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. |
A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation（诱惑）early on were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated and inflexible.
Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn’t show up on an IQ test.
The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists’ concerns. But brain theory can’t explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul.
Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people’s success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as “character”.
EQ is not the opposite(相反) of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one’s ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the ingredients(要素) for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ makes up about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse. The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that .
| A．the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment |
| B．emotional intelligence won’t show up until adolescence |
| C．the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success |
| D．candy can be used to measure a person’s emotional intelligence |
The underlined word “upbeat” in Paragraph 4 probably means .
| A．kind | B．floating | C．excited | D．cheerful |
Why does the author mention the experiment at the beginning of the text?
| A．To amuse both the children and readers. |
| B．To prove the scientist’s wisdom. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| D．To show us how to do an IQ test. |
What is most likely to be written in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Information about famous people with high EQ. |
| B．Examples showing the opposite voice about EQ. |
| C．Some reasons why EQ is a relatively new field. |
| D．Strong demand for basic emotional education. |
Chinese New Year for Kids
‘Chinese New Year for Kids’ is a full color paperback book with beautiful Chinese illustrations (插图). This is a hands-on workbook for parents and teachers, written for children from ages 3 to 12 years old, for use in the classroom or at home. Music, physical movement, art, and food all add to the atmosphere of taking an imaginary trip to China during the Chinese New Year.
| Author: Cindy Roberts |
| Date: 2002-10-01 |
| List Price: $ 9.95 |
| Price: $ 8.95 Buy it On Amazon.com |
The Polar Express
One couldn’t select a more delightful and exciting premise (前提) for a children’s book than the tale of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him on a trip with other children to the North Pole. And one couldn’t ask for a more talented artist and writer to tell the story than Chris Van Allsburg.
| Author: Chris Van Allsburg |
| Date: 1985-10-28 |
| List Price: $18.95 |
| Price: $ 12.89 Buy it On Amazon.com |
The Secret of Saying Thanks
Perhaps you’d like to know a secret, one of the happiest ones of all. You’ll discover it all on your own, maybe when you least expect. If you’ve not yet discovered the secret of saying thanks, it’s waiting for you. The secret can be found in the sunrise that offers promises for the day ahead, or in the gentle shade of a tree sheltering you from the hot rays of the sun.
| Author: Douglas Wood |
| Date: 2005-9-27 |
| List Price: $ 16.95 |
| Price: $ 11.53 Buy it On Amazon.com |
The Runaway Pumpkin
When Buck, Billy and their little sister Lily spy the biggest pumpkin they’ve ever seen, they can’t resist (抵制). Buck and Billy try to roll the pumpkin down the hill to show everyone, but it’s too big! Before they know it, it’s rolling out of control down the hillside. It knocks over Grandpa Baxter and makes him think of pumpkin soup. And when Poppa Baxter finally stops, all he can think of is pumpkin bread.
| Author: Kevin Lewis |
| Date: 2003-09-01 |
| List Price: $ 15.95 |
| Price: $ 6.38 Buy it On Amazon.com |
We can infer from the passage that Chinese New Year for Kids ________.
| A．is very popular with readers all over the world |
| B．is helpful to foreigners to travel to China. |
| C．helps readers to learn about Chinese culture |
| D．introduces a lot of outdoor activities. |
If you buy a copy of The Runaway Pumpkin on Amazon. Com, you can save ________.
| A．30% | B．60% | C．40% | D．70% |
The author wrote the passage mainly to ________.
| A．offer us some advice on shopping |
| B．tell us some interesting stories |
| C．introduce some children’s books |
| D．compare some books’ information |
It’s not easy being a teenager nor is it easy being the parent of a teenager．You can make your child feel angry, hurt or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself．It is important to give your child the space he needs to grow while gently letting him know that you’ll still be there for him when he needs you．
Expect a lot from your child，just not everything．Except for health and safety problems，such as drug use or careless driving，consider everything else open to discussion．If your child is unwilling to discuss something，don’t insist he tell you what’s on his mind．The more you insist， the more likely that he’ll clam up．Instead，let him try to solve things by himself. At the same time，remind him that you’re always there for him if he seeks advice or help．Show respect for your teenager’s privacy(隐私)．Never read his mail or listen in on personal conversations．
Teach your teenager that the family phone is for the whole family. If your child talks on the family’s telephone for too long，tell him he can talk for l5 minutes，but then he must stay off the phone for at least all equal period of time．This not only frees up the line so that other family members can make and receive calls，but teaches your teenager moderation(节制).Or if you are open to the idea，allow your teenager his own phone that he pays for with his own pocket money or a part-time job． The main purpose of the text is to tell parents ．
| A．how to get along with a teenager |
| B．how to respect a teenager |
| C．how to help a teenager grow up |
| D．how to understand a teenager |
What does the phrase "clam up" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．become excited | B．show respect |
| C．refuse to talk | D．seek help |
The last paragraph is about how to teach a teenager ________.
