1 . The ranking of universities and colleges at the national global level is a well-known doubtful practice. Imperfect approaches generate inaccurate results of these institutions. Nowadays, prestigious (有威望的) law and medical schools have started to walk away from this “evaluation”.
There are two obvious methodological problems with all of this. One is that the numerical rankings suffer from false precision. Is there really a difference between No.10 and No.11 in the undergraduate (本科生) school rankings? Johns Hopkins University famously had a plan called“10 by 20”with the goal of getting to No.10 by 2020. Hopkins is a great undergraduate institution — whether it’s No.10 or No.11 is meaningless, but it did indeed make it into the top 10 ahead of schedule, which no doubt delighted its trustees and students.
The other methodological problem is that rankings reward those schools that promote measurements by admitting students who have had the advantages of better pre-college education and test preparation coaching, and whose wealth will make them likely future donors. Equally worthy applicants without such resources will fail to enter the schools.
The good news is that in recent months, a reckoning (清算) has begun. Last September, Columbia University chose not to participate in the undergraduate rankings after an enterprising professor discovered that the school was fudging its own numbers. If Columbia’s data were corrected, it would drop from No. 2 to No. 18. Two months later, law schools began pushing back. Yale and Harvard Law Schools announced that they would refuse to provide data to U. S. News, and several outstanding law schools followed suit.
This resistance to rankings has now begun in the world of science. This is a great sign. In announcing its decision, the dean of Washington University’s medical school said, “…it is time to stop participating in a system that does not serve our students or their future patients.”
1. Why does the author mention Johns Hopkins University?| A．To share an experience. | B．To give specific example. |
| C．To make a detailed comparison. | D．To illustrate a complicated concept. |
| A．Its data was not based on facts. |
| B．It was left behind by other universities. |
| C．It didn’t think the system served their students. |
| D．Other universities chose to refuse to participate in the rankings. |
| A．Objective. | B．Indifferent. | C．Supportive. | D．Opposed. |
| A．Resistance to Educational Rankings |
| B．The Ranking of Universities and Colleges |
| C．Educational Rankings: Scientific or Imperfect |
| D．Reasons for Universities’ Refusal of Rankings |
2 . My daughter will turn 17 in three months! As a parent, I feel the urgency (紧迫) to teach her important skills before she goes off to college.
Start the savings habit. Start to set aside money for the future now, while you are young.
Be careful with credit cards. When you go to college, you may find credit card companies often attract you to sign up for their credit cards. They will try to convince you that a credit card is like having free money for you to spend while you only pay the smallest amount each month.
Be a smart shopper. Plan ahead weekly by making a shopping list and stick to the list. Consider using recipes (食谱) that use low-cost, healthy materials.
| A．Write down your needs and wants |
| B．This idea of money can be very dangerous |
| C．Get a part-time job when you're old enough |
| D．Now put aside some money when you have any income |
| E．Eat before you shop to avoid a sudden wish to buy something |
| F．Few people ever become wealthy based entirely on their earnings |
| G．Money management skills are extremely important for her success and happiness |
3 . In a crowded migrant (移民) camp in Tijuana, Mexico, a three-year-old girl wandered
It was December 2018, a time when the US-Mexico border was seeing migrants from Central America
Back at home, Rebellón gathered a group of volunteer
Rebellón has received numerous
| A．leisurely | B．alone | C．freely | D．abroad |
| A．tended | B．recognized | C．invited | D．noticed |
| A．relief | B．health | C．business | D．education |
| A．fighting | B．preventing | C．escaping | D．worsening |
| A．side | B．place | C．hand | D．heart |
| A．determined | B．annoyed | C．disappointed | D．panicked |
| A．line up | B．make up | C．stand up | D．look up |
| A．soldiers | B．doctors | C．writers | D．teachers |
| A．expenses | B．savings | C．bills | D．charges |
| A．integrated | B．forced | C．transformed | D．translated |
| A．Limited | B．Funded | C．Motivated | D．Influenced |
| A．create | B．adjust | C．reject | D．follow |
| A．special | B．strange | C．common | D．major |
| A．opportunities | B．honours | C．blessings | D．messages |
| A．display | B．possess | C．maintain | D．expand |
When I was a child, I was particular about food. It was Aunt Nelda that changed my habit of being a picky eater.
