Question

Grammar and Vocabulary

Universities Show “ Red Card” to English Majors

An increasing number of Chinese universities are showing English the “red card” and sending it off the academic playing field. Just last month, five more universities announced that they would no longer offer English as a major, 1. CET-4 (大学英语四级考试) will still be required for graduation.

At first sight, it may appear that these universities are downgrading the importance of learning English. In actual fact, they are responding to the economic reality 2.English majors do not have good job prospects after graduation. And the same holds true for graduates in other Arts majors.

According to MyCOS, the Beijing-based education research group, English graduates, along with those in history, literature and law, have 3.(low) starting salaries and lowest employment rate. Engineering, economics and science graduates have better job prospects and make twice as much money, with IT graduates 4. (make) the most.

In 5. 1980s, the Chinese government made the study of English a priority as part of its reform and opening-up policy. English majors were in high demand in business and in government because people with good English-language skills were so rare. Today, about 350 million Chinese have studied, or are studying, English. Ten million of them 6. (consider) functionally bilingual. So, when an employer looks at a graduate’s résumé , it is assumed that he or she has good English skills.

However, for those of you who truly love English, you should not be discouraged. The demand for English teachers is still high at all levels of education, 7.in public schools and in private institutions.

Zhang Lu  is probably familiar to most of you as the elegant young woman 8.  (see)  standing or sitting slightly behind top government officials when they meet leaders from English-speaking countries. Zhang is a translator. In 2015, she made 54 overseas trips accompanying various leaders such as Li Keqiang. Over the years, she has been the official Chinese/English translator 9.major international conferences.

Zhang studied English and law at university. She 10.(plan) to be a teacher, but her skills attracted the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . They offered her a job in the diplomatic service . It is not the career she had planned, but her abilities enabled her to grasp the opportunity.

So, if English is really your passion, let Zhang be your model and just choose a university that has not shown it the “red card.”

Answer

1.though

2.that

3.the lowest

4.making

5.the

6.are considered

7.both

8.seen

9.at

10.had planned

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了越来越多的中国大学向英语亮起了“红牌”，并把它赶出了学术领域。事实上，他们是在回应经济现实，即英语专业学生毕业后没有良好的就业前景。文章说明了英语专业就业现状，并举了外交部翻译张璐的例子。

1.考查连接词。句意：就在上个月，又有五所大学宣布不再开设英语专业，尽管大学英语四级考试仍然是毕业的必修课。此处为让步状语从句，位于句中表示“虽然”应用though引导。故填though。

2.考查连接词。句意：事实上，他们是在回应英语专业学生毕业后就业前景不佳的经济现实。此处为同位语修饰先行词reality，且从句中不缺少成分，故应用that。故填that。

3.考查最高级。句意：根据北京教育研究机构MyCOS的数据，英语专业毕业生以及历史、文学和法律专业毕业生的起薪最低，就业率最低。结合句意可知表示“最低”应用形容词最高级。故填the lowest。

4.考查非谓语动词。句意：工程、经济和科学专业的毕业生就业前景更好，收入也翻了一番，其中IT专业的毕业生收入最高。此处为with的复合结构，且make与IT graduates构成主动关系，故用现在分词。故填making。

5.考查冠词。句意：20世纪80年代，中国政府将英语学习作为改革开放政策的一部分。根据短语in the 1980s表示“20世纪80年代”，中间需要定冠词。故填the。

6.考查动词时态语态。句意：他们中有1000万人被认为具有双语功能。本句中主语与谓语动词构成被动关系，且时态为一般现在时，主语为Ten million of them，故谓语动词用复数形式。故填are considered。

7.考查代词。句意：无论是公立学校还是私立学校，各级教育都对英语教师的需求仍然很高。根据短语both…and…表示“两者都……”。故填both。

8.考查非谓语动词。句意：大家可能都很熟悉张璐，她是一位优雅的年轻女性，当政府高级官员会见英语国家领导人时，她或站或坐在他们身后。分析句子结构可知see在句中作非谓语动词，与逻辑主语woman构成被动关系，故用过去分词。故填seen。

9.考查介词。句意：多年来，她一直是主要国际会议的官方中文/英文翻译。此处表示“在重要的国际会议上”应用介词at。故填at。

10.考查动词时态。句意：她原计划当一名教师，但她的技能引起了外交部的注意。此处plan发生在attract之前，即“过去的过去”应用过去完成时。故填had planned。