1 . Recent years have seen a small increase in unemployment rates due to slowing of the economy. The fact that many college graduates are finding it difficult to land a job has sparked online discussions on the cost of education and the returns on it, with many agreeing with the notion that “education is useless”.
Stories like a person with a doctorate’s degree from Zhejiang University is delivering food, and overseas-returned graduates are selling hot-pot ingredients have caused many to question the value of education. Moreover, the fact that about 36,000 fewer candidates have applied to take the postgraduate exam in 2024, the first decline in numbers in years, has also fueled the “education is useless theory.
Is education truly worthless? This question has resurfaced due to several factors.
The wide spread of higher education has significantly increased the number of college graduates, reducing the value of college degrees. As the job market becomes over-crowded with graduates, the scarcity of high-level talents has become apparent, particularly in fields such as the humanities. For example, more than 900 institutions in China offer English major, making it the most common degree program, yet there’s a shortage of top talents who are proficient in English and have a good knowledge about the differences in Chinese and foreign approach to fields such as international relations and journalism.
The declining returns on the investment in education have given rise to the “education is useless” theory. Given the challenging job market, many believe college education does not guarantee any sort of employment, let alone a suitable job. And with various economic opportunities available, the notion that one can become financially successful even without formal education is becoming increasingly acceptable.
In light of these developments, combined efforts need to be made to change the situation. For instance, universities must take measures to integrate education, research and industry, while enhancing cooperation with enterprises through tailored talent training programs. Additionally, the authorities need to pay greater attention to vocational education, an important part of China’s educational system. Students, parents and society, on their part, should abandon their bias against vocational training, because it integrates education with career prospects throughout the learning process, offering targeted, technical and practical training which allows students to master their skills which can get them well-paying jobs in the future.
Developing a correct view of employment and career choice is key to abandoning the notion of “education being useless”. People, especially students, must understand the current employment landscape, their positioning, and strengths and weaknesses. While realizing that a college degree is no longer a ticket to employment, college students should leverage education resources to enrich their professional knowledge and competitiveness. And youths should approach vocational education with an open mind in order to make the most of what the job market has to offer.
Education is not synonymous with earning money, nor does a college degree guarantee financial success. The value of education is knowledge, which we need to make informed decisions not only in our professional life but also in our social and other fields of life.
1. What are the main reasons for the recent rise in the belief that ”education is useless”?| A．Economic slowdown and job scarcity. |
| B．Sad stories about educated individuals. |
| C．Decline in postgraduate exam applicants. |
| D．Emphasis on practical skills over qualifications. |
| A．By focusing solely on academic research. |
| B．By integrating education, research, and industry. |
| C．By ignoring cooperation with enterprises. |
| D．By eliminating vocational education courses. |
| A．limit | B．abandon | C．balance | D．maximize |
| A．Negative and pessimistic | B．Positive and supportive |
| C．Balanced and objective | D．Unclear and ambiguous |
2 . Education in 2080 is distinctive from education in the 2020s. Until about 2035, the main function of education systems was to supply the economy with the next generation of workers. In 2080, the purpose of education is the well-being of society and all its members. To make this a bit more tangible for you, I would like to give an example of what a child’s education looks like in 2080. Her name is Shemsy. Shemsy is 13, and she is confident and loves learning.
Shemsy does not go to school in the morning because schools as you know them no longer exist. The institution was abolished as it was widely thought of as more like a prison or a factory than a creative learning environment. Schools have been replaced with “Learning Hubs” that are not restricted to certain ages. They are where intergenerational learning happens, in line with the belief that learning is a lifelong pursuit.