As far as I could remember, on a Friday night, when Dad and I arrived at Aunt Nelda’s house at dinner time, she prepared a big meal for us. Though the dishes smelled delicious, I didn’t feel like eating some of them. I took several bites of the sandwich and then laid it aside. Dad wanted to kick me under the table to remind me to finish all the food, but drawers (抽屉) between us protected me.
Looking at those drawers, I had a good idea. When Dad got up to refill his soup bowl, I pulled the bottom drawer open. It was full of cloth napkins (布餐巾). I put my sandwich under them and shut the drawer quickly. A plan for my rest food at Aunt Nelda’s emerged.
The next morning, I did the same to the food which I hated to eat. When Aunt Nelda saw my empty bowl, she gave me some sweets and said, “Good job, Jodi. You like my cooking just as much as your father.”
On Sunday, the food under the napkins continued growing, but somehow more slowly. Aunt Nelda was actually a pretty good cook. At noon, her children were coming for lunch. I offered to help set the table.
“Jodi, get the cloth napkins out of the bottom drawer,” she said. My heart began to beat fast. It was not because of the bottom drawer or the cloth napkins, but because of the left food.
“No, let’s use these!” I said, grabbing a handful of paper napkins. Aunt Nelda reached for the drawer. “My children prefer cloth napkins!” she said. I held my breath, waiting for the horrible scene. However, I couldn’t believe that she handed me some neat napkins.
“I’ve already cleaned them up,” she said. “It was so strange that there was much food under the napkins. I hadn’t seen mice for years! Guess what? They were back again. A long time ago, they made a nest and carried the food all over the house.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Aunt Nelda’s words made me feel relieved but ashamed.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hearing what I said, Aunt Nelda opened her mouth wide.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Have you ever considered buying or moving to a farm? Did you know that children farming and raising animals builds character?
You needn’t worry about your child spending all day inside playing video games.
When a child grows up on a farm, they learn the responsibility of caring for crops or animals. They discover how to understand and feel compassionate toward something that can’t communicate its feelings.
By growing up on a farm, your child learns about responsibility. They learn that they have duty and that they can enjoy their free time when those jobs are done.
Kids who grow up on a farm have a good knowledge of their environment in a way most others never will. They learn how to grow plants and raise animals. They can diagnose problems and come up with solutions. They understand how to use farming equipment and how to work with the weather instead of against it. Those skills open the door to allowing your child to live and thrive anywhere they want.
| A．Survival skills |
| B．The value of teamwork |
| C．Here are some benefits of raising children on a farm |
| D．This is a quality that will help them in any social situation |
| E．And they get the opportunity to see the fruits of their labor |
| F．It’s never too early to start thinking about your child’s future |
| G．Instead, your child will be out on the farm working with plants or animals |
6 . Out of all fields of science, physics has a reputation for being difficult to the general public. On top of complex formulas (公式), the abstract concepts that make it up are sometimes simply hard to grasp. That’s why professor Tatiana Erukhimova works alongside the team of the Physics & Astronomy department at Texas A & M University (TAMU) to produce a series of videos showing real-world applications of physics in a fun and insightful way that has earned her fans around the world.
Not only are the explanations in every video easy to follow, but Erukhimova’s enthusiasm is what truly keeps the viewer engaged. For example, in one video, the cheerful professor explains the physics of pressure. To demonstrate how distributing weight allows seemingly fragile objects to carry heavier loads, the teacher excitedly steps on a tiny board with lightbulbs and then proceeds to replicate (复制) the experiment with eggs — until it takes an unexpected turn.
Erukhimova’s unique teaching method comes from her hope to get students interested through demonstrative classes. “You get this ‘wow factor’ and then it’s easier to find resonance (共鸣).” she said. “I like what I teach, and I try to share my excitement with them.”