| A．to use the phone in a proper way |
| B．to pay for his own telephone |
| C．to share the phone with friends |
| D．to answer the phone quickly |
What should parents do in raising a teenager according to the text?
| A．Not allow him to learn driving or take drugs. |
| B．Give him advice only when necessary. |
| C．Let him have his own telephone. |
| D．Not talk about personal things with him. |
Anyone who has ever volunteered for any cause can tell you that in the end, they felt that they gained more from the experience than they gave. This is true for most examples of reaching out to help others. We find that we gain new understanding about not only those we help, but ourselves as well. Stressing the importance of helping others in martial arts students will benefit them both inside and outside of the class.
Helping others strengthens families. Families that practice the belief of working together and helping each other prepare their children for the concept of teamwork outside of the home environment. By learning to help around the house through activities such as household jobs, baby-sitting and keeping a tidy bedroom, children learn valuable lessons that they carry with them to their future relationships.
By helping others outside of the home environment, valuable friendships can be developed. When we learn to reach out to others and give off our time and talents we find that our friendships grow, which in turn is a benefit to our lives. Martial arts training supports this by exposing students to people of various backgrounds and beliefs that gather for a common goal and to help each other. Any time a group of people are working toward a common goal, team spirit surely forms. When we help each other in the martial arts setting and in every area of our lives, a friendship is formed that promotes teamwork.
The most important thing to realize is that it does not take a lot to make a lot happen. Little things can make a big difference in the area of helping others. Simple gestures of kindness and support given frequently can build a strong base for the growth and development of each individual which leads to the success of all. Any volunteer will benefit from the experience because _______.
| A．they will be admitted to a martial arts class for free |
| B．they can also have a better understanding of themselves |
| C．they can understand the importance of martial arts better |
| D．they will be paid off by those who are helped sooner or later |
Household jobs are mentioned in Paragraph 2 in order to show that such activities _______.
| A．benefit children outside the classes |
| B．prepare children for the future |
| C．help children form good habits |
| D．strengthen children’s understanding of society |
According to the author, martial arts training is valuable in that it _______.
| A．promotes students’ team spirit |
| B．develops students’ talents |
| C．benefits students’ lives |
| D．exposes students’ background |
Which of the following proverbs can be used to summarize the last paragraph?
| A．Many drops make a shower. |
| B．Strike the iron while it is hot. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．Success belongs to the persevering. |
We’ve reached a strange—some would say unusual—point. While fighting world hunger continues to be the matter of vital importance according to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO), more people now die from being overweight, or say, from being extremely fat, than from being underweight. It’s the good life that’s more likely to kill us these days.
Worse, nearly 18 million children under the age of five around the world are estimated to be overweight. What’s going on?
We really don’t have many excuses for our weight problems. The dangers of the problem have been drilled into us by public health campaigns since 2001 and the message is getting through—up to a point.
In the 1970s, Finland, for example, had the highest rate of heart disease in the world and being overweight was its main cause. Not any more. A public health campaign has greatly reduced the number of heart disease deaths by 80 per cent over the past three decades.
Maybe that explains why the percentage of people in Finland taking diet pills doubled between 2001 and 2005, and doctors even offer surgery of removing fat inside and change the shape of the body. That has become a sort of fashion. No wonder it ranks as the world’s most body conscious country.
We know what we should be doing to lose weight—but actually doing it is another matter. By far the most popular excuse is not taking enough exercise. More than half of us admit we lack willpower.
Others blame good food. They say: it’s just too inviting and it makes them overeat. Still others lay the blame on the Americans, complaining that pounds have piled on thanks to eating too much American style fast food.
Some also blame their parents—their genes. But unfortunately, the parents are wronged because they’re normal in shape, or rather slim.
It’s a similar story around the world, although people are relatively unlikely to have tried to lose weight. Parents are eager to see their kids shape up. Do as I say—not as I do.What is the “strange” point mentioned in the first sentence?
| A．The good life is a greater risk than the bad life. |
| B．Starvation is taking more people’s lives in the world. |
| C．WHO report shows people’s unawareness of food safety. |
| D．Overweight issue remains unresolved despite WHO’s efforts. |
Why does the author think that people have no excuse for being overweight?
| A．A lot of effective diet pills are available. |
| B．Body image has nothing to do with good food. |
| C．They have been made fully aware of its dangers. |
| D．There are too many overweight people in the world. |
The example of Finland is used to illustrate ________.
| A．the cause of heart disease |
| B．the fashion of body shaping |
| C．the effectiveness of a campaign |
| D．the history of a body conscious country |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Actions or Excuses? |
| B．Overweight or Underweight? |
| C．WHO in a Dilemma |
| D．No Longer Dying of Hunger |
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