Do you intend to study at an American university? It takes a long time to get accepted at most American schools, perhaps as much as a year. That’s why you should start choosing a school as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to apply to several different institutions, so that you’ll have a better chance of acceptance at one. You should start looking for information now, because the more information you have about each college, the better choice you can make.
There are two good ways to get information you need. One is a general reference (参考) book, called Guide to American Colleges and Universities. The other good source of information is the catalogue (目录) published by each school.
You can study the general guide in almost any American library. This book has many useful statistics, such as the number of students, the average test scores for people accepted to the school, the number of books in the library, and the number of teachers. You can also find the address of each school in this book.
Although the general guidebook has helpful information, some of the facts may be out-of-date. For example, many schools raise their tuition every year. Since you’ll need to know what your education will cost, out-of-date information will not be good enough. Also, schools sometimes change their requirements for entrance. To be sure that you are getting present information, write to the university and ask for its catalogue. The catalogue has more detailed information. For example, the catalogue can tell you if there is a special foreign student advisor, what kind of courses are offered, and what kind of housing is available. Some universities have dormitories, but at others you have to find your own place to live.
With all of this information, you should be able to pick out several good schools.
1. Where can you probably find the information about a school?| A．From a reference book. | B．From any library in the world. |
| C．From a textbook of the school. | D．From the lists of schools. |
| A．The location of a school. | B．The cost of living abroad. |
| C．Students’ activities at school. | D．The list of library books. |
| A．By reading guidebooks. | B．By visiting its website. |
| C．By asking a student advisor. | D．By writing to the school. |
| A．An English teacher in Japan. | B．A high school student in China. |
| C．A university student in America. | D．A school headmaster in Britain. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】What’s more important in determining life success — book smarts or street smarts? This question gets at the heart of an important debate contrasting the relative importance of cognitive (认知) intelligence (CI) and emotional intelligence (EI).
Cognitive intelligence is still recognized as an important element of success, particularly when it comes to academic achievement. People with high cognitive intelligence typically do well in school, often earn more money, and tend to be healthier in general.
But today experts recognize that cognitive intelligence is not the only determining factor of life success. Instead, it is part of a complex range of influences — one that includes emotional intelligence. Many companies now provide emotional intelligence training and use emotional intelligence tests as part of the hiring process. Research has found that individuals with strong leadership potential also tend to be more emotionally intelligent. suggesting that a high emotional intelligence is an important equality for business leaders and managers. According to a survey of hiring managers, almost 75% of the responders suggested that they valued an employee’s emotional intelligence more than his cognitive intelligence.
Now that emotional intelligence is so important, can it be taught or strengthened? According to one meta-analysis that looked at the results of social and emotional learning programs, the answer to that question is definitely yes. Strategies for teaching emotional intelligence include character education, modeling positive behaviors, encouraging people to think about how others are feeling, and finding ways to be more empathetic (共鸣) toward others.
All in all, life success is a result of many factors. Both cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence play roles in overall success, as well as health, wellness, and happiness. Rather than focusing on which factors have a prior influence, the greatest benefit may lie in learning to improve skills in multiple areas. In addition to strengthening cognitive abilities, such as memory and mental focus, you can also acquire and improve social and emotional skills.
1. People with book smarts tend to___________.| A．debate with other people | B．deal with various situations |
| C．be outstanding in academic research | D．be good at gaining real life experience |
| A．To indicate the strictness of hiring process. |
| B．To prove the priority of emotional intelligence. |
| C．To explain the result of emotional intelligence tests |
| D．To show the influence of cognitive intelligence on success. |
| A．Evaluating how others feel. | B．One’s extreme behaviors. |
| C．One’s academic performance | D．Controlling others’ emotions. |
| A．Does Book Smart Matter | B．Is CI or EI More Important? |
| C．What Counts Most in Life? | D．Mental Health or Physical Health? |
【推荐2】Making Healthy Habits That Last
Most people are aware that making healthy lifestyle changes would be good for their long term health, yet doing so can feel worried for many. If you are feeling stuck trying to make changes, don’t worry!
Set very realistic, short—term and long—term goals. For example, you might first commit to walking a half mile a number of times a week and gradually increase this over the course of the next month or two.
Move towards your goals from a place of “already full”.Take some time to appreciate what you are already doing to take care of yourself. Write down and reflect on things you have achieved in your life.