Born to physicist parents, Erukhimova has had a unique attachment to the field since she was very little. “My passion for physics is just in my genes, and I cannot imagine my life without physics,” she explained. After being offered a position at Texas A & M almost 25 years ago, Erukhimova moved from Russia to Texas. Since then, she has won over both university students and casual viewers with her particular way of explaining science.
While she is aware that people may not learn a lot from watching a short video, getting them interested and curious about learning more is all worth it.
1. Why does physics seem difficult to the general public?| A．It has many formulas. | B．It’s boring and useless. |
| C．Its concepts are abstract. | D．Access to educational resources is limited. |
| A．Her family background. | B．Her respect for her students. |
| C．Her vivid language and personality. | D．Her enthusiasm and teaching method. |
| A．Winning over casual viewers and fans. |
| B．Getting students interested in physics. |
| C．Sharing her excitement about physics. |
| D．Improving students’ academic performance. |
| A．She has many hobbies. | B．She is a famous scientist. |
| C．She is devoted to her job. | D．She earns a very high salary. |
1. Who read to the girls?
| A．The woman. | B．Only the man. | C．The man and his wife. |
| A．At five. | B．At six. | C．At seven. |
| A．Read a lot. | B．Do whatever he likes. | C．Learn from the man’s daughters. |
8 . Parenting styles have shifted over the years with the rapid changes in the world. Nowadays parents generally spend more time in finding out how best to raise their child whether it’s through technology or tried-and-tested parenting practices.
With easy access to countless websites and social media groups interested in parenting, modern parents are capable of finding answers to their questions, from managing a baby’s cries to communicating with a moody teenager. This increased availability (可利用性) of resources has made parents more involved in their children’s academic, emotional, and social development. They are also more eager to find out effective parenting methods to help them raise well-behaved and confident children.
A modern parenting style that has appeared is helicopter parenting, where parents are too much focused on their children. They help children with tasks that children can do on their own, like selecting activities and friends for them, or calling their teachers about homework matters. Such a parenting style can stifle the development of the children’s ability to handle responsibilities independently. Children might be ill-equipped with life skills such as making the bed, clearing their plates or doing their schoolwork. Always protecting children from failures may also stop them from developing adaptability and gaining skills like problem-solving.
On the other hand, parents in the past tended to monitor less. Children were given more freedom to manage their schoolwork and choose the friends they want to play with. In some families, children of the past were often expected to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for younger brothers and sisters and managing housework. Living in the pre-Internet era, parents were less informed about different parenting methods, and their parenting styles were guided more by their personalities, common sense and friendly advice from their parents and neighbours, rather than by social media influences or parenting websites. There is no one right way to raise a child. Each child is unique and should be raised differently by parents who are present, but not wandering; who are supportive but not controlling; and who protect but not care too much.
1. How does the increased availability of resources influence parenting style?| A．It saves parents’ much time spent on children. |
| B．It makes parents more relaxed in raising children. |
| C．It encourages parents to be less strict with their children. |
| D．It enables parents to be more active in their children’s development. |
| A．Bring about. | B．Hold back. | C．Take down. | D．Set up. |
| A．They educated kids in a strict way. |
| B．They over-judged their kids’ independence. |
| C．They afforded kids more space for self-growth. |
| D．They tended to stay away from social activities. |
| A．How parents raise all-round children. |
| B．How people improve parent-child relationship. |
| C．How parenting modes have changed over the years. |
| D．How information technology affects people’s lifestyles. |
9 . Billions of people deal with a nail-biting habit at some point in their lives. Many will go to great lengths to try to stop. And while not all of us are nail-biters, most of us do have a habit we’d like to kick. So what’s the best way to break one?
Research shows that intentions alone often fail to lead to long-term behavior change. This isn't to say you can’t break a habit. Rather, by understanding the basis of habits, you can create better plans for changing them. For example, we know habits are often affected by environments and routines. Lying in bed may cause you to endlessly scroll through your phone, or watching TV on the couch may lead you to grab a sugary snack.
One of the most effective ways to manage behavior is to identify these locations or times of day. Then try to modify them by changing your routine or creating obstacles that make it more difficult to perform the habit in that space. Moving, switching jobs, or even starting a new schedule, are particularly great times to break a habit or build a new one.
