Factors That Influence
the Applicants' Choices of Major
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2 . I like an organized, clean house. I am, however, often in the minority in the house.
Every time I walk in the front door and make the turn to hang my coat in the mudroom (Amudroom is a space set aside in a house where people can take off their outdoor clothing, remove their soiled shoes, store equipment), I frown at the mess that meets my eyes. Lots of shoes littered all over the floor, along with slippers (拖鞋) and anything you can imagine. No matter how many times I attempt to restore the scene, this room immediately ends up back in mess.
The other day I started to think about why the mu droom is the most challenging room to keep in order. I came to the realization that it is because the mu droom is both the beginning and the end, it is the jumping off point to the adventures of our day and it is the storage ground when the sun sets. In turn, those four walls have become a holder of memories, and a museum of my family’s treasures, as each item tells a story of those that I love most.
The bright white Nike high tops cast off on the floor belong to my oldest son, nearing 12,presenting his emerging fashion sense. The worn black and blue runners introduce my youngest,a lively tornado in a 10-year-old’s body.
The slippers belong to my husband. They were a Christmas present from the boys and me many years ago. During the colder months, it is the first thing that my husband does when he return s home from work, he slips on those grey wool slippers and continues to settle in. He loves and wears them so much that the initial pair wore right through the toe. He won’t part with those treasures but now has a second pair; the exact same make and model.
Recently it occurred to me that my annoyance at the mudroom chaos is temporary. This disorder will last only a few years. The boys are getting older, and the toys and mess will move on ... as will my sons eventually. This makes me sad for what I know will feel like a big loss. Each day that I see that collection of goods means that my house is full of love, energy, passion and family.
1. What does the author intend to tell us in paragraph 2?A.Intense desire to be clean. | B.Strong ha te of the mudroom. |
C.Ongoing struggle to maintain order. | D.Great tension between her and her family. |
A.Her regret and restart. | B.Her wonder and willpower. |
C.Her frustration and forgiveness. | D.Her acceptance and appreciation. |
A.To prove their comfort. | B.To show their emotional value. |
C.To offer insight into his daily life. | D.To praise his money management. |
A.Loss? Universal Gain! | B.Chaos? Life’s Loving Marks! |
C.Litter? Proof of Daily Routine! | D.Mudroom? Family’s Obligation! |
1. Where did the speaker use to live as a child?
A.In the city. | B.In a village. | C.In the town. |
A.She is a writer. | B.She is an editor. | C.She is a village official. |
A.To display her success. | B.To get inspiration. | C.To show her regret. |
1. What happened to Laura in the South Pole?
A.Her fingers got hurt. | B.Her glasses broke. | C.Some stories frightened her. |
A.The laptop was stolen. |
B.The owner failed his duty. |
C.The police were unprofessional. |
A.By reading a lot. | B.By learning boat riding. | C.By enjoying herself leisurely. |
A.Going to islands. | B.Getting married. | C.Climbing a mountain. |
The core value of Chinese traditional culture is the concept of harmony. Harmony is, in fact, a complete cultural system that consists of not only
At the centre of Chinese cultural harmony is the belief in the interconnectedness of all things. It
The significance of harmony in Chinese culture cannot be overstated. It has shaped China’s approach to international relations,
6 . “If after the first 50 pages of a book you don’t get engaged, you’re allowed to stop reading and try again later when you feel ready for it,” my father told me.
My father holds this
I don’t think my father
I like this advice “reading first 50 pages”, for the generosity and respect it extends to a book’s
I particularly like the
Even when I’m more than ready to stop reading by page 50,
A.warning | B.request | C.guarantee | D.advice |
A.debate | B.escape | C.beg | D.protest |
A.trend | B.view | C.urge | D.influence |
A.dared | B.forgot | C.hesitated | D.intended |
A.invite | B.write | C.drop | D.support |
A.safely | B.quickly | C.indirectly | D.personally |
A.reader | B.author | C.editor | D.publisher |
A.patience | B.luck | C.help | D.grace |
A.finish | B.teach | C.love | D.stop |
A.referring to | B.talking about | C.connecting with | D.commenting on |
A.strong | B.gentle | C.honest | D.timely |
A.recognition | B.duty | C.pity | D.wonder |
A.thus | B.just | C.then | D.still |
A.unless | B.because | C.once | D.before |
A.sign | B.rule | C.question | D.goal |
7 . The Last Generation is an activist group in Germany, the name implying that our unsustainability will push us to extinction. To force their government into action, some of the group went on a month-long hunger strike in August 2021. It wasn’t a half-hearted effort: several ended up in hospital.
