阅读理解In London, two weeks ago a class of students made legal history by winning a lawsuit against their college for poor teaching. In this landmark case the group all passed their course in historic vehicle restoration, but sued (起诉) the Oxfordshire college they had attended, claiming their qualifications were worthless because none had gained jobs in the field. The fact that the course was substantially different from that promised meant they won their case. James Groves, general secretary of the National Postgraduate Committee in UK reports that students are getting better at complaining. "They are starting to see themselves as consumers of a product, and are reacting accordingly when things don''t go right. Most importantly, they usually are paying their own fees and expect to get what they have paid for." Groves says most complaints to his organization are about facilities and the quality of supervision. He says that more students seem to make complaints might be due simply to the fact that universities are getting better at dealing with them. "In the past there was a tendency for colleges to brush these things aside. Today, most universities observe a code of practice and complaints are taken more seriously." He adds that students with complaints should first talk informally with the person concerned, taking a "friendly but firm attitude". Jaswinder Gill, who represented the students in the Oxfordshire case, is co-author of a recently published book: Universities and Students. He says the Oxfordshire case is interesting because the majority of students finished the course and were awarded qualifications. "Previously, students have sued when they failed to gain qualifications. But it is not now good enough for universities and colleges to say to grieving students: ''You''ve got your qualification, so what''s the problem?'' It''s about the quality of that qualification." The students argued that promises made in the college introduction, in course material and by course representatives during interviews were not met. Promised job opportunities in the industry failed to materialize, as did the promised 50 percent of practical and vocational work, and basic tools had not been available. Gill suggests that in such cases it is easy to prove the college at fault.

阅读理解DDEarly fifth-century philosopher St．Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him．Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it．Today's state-of-the-art atomic（原子的） clocks have proven Einstein right．Even advanced physics can't decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you're asking．Forget about time as an absolute．What if，instead of considering time in terms of astronomy, we related time to ecology？What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo（节奏） of human life？We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．What if our definition of time reflected that？Recently，I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that's connected to circumstances on our planet，conditions that might change as a result of global warming．We're now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers，which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes．We've programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate．If the rivers run faster in the future on average，the clock will get ahead of standard time．If they run slower，you'll see the opposite effect．The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics．It's a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame（时间框架），and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones．Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet．Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies．Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars，early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena．In pre-Classical Greece，for instance，people“corrected”official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season．Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival．Likewise，river time and other timekeeping systems we're developing may encourage environmental awareness．When St．Augustine admitted his inability to define time， he highlighted one of time 's most noticeable qualities：Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context．Any timekeeping system is valid，and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose． What is the main idea of Paragraph 1？

阅读理解Passage D Petroleum products, such as gasoline, kerosene, home heating oil, residual fuel oil, and lubricating oils, come from one sourcecrude oil found below the earths surface, as well as under large bodies of water, from a few hundred feet below the surface to as deep as 25,000 feet into the earths interior

阅读理解I remember (see) ______ you somewhere before, but I cant tell the exact place.

阅读理解It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancer’s paradise because people can _____.

阅读理解Passage 2 Open up most fashion magazines and you will see incredibly thin models with impossible hair and wearing unreasonably expensive, impracticably styled clothes

阅读理解According to the new school of scientists technology is an overlooked force in expanding thehorizons of scientific knowledge. Science moves forward, they say, not so much through the insightsof great men of genius as because of more ordinary things like improved techniques and tools. Inshort, a leader of the new school contends, the scientific revolution, as we call it, was largely theimprovement an invention and use of a series of instruments that expanded the reach of science ininnumerable directions.Over the years, tools and technology themselves as a source of fundamental innovation have largelybeen ignored by historians and philosophers of science. The modern school that hails technologyargues that such masters as Galileo, Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, and inventors such as Edisonattached great importance to, and derived great benefit from, craft information and technologicaldevices of different kinds that were usable in scientific experiments.The core of the argument of a technology-yes, genius-no advocate was an analysis of Galileo’s roleat the start of the scientific revolution. The wisdom of the day was derived from Ptolemy, anastronomer of the second century, whose elaborate system often sky put Earth at the center of allheavenly motions. Galileo’s greatest glory was that in 1609 he was the first person to turn the newlyinvented telescope on the heavens to prove that the planets revolve around the sun rather than aroundthe earth. But the real hero of the story, according to the new school of scientists, was the longevolution in the improvement of machinery for making eyeglasses.Federal policy is necessarily involved in the technology vs genius dispute. Whether the Governmentshould increase the financing of pure science at the expense of technology or vice versa oftendepends on the issue of which is seen as the driving force.

