It’s high time someone spoke up for today’s college students. They’re probably the most hardworking, ambitious people in America and their problems are not properly appreciated.
People like the Secretary of Education simply don’t know what they’re talking about when they knock students. Nor do those who complain about falling academic standards.
The vast majority of the nation’s 12 million students are struggling to pay for their educations. They are part of the invisible workforce. Many hold down full-time jobs. They’re frying hamburgers, photographing weddings, working in construction, and waiting on tables. The fact that they even show up for classes is a wonderful event.
The financial situation of most students explains a lot about what is happening in schools. Why are the traditional courses so unpopular? Why are students flocking to accounting and computer science and any professional programs that seem to lead to careers?
Answer: Today’s working student has been forced into a kind of premature matter-of-fact way of viewing things. Romance is gone. The notion of transforming one’s self through study alone has disappeared. Today’s students seek freedom from manual labor, and the status conferred by a good job.
There are other consequences. Today’s students don’t have much time or energy to be devoted, and carry out independent research or even do serious homework. That’s the secret behind falling academic standards. Students have become consumers. They want grades and certifications. Their professors can’t be expected to give a grade of failure to students who are clearly tired from the effort to pay their bills.
There’s a lot wrong with this situation. It’s twisting the definition of education out of shape. Worse, it’s creating a generation that is totally unpleasant. The brightest students turn out to be yuppies (雅皮士). The vast majority are, at least, good-natured semi-literates.
The time has run out for philosophical debates about fixed courses of study. What this country needs is someone to stand up and say that being a full-time student during one’s formative years is an honorable calling worthy of support. If families can’t or won’t give it to their children, then the government should.The author’s purpose in writing this article is to __________.
| A．awaken the whole society to the problems today’s college students face |
| B．warn Americans that academic standards are falling |
| C．advise college students to study hard |
| D．provide a suggestion that only full-time students be enrolled |
The most suitable word to describe the author’s feelings about today’s college students is _________.
| A．criticize | B．sympathize | C．complain | D．urge |
Which of the following cannot be learned from the passage?
| A．Many students are often absent from classes. |
| B．Traditional courses are not popular. |
| C．Students commit crimes with computers. |
| D．Students don’t devote much time and energy to their homework. |
By saying “Romance is gone” in paragraph 5, the author means ____________.
| A．today’s students do not believe in love stories any more |
| B．today’s students become more practical in dealing with things |
| C．students think there is no affection any more and break up with their lovers |
| D．today’s students hold matter-of-fact opinions on love |
Which of the following suggestions will the author not agree with?
| A．We should encourage students to give up full-time jobs. |
| B．Families should offer their children more help financially. |
| C．We should stand up and say something for today’s college students. |
| D．We should make more strict regulations to force students to study hard. |
That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me.
“Is it finished?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. It is ready,” she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket.
“It is beautiful, so skillfully woven(编织），” I said to my mother. “But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?”
“I will tell you later,” my mother said, “but first I will take you to the Navajo village.”
We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing.
It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman’s words.
“Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?” my mother asked.
“What should I have noticed?” I looked at her and asked.
“Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch(一针）missing.”
I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing!
“But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?” I asked.
“They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close.”The blanket the author received_____ .
| A．was poorly woven. |
| B．made her think a lot. |
| C．cost her a lot of money. |
| D．was finished, but not ready. |
Why was the author shown around the village?
| A．To buy more things made by the Navajo. |
| B．To make friends with some of the Navajo. |
| C．To have a deeper understanding of the Navajo. |
| D．To look for the woman who sold her the blanket. |
Which of the following may the Navajo believe?
| A．A stitch in time is very important. |
| B．Life only becomes perfect when you die. |
| C．He who makes no mistake is a perfect man. |
| D．You must always try to make your life complete. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．The Navajo are good at making things. |
| B．The Navajo are brave and hard-working. |
| C．A blanket tells a lot about the Navajo culture. |
| D．Skills are needed to do business with the Navajo. |
In the last 30 years, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted nearly 300,000 wishes worldwide to children battling life-threatening illnesses, throwing light on worlds darkened by diseases and bringing hope to children and their families.
With a foreword（序）by Make-A-Wish cofounder Frank Shankwitz, Once Upon A wish shares the wishes and stories of eight children. These families generously invite us into their worlds, allowing us to become part of their darkest moments, their unimaginable realities, their greatest hopes, deepest fears, and unbelievable successes.
Experience the story of Katelyn, a little girl, becoming a medical marvel（奇迹）after lighting all the odds stacked against her and making it her life-long goal to raise $3 million for St. Jude Hospital; read about a wheelchair-bound boy, Garrett, giving the gift of mobility to disabled Cambodian men and women; cheer for a little boy, Dakota, who collects millions of pennies each year to help others fight the disease he once fought. Become inspired and forever-changed by the generosity, hope, courage, and optimism of these children and their families and experience the power of two words - I wish.
Once Upon A Wish is a celebration of hope, revealing how wishes-come-true can become motivators and cherished gifts that will last a lifetime.
Price: $9.99
Where to download: Available on the iPhone , iPad , iPod touch, and Mac.
