出自:长江大学大学英语（二）
呀呀呀欣:
Newspapers,along with reporting the news, instruct,entertain,and give opinion.An important way for reading a large, big-city newspaper is knowing how to take it apart. Can you find these separate sections: world news, national and local news, sports, business, entertainment, opinions,classified ads?Does your paper have other sections?
News stories give facts, not the author.s opinions. Editorials do the opposite: you can expect an editorial to take sides. Some newspaper editorials have a by-line with the author.s name, but many newspapers have unsigned editorials. These reflect the opinions of the publisher or editor.
You can be a better reader if you know what to expect in a newspaper. For example,you can expect headlines to omit unnecessary words. You can expect to find the most important facts in the lead paragraph (the first paragraph) of a news story.
You can expect important news items to be on the front page. You can expect less important items to be on the inside pages.
Most of all, the more you know about the current news, the more you will understand what is in the newspaper; important stories are generally presented one day and followed up on following days. So,an important way for reading newspapers is reading one frequently.
1. To read a large newspaper, a good way is
A. to find separate sections
B.to read it from cover to cover C. to do some paper-cutting
D.to predict what is inside the newspaper
2. Which of the following statements about news stories is true?
A. News stories reflect the opinions of the editor. B. News stories tell the facts without comments C.News stories contain both facts and opinions
呀呀呀欣:
D.News stories express the writer.s point of view.
3. lf you want to know less important news without any details, you can read
A. the headlines on the inside pages B. news stories on the front page
C. the lead paragraphs of the news on the front page D. news items on the inside pages only
4. To follow the current news, the best way is to
A. read extensively and thoroughly B. read various newspapers skillfully
C. read a large big-city newspaper carefully D.read one newspaper frequently
5. The main idea of this passage is
A. how to read newspapers effectively B. how to find important news stories C. how to read stories and editorials
D. how to tell apart different news sections
Education is a major part of American culture. Schools do more than just fill students. heads with knowledge. They pass on culture, traditions and values.
American children start their education in elementary school. Most youngsters enter first grade at around six years of age. Children can prepare for this step by attending preschool and kindergarten from ages three to five.
Young learners finish elementary school in fifth or sixth grade. From there.
students go on to junior high school until eighth or ninth grade. Americans complete their required education in high school. They graduate and receive a diploma(毕业证)after twelfth grade.
Beyond high school, Americans have many options for further education.
In contrast to other countries, the u.s. has no national college entrance exam
Instead, private companies give exams to students. Universities decide which tests students must take. In addition to test scores, university officials also consider applicants. high school arades and other activities. Universities give scholarships and financial aid to help many who cannot afford the high tuition costs. Students with less academic goals may enroll in vocational schools(职业学校) or community colleges.The American style of education, compared to that of other countries,is quite informal. in fact, the casual class atmosphere often amazes international students.American teachers encourage students to think for themselves. Instead of grading students only on test scores, teachers evaluate papers group projects,and class participation.Students often have to think creatively to solve problems- not just memorize facts.Students also learn how to do
research by using resource materials to find their own answers. In this way, classrooms illustrate the American emphasis on individual responsibility.
Freedom of choice is another American value not absent from school life. In addition to their required courses, high school and college students may
choose elective courses. These electives allow students to study subiects that
interest them. The menu of choices might include typing,band and home economics,as well as special academic classes. Other activities occupy students. time after school hours. Most schools have sports teams, clubs,and publications that give students valuable experience
The American system of education is far from perfect.Teachers in America
fight to control cheating and plagiarism(剽窃)Drugsviolence,sex andpeer pressure interfere with students.education. Test scores are declining.So American teachers have to work hard,instilling(灌输)cultural and moral
values, as well as knowledge,in young American citizens.
11.It can be learned from the first two paragraphs that
A. schools in America stress knowledge other than culture, traditions and values
B.in America children do not accept education until six years of age 1 C.it is required that Americans receive high school education
D.school years remain the same for students from elementary to high school
12. Americans enjoy many opportunities for further education in that__
A. they are entitled to university education for free
B. they do not need to participate in college entrance exams
C.their scores in the exams given by private companies are not the only criterion for
college admission
D.they can attend vocational schools or community colleges at a considerably lower cost
13. What is special about American style of education is that
A.the relation between teachers and students is rather harmonious B.students are involved in independent and original thinking C.teachers stress test scores less than group projects and class participation
D.students are responsible for their own performance in class
14.American highschool and college students are free to select
A. interesting subjects besides required academic classes B.whatever courses required by the school
C.academic courses rather than vocational courses D. Courses to develop individual responsibility
15.The author.s attitude towards American education is_
A.positive and approving B.negative and opposing C.suspicious and worried D. neutral and concerned
Some people hate everything that is modern. They cannot imagine how anyone can really like modern music; they find it hard to accept the new
fashions in clothing; they think that all modern painting is ugly; and they
seldom have a good word for the new buildings that are being built everywhere in the world. Such people look for perfection in everything,and they take their standards of perfection from the past. They are usually impatient with anyone who is brave enough to experiment with new or to
express himself or the age in materials oriqinal ways. it is, of course, true that many artists do not succeed in their work and instead produce works that can only be considered as failures. if the work of art is a painting,the artists failure concerns himselfalone, butifitis a building,his failure concerns others too,because it may damage the beauty of the whole place. This does sometimes happen, but it is completely untrue to say, as some people do that modern architecture is nothing
We can.t judge every modern building by the standards of the ancient time,even though we admire the ancient buildings. Technologically,the modern buildings are more advanced. The modern architect knows he should learn from the ancient works but with his greater resources of knowledge and materials, he will never be content to imitate the past. He is too proud to dothat.
16. Some people hate everything that is modern because
A. they are aged
B.they find it hard to accept modern things
C.they take their standards of perfection from the Greek D.they look at things by the standards of the past17.The writer of the passage thinks that.
A.it is true to say some artists fail in their work B.it is untrue to say artists fail in their work C. it is true to say artists fail in their work
D.it is true to say only painters fail in their work18. The writer thinks the failure of a building
A.concerns others B. means nothing
C.concerns only the artist
D.concerns all the people in the world19.The writer thinks that
A.we can.t judge buildings by the ancient standards
B.we can.t judge all the buildings by the ancient standards c. we can.t judge modern buildings
D.we can.t judge all the modern buildings by the ancient standards
20.Technologically,the modern buildings are more advanced. The sentence
means
A. the modern architects use more advanced technology B.the ancient architects had no technology
C.the modern buildings are advanced because they are completely different from the ancient buildings
D.the modern buildings are more beautiful