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(本科生)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(课程) 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(学分). 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.The first paragraph serves as a(n) .

A.explanation B.comment

C.definition D.introduction

2.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

3.According to the passage, we can infer that

A. the author is a professor of a famous university

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

4.Which of the following can be the best title?

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

C

The book’s first and third sections deal with the adventures of an Alabama boy, Raphael Semmes Cody, who goes by the name Raff. The boy grows up knocking around the Nokobee woods; he’s drawn to its natural wonders, and uses the forest to escape from his parents’ unhappy marriage. In the woods he leaves almost no stone unturned as he discovers the forest’s rich flora and fauna(动植物). Raff grows up and heads to Harvard to study law, but returns later in life to protect the Nokobee from crazy developers. But fans of Wilson’s science will be most interested in the book’s middle section, where the author inserts a mini-novel describing the trials and sufferings of the ants living in the endangered forest.

Reviews of the book have been mixed. Writing for The New York Review of Books, Margaret Atwood praised Wilson for his first novel, saying that it is highlighted by a diversity of ideas and an imaginative plot. And — with the exception of some dull preachiness(说教) — it is entertaining.

1.What can we learn from Edward O. Wilson’s joke?

A. He is unwilling to leave his childhood behind.

B. He is an excellent naturalist with a good reputation.

C. He has had a lifelong passion for insects.

D. He has the same hobbies as many children.

2.In Anthill, ant societies differ from the human ones in that _____________.

A. they are more likely to conduct wars

B. they practice agriculture

C. they are more selfless

D. they don’t care for their young

3.Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Raff is in fact the author himself.

B. Wilson won two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction.

C. Atwood has a completely positive opinion of Anthill.

D. Anthill is set in the author’s home state.

4.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To present Edward O. Wilson’s life story.

B. To present Edward O. Wilson’s achievements.

C. To show the readers that we can learn from ants.

D. To give an overview of a new book.

Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.

For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being. For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.

One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.

Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.

This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.

But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember: You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours.

1.The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.

A. closely associated with B. very different to

C. usually sent from D. an important element of

2.The goal of meditation is ________.

A. to clear the mind

B. to practice a religion

C. to develop a technique

D. to carry out an experiment

3.What can we infer about meditation from the passage?

A. It has two main types.

B. It is practiced by many famous artists.

C. Its benefits are not immediately obvious.

D. Most people find it a very good way to relax.

4.According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?

A. Their improved understanding of foreign culture.

B. The need to fill in their growing free time.

C. Increasing employment instability.

D. Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional.

5.Who is the probable audience for this article?

A. Experienced meditation practitioners.

B. People interested in starting to learn meditation.

C. Buddhists and Hindus.

D. People who are very religious.

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