Ask any student which subject he or she hates most.9 out of 10 students will answer “math”.No matter which country you visit,no matter which grade you are in,you may not learn art,geography,chemistry or Chinese,but you always learn math. Why is this so?How come so many students hate math,and yet cannot avoid learning it in school?

Jenny Sanders,a high school student in California,asks,“What good do we get from learning math?We can use computers to compute numbers,and we can use computers to store information. I think learning math at school is a waste of time.”

However,there is much more to math than just learning to add and subtract(减) numbers. In fact,math is not so much about calculation (计算) as it is about learning to think logically (逻辑地) and solving problems. Of course,Jenny was right that we can use computers to do calculations,but how would we even know how to use the computer if we can't think logically?In short,computers are only tools when solving problems.

For example,imagine you are a cook and must serve dinner to 100 guests. How should you divide (分)your resources so that you can get the job done most efficiently (高效地)?In situations like this,the ability to think logically will get you to a reasonable answer and solve your problem.

1.According to the passage,which subject do students always learn in different grades at school?

A.Chinese. B.Math. C. Geography.

2.What does Jenny Sanders think of learning math?

A.Interesting B.Boring. C.Useless.

3.What does the underlined word “resources” mean in the passage?

A.科目 B. 资源C.效率

4.What does the writer want to tell us?

A.Math is just learning to add and subtract numbers.

B.Math can be good for both our body and our mind.

C.Math helps us think logically and solve problems.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you. Well, ni-hao. (Laughter) It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you at this great university, so thank you so much for having me. I’m here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among young people like you across the world.

That’s why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don’t just visit palaces and parliaments (国会) and meet with heads of countries. We also come to schools like this one to meet with students like you, because we believe that relationships between countries aren’t just about relationships between governments or leaders — they’re about relationships between people, particularly young people. So we view study abroad programs not just as an educational chance for students, but also as an active part of America’s foreign policy (政策).

Through the wonders of modern technology (科技), our world is more connected than ever before. Ideas can cross different countries with the click of a mouse. Companies can do business and compete with companies across the world. And we can text, email, skype with people in the world.

So studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to spend a time of learning; it is quickly becoming the key to success in our times. Because getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about getting good grades or test scores in school, which are important. It’s also about having real experience with the world beyond (超出) your borders—experience with languages, cultures and societies very different from your own. Or, as the Chinese saying goes: “It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.”

1.Where did the speaker probably give the talk to the audience?

A. In a university. B. In the Parliament Hall.

C. On the Internet. D. In a place of interest.

2.The passage shows that the world’s future depends on _______.

A. getting good grades

B. traveling abroad

C. connections among young people

D. texts and emails

3.What is the meaning of the underlined word “compete” in Paragraph 3?

A. 完成 B. 比较 C. 竞争 D. 抱怨

4.In the speaker’s opinion, what is the key to success in our times?

A. Going to a university.

B. Doing more exercises.

C. Studying abroad.

D. Getting good test scores.

5.Where may the passage come from?

A. A story. B. A news report.

C. A scientific magazine. D. A speech.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网