But I’d like to take the opposite framing. I think we have the opportunity to be the first generation that leaves the environment in a better state.
There are two kinds of optimism: complacent optimism and conditional optimism. Complacent optimism is the feeling of a child waiting for presents. Conditional optimism is the feeling of a child who is thinking about building a tree house, “If I get some wood and nails and persuade some other kids to help do the work, we can end up with something really cool.” The group actually did take bold action, yet I want to address the climate crisis from a different angle.
Yes, my framing seems hard to believe. I’ll explain why. Here I’m using the term “generation” loosely. I am from a generation that will be defined by our environmental problems. I was a child when climate change really began. I will see countries move from being almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels to being free of them. I will be 57 when governments hit the “2050 deadline” of reaching net-zero carbon emissions that so many have promised.
But, of course, there will be several generations involved in this project. There are a couple above me and a couple below me. And we all need to work together to achieve that.
For a conditional optimist, criticism is essential. We need to work through ideas to find the most promising ones. Most innovators have been optimists. But they were also strongly critical: no one would pick apart the ideas of Thomas Edison or Marie Curie more than they did themselves.
Don’t look away from the climate crisis that faces us. Let’s face up to it, not from a place of “damage control” but with a clear vision of the future we can build: one that not only stops warming in its tracks but builds a better world for us, all of us, and the species hat we share the planet with.
1. Why is The Last Generation introduced?A.To blame them for their action. | B.To remind Germany of its duties. |
C.To discuss the author’s perspective. | D.To demand urgent action from everyone. |
A.Belief in kindness. | B.Passive expectation. |
C.Brief satisfaction. | D.Love of presents. |
A.Turn to. | B.Identify with. | C.Find fault with. | D.Make an assessment of. |
A.Envision and engage. | B.Adapt and advance. |
C.Inspire and Innovate. | D.Explore and expand. |
8 . When Mark Twain visited Florence (佛罗伦萨) in 1867, he dutifully visited the city’s museums, churches, and tombs. But as he stood by the Arno, he began to sense the Italians’ insistence that it was a river, not a stream. “They all call it a river, and they honestly think it is a river, do these dark and bloody Florentines,” he complained, “I might enter Florence under happier circumstances a month hence and find it all beautiful, all attractive. But I do not care to think of it now, at all.”
It’s normal to feel uncomfortable outside your home culture. Feelings of discomfort, dislocation, and overload among travelers are referred to by many as “culture shock.” But Susan Goldstein, a professor at the University of Redlands says, “ Though the term has existed for many years, ‘Culture shock’ implies a dramatic, unexpected, negative event. Though many travelers will experience such challenges, a real sense of ‘shock’ is untypical. So untypical that many researchers no longer use the term.”
It was the vivid description of culture shock by Canadian researcher Oberg, written in 1960 in response to his own multicultural experiences, that won over audiences. The researcher spoke of the adjustment process as “an occupational disease of people who have suddenly been transplanted abroad” — a “disease” that progressed from a honeymoon phase, through rejecting the new environment, to finally adjusting fully to it. By the 1970s many researchers adopted the idea that, like physical illnesses, culture shock progressed through a remarkably consistent and universal set of stages.
Modern research, however, suggests that the experiences of adaptation are individual, not universal. “People will have their ups and downs, but for the most part, they will become increasingly comfortable and competent over time,” Goldstein says. And while many connect the causes of culture shock to the host culture itself, an individual’s internal expectations and differences are just as important.
As for Mark Twain, the moody author was able to ride out his feelings of upset and dislocation while traveling. He eventually finished out his European tour - and in his bestselling travel memoir The Innocents Abroad, famously remarked that travel is “fatal to prejudice and narrow-mindedness.” With the right attitude - and the willingness to seek help if you need it - it’s more than likely that you, too, can adapt and grow in new settings, building new memories-and toughness - with each new stamp in your passport.
