All young people dream of travelling the world. They are restless and very eager to see new sights. However, they have little idea how they would really do it if given the chance. Because their knowledge of geography is quite limited, they seldom know much about the places they wish to visit or how they would get there.
Already hundreds of thousands of Chinese student tourists are visiting these places-Wuyi, Lhasa, Lijiang, Dali, Vientiane and Phnom Penh. Indeed, these students will soon be the most travelled generation in China’s long history. The World Tourist Organization predicts that a quarter of a century from now the number of Chinese tourists going abroad will be twenty times what it is today. The largest percentage of these tourists will visit Southeast Asia. Not all Chinese who travel abroad will be tourists, however. More and more youths are deciding to volunteer their skills in this region; much like their peers in the Peace Corps and VSO.
Critical thinking skills required include planning for a trip and solving problems after the trip has begun. The focus is on how to read an atlas (地图集) to make travel plans and how to find ways of travelling. An atlas offers a wealth of information about geography and is one way to increase students’ awareness of their global environment. Use of an atlas especially addresses the needs of students with different visual and spatial (空间的) learning styles.
【小题1】The main idea of the first paragraph is ________.

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you  noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Michelle, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的).” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
【小题1】The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.

First of all, successful language learners are independent learners. They  31  their own way to learn the language. Instead of  32 for the teachers to explain, they try to find the pattern and rules for themselves. They are good  33 who look for clues and form their own conclusions. When they guess wrong, they guess again. They try to learn from their mistakes.        
Secondly,   34  language learners are active in  35 , therefore, they do not wait for a chance to use the languages, and they look for such a chance. They find people who speak the language and let those people  36 them when they make a  37 . They will try anything to communicate. They are not afraid to repeat what they hear or to say  38  things which sound weird. They are willing to make mistakes and try again, when communication is difficult. They can accept information that is  39  or incomplete. It is more  40  for them to learn to think in the language than to know the  41 of every word.
  42 successful language learners are learners with  43 . They want to learn language because they are interested in the language and the people who speak it. It is necessary for them to learn the language in order to  44 with these people and to learn from them. They find it easy to practice using the language  45  because they want to learn it.

Passage six(Dropouts for Ph. D. s)
Educators are seriously concerned about the high rate of dropouts among the doctor of philosophy candidates and the consequent loss of talent to a nation in need of Ph. D. s. Some have placed the dropouts loss as high as 50 percent. The extent of the loss was, however, largely a matter of expert guessing. Last week a well-rounded study was published. It was published. It was based on 22,000 questionnaires sent to former graduate students who were enrolled in 24 universities and it seemed to show many past fears to be groundless.
The dropouts rate was found to be 31 per cent, and in most cases the dropouts, while not completing the Ph. D. requirement, went on to productive work. They are not only doing well financially, but, according to the report, are not far below the income levels of those who went on to complete their doctorates.
Discussing the study last week, Dr. Tucker said the project was initiated ‘because of the concern frequently expressed by graduate faculties and administrators that some of the individuals who dropped out of Ph. D. programs were capable of competing the requirement for the degree. Attrition at the Ph. D. level is also thought to be a waste of precious faculty time and a drain on university resources already being used to capacity. Some people expressed the opinion that the shortage of highly trained specialists and college teachers could be reduced by persuading the dropouts to return to graduate schools to complete the Ph. D.’
“The results of our research” Dr. Tucker concluded, “did not support these opinions.”
Lack of motivation was the principal reason for dropping out.
Most dropouts went as far in their doctoral program as was consistent with their levels of ability or their specialities.
Most dropouts are now engaged in work consistent with their education and motivation.
Nearly 75 per cent of the dropouts said there was no academic reason for their decision, but those who mentioned academic reason cited failure to pass the qualifying examination, uncompleted research and failure to pass language exams. Among the single most important personal reasons identified by dropouts for non-completion of their Ph. D. program, lack of finances was marked by 19 per cent.
As an indication of how well the dropouts were doing, a chart showed 2% in humanities were receiving $ 20,000 and more annually while none of the Ph. D. ‘s with that background reached this figure. The Ph. D. ‘s shone in the $ 7,500 to $ 15,000 bracket with 78% at that level against 50% for the dropouts. This may also be an indication of the fact that top salaries in the academic fields, where Ph. D. ‘s tend to rise to the highest salaries, are still lagging behind other fields.
As to the possibility of getting dropouts back on campus, the outlook was glum. The main condition which would have to prevail for at least 25 % of the dropouts who might consider returning to graduate school would be to guarantee that they would retain their present level of income and in some cases their present job.
1.The author states that many educators feel that
A.steps should be taken to get the dropouts back to campus.
B.the fropouts should return to a lower quality school to continue their study.
C.the Ph. D. holder is generally a better adjusted person than the dropout.
D.The high dropouts rate is largely attributable to the lack of stimulation on the part of faculty members.
2.Research has shown that
A.Dropouts are substantially below Ph. D. ‘s in financial attainment.
B.the incentive factor is a minor one in regard to pursuing Ph. D. studies.
C.The Ph. D. candidate is likely to change his field of specialization if he drops out.
D.about one-third of those who start Ph. D. work do not complete the work to earn the degree.
3.Meeting foreign language requirements for the Ph. D.
A.is the most frequent reason for dropping out.
B.is more difficult for the science candidate than for the humanities candidate.
C.is an essential part of many Ph. D. programs.
D.does not vary in difficulty among universities.
4.After reading the article, one would refrain from concluding that
A.optimism reigns in regard to getting Ph. D. dropouts to return to their pursuit of the degree.
B.a Ph. D. dropout, by and large, does not have what it takes to learn the degree.
C.colleges and universities employ a substantial number of Ph. D. dropouts.
D.Ph. D. ‘s are not earning what they deserve in nonacademic positions.
5.It can be inferred that the high rate of dropouts lies in
A.salary for Ph. D. too low.
B.academic requirement too high.
C.salary for dropouts too high.
D.1000 positions.

Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan’s life. “Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything,” Gloria said. “Cubans,” she added, “are a musical people”.
Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English!
When Gloria was ten, her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn’t well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister.
She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine.
Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978 Gloria and Emilio married.
At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars.
Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Gloria has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. “We needed a party after that disaster,” she said.
Gloria said, “You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, ‘that won’t work.’ You’ve got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it—that’s the main thing.”
【小题1】Gloria’s father was ill        .