阅读理解 Selective colleges and universities in the U.S. are under fire for being too elite and too expensive, and for not training graduates for the world of work. Such charges ignore the fact that these institutions continue to prepare students for success in their work, for thoughtful engagement in civic life, for lifelong learning, and for understanding the world and those with whom they live. These colleges and universities must be doing something right. Applications are at record highs, and their financial aid programs make them more accessible than ever. This model of education has long played a central role in creating opportunity, driving economic growth, and spurring innovation. Yet, there is growing skepticism about the value of this model. The recent tax reform bill is a wake-up call that our strongest colleges and universities are under assault by some in government. The initial proposals would have made education unaffordable for many by taxing tuition waivers for graduate students and ending deductions for student loan interest. Thankfully, these provisions were ultimately stripped from the bill, but lawmakers let stand a new tax on the investment income of some colleges and universities. While these attacks are motivated by misguided ideas, we need to do a better job of explaining why these claims are false and why what we do is valuable. We cannot take for granted that any of this is obvious. It is often said that elite colleges and universities do not train students, particularly those who study the liberal arts, for the workforce. But this can be refuted by scholarly research. The data are clear: a liberal arts education is great career preparation, both for excellent lifetime earnings and for satisfaction with the work. This education develops the skills of critical thinking, rigorous analysis of data and facts, communication with the written and spoken word, understanding of cultural differences and issues, and the ability to keep learning. In fact, liberal arts graduates do extremely well in every imaginable field. Access to an education at selective colleges and universities is now more available than ever to low-and middle-income families. We have built endowments from donations by alumni (校友) and parents who understand and appreciate our mission to provide access and opportunity, and a significant portion of the returns from these endowments is used to fund financial aid. Ironically, the new tax on endowments drains financial aid funds from the very schools most able to offer opportunity to those who have earned a spot but cannot otherwise afford this education. Beyond the virtue of access to those who have earned a place at these schools, the diversity of economic backgrounds enhances the education and experience of all of our students.

单选题 What fact does the author emphasize concerning selective colleges and universities?

单选题 What does the author say in arguing for the model of education in the U.S.?

单选题 What do we learn about the initial proposals concerning the recent tax reform bill?

单选题 What do the data show about elite colleges and universities?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】由题干中的data 和elite colleges and universities定位到第五段。事实细节题。第五段最后一句提到，事实上，文科毕业生在任何可以想象到的领域都做得非常好。故答案为D。文章第五段第四句提到，这种教育培养了学生的批判性思维能力，对数据和事实的严谨分析能力，书面和口头交流能力，对文化差异和问题的理解能力，以及持续学习的能力。根据该句内容，A项不符合文章意思，故排除；本段第三句提到，文科教育提供了很好的职业准备，学生既能终身获得丰厚收入，对工作满意度也很高，B项不符合文章意思，故排除；本段第四句中提到，“美国教育模式”而非“它们对研究的重视”有利于培养学生的批判性思维，C项偷换主语，故排除。

单选题 What is an advantage of providing financial aid for students?

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】由题干中的advantage和financial aid定位到最后一段。推理判断题。最后一段指出，除了让已经在这些学校获得一席之地的学生有机会接受到这种教育外，经济背景的多样化也提高了所有学生的受教育水平，丰富了他们的经验。由第六段可知，在当前教育模式下，来自校友和家长的捐赠基金使中低收入家庭的学生能够更容易进入择优录取学生的大学。由此可知，这种教育模式使学生多元化，所有学生都能从中受益。故答案为B。文章第六段指出，通过经济资助计划，来自中低收入家庭的孩子进入择优录取学生的大学接受教育比以往更容易，但并未提及每个学生都可以去想去的学校，故排除A项；文章最后一段第一句指出，这种教育模式给那些被大学录取却负担不起学费的学生提供了机会，并未提及所有学生均能在大学获得一席之地，且由selective一词可知，各大学择优录取学生，C项与文章意思不符，故排除；文章并未提及哪种类型的学生在名校中更有竞争力，D项与文章意思不符，故排除。

单选题 What does the author intend to show by citing the findings from the report published last year?

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】由题干中的the report published last year定位到第一段。推理判断题。文章第一段指出，当一组澳大利亚人被问及为什么相信气候变化没有发生时，大约36％的人称这是“常识”，而只有11％的人认为这是基于科学研究得出的结论，由此可知只有少数人会将一些现象和问题用科学来解释；同时结合第二段前两句话可知，诉诸常识其实是在呼吁某种理性，这恰恰说明实际上人们是缺乏理性思考的。故答案为A。

单选题 What is the appeal to common sense according to the author?

单选题 What does Daniel Kahneman think is the problem of testing new ideas with existing beliefs?

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】由题干中的Daniel Kahneman和testing new ideas with existing beliefs 定位到第三段第一、二句。推理判断题。文章第三段第一句指出，我们经常误以为这种将新想法与现有信念自动兼容的测试是对常识的应用，但实际上这更多的是判断而非思考。第二句接着说，丹尼尔.卡尼曼在其著作中表示，当我们以这种方式得出结论时，不管它们是否的确真实，我们心里也会感觉是真实的，由此可知，这种方式有可能会导致不正确的判断。故答案为A。文章第三段第一句提到我们以为这种测试方法是对常识的应用，实际上这种方法更多的是一种判断，但这并非丹尼尔.卡尼曼的观点，B项与题干不符，故排除；该段也并未提及推理的相关内容，故排除C项；第三段最后一句提到，我们在心理上不具备判断自己思维的能力，并未表示这种方法会产生什么心理上的后果，D项不符合文章意思，故排除。

单选题 What can we do to be less susceptible to cognitive biases?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】由题干中的susceptible 和cognitive biases定位到第四段并读至第五段。事实细节题。文章第五段提到，对知识进行社会验证是我们可以检查自己内在偏见和不一致的一个方法，科学是这种社会共享认知的范例，说明要通过科学方法来建立社会共享的认知，故答案为C。文章第四段中提到giving weight to evidence，但这里指的是在做决定或权衡证据的分量时会优先考虑首先想到的事情，是针对我们的认知偏见而举的例子，文中并未提及冲突中对双方证据的态度，故排除A项；文章第二段最后一句提到了“论点”一词，但文章内容是说新思想若与人们原有的信念不一致，则这种思想和支持它的论点也会被拒绝，文中并未提及"提出论点"之事，故排除B；同理，D项中的inconsistencies"前后矛盾/不一致"一词虽在文中出现过，但文中意在指出“为避免不一致，可采用知识的社会验证”，并未提及“处理有争议的问题”之事，故排除D。

单选题 What message does the author try to convey at the end of the passage?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】由题干中的at the end of the passage定位到最后一段。事实细节题。文章最后一段指出，至少在科学问题上，那些把常识看得比有方法的合作调查更重要的人以为自己在思考上更加自由，但实际上却被自己的能力和观点所束缚，而众人协力合作会比个人行动更聪明，可以看出协作能够克服个人在科学探索中可能存在的不足。故答案为D。文章最后一段并未提及人们探索未知的兴趣，故排除A项；原文只在第二段提到interact一词，但指的是我们与新思想的互动，最后两段也只提到个人与社区的融合或个人参与到集体中，其目的是克服个人探索的局限性，而非提高综合能力，故排除B项；最后一段只提到部分人认为自己在思考上更加自由，并未建议个人自由思考，C项为正反混淆，故排除。