阅读理解Passage 3 How many hundreds of heroes go unheralded（未宣布的） from the days of the Underground Railroad? While we celebrate such important figures as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, numerous others were needed to make the operation of the railroad a success

阅读理解She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue

阅读理解In this section there are five reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions and 5 short answerquestions. Please read the passages and then write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.TEXT CThe establishment of the Third Reich influenced events in American history by starting a chain of events which culminated in war between Germany and the United States. The compete destruction of democracy, the persecution of Jews, the war on religion, the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazis, and especially the plans of Germany and her allies, Italy and Japan, for world conquest caused great indignation in this country and brought on fear of another world war.While speaking out against Hitler’s atrocities, the American people generally favored isolationist policies and neutrality.The Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1936 prohibited trade with any belligerents or loans to them. In 1937 the President was empowered to declare an arms embargo in wars between nations at his discretion.American opinion began to change somewhat after President Roosevelt’s “quarantine the aggressor” speech at Chicago (1937) in which he severely criticized Hitler’s policies. Germany’s seizure of Austria and the Munich Pact for the partition of Czechoslovakia (1938) also aroused the American people.The conquest of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939 was another rude awakening to the menace of the Third Reich. In August, 1939 came the shock of the Nazi-Soviet Pact and in September the attack on Poland and the outbreak of European war.The United States attempted to maintain neutrality in spite of sympathy for the democracies arrayed against the Third Reich. The Neutrality Act of 1939 repealed the arms embargo and permitted “cash and carry” exports of arms to belligerent nations.A strong national defense program began. A draft act was passed (1940) to strengthen the military services. A Lend-Lease Act (1941) authorized the President to sell, exchange, or lend materials to any country deemed necessary by him for the defense of the United States. Help was given to Britain by exchanging certain overage destroyers for the right to establish American bases in British territory in the Western Hemisphere. In August 1940, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met and issued the Atlantic Charter which proclaimed the kind of a world which should be established after the war.In December 1941, Japan launched the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. Immediately thereafter, Germany declared war on the United States.

阅读理解Passage 2 People do not analyze every problem they meet

阅读理解 There is nothing quite like falling in love. The palms sweat, the heart races. But time passes, and, nights of endless passion are replaced with snoring. Studies show that married couples can expect around two years of the passionate stuff, and then decades of a companionable slog. So why get married at all? Why not just look for the next dopamine hit? It is a good question. Many are clearly asking it, as nearly nine in ten people live in a country with a falling marriage rate. In search of answers, Aziz Ansari, an American comedian, teamed up with Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist at New York University, to write Modern Romance, a lively look at love, marriage and the oddities of mating in the 21st century. The pursuit of love has never before involved so many choices, with so many new-fangled tools and such high expectations. Dating apps and social networking sites ensure that anyone with a smartphone can sample from a seemingly endless buffet of romantic prospects. This makes being single more enjoyable, but also more stressful. Digital wooing helps people to behave like scoundrels. Among the hundreds of people interviewed for Modern Romance, many admitted to becoming addicted to dating sites. One woman confessed to having hunted for better-looking alternatives while enroute to a first date. Others talked about the ease of starting affairs or snooping on partners. Countless women complained of receiving messages from aspiring Lotharios that ranged from lewd to asinine. Requests to 'hang out' do not make the heart go aflutter. The book treads more novel territory when it considers mating rites farther afield. In Qatar, where the only way for a woman to leave her family's home is 'to get married or die' (in the words of one woman), the Internet affords more freedom to socialise away from prying eyes. In Japan, where a sluggish economy has left men feeling more insecure, few can pluck up the nerve to ask women out. This has ensured a booming 'relationship replacement' industry, in which women are paid to serve drinks and listen attentively. Readers should not expect a serious work of sociology, but a breezy survey of the relevant research. But when it comes to the question of marriage, Mr. Ansari reaches a satisfying conclusion. Certainly, fewer people are tying the knot, in part because fewer people need to, and the plethora of potential mates raises the opportunity cost of choosing one. But people in good marriages statistically live longer, happier and healthier lives. The passion may burn up, but a more stable, more trusting love takes its place—and this kind of love only gets stronger with time.

阅读理解Today we are sure that the mail will be sent every day to our door

阅读理解When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn'' t biting her nails just yet. But the 47- year-old manicurist isn'' t cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as she'' d like to, either. Most of her clients spend ＄12 to ＄50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. "I'' m a good economic indicator," she says. "I provide a service that people can do without when they'' re concerned about saving some dollars." So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard'' s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. "I don'' t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too," she says. Even before Alan Greenspan'' s admission that America'' s red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year'' s pace. But don'' t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy'' s long-term prospects even as they do some modest belt- tightening. Consumers say they'' re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, "there'' s a new gold rush happening in the ＄4 million to ＄10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. "Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says John Tealdi, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job. Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn'' t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan'' s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting.