Every year, Shemsy designs her learning journey for the year with a highly attentive “teacher-citizen”. Shemsy is actively engaged in designing her education and has to propose projects she would like to be involved in to contribute to and serve her community. She also spends lots of time playing as the role of play in learning has finally been recognized as essential and core to our humanity. Shemsy works a lot collaboratively. Access to education is universal, and higher education institutions no longer differentiate themselves by how many people they reject yearly. Variability between students is expected and leveraged (利用) as young people teach one another and use their differences as a source of strength. Shemsy naturally explores what she is curious about at a pace she sets. She still has some classes to take that are mandatory for children globally: Being Human and the History of Humanity.
We invite you to think about your vision for education in the year 2080, what does it look like, who does it serve,and how does it transform our societies?
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us?| A．There are different types of education. |
| B．The present education needs improvements. |
| C．Education and economy are closely associated. |
| D．The goal of future education is fundamentally different. |
| A．It accepts students of all ages. | B．It promotes competition. |
| C．It discourages individualized learning. | D．It is all about play-based learning. |
| A．Tough. | B．Satisfactory. | C．Optional. | D．Required. |
| A．An Example to All | B．A Vision for Education |
| C．A Challenge for Education | D．A Journey into the Future |
3 . Teachers at an Atlanta elementary school hold a mirror up while students shout positive affirmations (肯定) to themselves. “We live in a tough neighborhood in Atlanta. It’s good to plant those seeds (种子) here,” a teacher said.
In a video that recently went viral (迅速传开), fourth-graders at Gideons Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia lined up to shout positive affirmations to themselves in a mirror while their teachers cheered them on. “I am smart!” “I am a good person!”
“The idea came from something I practice with my 5-year-old daughter,” said Neffiteria Acker, the teacher seen in the video holding the mirror.“ When we’re on our way to school, I have her repeat affirmations to me, starting with, ‘I am.’ Usually, I just ask her to tell me something good about herself. She’ll say, ‘I’m a fast eater,’ or, ‘I’m a fast runner.’ Then I’ll add to it, ‘You’re also really brave.’”
“It lifts her confidence. So I thought, ‘Why not bring that to the classroom? ’ ” she added.
Cierra Levay Broadway, the teacher who filmed the video, said she was moved while watching the students shout their affirmations. “It was an amazing moment,” she said. “I was really astonished when I saw the kids and heard what they were saying. For a lot of them, it was the first time they’d ever done that.”
The teachers understand the importance of building self-confidence at a young age, especially for students who do not have such an opportunity at home.
“In our neighborhood the kids hear a lot of negative things about themselves. So a seed of self-love is the best seed to plant, and all Broadway and I have to do is water it,” Acker said.
1. Why did the teachers try to help their students?| A．The students dislike studying. |
| B．The students laugh at the gardeners. |
| C．The students are affected by their environment. |
| D．The students have difficulty getting on with each other. |
| A．Plan for their futures. | B．Cheer up their schoolmates. |
| C．Find other students’ strengths. | D．Say positive words about themselves. |
| A．Her daughter’s suggestions to her. | B．Her conversations with her daughter. |
| C．A video of a small girl. | D．A mirror in her school. |
“Education” is generally defined as the process of learning and acquiring information. Formal learning in schools or universities
Most people associate education with schools and classrooms
Exposing students to new ideas and essential facts is only part of most educational goals. Also, students
5 . Between 1945 and 2000, educators employed a fairly uniform approach. The teacher was the sun in the classroom, and all lessons and activities centered around him or her. Educators stressed the importance of discipline and obedience(服从) within the classroom, and students were expected to follow very rigid standards for behavior and academic performance. The stated goal of this model was to ensure fairness by applying the same expectations; however, the result was that only a few students succeeded while many others were left behind.
When computers and Internet technology entered the classroom a few decades ago, another pattern appeared and progressive educators immediately saw the opportunity to change the way school worked. Instead of needing to focus on the teachers for the vast majority of the day, students could use computers, websites, and even games to learn new materials and improve their skills and knowledge. Not all educators welcomed this shift, however, as some believed it took power and responsibility away from the teachers and cheapened the educational experience for learners.
