What is the difference between a college and a university? This is a good question for students who want to attend a college or a university in the United States.
Colleges and universities have many things in common. Both provide a greater understanding of the world and its past. Both provide education in the arts and sciences. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living.
Students who complete their undergraduate studies either at a four-year college or a university receive a bachelor’s degree. One difference is that many colleges do not offer graduate studies.
Universities are generally bigger, offer more programs and do more research. Modern universities developed from those of the Middle Ages in Europe. The word “university” comes from the Latin “universitas”. This described a group of people organized for a common purpose. The word “college” comes from a Latin word with a similar meaning, “collegium”. In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live in. Usually each group of students was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study. But a college can also be a part of a university. The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true.
Programs in higher learning may also be called schools. The University of Arizona in Tucson, for example, has 18 colleges and 10 schools. They include the colleges of pharmacy (制药学), education, engineering and law. They also include the schools of architecture, dance and public administration.
College is also used as a general term for higher education. A news report might talk about “college students” even if they include students at universities. Or someone might ask, “Where do you go to college?”
Today, most American colleges offer an area of study called liberal arts. These are subjects first developed and taught in ancient Greece. They include language, philosophy and mathematics. The purpose is to train a person’s mind instead of teaching job skills.
【小题1】The passage is probably written to _________.

What is the difference between a college and a university? This is a good question for students who want to attend a college or a university in the United States.

Colleges and universities have many things in common. Both provide a greater understanding of the world and its past. Both provide education in the arts and sciences. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living.

Students who complete their undergraduate studies either at a four-year college or a university receive a bachelor’s degree. One difference is that many colleges do not offer graduate studies.

Universities are generally bigger, offer more programs and do more research. Modern universities developed from those of the Middle Ages in Europe. The word “university” comes from the Latin “universitas”. This described a group of people organized for a common purpose. The word “college” comes from a Latin word with a similar meaning, “collegium”. In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live in. Usually each group of students was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study. But a college can also be a part of a university. The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true.

Programs in higher learning may also be called schools. The University of Arizona in Tucson, for example, has 18 colleges and 10 schools. They include the colleges of pharmacy (制药学), education, engineering and law. They also include the schools of architecture, dance and public administration.

College is also used as a general term for higher education. A news report might talk about “college students” even if they include students at universities. Or someone might ask, “Where do you go to college?”

Today, most American colleges offer an area of study called liberal arts. These are subjects first developed and taught in ancient Greece. They include language, philosophy and mathematics. The purpose is to train a person’s mind instead of teaching job skills.

1.The passage is probably written to _________.

A．persuade students to go to college instead of schools

B．tell students the differences between colleges and universities

C．help students make a better choice of what kind of colleges they should go to

D．inform students about how much they are going to spend in going to college

2.When the term “college students” appears in a newspaper, it may refer to ________.

A．only students studying in colleges

B．students studying in colleges in the USA

C．only students studying in universities

D．students receiving higher education

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Both universities and colleges include different schools.

B．The purpose of liberal arts is to train a person’s job skill.

C．Both universities and colleges can help prepare students to make a living.

D．Most American universities have 18 colleges and 10 schools.

4.The area of study called liberal arts is designed to _______.

A．get students ready to earn a living

B．teach students subjects from engineering to philosophy

C．help students achieve a stronger and clearer mind

D．encourage more students to begin the study of arts

The Government should raise taxes on air travel and high-polluting cars in order to help the environment, an important committee of MPs has said. It also said that the 70 mph speed limit on motorways should be reduced or enforced to bring down the amount of carbon dioxide given off by cars. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s latest report said that transport was the only sector (部门) of the UK where carbon emissions have continued to rise since 1990.

It said it was time for the Government to make demand for cheap air impossible by raising air passenger tax. Emissions from air traffic have risen by 5 times as much since 1900 and are guessed to rise.

The committee welcomed the recent introduction of changed car tax, which means that the lowest-carbon cars pay no road tax, while gas –guzzling (耗油的) 44s pay an increased rate of £210. However, the MPs say it doesn’t go far enough and are calling for a top limit of £1, 800 with lower limit of £200．

Committee chairman Tim Yeo said: “Air travel in particular is the fastest growing source of CO₂, with emissions more than five times since 1900．The Government should take much more decisive action to reduce the difference of income favor of trains, buses, and lower carbon cars and lorries. ”

Friends of the Earth’s senior organizer Tony Bosworth said :“Emissions from transport are still rising and forecasts suggest they will carry on rising for years to come.”

“Tinkering (熔补) around the edges is no longer enough to deal with the greatest threat the world faces.” A spokesman for the Department for Transport said:“Dealing with carbon emissions in transport is a key problem. Our policies will reduce carbon emissions from transport by 6.8 million tons in 2010.”

1．What is the purpose of Government’s raising taxes on air travel and high-polluting cars?

       A．To make more money

       B．To reduce the number of the planes and cars

       C．To encourage people to travel by bus or by rail.

       D．To help the environment.

2．the underlined word “emissions” in the first paragraph probably means “______”

       A．having a bad effect                   B．producing or raising

       C．sending out (gas or heat etc.)           D．doing a lot of harm

3．According to the changed car tax, if you have a lower-carbon car you will pay ______.

       A．no road tax                                        B．less road tax

       C．more road tax                                     D．a little road tax

4．Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

       A．Transport is the biggest polluter

       B．Raise taxes on air travel and high-polluting cars

       C．Deal with greatest threat the world faces

       D．Air travel in particular is the fastest growing source of CO₂