While changing behaviors is difficult for most of us, sometimes switching how we are approaching our goals can help to make them more achievable.
| A．Don’t give up hope. |
| B．It can lead to carrying out active behaviors. |
| C．Come up with a plan to deal with unavoidable setbacks. |
| D．It is the voice of care that you would offer to a good friend. |
| E．Consider the following steps to change and make a difference. |
| F．Then you work toward your goal of walking three miles, five days a week. |
| G．So when facing obstacles, consider seeing them as opportunities to build the ability. |
【推荐3】How to Improve Your Mental and Emotional Health
Your mental health and emotional well-being are important aspects of your overall health. In fact, they are just as important as your physical health. Your mental health can be affected by medical conditions such as depression.
Have fun. Experts say that playing might actually be good for you. A great way to boost your mood is to make time to do something fun. Think of some new ways to enjoy yourself. Organize a game night. Invite your friends over for board games or cards. Head to the park. Swinging is just as much fun for adults as it is for kids. Make more jokes. Try something as simple as saying ''Lovely weather, isn't it?'' while you're waiting for the bus in a heavy rain.
Volunteer. Giving back to others is a great way to make yourself feel good. Volunteering can boost your mood and improve your emotional health. Plus, it's important to help others.
| A．Be creative. |
| B．It's a win-win situation. |
| C．Try to get in touch with your music side. |
| D．It is a great way to improve your confidence. |
| E．Volunteering can also serve as a way to meet new people. |
| F．It may not be original, but the act can improve your mood. |
| G．Environmental factors, such as your job, also make an impact. |
【推荐1】Pieter Bruegel’s iconic 1565 painting The Harvesters hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work showed people harvesting wheat nearly as tall as they were.“nowadays, however, if you walk through a wheat field, you basically see that wheat is about knee-height. The reduced height is essentially a consequence of breeding (培育)along with genes for increasing production to feed a growing population,” biologist De Smet explained.
De Smet says wheat is just one example of how historical artwork can allow us to track the transformation of food crops over time. He teamed up with art historian Vergauwen, a friend since childhood, to document such artwork around the world. They have been mainly looking at things where they can spot changes in shape, color and size.
Their interest in plants in artwork began with a visit to the Hermitage Museum, where they noticed an odd-looking watermelon in an early-17th-century painting. It appeared to be pale and white on the inside. Biologist De Smet assumed the painter had done a poor job. But art historian Vergauwen had a different idea. “No, this is one of the best painters ever from that era. So if he painted it like that, that’s the way it must have looked like,” he explained.
Other paintings revealed that both red and white watermelons were grown during the 17th century.“With all the genetic knowledge we now have, we can look in more detail how something comes about,”De Smet said. “For example, until the 18th century, European strawberries appeared tiny in paintings-they then grew in size as they were crossbred with North American varieties.”
Ultimately, the team hopes to create an online research database of historical plant artwork. They seek the contributions of art enthusiasts around the world via the social media. “However,” Vergauwen reminds, “if you’re going to use, for example, Picasso to try and understand how a pear looked in the early 20th century, you might be misled.”
1. What can we learn about the painting The Harvesters?| A．It shows how people successfully grew wheat. |
| B．It proves that wheat was much shorter in the past. |
| C．It explains the consequence of different breeding methods. |
| D．It gives clues about how wheat in the 16th century looked like. |
| A．Their preference for food crops. |
| B．Their friendship since childhood. |
| C．Their divided views on an old painting. |
| D．Their shared interest in Hermitage Museum. |
| A．Art enthusiasts are not careful enough. |
| B．Abstract paintings often mislead people. |
| C．The source paintings need to be realistic. |
| D．Picasso’s paintings are hard to understand. |
| A．To comment on historical plant paintings. |
| B．To tell interesting stories behind plant artwork. |
| C．To inform readers of a scientific breakthrough. |
| D．To introduce a study on food crop transformation. |
【推荐2】A few years ago, when I was caring for my seriously ill father, I lost my voice. At first, I just sounded hoarse when I was having difficult conversations about Dad’s condition. But before long, I couldn’t even say “Yes please” to a cup of tea without sounding like an unusually breathless Minnie Mouse. After consulting an ear, nose and throat specialist, I was told that I had lost my voice due to stress.