Over the last decade, two distinct camps of educators have emerged. Tech advocates stress that computers and Internet technology allow students to learn at their own pace in an environment that makes them feel comfortable, while the traditional classroom sets a pace that many learners can’t keep up with and often makes students feel uncomfortable. Traditionalists, on the other hand, believe that over-reliance on tech limits students’ ability to develop their own knowledge and skills and does little to prepare them for the realities of being adults in the real world.
Regrettably, the inability of these two parties to find an agreement has prevented the growth of our education system. We must learn from what worked in the past while adopting the best of our new technologies to create an education system that reflects our modern world. If we can’t get all our teachers on the same page, then we will be at risk of failing future generations.
1. Who can probably learn better under the 1945 -2000 model of education?| A．Lisa who tends to read by herself. | B．Michael who disciplines himself. |
| C．Kate who can focus on listening for long. | D．Tom who prefers hands-on learning. |
| A．It allows for different learning styles. | B．It has the same hope for students. |
| C．It fires students’ enthusiasm for learning. | D．It reduces teachers’ level of stress. |
| A．Two of a trade never agree. | B．Everyone thinks in his way. |
| C．Every potter praises his pot. | D．One’s words reflect one’s thinking. |
| A．It’s full of well-trained subject teachers. | B．It’s an accurate mirror of the real world. |
| C．It’s inclusive and accessible to all students. | D．It’s an integration of tradition and modernity. |
With the development of economy, people tend to pursue high quality living conditions. Most of the parents try their best to offer their children comfortable circumstances, but they seldom have time to stay with their children. In my opinion, no matter how busy they are, they should make the best use of their time to stay with their children.
Every time when parents take them to the amusement park, help them to prepare their birthday parties, applaud for them when they are competing in the sports meeting, the time they spend with children will become treasure in their memories.
Children need the direction from their parents. There is some wrong behavior in our society, such as dishonesty, violence and so on. Children have weak resistance in defending this negative influence. In this case, parents’ instructions seem to be very important to children’s growth. Parents should sit down and talk with them about what they should do and should not do.
I do not deny that there are some disadvantages in spending too much time with children. Some parents restrict their children, and give them little freedom to develop their interests. Therefore, I emphasize that parents should educate and instruct their children appropriately in their spare time apart from their busy work.
写作内容：你将参加一场主题辩论会，主题为“父母该为孩子的行为习惯负责吗?”参赛前，你要查阅相关资料，并准备你的主题发言，请仔细阅读下文，然后完成以下的任务：
以约30个词概括短文的要点；
然后以约120个词就“父母该为孩子的行为负责吗?”这个主题发表你的看法，并包含以下的内容要点：
你认为父母是否该对此负责，并阐明你的理由；
你对父母们的建议。
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7 . Aesthetic (审美) education aims to enhance aesthetic perception, experience aesthetic qualities, stimulate aesthetic creativity, and promote aesthetic judgement.
In order for kids to be able to appreciate natural wonders, shapes and pictures, they must be able to first notice them. This is why the development of the ability to notice the beautiful is the primary task of aesthetic education.
It is essential to allow children to participate in activities that will develop their creative abilities.
Judging or evaluating aesthetic qualities demands formed evaluation criteria. In order for beauty to reveal its true value, we must be familiar with its particularities. Throughout the process of aesthetic education, various types of knowledge, abilities and evaluation criteria must be applied.
| A．Aesthetic qualities have to be felt. |
| B．Beauty can be found all around us. |
| C．The beautiful will be likely to be created. |
| D．And it is these that the aesthetic experience is built upon. |
| E．In some way, this is the ability to perceive aesthetic qualities. |
| F．This way, the child will develop the foundations for assessing the beautiful. |
| G．This is not so much about creating aesthetic abilities in the sense of training artists. |
8 . Imagine a school where students are taught by the best teachers in every subject, regardless of locations. Imagine a school where children can go on safe field trips to the Amazon rainforest or Everest base camp. Well, such schools are already being built: in virtual reality(VR).