阅读理解Passage 3 The Winter Olympics are also called the White Olympics．At this time，many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games

阅读理解Methodology should be based on what we know about language (what it is and how it operatesstill a matter of controversy); what we know about human beings (how they learn and how they learn language and whether these are different processes or merely different manifestations of the same process, another question still under investigation); and what we know about people in interaction (a prolific area of psychological study)

阅读理解Half the world''s population will be speaking or learning English by 2015, researchers say. Two billion people are expected to start learning English within a decade and three billion will speak it,says a British Council estimate. 　　Other languages, such as French, risk becoming the casualties of this "linguistic globalization". But the boom will be over by 2050 and the English-language teaching industry will have become a victim of its own success, says David Graddol, author of the report, The Future of English. 　　Mr. Graddol''s research was based on a computer model developed to estimate demand for English-language teaching around the world. The lecturer, who has worked in education and language studies at the Open University for the past 25 years, said the model charted likely student numbers through to 2050. 　　It was compiled by looking at various estimates from the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) on education provision, demographic projections, government education policies and international student mobility figures. The impact of educational innovations and other developments affecting the world population including the Chinese government''s policy of one baby per family were also factored in. 　　Based on its findings, Mr. Graddol has predicted that the world is about to be hit by a tidal wave of English. "Many governments, especially in countries which have relatively recently gained independence, are introducing the teaching of English under a utilitarian banner." 　　"But English predominates in the business world, and for such countries to be able to compete for work, including lucrative (profitable) outsourcing contracts, English is being pushed heavily from kindergarten on." 　　The potential bonanza (source of wealth) on offer from outsourcing means even maths and science are being taught in English at secondary schools in Malaysia. But demand for English teaching would drop as children progress through academia, and more universities across the world choose to teach in the language. 　　Mr. Graddol also estimated that the boom would be over by 2050. "English-language students will be down from two billion to 500 million then," he said," Increasingly, as English spread across the globe,more people will become bilingual, even multi-lingual and such skills are highly prized in business. But Britain has not got the best reputation for learning other languages." 　　The report also showed that English was not the only language spreading, and the world, far from being dominated by English, was to become more multi-lingual. Mr. Graddol said," Chinese, Arabic and Spanish are all popular, and likely to be languages of the future."

阅读理解Passage 3 A controversy erupted in the scientific community in early 1998 over the use of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) fingerprinting in criminal investigations

阅读理解Passage One Harvard thrilled middle-class patents last week by capping its tuition for families with incomes of up to $180,000 at 10 percent of their earnings

阅读理解 This issue of Science contains announcements for more than 100 different Gorgon Research Conferences, on topics that range from atomic physics to developmental biology. The brainchild(某人的主意) of Nell Gordon of Johns Hopkins University, these week-long meetings are designed to promote intimate, informal discussions of frontier science. Often confined to fewer than 125 attendees, they have traditionally been held in remote places with minimal distractions. Beginning in the early 1960s, I attended the summer Nucleic Acids Gordon Conference in rural New Hampshire, sharing austere (简朴的) dorm facilities in a private boy's school with randomly assigned roommates. As a beginning scientist, I found the question period after each talk especially fascinating, providing valuable insights into the personalities and ways of thinking of many senior scientists whom I had not encountered previously. Back then, there were no cell-phones and no Internet, and all of the speakers seemed to stay for the entire week. During the long, session-free afternoons, graduate students mingled freely with professors. Many lifelong friendships were begun, and—as Gordon intended—new scientific collaborations began. Leap forward to today, and every scientist can gain immediate access to a vast store of scientific thought and to millions of other scientists via the Internet. Why, nevertheless, de in-person scientific meetings remain so valuable for a life in science? Part of the answer is that science works best when there is a deep mutual trust and understanding between the collaborators, which is hard to develop from a distance. But most important is the critical role that face-to-face scientific meetings play in stimulating a random collision of ideas and approaches. The best science occurs when someone combines the knowledge gained by other scientists in non-obvious ways to create a new understanding of how the world works. A successful scientist needs to deeply believe, whatever the problem being tackled, that there is always a better way to approach that problem than the path currently being taken. The scientist is then constantly on the alert for new paths to take in his or her work, which is essential for making breakthroughs. Thus, as much as possible, scientific meetings should be designed to expose the attendees to ways of thinking and techniques that are different from the ones that they already know.