1. How did Mark Twain feel about Italians’ insistence?A.Annoyed. | B.Calm. | C.Uninterested. | D.Curious. |
A.It would lead to physical diseases. |
B.It was regarded as an avoidable thing. |
C.It was named for people’s adjustment. |
D.It had gained wide acceptance by the 1970s. |
A.Suggestions about culture shock. |
B.A change in understanding culture shock. |
C.Stress of the importance of culture shock. |
D.A criticism of previous idea of culture shock. |
A.To remember him. | B.To inform and anticipate. |
C.To conclude and encourage. | D.To make the ending humorous. |
9 . Human beings are inborn for social connection — so much so that we think of even the most basic objects as having feelings or experiences. Social robots add a layer (层) to this. They are designed to make us feel like they’re our friends.
Science writer Eve Herold is the author of the new book Robots and the People Who Love Them: Holding on to Our Humanity in an Age of Social Robots. It is about socially interactive robots or androids, often human-like in appearance and behavior; through Al, they are increasingly able to listen, chat, and learn. Herold points out many ways that present-day social robots can improve human lives, such as performing tasks for people who are ill, disabled, or in danger, such as soldiers on a battlefield.
But Herold also stares down the darker side of robots. She expresses concern that as robots progress, humans might forget that they’re programmed and start seeing them as capable of real relationships. She fears that this could inspire people to prefer undemanding relationships with robots and not want to relate to other people.
She notes that while social robots may offer positive, social skill-building opportunities for children with autism (自闭症) or companionship for elderly patients with dementia (痴呆) , they may make others feel more lonely. “The thing that I can compare it to is people who are too addicted to social media and end up becoming separated from others because they’re not interacting with real people in a real relationship,” she says.
“People who don’t have enough social encouragement, they can actually lose what social skills they have because they’re so used to this kind of result-free, easy, attractive relationship with a robot.”
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?A.Robots will replace humans. | B.The book wins a big success. |
C.The author has a social robot. | D.Social robots can benefit humans. |
A.Robots may have human sense. | B.Robots are easy to break down. |
C.People will hate making friends. | D.People may escape real connection. |
A.A short story. | B.An introduction to a book. |
C.A science fiction. | D.A news report. |
10 . The Grammy Awards’ Music Educator Award recognizes those who have made a significant contribution and demonstrated a commitment to music education. This year it went to Annie Ray. who was honored for her efforts to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities.
Ray, who comes from a family of musicians, knows firsthand the impact that a great teacher can make on their students. She was inspired in large part by the diversity of the Annandale community, which represents over 60 countries, including many refugees (难民) and immigrants. “There are a lot of cultures that might typically conflict, and they come together in this very beautiful harmony,” Ray explained.
Ray created the Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Crescendo Orchestra, which was born out of the pandemic (流行病), doesn’t necessarily share the social goals of a program like Best Buddies or the Special Olympics. The focus is on teaching students how to play an instrument, through one-on-one instruction tailored to their needs.
The orchestra is about much more than just making music, however. The program gives students a chance to develop their cooperation skills, make mistakes and learn the art of improving something. “They completely changed my educational philosophy and approach of what it truly means to meet a student where they’re at and apply that elsewhere,” Ray added. “I believe they have a truly powerful message to share with everyone.”
As for the Grammy Award, Ray said that it belongs to her students. She also plans to put some of the money towards an ongoing scholarship for students who want to pursue music when they graduate, in any possible way. “It is a hard profession, but that was really touching,” Ray said. “And there’s nothing else like it.”
1. Why did Annie Ray create the Crescendo Orchestra?A.To settle social conflicts. |
B.To help disabled children. |
C.To promote social awareness. |
D.To support people during the pandemic. |
A.She created music for each performance. |
B.She was rewarded for her great music talents. |
C.She provided more than music to her students. |
D.She donated all her money to her talented students. |
A.Annie Ray: Bringing Home the Grammy for Musical Commitment |
B.Crescendo Orchestra: A Symbolic Image of Great Musical Events |
C.From Pandemic to Grammy: The Journey to Success of Annie Ray |
D.Grammy Awards: A Recognition for the Best Musicians in the World |