Last month, Optima Academy Online (OAO) was launched in Florida and started to deliver courses for elementary, middle and high schools and 170 full-time students from all over the state signed up. They used VR headsets for about three hours a day for formal lessons and then do course work independently with digital check-ins.
It is worth watching how such educational experiments develop. Used properly, the VR technology can help students to access learning resources and be connected with fellow students and teachers all over the world. But if employed poorly, it will have the opposite effect and turn a digital inequality into an educational one.
There is growing evidence to suggest that it is happening. In Mexico, according to a survey, only 24% of 15-year-old students in poor schools have access to home computers for schoolwork compared with 87% in rich ones. As reported in another study, some students in northern England have been forced to travel around on the Greater Manchester train network or camp out around McDonald’s to access free WiFi because they cannot do their schoolwork at home.
“VR technologies will be widely used in education. The only questions are: for what purpose and at what speed?” says Beeban Kidron, a member of the UK’s Digital Futures Commission. “The trouble is that they are too often seen as a shiny new toy that will solve all problems and save money rather than being viewed as a means to enrich learning.”
The inescapable truth is that there is nothing that can replace teachers educating students in safe schools—ideally, with access to well-designed technological platforms. Leaving children in their bedrooms with just VR headsets and no physical social interaction with other kids will fill-many of them—and their parents—with horror.
1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 1?| A．Lead in the subject for discussion. |
| B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Show the advantages of VR headsets. |
| D．Introduce an unsuccessful online school. |
| A．To relax themselves. | B．To enrich their learning. |
| C．To make their study fun | D．To get free WiFi service. |
| A．will replace traditional learning | B．are the future of education |
| C．will become a very helpful tool | D．are a means to save money |
| A．Supportive | B．Disapproving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
注意：每空格1个单词。请将答案写在答题纸上!
Once kids hit the teenage years, parenting becomes more difficult than ever. Establishing(建立) effective house rules is one of the best ways to educate teenagers. House rules must respect teenagers’ desire to be independent and make sure they behave responsibly.
How can effective house rules be established?
First of all, get your teenager to take part in making the rules, which can help keep them motivated to follow them. Ask their opinion about what sorts of things they think are important when creating the rules and try to include some of their ideas.
When creating the list of rules, don’t list every single rule imaginable. Instead, try to limit it to the ten most important rules. I’ve seen some parents come up with several pages of rules which turn out to be more like a rule book rather than a list. Remember, it is important to make the list easy to remember and to be a basic guide.
Then, it is important that you write out the list of rules and hang them in a prominent (显眼的) location. Keeping the rules on the refrigerator or displayed somewhere where everyone can see them is a good reminder. Revise the rules whenever there’s a need, not very frequently though.
Explain clearly in advance what negative consequences(后果) will be in store when a rule gets broken. But ensure(保证) that none of your consequences are equal to abusive parenting. For example, take off the rule that says — “if you don’t get home by 11 at night, make arrangements to stay elsewhere until morning”. Let helping with small household chores like cleaning up their own rooms serve as consequences for disobeying rules.
Following these tips on establishing effective house rules accompanied by constant positive reinforcement (执行) will help improve your teenager’s behavior. Hope you can direct your teenager to become a responsible and independent person with the help of house rules!
| Title | Establishing house rules for | |
| Requirements for house rules | They must respect teenagers’ desire to be independent and | |
| Trying to make the rules together | 第一节Ask their opinions 第二节Include their ideas | |
Keeping the house rules simple | 第三节Avoid 第四节Limit the list to the most important rules. | |
| Writing out the list of rules and hanging them somewhere visible | 第一节 第二节Make the rules revised | |
| Giving a clear | 第二节Don’t abuse children if they | |
| Conclusion | Your teenager’s behavior will be | |
Schools and companies are encouraged to take actions
School teachers should educate students to prevent them from
Online addiction prevention for primary and secondary school students
