For many businessmen online education has been a dream．Now it has come true．The investment （投资） in higher education, whether financial or in terms of time, has long been impossible for many of them．But well-known educational institutions have chosen to deliver an internet-based program, and these barriers(障碍) have been lifted．

　　That is good news for people eager to improve themselves and is more attractive to employers．It is also a benefit to industry with better qualified candidates（候选人） applying for jobs at every level．

　　Having the benefits of a higher qualification（资格） without going to the university campus is attractive to many students．Campus study means greater cost, while online programs are flexible and save time, whether at home or at work．Students can achieve their degrees without causing too much disruption to their career or home life．

　　In addition to affordable, flexible（灵活） classes and greater convenience, students also have access to the online learning resources of many of the world’s top educational institutions．They can also communicate with their tutors no matter what time it is or whether either party is away for any reason．

　　This has opened up the possibility of getting a qualification from a university or college that many students could only have dreamed of in the past．It also allows specialists to get the precise qualifications and focus on their studies．As well as seeing the increase of applicants from lower-incomes and housewives, studying online in the US is even becoming popular with younger people of college age．

　　Employers have become increasingly welcome and positive to online qualifications as more candidates earn them, especially if they’re properly approved by the US Department of Education．

　　US institutions have led the way in online education provision（供给）．Many top US colleges and universities offer a range of online programs that are highly respected and in every way perfectly fit for adults who need to combine their studies with a working life．

1.According to Paragraph 1, many US colleges and universities ______．

A．have begun to lift the barriers to financial investment

B．have begun to run an internet-based program

C．have had a dream of offering online education

D．have gained financial investment

2.Why do people choose online education?

A．They can find jobs more easily than on-campus graduates．

B．They can get qualifications from US Department of Education．

C．They can save money and arrange their time and courses freely．

D．They can invest money in different courses provided online．

3.The underlined word “disruption” in the third paragraph probably mean ______．

A．dissatisfaction 　        B．attention 　C．attraction 　　　 D．interruption

4.Which would be a good title for the passage?

A．Adult Education Online

B．Online Education Taking the Place of Campus Education

C．Top US Universities Offering Online Education

D．The Best of USA’s Online Education

For many businessmen online education has been a dream．Now it has come true．The investment （投资） in higher education, whether financial or in terms of time, has long been impossible for many of them．But well-known educational institutions have chosen to deliver an internet-based program, and these barriers(障碍) have been lifted．
　　That is good news for people eager to improve themselves and is more attractive to employers．It is also a benefit to industry with better qualified candidates（候选人） applying for jobs at every level．
　　Having the benefits of a higher qualification（资格） without going to the university campus is attractive to many students．Campus study means greater cost, while online programs are flexible and save time, whether at home or at work．Students can achieve their degrees without causing too much disruption to their career or home life．
　　In addition to affordable, flexible（灵活） classes and greater convenience, students also have access to the online learning resources of many of the world’s top educational institutions．They can also communicate with their tutors no matter what time it is or whether either party is away for any reason．
　　This has opened up the possibility of getting a qualification from a university or college that many students could only have dreamed of in the past．It also allows specialists to get the precise qualifications and focus on their studies．As well as seeing the increase of applicants from lower-incomes and housewives, studying online in the US is even becoming popular with younger people of college age．
　　Employers have become increasingly welcome and positive to online qualifications as more candidates earn them, especially if they’re properly approved by the US Department of Education．
　　US institutions have led the way in online education provision（供给）．Many top US colleges and universities offer a range of online programs that are highly respected and in every way perfectly fit for adults who need to combine their studies with a working life．

1. 1.

   According to Paragraph 1, many US colleges and universities ______．

   1. A.
      have begun to lift the barriers to financial investment
   2. B.
      have begun to run an internet-based program
   3. C.
      have had a dream of offering online education
   4. D.
      have gained financial investment
2. 2.

   Why do people choose online education?

   1. A.
      They can find jobs more easily than on-campus graduates．
   2. B.
      They can get qualifications from US Department of Education．
   3. C.
      They can save money and arrange their time and courses freely．
   4. D.
      They can invest money in different courses provided online．
3. 3.

   The underlined word “disruption” in the third paragraph probably mean ______．

   1. A.
      dissatisfaction 　
   2. B.
      attention
   3. C.
      attraction
   4. D.
      interruption
4. 4.

   Which would be a good title for the passage?

   1. A.
      Adult Education Online
   2. B.
      Online Education Taking the Place of Campus Education
   3. C.
      Top US Universities Offering Online Education
   4. D.
      The Best of USA’s Online Education

（C）
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career，including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound（为地球引力所束缚的）experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Poin，was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion（推进） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal （液压燃料泵的密封圈）on the space shuttle（航天飞机） was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by an analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic（热力学的） analysis.” At the end of the summer，he，like the other NASA ASEE fellows working at Marshall，summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of  NASA，deepened his desire to fly in space，and intensified his application for astronaut status.
　　It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly，and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year old Army officer，who lives in Houston，is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
　Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA，and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side，Voss says，the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
66. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A） Because previous seals all failed.
B） Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C） Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D） Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
67.The great significance of Voss's findings lies in_________ .
A） strengthening his determination to join in space flights
B） furthering his understanding of NASA
C） consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
D） Both A and B
68. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A） Three  B） Two   C） Four     D） Five
69. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A） Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B） The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C） It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D） American colleges and universities are a special property of NASA.
70. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A） The technological significance of the program.
B） The educational significance of the program.
C） The philosophical significance of the program.
D） The historical significance of the program.

One thing the tour books don’t tell you about London is that 2,000 of its residents are foxes. They ran away from the city about centuries ago after developers and pollution moved in. But now that the environment is cleaner, the foxes have come home, one of the many wild animals that have moved into urban areas around the world.
“The number and variety of wild animals in urban areas is increasing,” says Gomer Jones, president of the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, in Columbia, Maryland. A survey of the wildlife in New York’s Central Park last year tallied the species of mammals, including muskrats, shrews and flying squirrels. A similar survey conducted in the 1890s counted only five species. One of the country’s largest populations of raccoons (浣熊) now lives in Washington D.C., and moose (驼鹿) are regularly seen wandering into Maine towns. Peregrine falcons(游隼) dive from the window ledges of buildings in the largest U.S. cities to prey on (捕食) pigeons.
Several changes have brought wild animals to the cities. Foremost is that air and water quality in many cities has improved as a result of the 1970s pollution-control efforts. Meanwhile, rural areas have been built up, leaving many animals on the edges of suburbs. In addition, urban wildlife refuges (避难处)have been created. The Greater London Council last year spent￡750,000 to buy land and build 10 permanent wildlife refuges in the city. Over 1,000 volunteers have donated money and cleared rubble from derelict lots. One evening last year a fox was seen on Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben.
For peregrine falcons, cities are actually safer than rural cliff dwellings (悬崖栖息地). By 1970 the birds had died out east of the Mississippi because the DDT had made their eggs too thin to support life. That year, scientist Tom Cade of Cornell University began raising the birds for release in cities, for cities afforded abundant food.
Cities can attract wild animals without turning them harmful. The trick is to create habitats where they can be self-sufficient but still be seen and appreciated. Such habitats can even be functional. In San Francisco, the local government is testing different kinds of rainwater control basins to see not only which ones retain (保持) the cleanest water but which will attract the most birds.
【小题1】The first paragraph suggests that ________.