New York Times-The already crazed competition for admission to the nation’s most famous universities and colleges became even more intense (激烈的) this year, with many recording the lowest acceptance rates.
Harvard College, for example, offered admission to only 7.1 percent of the 27,462 high school seniors who applied — or, put another way, it rejected 93 of every 100 applicants, many with extraordinary achievements, like a perfect score on one of the SAT exams. Yale College accepted 8.3 percent of its 22,813 applicants. Both rates were records.
Columbia College admitted 8.7 percent of its applicants, Brown University and Dartmouth College about 13 percent, and Bowdoin College and Georgetown University 18 percent — also records.
“We love the people we admitted, but we also love a very large number of the people who we were not able to admit,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean (主任) of admissions and financial aid at Harvard College.
Some colleges said they placed more students on their waiting lists than in recent years, in part because of uncertainty over how many admitted students would decide to enroll （登记入学）. Harvard and Princeton stopped accepting students through early admission this academic year; that meant that more than 1,500 students who would have been admitted in December were likely to have applied to many famous schools in the regular round.
Many factors contributed to the tightening of the competition at the most selective colleges, admissions deans said. The number of high school graduates in the nation has grown each year over the last decade and a half, experts estimate that the figure will reach the highest point this year or next, which might reduce the competition a little.
Other factors were the ease of online applications, expanded financial aid packages, an ambitious students’ applying to ever more colleges.
48．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．Harvard has the lowest admission rate this year.
B．Many factors have led to the intense competition.
C．Famous universities prefer to have more students on their waiting lists.
D．Admission to famous universities became even more difficult this year.
49．Which of the following has the highest acceptance rate this year?
A．Yale College. B．Georgetown University.
C．Columbia College. D．Dartmouth College.
50．How many of the 20,000 applicants would be rejected by Columbia College this year?
A．18,260 B．1,740 C．18,350 D．1,950
Swiss International Air lines（SWISS）will introduce daily non-stop flights between Beijing and Zurich．
The new service to the financial center of Switzerland is expected to start on Dec．12,2012，which marks an expansion of services for the Chinese market．In May 2008，SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai．
The first flight to Europe has a special price of 2,680 yuan，which does not include taxes and fuel surcharges．
“I am delighted the airlines of Switzerland can contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries with new daily flights scheduled，”says SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister．
“We are witnessing a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions．”
Apart from Shanghai and Hong Kong，Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS．
The new route marks a return to Beijing for SWISS：the airlines previously flew to the Chinese capital as late as June 2003．
SWISS will initially operate its new daily non-stop Beijing-Zurich flights with an Airbus A340-300（219 seats）and Airbu: A330-300（236 seats）air-crafts．
The modem SWISS business class offers the most suitable comforts since the seats can be adjusted into a two-meter-long bed．
Seating firmness and softness can be adjusted thanks to air cushions．
With the introduction of the new SWISS service from Beijing，the Lufthansa Group Airlines may attract more Chinese customers when traveling to Europe．
SWISS．Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines already connect five Chinese cities with Europe and beyond．
This airlines group is the leading European airlines network in the Chinese market．
In the summer of 2011，the Lufthansa Group operated 78 weekly flights from China including Hong Kong to Europe．
SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group as well as a member of the Star Alliance，the world's biggest airlines grouping．
According to the passage，from Dec．12,2012， ．
| A．it will only take us a day to fly from Beijing to Zurich |
| B．we can fly directly from Beijing to Zurich |
| C．the first flight from Beijing to Europe will only cost you 2,680 yuan |
| D．the direct flight to Shanghai started by SWISS will be canceled |
Why is the new flight added?
| A．SWISS wants to offer good service to Chinese people． |
| B．SWISS wants to contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries |
| C．There is a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions． |
| D．SWISS wants to create more opportunity for people to work． |
What's special about the Airbus of the new flight?
| A．The Airbus can carry more passengers than other planes． |
| B．The seats in it can be adjusted into comfortable beds． |
| C．It offers all kinds of services for passengers to choose from． |
| D．It has two kinds of air cushions on its seats． |
What's the right relation between SWISS，Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines?
