We're so well educated—but we're useless students who have lost the ability to do anything practical. The only thing we've mastered is consumption.
Large numbers of students have entered higher education in the past 10 years, but despite being the most educated generation in history, it seems that we've grown increasingly ignorant when it comes to basic life skills.
Looking back on my first couple of weeks of living in student halls, I consider myself lucky to still be alive. Unfamiliar to fresher's, there are many hidden dangers in the dirty corners of students accommodation.
I have survived a couple of serious boiling egg incidents and lots of cases of food-poisoning, probably from dirty kitchen counters. Although some of my clothes have fallen victim to ironing experimentation, I think I have now finally acquired all the domestic (居家的) skills I missed out in my modern education.
In 2006 and 2010, the charming educationist Sir Ken Robinson gave two very amusing talks in which he discussed the importance of creativity in education. Robinson's main viewpoint is that our current education system dislocates people from their natural talents. I would like to go a step further and propose that besides our talents, the system takes away what used to be passed from generation to generation—a working knowledge of basic life skills.
Today's graduates may have earned themselves honor in history, law or economies, but when it comes to simple things like putting up a shelf to hold all their academic books, or fixing a hole in their on-trend clothes, they have to call for help from a professional handyman or tailor.
Since the invention of the Internet, it has never been easier for people to access information, but our highly specialized education has made us more one-sided than ever.
I suggest that we start with the immediate reintroduction of some of the most vital aspects of "domestic science" education, before the current lack leads to serious accidents in student halls.People call us useless students for the reason that __________.
| A．what we've learned is beyond consumption |
| B．we are educated generation |
| C．we've entered higher education |
| D．our living skills are so poor |
Which is NOT the incident the writer had during the first few weeks in student halls?
| A．He was seriously burnt by boiled eggs. |
| B．He was accidentally poisoned by food. |
| C．He damaged his clothes while ironing. |
| D．He was severely beaten by freshers. |
According to Robinson's opinion, our current education __________.
| A．focuses on the importance of creativity |
| B．dislocates people from their natural talents |
| C．has equipped students with basic life skills |
| D．has followed the tradition properly |
Why are the graduates poor at basic life skills?
| A．Because they are not interested in them. |
| B．Because they have little relevant practice. |
| C．Because they are affected by the Internet. |
| D．Because they are easy to be one-sided. |
The main purpose of writing the passage is that __________.
| A．there is no need to introduce "domestic science" |
| B．it's time we did something to current education |
| C．more attention should be paid to natural science |
| D．accidents should be prevented in student halls |
A firm handshake is key to interview success. As any serious job-hunter knows, it helps to dress smartly and smile at that all-important interview. But research has showed that a firm handshake is what really matters when it comes to impressing potential employers.
The US research looked at 98 undergraduates taking part in mock (模拟) interviews with businesses. As each undergraduate was graded on their overall performance, five "handshake raters" also marked them on their grasp, strength, duration, vigor and eye contact.
Professor Greg Stewart, from the University of Iowa, who led the study, said those who scored highly with the handshake raters were also considered to be the most hirable by the interviewers. Students with " wimpy" shakes were judged to be more timid and less impressive.
The study also found women with a firm handshake were likely to be evaluated more favorably than their male counterparts.
Professor Stewart said: "We've always heard that interviewers make up their mind about a person in the first two or three minutes of an interview. But we found that the first impression begins with a handshake that sets the tone for the rest of the interview. We don't consciously remember a person's handshake but it is one of the first non-verbal clues we get about the person's overall personality, and that impression is what we remember."
Women were less likely to have a highly rated handshake, partly because traditionally they shake hands less than men. But when women did possess a firm handshake, they were likely to be evaluated more favorably than their male counterparts.
Body language experts warn, however, that the firmness needs to be just right, - as an over enthusiastic "bone crusher" handshake can indicate self-importance, a controlling personality and a lack of trustworthiness.
The handshake is thought to have originated in medieval Europe as a way for kings and knights to show that they did not intend to harm each other and possessed no hidden weapons.The passage is probably intended for ______.
| A．job-hunters | B．an undergraduate | C．employers | D．handshake raters |
From the first paragraph we know that in an interview ______.
| A．dressing smartly is more important than a firm handshake |
| B．smile has no effect on impressing potential employers |
| C．a firm handshake is more important than dressing smartly, and smile |
| D．dressing smartly, smile and a firm handshake are of the same importance |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The firmer your handshake is the better impression you leave. |
| B．The undergraduates without a firm handshake are thought to be less impressive. |
| C．Generally speaking, women shake hands less with others. |
| D．It's said that the handshake dates back to medieval Europe. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Women with a firm handshake were likely to leave a better impression than men. |
| B．A successful job interview starts with a firm handshake. |
| C．Dressing, smile and a firm handshake are all important to a successful job interview. |
| D．Job interview success depends on interviewees' body language. |
I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development, I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby’s point of view.
