Question

    In colleges around the country, most students are also workers.

The reality of college can be pretty different from the images presented in movies and television. Instead of the students who wake up late, party all the time, and study only before exams, many colleges are full of students with pressing schedules of not just classes and activities, but real jobs, too.

This isn't a temporary phenomenon. The share of working students has been on the rise since the 1970s, and one-fifth of students work year round. About one-quarter of those who work while attending school have both a full-course load and a full-time job. The arrangement can help pay for tuition （学费） and living costs, obviously. And there's value in it beyond the direct cause: such jobs can also be vital for developing important professional and social skills that make it easier to land a job after graduation. With many employers looking for students with already-developed skill sets, on-the-job training while in college can be the best way to ensure a job later on.

But it's not all upside. Even full-time work may not completely cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. The study notes that if a student worked a full-time job at the minimum wage, they would earn just over $15,000 each year, certainly not enough to pay for tuition, room, and meals at many colleges without some serious financial aid. That means that though they're sacrificing （牺牲） time away from the classroom, many working students will still graduate with at least some debt. And working full time can reduce the chance that students will graduate at all, by cutting into the time available for studying and attending classes.

There is little reward for attending but not finishing college. Students who end up leaving school because of difficulty in managing work and class are likely to find themselves stuck in some of the same jobs they might have gotten if they hadn't gone to college at all. The difficulty of working too much while in school can create a cycle that pushes students further into debt without receiving any of the financial or career benefits.

1.It can be learned from the passage that today's college students actually _______.

A.attend a number of parties B.work while attending school

C.stay up late all the time D.care little about exams

2.Which of the following factors indirectly causes more students to work?

A.The chance of finding a job after graduation.

B.The shortage of holiday jobs for college students.

C.The need of improving social skills.

D.The high tuition and living expenses.

3.According to the passage, we know that _______.

A.working students are more likely to graduate from college

B.the pay from working can cover students' college costs

C.working too much while in college may not benefit a student's career

D.students can receive a reward for managing work and class well

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A.An Introduction of Working College Students

B.The Advantages of Working While Studying

C.The Struggle to Balance Work and School

D.The Difficulties of Landing a Job

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。文章提到了自上世纪70年代就出现的一种现象，大学生会一边打工一边上学，以此减轻生活负担并积累工作经验，但与此同时也因为无法兼顾工作和学业，可能导致无法毕业。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段第一句“In colleges around the country, most students are also workers.”可知，很多大学生在上学的同时还要参加工作。故选B项。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段中“And there's value in it beyond the direct cause: such jobs can also be vital for developing important professional and social skills that make it easier to land a job after graduation.”可知，通过参加工作可以积累经验发展技能，使得毕业后找工作更容易一些，这是“beyond the direct cause”即“超越直接原因”的非直接原因，A选项“毕业后找到工作的机会”符合题意。故选A项。

3.推理判断题。文章最后两段话锋一转，直言大学期间打工的弊端，牺牲了学习时间参加工作可能导致无法顺利毕业，继而引起更坏的结果。全文最后一句“The difficulty of working too much while in school can create a cycle that pushes students further into debt without receiving any of the financial or career benefits.”说明了其对事业的影响。C选项“在大学花太多时间工作对事业可能不利”符合文意。故选C项。

4.主旨大意题。梳理文章内容，引出大学生边打工边上学这种现象后，分别讨论了其优点和弊端，显然，既要工作补贴高额的学业费用，也要学习以顺利完成学业，如何平衡才是重中之重，C选项“平衡工作和学业的艰难斗争”符合主题。故选C项。