We’re all familiar with the muscle tightening that comes with the body’s natural response to stress. The muscles in and around the voice box are no exception, and a long period of stress can lead to lasting damage to the vocal cords(声带). Perhaps the most obvious thing you can do to protect your voice is to give it a rest. That doesn’t mean you have to keep silent. Just try to avoid places, such as noisy bars and restaurants, where you have to speak up or shout to be heard, and move closer to people so you can talk in your normal voice. While some of the advice seems like common sense, there are a few surprises. It’s important to resist the urge to cough or clear your throat before attempting to speak, for example. Coughing pushes the vocal cords together with force, which can increase the risk of losing your voice. Instead, experts suggest taking a few big yawns, making sure to breathe deeply from the bottom of your lungs. Yawning helps create more space in your throat and relaxes the muscles.
Whispering may seem the obvious way to communicate when your voice is failing, but for most of us, it causes more problems. It’s far better, the researchers advise to aim to speak softly in your normal voice.
Interestingly, a University of Missouri study found that introverts (内向者) are more likely to suffer from speech-related stress reactions, which affect their vocal control. Simply taking a deep breath before you speak can go a long way towards calming the nerves, says study lead author Professor Maria Dietrich.
In my case seeking more support with Dad’s care helped me sound more like myself and less like Minnie within weeks.
1. What does the underlined word “hoarse” mean in the first paragraph?| A．Unable to speak. |
| B．Unable to express oneself. |
| C．(Sounding) sweet and smooth. |
| D．(Sounding) rough and unpleasant. |
| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To make the article interesting. |
| C．To share the author’s personal experience. |
| D．To offer evidence for the author’s argument. |
| A．Whispering in a noisy environment. |
| B．Avoiding big yawns before speaking. |
| C．Shortening the distance from others. |
| D．Coughing softly to make your voice clear. |
| A．They have difficulty in vocal control. |
| B．They always whisper, which may cause more problems. |
| C．They are probably under more pressure when speaking. |
| D．They always forget to take a deep breath before talking. |
【推荐3】Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry mochi. Strawberries a la mode. These may sound like springtime treats. But in Japan, the strawberry crop peaks in wintertime－a freezing season of superb berries. To recreate an artificial spring in the winter months, farmers grow their out- of-season delicacies in huge greenhouses heated with giant, gas-consuming heaters.
The swing has made strawberry farming much more energy intensive. “We looked at all aspects, including transport, or what it takes to produce fertilizer－even then, heating had the biggest footprint,” said Naoki Yoshikawa, a researcher, who led the produce emissions study.
Examples like these complicate the idea of eating locally, namely the idea embraced by some environmentally conscious shoppers of buying food that was produced relatively close by. They did this in part to cut down on the fuel and pollution associated with transportation. However, according to Miller, a professor at the University of Michigan, transportation of food often has less climate impact than the way it is produced. “It’s ideal if you can eat both in-season, and locally,” she said, “so your food is produced without having to add major energy consumption.”
In Japan, the energy required to grow strawberries in winter hasn’t proven to be just a climate burden. It has also made strawberry production expensive, particularly as fuel costs have risen, hurting farmers’ bottom lines. Research and development of berry varieties, as well as fancy branding, has helped ease some of those pressures. Strawberry varieties in Japan are now sold with fancy names like Beni Hoppe (“red cheeks,”) and (“Bijin Hime beautiful princess”), helping farmers fetch higher prices. The most picture-perfect ones have even sold hundreds of dollars to be given as special gifts.
Tochigi, north of Tokyo, has been developing a new variety of strawberry called Tochiaika, which produces a higher yield from the same inputs, making growing them more energy-efficient. Researchers in Sendai have been exploring ways to employ solar power to keep the temperature inside strawberry greenhouses warm. Strawberry farmer Ms. Yoshimura is working to gain local recognition for her “unheated strawberries. It would be nice,” she said, “if we could just make strawberries when it’s natural to.”
1. What makes the strawberry crop peak in winter?| A．Solar power. | B．Low temperature. |
| C．Industrial heating. | D．Global warming. |
| A．It’s useless. | B．It’s insufficient. |
| C．It’s ideal. | D．It’s harmful. |
| A．It reduces investment in branding. |
| B．It raises the prices of strawberries. |
| C．It adjusts the strawberry growing season. |
| D．It slows down the development of varieties. |
| A．Benefits from organic farming. |
| B．New studies of strawberry varieties. |
| C．Attitudes towards energy consumption. |
| D．Efforts to conserve energy in production. |