One 2005 study tracked university students’ exercising, reading, and TV-watching habits before and after they transferred schools. When students were no longer around old environments and routines, their habits, even the strong ones, significantly changed.
For behaviors like nail-biting, a practice called habit reversal training can be helpful. Developed by psychologists in the 1970s, the aim is to change a habit by replacing it with another one that’s less detrimental. The training requires you to analyze and understand your habit cues, so you can effectively step in at the right times. For example, if you tend to bite your nails at work, keep a fidget toy at your desk in advance. Then, if a stressful email comes in, use the toy when you feel the urge to bite your nails.
Breaking a habit takes time, so remember to give yourself grace and have patience through the process.
1. Why does the author mention “a nail-biting habit” in Para.1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To make a conclusion. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To attract readers' attention. |
| A．Having intentions alone. | B．Understanding the basis of habits. |
| C．Making practical plans. | D．Adapting the environments or times. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Helpful. | C．Annoying. | D．Time-consuming. |
| A．Difficulties in dealing with nail-biting. | B．Significance of habit reversal training. |
| C．Useful tips on getting rid of a habit. | D．Necessity of having grace and patience. |
10 . My university has now topped the U.S. News &. World Report rankings for 11 years running. Given Princeton’s success, you might think I would be a fan of the list. Not so. Don’t get me wrong. I am proud of Princeton’s teaching, research and commitment to service. I like seeing our quality recognized. Rankings, however, are a misleading way to assess universities. Different schools have distinct strengths, structures and missions. The idea of picking one as “best”, as though educational programs competed like athletic teams, is strange.
However, the U.S. News rankings attract great attention and a huge customer base. Applicants and their families rely on the rankings and feel pressure to get into highly regarded institutions. As a result, many schools make intense efforts to move up in the rankings. This competition produces damaging consequences. For example. some universities avoid doing difficult but valuable things—such as admitting talented lower-income students who can succeed at university if given appropriate support.
Still, students and families need comparative information to choose universities. If rankings mislead, what is the alternative? For generations, buyers have turned to Consumer Reports for advice about almost everything except university education. When Consumer Reports evaluates a product, it assesses multiple factors so that potential buyers can make their own choices wisely, Similarly, university applicants need information about some basic variables. Graduation rates are crucial. A university that does not graduate its students is like a car with a bad maintenance (维修) record. It costs money without getting you anywhere. What applicants need is not the average graduation rate, but the rate for students with backgrounds like their own. For example, some places successfully graduate their wealthy students but do less well for lower income students. Applicants should also see some measures of post-graduation outcomes.
Here is a partial list of other factors that matter: cost of tuition (学费) and fees; high-quality teachers actively engaged in undergraduate instruction; and a learning culture composed of diverse students who study hard and educate one another. Judged by these criteria, many schools could be “Consumer Reports Best Buys”. Applicants should be excited to get into any of them; they should pick the one they find most appealing; and they should not waste time worrying about which is “the best”.
It would be great to have a Consumer Reports for universities. I hope that some national publication will have the courage to produce an annual, user-friendly Consumer Reports-style analysis of higher education institutions, even if it is not as attractive as a football-style set of rankings. In the meantime, those of us who understand the imperfection in the rankings must call them out—even when, indeed especially when, we finish at the top.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards university rankings?| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Indifferent. | D．Neutral. |
| A．To emphasize the need of overall evaluation of universities. |
| B．To present the information of potential buyers. |
| C．To highlight the difficulty of choosing universities. |
| D．To reveal the multiplicity of consumers. |
| A．It is not likely to have a Consumer Reports for universities. |
| B．The top universities can see the imperfection in the rankings better. |
| C．The most suitable university for applicants may not rank the top. |
| D．The average graduation rate is crucial to lower-income applicants. |
| A．There is no such thing as a good or bad student. |
| B．Education equality is an ideal hard to be realized. |
| C．Discrimination against poor students brings loss of talents. |
| D．An alternative approach is needed to assess universities. |