| A．SWISS is the customer of the Lufthansa Group Airlines |
| B．Austrian Airlines is a part of SWISS． |
| C．SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group． |
| D．SWISS belongs to Austrian Airlines． |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai． |
| B．SWISS adds direct flights from Beijing to Europe． |
| C．Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS． |
| D．SWISS is the world's biggest airlines grouping． |
【改编】One period of our lives when better results are demanded of us is, strangely enough, childhood． Despite being young we are expected to achieve good grades, stay out of trouble, make friends at school, do well on tests, perform chores at home and so on． It’s not easy．
The good news is that being likeable can help a child perform better． Likeable children enjoy many advantages, including the ability to copemore easily with stresses of growing up．
In her book Understanding Child Stress, Dr． Carolyn Leonard states that children who are likeable and optimistic are able to gain support from others． This leads to focus and resilience, the ability to recover from or adjust early to life stress; a child who has adequate emotional armor can continue down the path to success． Much research shows that resilience has enabled children to succeed in school, avoid drug abuse, and develop a healthy self-awareness．
Why does a likeable child more easily handle stress and do better in his or her life? Because likeability helps create what’s known as a positive feedback loop（回馈圈）．The positive feelings you want to see in other people are returned to you, creating constant encouragement and motivation to deal with the daily stress of life．
This feedback loop continues into adulthood． To return once again to the example of teaching, learning becomes easier with a likeable personality． Michael Delucchi of the University of Hawaii reviewed dozens of studies to determine if likeable teachers received good ratings because of their likeability or because they in fact taught well． Delucchi found that “Students who perceive（察觉）a teacher as likeable, in contrast to those who do not, may be more attentive to the information that the teacher delivers and they’ll work harder on assignments, and they will learn more．”
You may have noticed this pattern in your own life when you try to give some advice． The more positive your relationship with that person, the more he or she seems to listen, and the more you feel certain that that person has heard you and intends to act on your words．What can we know from the first paragraph?
| A．Life is not easy for everyone. |
| B．Children often expected more. |
| C．Being a happy child is not easy. |
| D．People often demand more of children. |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “armor”?
| A．The ability to control oneself. |
| B．The ability to deal with pressure. |
| C．The ability to change the situation. |
| D．The ability to tell right from wrong. |
From the third paragraph we can know likeable children _______.
| A．are more optimistic and confident |
| B．are easy to turn to others for help |
| C．can easily get support from other people |
| D．often choose not to rely on others |
What did Michael Delucchi find in the studies?
| A．Likeable teachers may have a good effect on students. |
| B．Likeable teachers teach much better. |
| C．Teachers like likeable students better. |
| D．Likeable teachers have more flexible teaching methods. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children are more likeable than adults. |
| B．People with likeability often perform better in life. |
| C．Likeable people have a happy childhood.[.来 |
| D．People should be more likeable. |
【改编】Mom’s birthday present? It may be a difficult thing for some people, but for me, it is an easy thing. Mom loved flowers, so every year I sent her flowers. Actually she had a bed of irises（鸢尾花）in the backyard of her small, Indiana farm. They were beautiful. “Take some,” she said, “Dig some up and plant them on the side of your own house.”
But in my yard they became lacking in energy. A year passed, then two, but not one flower appeared. I cut back all their green leaves. I was tired of seeing them so lonely. Finally, I dug the irises up and threw them away.
About that time Mom died unexpectedly. My sister and I sold the farm. I never went back to see the irises. I just couldn’t bear seeing another family living in our home—Mom’s home. Autumn came, then winter. The following spring, as Mom’s birthday approached, I struggled with the question of how to remember her. I stared out the window and saw a few stubborn irises in my side yard sprouting (发芽), —tall, thin but flowerless. Because of seeing them, I decided to order flowers as I always did on Mom’s birthday, and send them to my sister. I wished so badly I could still send flowers to Mom. But that was impossible.
In the morning of Mom’s birthday, I was in my car ready to work. Something in the yard caught my eye. The irises! One had bloomed with flowers, big, showy and purple, as lovely as they ever had been on Mom’s farm. I smiled and turned my eyes upward. I could no longer send flowers to Mom. But somehow, she’d been able to send them to me.From the first paragraph we know________.
| A．the writer doesn’t know what to buy for her mother on her birthday |
| B．some people have difficulty choosing birthday gift for their mother |
| C．Mother lived with the writer on the farm |
| D．Mother doesn’t like flowers including irises |
What happened to the irises that the author grew?
| A．They only grew green flowers. |
| B．They grew as well as those on her mother’s farm. |
| C．They were thrown away at last. |
| D．They ended up with beautiful flowers. |
Why didn’t the writer return to the farm after her mother died?
| A．Because she was too busy to go there. |
| B．Because her sister told her not to. |
| C．Because she lived far away from the farm. |
| D．Because she couldn’t stand the fact that her mother was no longer there. |
From the third paragraph we can know _____.
| A．not all the irises were dug out |
| B．the writer returned to her mother’s farm |
| C．the writer often sends flowers to his sister |
| D．the writer buys flowers in memory of his mother every year |
What is the writer’s purpose to write this passage?
| A．To introduce a kind of irises. |
| B．To memorize her mother. |
| C．To explain how to grow irises. |
| D．To praise the spirit of irises. |
About 59% of engineering companies in the IET's 2014 survey feared skill shortages could threaten（威胁） business.Engineers should embrace（接受） the arts, Sir John O'Reilly, a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, argued in a lecture.