Mothers, doctors and nurse alike have no idea of where a baby’s blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.
It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. Baby feeding shouldn’t follow a timetable set by the mum. What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.
Well, at last we have copper-bottomed research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding. The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5, 7, 11 and 14, than babies fed according to the clock. By the age of 8, their IQ scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable. This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample（样本）of 10,419 children born in the early 1990s, taking account of parental education, family income, a child’s sex and age, the mother’s health and feeding style. These results don’t surprise me. Feeding according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.
I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeding practices.What does the author think about Dr King?
| A．He is strict | B．He is unkind |
| C．He has the wrong idea. | D．He sets a timetable for mothers |
The word copper-bottomed in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to __________.
| A．basic | B．reliable | C．surprising | D．interesting |
What does the research tell us about feeding a baby on demand?
| A．The baby will sleep well. |
| B．The baby will have its brain harmed. |
| C．The baby will have a low blood sugar level. |
| D．The baby will grow to be wiser by the age of 8. |
The author supports feeding the baby __________.
| A．in the night | B．every four hours |
| C．whenever it wants food | D．according to its blood sugar level |
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across America’s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America’s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a list of “useless” college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn’t be anything that’s more incorrect,” Merrigan said. “We know that there aren’t enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.”
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we’re at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows,” said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture.”
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best hopes his message — that this is a new time in agriculture — will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations (创新) in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in.”What is the new challenge to American agriculture?
| A．Fewer and older farmers. | B．Higher fuel prices. |
| C．More natural disasters. | D．Lower agricultural output. |
Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?
| A．To draw federal agriculture officials’ attention. |
| B．To select qualified agriculture graduates. |
| C．To clarify a recent blog posting. |
| D．To talk more students into farming careers. |
According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because ____________.
| A．the government will cover production costs |
| B．global food supplies will be even lower |
| C．investment in agriculture will be profitable |
| D．America will increase its food export |
Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people of your age could live to be 150, so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging (抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age!
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles(粒子) much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change clothes’ color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk, and it knows the milk is old. In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed,” says scientist Andrew Zolli, “it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example. What will be the next?We can learn from the text that in the future ___________.
| A．people will never get old |
| B．everyone will look the same |
| C．red will be the most popular color |
| D．clothes will be able to change their pattern |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Milk will be harmful to health. |
| B．More drinks will be available for sale. |
| C．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information. |
| D．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Food and clothing in 2035. |
| B．Future technology in everyday life. |
| C．Medical treatments of the future. |
| D．The reason for the success of new technology. |
Most of us are the only child in our family. We have no brothers or sisters. Our family mainly consists of our mom,our dad and us. We are growing up in a world differently from our parents’. And we will be the future leaders of China. Some day we have to work hand in hand with each other and make China more and more beautiful. So we must learn to love each other like brothers and sisters.
It’s hard to think how difficult life would be if we had a sibling(同胞，手足).We never have to share anything at home. Of course, we might have cousins, but we don’t have to live with them! Our parents try to give us the best, and the best doesn’t need sharing between two or three children. Do we ever ask ourselves if we are (宠坏) spoiled?
A recent study has found that many children don’t know how to love others! We don’r know the value of money. We don’t know how hard our parents are to support us. We don’t want others to regard us as spoiled, do we? Well, why not start now to help our parents at home, share a game with one of our friends or value the opinions of our classmates, even if we don’t always agree? In a word, we must learn to love each other!The underlined phrase “consists of ” means ____________in Chinese.
| A．由...组成 | B．由...反映 | C．由...提示 | D．由...覆盖 |
As Chinese teenagers, what’s our duty in the future?
| A．To save money |
| B．To learn to love each other |
| C．To look after our brothers and sisters |
| D．To make China more and more beautiful |
Why do some people think we are spoiled?
| A．We don’t know how to love each other |
| B．We only share games with our friends |
| C．We don’t know how to use money |
| D．Our parents work hard to support us. |
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