Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
As a society we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education, so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population. Ideally, both high schools and colleges can prepare individuals for the ever- changing roles that are likely to be expected of them.
High school degrees offer far less in the way of preparation for work than they might, or than many other nations currently offer, creating a growing skills gap in our economy. We encourage students to go on to college whether they are prepared or not, or have a clear sense of purpose or interest, and now have the highest college dropout rate in the world.
We might look to other countries for models of how high schools can offer better training, as well as the development of a work ethic(勤奋工作的美德) and the intellectual skills needed for continued learning and development. I recommend Harvard’s 2011 “Pathways to Prosperity” report for more attention to the “forgotten half” (those who do not go on to college) and ideas about how to address this issue.
Simultaneously, the liberal arts become more important than ever. In a knowledge economy where professional roles change rapidly and many college students are preparing for positions that may not even exist yet, the skill set needed is one that prepares them for change and continued learning.
Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech, knowing how to find information, and knowing how to do research are all-solid background skills for a wide variety of roles, and such training Is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college. We need to continue to value broad preparation in thinking skills that will serve for a lifetime.
Students also need to learn to work independently and to make responsible decisions. The lengthening path to adulthood appears exacerbated(恶化) by parental involvement in the college years. Given the rising investment in college education, parental concern is not surprising, but learning where and when to intervene(干预) will help students take more ownership of the outcomes of these increasingly costly educations.
What kind of education does the author think is ideal?
文章第一段第二句指出： 理想状态下高中和大学都应该能培养学生适应未来角色的变化。 此句表明在未来社会中， 人们的角色会不断发生变化， 理想的教育就是能培养适应这种变化的人才， 也就是说， 理想的教育可满足未来社会的需求， 故答案为B。
What does the author say is the problem with present high school education?
作者在文章第二段论述了目前高中教育的问题， 如提供给学生的就业准备不足， 造成了经济中不断扩大的技能差距。 盲目鼓励学生读大学造成了目前世界上最高的大学辍学率， 故答案为D。
What characterizes a knowledge economy according to the passage?
第四段第二句提到， 在知识型经济中， 职业角色变化迅速， 很多大学生为之准备的职位甚至可能还不存在。 由此可推断， 知识型经济的特征是职业的迅速变化， 有些读书时还不存在的职位可能在毕业时出现。 届时， 在学校里学到的知识就远远不够了， 因此人们需要持续学习来适应这些不断被创造出的新职位， 故答案为C。
What does the author think a liberal arts college should focus on?
文章第五段提到， 在文理学院， 这些培训比任何一门专业都重要。 “这些培训”指上文提到的“学会在口失和书面陈述中很好地表达观点， 知道如何寻找信息并且知道如何作调查研究”， 而这些技能培训是为了适应未来的变化， 故答案为C。
What suggestion does the author offer to parents?
最后一段提到， “由于家长在大学阶段的参与， 通向成年的漫长道路看起来好像更长了”。 即家长在大学阶段过多参与孩子的教育会影响孩子的成长。 文章最后指出“学会何时何地进行干预将有助于学生享受这些日益昂贵的教育所带来的成果。 ”也就是说， 作者建议家长学会适当的参与， 避免过多的干预， 这样才能使孩子更好地成长， 使教育取得更大的成效， 故答案为D。