"There is nothing as creative as engineering," Sir John told the reporter. He says science, technology, engineering and mathematics - often known as "Stem" subjects, are vital for a modern knowledge economy. But there is a massive shortfall in the number of recruits（招聘） - with a recent study by the Royal Academy of Engineering saying the UK needs to increase by as much as 50% the number of Stem graduates it produces.
Delivering this year's Mountbatten Lecture at the Royal Institution, Sir John argued that engineers should recognise the role of the arts in their work - among other benefits; this could attract more people into the profession. The lecture, Full Steam Ahead for Growth, advocated a wider adoption -- Steam, or science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. Engineers should embrace the arts as being key to creativity and an important component of innovation（创新）, crucial to creating new products and boosting future competitiveness, he argued. "Engineering and technology is an increasingly diverse and creative field," said Sir John.
Some university engineering departments already cooperated with art schools to develop understanding, he told the reporter. In particular he mentioned Cranfield University's Centre for Creative Competitive Design and Imperial College's work with the Royal College of Art. The two sets of people could work well together and more emphasis on the creative side of engineering could improve the success of products, he said.
"Aesthetics(美学) is part of it," he told the reporter, adding that Apple's iPod was not the first digital media player, nor the only one that worked - but it came to dominate the market "because it was nice to have".
Sir John said he was not suggesting universities started requiring A-level art from engineering applicants - the key subjects for admission would continue to be maths and the sciences. But an emphasis on creative skills would help "broaden the pool and attract more people in".According to a recent study by the Royal Academy _______ .
| A．the UK needs more graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics |
| B．engineering graduates are not as creative as expected |
| C．there are not enough arts graduates produced in the UK. |
| D．skill shortages could threaten business |
According to the lecture Full Steam Ahead for Growth, _______ .
| A．engineers should cooperate with arts majors |
| B．Accepting the arts could attract more people into engineering |
| C．engineers should realize arts play the most important part in their work |
| D．engineering and technology is as diverse and creative as before |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．More university students should study arts instead of engineering. |
| B．Engineering and technology is increasingly different and unrelated fields. |
| C．The IET's skills survey raised concerns about the number of recruits to engineering. |
| D．Students from some university engineering departments have already transferred to art schools |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Lack of creativity makes it difficult for the engineering major to find a satisfactory job. |
| B．The key subjects for engineering majors remain to be maths and the sciences rather than arts. |
| C．University engineering departments should cooperate with art schools to improve the success of products. |
| D．Engineering needs to emphasize its creative side to encourage more young people to choose it as a career. |
The National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to National Geographic, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded. It has become one of the world’s best-known magazines and is immediately identifiable by the characteristic yellow border running around the edge of its cover.
There are 12 monthly issues of National Geographic per year, plus additional map supplements. On rare occasions, special editions are also issued. It contains articles about geography, popular science, history, culture, current events, and photography. The current Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Magazine is the well-known photographer, Chris Johns, who has photographed extensively in Africa. The foreword to Johns’ own illustrated book on Africa was written by Nelson Mandela.
Society Executive Vice President John Q. Griffin, and President of the Magazine Group, has overall responsibility for the English language magazines at National Geographic. Terry B. Adamson, Society Executive Vice President who also is the Society’s chief legal officer and heads governmental relations, has overall responsibility for the Society’s international publications.
With a worldwide circulation in all languages of nearly nine million, more than fifty million people read the magazine every month. In May, 2007, National Geographic magazine won the American Society of Magazine Editors’ prestigious General Excellence Award in the over two million circulation category and the best photography award for three issues of the magazine in 2006.
How many issues does the National Geographic Magazine have per year?
| A．Less than 10 issues. | B．Less than 11 issues. |
| C．Less than 12 issues. | D．About 12 issues. |
Who wrote the introduction to Johns’ own illustrated book on Africa?
A. John Q. Griffin. B. Terry B. Adamson.
C. Nelson Mandela. D. Chris Johns.
【改编】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．With its first issue in 1888, there are over fifty million people in the world. |
| B．As an official magazine, there are 12 monthly issues with additional map supplements. |
| C．It contains articles about geography, popular science, history, politics, and photography. |
| D．It is identified by the orange border running around the edge of its cover. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号