top of the animal, it would shake the dirt off and take one more step up.

Pretty soon everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of 8. well and ran off happily!

When life sometimes 9. ( put) dirt on you, the best way of getting out of the well is to shake the dirt off and take a step up. Each of your troubles is a stepping stone. You can get out of the deepest well just 10. never giving up!

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同學(xué)寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。錯誤涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫出修改后的單詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（＼）劃掉。

修改：在錯詞下面畫一橫線，并在該詞下寫出修改后的單詞。

注意： 1. 每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞

2. 只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

When Joe left university, he got a good job in a bike’s factory. And after he had worked there for some years, he decided to have a change. So he put a notice several newspapers, says what experience he had and the kind of job he would like to have. One of the answer he received was from a man who was looking for a job either. This man wrote to him, “Dear sir, when you get a new job, to be kind enough to give your name and address to your present boss as I have been trying to find a position like yours for a long time.” After he had finished reading the letter, he suddenly realizes what he had done was real foolish.

假定你是李華，中國青年志愿者網(wǎng)（China Youth Volunteers/CYV）計劃在6月30日前向全國各大院校及社會各界招募1000名志愿者，進行急救知識普及活動。你想申請成為其中一員。請用英語寫一封自我推薦信。要點如下：

1. 個人情況：年齡：18； 性別：男； 出身醫(yī)學(xué)世家。

個人優(yōu)勢：掌握基本急救知識，有救援經(jīng)驗，身體素質(zhì)好。

目的：幫助有需要的人；回報社會。

注意：可以適當增加細節(jié)使文章連貫。詞數(shù)：100左右。

Dear Sir/Madam,

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Yours truly,

Li Hua

Guide to Stockholm University Library

Our library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.

Zones

The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.

Computers

You can use your own computer to connect to the wi-fi specially prepared for notebook computers, you can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.

Group-study places

If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.

There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.

Storage of Study Material

The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have obtained at least 40 credits(學(xué)分), you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year’s rental period.

Rules to be Followed

Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.

Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.

1.The library’s upper floor is mainly for students to .

A. read in a quiet place

B. have group discussions

C. take comfortable seats

D. get their computers fixed

2.Library computers on the ground floor __________.

A. help students with their field experiments

B. are for those who want to access the wi-fi

C. contain software necessary for schoolwork

D. are mostly used for filling out application forms

3.What condition should be met to book a group-study room?

A. Group must consist of 8 people.

B. One should have an active University account.

C. Three-hour use per day is the minimum.

D. Applicants must mark the room on the map.

4.A student can rent a locker in the library if he ____________.

A. has earned the required credits

B. attends certain course

C. has nowhere to put his books

D. can afford the rental fee

5.What should NOT be brought into the library?

A. Mobile phones. B. Orange juice.

C. Candy. D. Sandwiches.

When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Because in some ways, it is.

Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves.

And that’s only natural: most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, that we should try to avoid mistakes. We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes—at home, school and work. Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.

Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow. If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world: they make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible.

By trial and error—trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes—we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly.

Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler, make speech possible, make works of genius possible.

Think about how we learn: we don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it. You don’t just read about painting, or writing, or computer programming, or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away. Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing, then you make mistakes and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something. That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults. Mistakes are how we learn to do something new—because if you succeed at something, it’s probably something you already knew how to do. You haven’t really grown much from that success—at most it’s the last step on your journey, not the whole journey. Most of the journey was made up of mistakes, if it’s a good journey.

So if you value learning, if you value growing and improving, then you should value mistakes. They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.

1.Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?

A. Because mistakes make us suffer a lot.

B. Because it’s a natural part in our life.

C. Because we’ve been taught so from a young age.

D. Because mistakes have ruined many people’s careers.

2.According to the passage, what is the right attitude to mistakes?

A. We should try to avoid making mistakes.

B. We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes.

C. We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn.

D. We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.

3.The underlined word “toddler” in Paragraph 6 probably means .

A. a small child learning to walk

B. a kindergarten child learning to draw

C. a primary pupil learning to read

D. a school teenager learning to write

4.We can learn from the passage that .

A. most of us can really grow from success

B. growing and improving are based on mistakes

C. we learn to make mistakes by trial and error

D. we read about something and know how to do it right away