When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we’re hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.
One cost-cutting proposal is to allow college students to get a bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there’s a question: Would the quality of undergraduate education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a “three-year degree” model.
I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits. In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly “throw out” one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist “diluting (稀释)” the quality of the education they offer.
In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior to a quality three-year education. A college education requires sufficient time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it’s not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns (实习生) in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University.
1.Which of the following can best sum up the main idea?
A.It’s time to shorten the learning process.
B.Best learning takes place over time.
C.University education should be watered down.
D.College education calls for reform.
2.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.most American universities are against the “three-year degree” model
B.many famous US universities are considering adopting the “three-year degree” model
C.professors are willing to accept the “three-year degree” model
D.The “three-year degree” model can make college learning more efficient
3.In most US universities，________.
A.college students are offered the co-op program
B.electives’ credits make up one quarter of the required credits
C.all students are required to finish four-year education before graduation
D.some excellent students can graduate ahead of time
4.We can infer that________.
A.the author is a college professor exploring ways to make learning more efficient
B.the author thinks the cost of a university education is too high for people to afford
C.the author considers the university education quality very important
D.the author pays special attention to the all-round development of college students
There are lots of ways to educate yourself on the Internet. You can find photos, documents, and films on almost any topic you can imagine. And at www.ted.com, you can access lectures by artists, scholars, designers, technicians and others.
TED began in 1984 as a conference that brought together individuals from the fields of technology, entertainment and design. It was intended to be a one-time event focusing on technology and design. The event ended up losing money, and it was six years before the founders tried it again. This time it worked, and since 1990, the TED conference has been an annual event. There are now two held every year, with topics as diverse as music, medicine, and money. Other specialized spin-off conferences address narrower issues.
The TED website came from a desire to share the conferences with the world, to “offer free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers,” as the website puts it. The current version of the site was launched in April 2007, and contains videos of talks given at the TED conferences around the world. The talks are transcribed into hundreds of languages.
The TED website is owned by the Sapling Foundation, a non profit devoted to fostering the spread of great ideas. The Sapling foundation acquired TED in 2001. Since then, it has been focusing on using TED to broadcast ideas that might change the world.
TED, of course, isn’t immune to criticism. It’s been called elitist(精英) for its high ticket prices (more than 6,000 dollars total). It’s been accused by a few people of censorship for not publishing their talks. One controversial speaker was upset about being criticized by the conference’s host afterward.
The complaints, however, seem to be relatively few for such a large, long-running organization. And accusations of elitism ring hollow when so much is given away for free on TED’s website. Whatever its failings, TED is a source of inspirational information for those who seek it out.
1.What is the main topic of the article?
A.The case against TED. B.What’s on TED today.
C.Pros and cons of www.ted.com. D.What is TED.
2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The TED conference came after the success of www.ted.com.
B.Two TED conferences are now held every year.
C.TED talks are available in many languages.
D.The Sapling Foundation owns www.ted.com.
3.From the last two paragraphs, we can infer that ________.
A.it is accepted to all involved that some TED talks might not be published
B.the host of the conference is one who plays a supportive role to the speakers
C.TED is criticized for giving special treatment to the wealthy or powerful
D.the negative comments on TED greatly affects its reputation
4.This author probably believes that________.
A.TED is elitist B.TED is beneficial
C.TED isn’t important D.TED is the best website
Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?
A.Start the car the moment everyone is seated.
B.Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.
C.Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.
D.Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.
2.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______.
A.keep her appointment with the eye doctor
B.meet her father who was already an old man
C.join in the holiday celebration of the company
D.finish her work before the deadline approached
3.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.abandoned B.lacked
C.avoided D.taken
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.To Keep Emotional Well-being B.To Prevent “If Only” Moments
C.To Follow the Most Useful Rule D.To Achieve the Peace of Mind
Want to improve your writing skills? New Writing South is directing the way!
Towner Writer Squad (班级) for kids aged 13-17
Led by comedy and TV writer, Marian Kilpatrick, Towner Writer Squad will meet once a month at the contemporary art museum for 11 months, starting 12 October, 2016.
The FREE squad sessions will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to play writing and lyric (抒情诗) to flash fiction, to support the development of young writers.
Application & Selection
If you would like to apply to be part of the Towner Writer Squad, please send a sample piece of your writing (about 500 words), responding to the title “LUNCH”, with your name, age, address and email address to: debo@newwritingsouth.com.
Once all applications are in, you will be invited to an open selection event on 17 September, 4-5pm, at the gallery of Towner. This will be an informal opportunity to meet the Squad Leader, Squad Associate and other young people.
You will also have a chance to get to know the fantastic gallery space and get a taste of what’s to come.
Deadline for applications: 8 September, 2016
For further information go to: facebook.com/toner or towner.org.uk or newwritingsouth.com
Any questions – feel free to send your email to Towner Writer Squad Associate: wharne@towner.gov.uk
Beginner Writing Project for kids aged 10-13
Due to popular demand, a writing project will be started for eager beginners.
Start time: 6 September, 2016
Meet every other Saturday, 2-4pm, at the Towner Study Centre.
Study and write at your own pace – you do not have to rush – as you have a year to go through the project. Practice under the guidance of some experienced writers and teachers who can help you with basic writing skills. Most importantly, build confidence and have fun while writing!
No previous experience or special background is required. Many others have been successful this way. If they can do it, why can’t you?
Fee: £179
For more information go to: newtowner.org.uk or generate.org.uk
1.Towner Writer Squad will be started ________.
A.to train comedy and TV writers
B.to explore the fantastic gallery space
C.to introduce a contemporary art museum
D.to promote the development of young writers
2.To join the Writer Squad, each applicant should first _________.
A.provide a piece of their writing B.meet the Writer Squad Leader
C.offer their family information D.complete an application form
3.What is most important for the beginners?
A.Practising as much as possible.
B.Gaining confidence and having fun.
C.Studying and writing at their own pace.
D.Learning skills from writers and teachers.
假定你是李华，某国外志愿者服务项目正在招募志愿者到欠发达国家宣传和普及健康知识，你希望成为其中一员。请根据以下提示信息，给该项目的负责人Mr. Wilson写一封申请信。
1.介绍个人情况；
2.表明自己意愿；
3.期待早日回复。
要求：1.词数：100个左右；邮件开头和结尾已给出，不计人总词数；
2.内容必须包括以上要点，可适当发挥。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Today we had a chemistry test. I found the test difficulty, but I tried hardly to do it. Suddenly Mary, my best friend, asking me to let her to copy my answers. After think for some time, I let her copy my answers. But after the test, all of us were called to the teacher’s office. The teacher was angry because we had same answers in the tests. We were warned not to cheat again, so she would need to call our parents. I was very upset. I didn’t cheat. I was just helping a friend. Why does she punish me?