Category: Biographies & Memoirs
Published: Mar 05, 2013
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
Seller: The Perseus Books Group, LLC
Print Length: 352 Pages
Language: EnglishWe can learn that the Make-A-Wish Foundation____.
| A．was set up in the early 1990s. |
| B．was set up to help poor people all over the world. |
| C．aims at helping severely sick children fulfill their wishes. |
| D．mainly offers free treatment to severely sick children. |
What is Once Upon A Wish mainly about?
| A．The history of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. |
| B．Wishes and stories of eight children. |
| C．Some children's experiences of helping others. |
| D．Frank Shankwitz's personal experiences with some children. |
Dakota spends the money he collects in helping____.
| A．to set up St. Jude Hospital . |
| B．people infected with AIDS. |
| C．disabled Cambodians move around . |
| D．those who are fighting the same disease as he once had. |
Dear Jorge,
Are you enjoying your break from school? My family are now in Sacramento, California. We are here paying a visit to visit to my aunt Gloria. We have been to the California State Capital Building, the nature center, and the zoo. I have seen many interesting things, but one stands out above the rest. This morning we drove from my aunt’s home to Calistoga to see California’s Old Faithful Geyser(老忠实泉). I had read about it in my book, Sightseeing in California; Where You Should Go.You have probably heard of Old Faithful, the geyser father north in Yellowstone National Park. This California geyser is sometimes called“ Little Old Faithful.”
When we arrived California’s Old Faithful was only a calm pool of water. The geyser didn’t look very deep. “ What’s the big deal?” I wondered. As I turned, I saw some steam rising from the water. Before I knew it, there was hot water shooting up about 60 feet into the air. We could not believe our eyes! It continued for almost three minutes.
Aunt Gloria told me that the water came from an underground river. She also said that the water temperature was about 95℃. This water can sometimes shoot 170 feet into the air.
My aunt said that other geysers around the world reach hotter temperatures and shoot water even higher than California’s Old Faithful Geyser. I’d love to learn more about this geyser and other geysers in different countries when I get home. I’ll see you soon!
Your friend,
BennettoAccording to the text, Bennetto ___________.
| A．visited his aunt Gloria by himself. |
| B．had never heard of Old Faithful Geyser. |
| C．thought nothing of Old Faithful Geyser at first. |
| D．flew all the way from Sacramento to Calistoga. |
The water Bennetto saw high in the sky _____________.
| A．disappeared at once. | B．was too hot to touch. |
| C．came from a deep sea. | D．was 170 feet in height. |
What was expressed in Bennetto's letter?
| A．Anger | B．Doubt | C．Courage | D．Excitement |
Bennetto wrote the letter mainly to_____________.
| A．talk about his holiday experiences. |
| B．ask Jorge to visit Old Faithful Geyser. |
| C．express his thankfulness to Aunt Gloria. |
| D．give Yellowstone National Park some advice. |
Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.
“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”
This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.
It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.
As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.
So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?
| A．be refused by | B．be beneficial to |
| C．make a difference to | D．receive support from |
What are the advantages of robot pets?
a. They are plastic and feel smooth.
b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.
c. They can help cure allergies（过敏）.
d. They save space and costs.
| A．ab | B．bc | C．bd | D．cd |
We can learn from the passage that___________.
| A．Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo. |
| B．People can develop strong bond（联系、关系） with their robot pets. |
| C．Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go. |
| D．Robot toys may help people care more about living beings. |
The passage mainly tells us___________.
| A．the advantages of robot toys |
| B．the popularity of robot pets |
| C．living pets are dying out |
| D．robot pets are coming |
Failing in something isn’t a really nice feeling, but Scotland’s Fettes College in Edinburgh wants to show its students that failure isn’t something to fear and is actually something to accept willingly!
The boarding school held “failure week” to celebrate taking risks and learning from them. Whether in sports or school, children often face lots of pressure to succeed and do well, and the school was becoming concerned.
“Young people from all walks of life live in a high-pressure environment where they are trying very hard to achieve a level of perfection,” said Sue Bruce, head of personal and social education in the school.
“This week at Fettes we have been focusing on one of the most misunderstood parts of success: failure. While we are often scared of failure, it is important to learn that it is only through failing, often many times, that we learn how to succeed. All through the week, we have looked at the experiences of some of the most successful inventors, artists and businessmen, who failed hundreds, if not thousands of times on their journey to success,” read a letter on Fettes College’s website.
To celebrate failure, students were encouraged to try something they’ve never done before, like playing an instrument or dancing in front of audiences. A number of students stepped up and tried things that they finally failed in, but they had fun and enjoyed the experience. “The concert was extremely enjoyable, proving that we should always try not to worry about failure and have a go!” read another note on the website. Students were also taught about famous people like J.K. Rowling and Richard Branson who failed many times before they finished what they set out to do.
“If they let the fear of failure stop them from doing something, they are actually stopping themselves from learning, developing, and potentially succeeding,” said Bruce.What is the purpose of the boarding school to hold “failure week”?
| A．To get the students involved in social activities. |
| B．To help the students accept and learn from failure. |
| C．To make the students study even harder. |
| D．To teach the students how to get relaxed. |
During the “failure week” the students could do the following things EXCEPT ___________.
| A．taking risks |
| B．learning from others’experiences |
| C．trying something new |
| D．trying to entertain themselves |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Many successful people are lucky and achieve success easily. |
| B．Because we are often scared of failure ,we never succeed. |
| C．The fear of failure can stop the students from learning and succeeding. |
| D．The students who failed in trying new things felt depressed. |
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