The United States will introduce a new and comprehensive(综合的) exam for students who seek to study in American and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which stands for a great change from the current English level test, was disclosed by Theresa Chang Wei Jen, associate director of the International Service of the US College Board, America’s leading educational organization.
The Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL) will be offered for the first time throughout the world on May 10, 2002, said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language), the GRE(Graduate Record Examination), or the IELTS(International English Language Testing System).
“I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam,” said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu’s classmates have never heard of the APIEL. “The APIEL is designed for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.” said Jen.
The APIEL has been adopted, said Jen, because the TOEFL can no longer accurately reflect the abilities of students of using the English language comprehensively in an academic environment. Xinhua reported that a fairly large number of foreign students who earned high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after admission.
Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student’s ability to read, write, speak and understand English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with accuracy(精确) and resourcefulness, and writing with clarity(清晰) and fluency, Jen said.
1.The United States will introduce a new exam because _______.
A. more and more students want to get further education in the USA
B. the Chinese people pay special attention to English studies with China’s entry into the WTO
C. the already existing exam systems seem to be far from perfect
D. it will bring the US government quite a lot of money
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the selection?
A. It will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL.
B. The TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS.
C. A student will have to take the APIEL if he or she wants to study in English—speaking countries from 2002.
D. Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future.
3.The underlined word current in the second paragraph means _______.
A. modern B. present
C. standard D. formal
4.Which is the best title for this news report?
A. The Key to English-speaking Countries
B. The Four Skills in Learning English
C. TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to be Out of Date
D. New Exam Designed for Students
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
The United States will introduce a new and comprehensive(综合的) exam for students who seek to study in American and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which stands for a great change from the current English level test, was disclosed by Theresa Chang Wei Jen, associate director of the International Service of the US College Board, America’s leading educational organization.
The Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL) will be offered for the first time throughout the world on May 10, 2002, said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language), the GRE(Graduate Record Examination), or the IELTS(International English Language Testing System).
“I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam,” said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu’s classmates have never heard of the APIEL. “The APIEL is designed for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.” said Jen.
The APIEL has been adopted, said Jen, because the TOEFL can no longer accurately reflect the abilities of students of using the English language comprehensively in an academic environment. Xinhua reported that a fairly large number of foreign students who earned high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after admission.
Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student’s ability to read, write, speak and understand English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with accuracy(精确) and resourcefulness, and writing with clarity(清晰) and fluency, Jen said.
1.The United States will introduce a new exam because _______.
A. more and more students want to get further education in the USA
B. the Chinese people pay special attention to English studies with China’s entry into the WTO
C. the already existing exam systems seem to be far from perfect
D. it will bring the US government quite a lot of money
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the selection?
A. It will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL.
B. The TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS.
C. A student will have to take the APIEL if he or she wants to study in English—speaking countries from 2002.
D. Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future.
3.The underlined word current in the second paragraph means _______.
A. modern B. present
C. standard D. formal
4.Which is the best title for this news report?
A. The Key to English-speaking Countries
B. The Four Skills in Learning English
C. TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to be Out of Date
D. New Exam Designed for Students
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new report says the number of foreign students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by three percent last year. This has been the first obvious increase since 2001.
American schools last fall had 583,000 foreign students. The record is 586,000. That was set in 2002 after many years of gains. But after that the numbers fell. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 led to more visa (签证) requirements. Now stronger efforts are being made to get more foreign students to study in the United States.
China remained in second place in front of South Korea but behind India, whichsent almost 84,000 students last fall. The number of Japanese fell sharply by nine percent, although it remained in fourth place.
There were three percent drops from Indonesia and Kenya, the only African country in the top twenty last year. But there were obvious increases from Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Vietnam. The number of Saudi students more than doubled, rising to nearly eight thousand.
For a sixth year, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles had the most foreign students. Columbia University in New York was second. Other schools in the top five were New York University, the University of Illinois and Purdue University.
Unlike American students in other countries, who often choose history and language study, the leading area of study in the USA was business and management. Second was engineering.
The new report also says more than 220,000 Americans studied in other countries. That was during the 2005-2006 school year. It was a record number, and an increase of eight and a half percent from the year before. But only five percent of them stayed for a full year.
1.After 2002, the number of foreign students in the USA fell mainly because ____.
A.Americans were worried that foreign students might attack them
B.few American universities welcomed students from abroad
C.their own countries could offer them a better education
D.it was harder for foreign students to get permission to study in the USA
2.Which of the following Asian countries has the largest number of studentsstudying
in the USA?
A.China. B.Japan. C.South Korea. D.India.
3.Which subject is the most attractive to foreign students in the USA?
A.Business and management. B.History.
C.Engineering. D.Language.
4.We can learn from the passage that ____ .
A.Kenya is the only African country that has students in the USA
B.now foreign students are encouraged to study in the USA
C.the number of students studying in America always increases
D.the number of foreign students in the USA will keep increasing in the future
5.In which section of a newspaper could you most probably read this passage?
A.Culture. B.Science. C.Education. D.Business.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new report says the number of foreign students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by three percent last year. This has been the first obvious increase since 2001.
American schools last fall had 583,000 foreign students. The record is 586,000. That was set in 2002 after many years of gains. But after that the numbers fell. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 led to more visa (签证) requirements. Now stronger efforts are being made to get more foreign students to study in the United States.
China remained in second place in front of South Korea but behind India, which sent almost 84,000 students last fall. The number of Japanese fell sharply by nine percent, although it remained in fourth place.
There were three percent drops from Indonesia and Kenya, the only African country in the top twenty last year. But there were obvious increases from Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Vietnam. The number of Saudi students more than doubled, rising to nearly eight thousand.
For a sixth year, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles had the most foreign students. Columbia University in New York was second. Other schools in the top five were New York University, the University of Illinois and Purdue University.
Unlike American students in other countries, who often choose history and language study, the leading area of study in the USA was business and management. Second was engineering.
The new report also says more than 220,000 Americans studied in other countries. That was during the 2005-2006 school year. It was a record number, and an increase of eight and a half percent from the year before. But only five percent of them stayed for a full year.
1.After 2002, the number of foreign students in the USA fell mainly because ____ .
A.Americans were worried that foreign students might attack them
B.few American universities welcomed students from abroad
C.their own countries could offer them a better education
D.it was harder for foreign students to get permission to study in the USA
2.Which of the following Asian countries has the largest number of students studying in the USA?
A.China. B.Japan. C.South Korea. D.India.
3.Which subject is the most attractive to foreign students in the USA?
A.Business and management. B.History.
C.Engineering. D.Language.
4.We can learn from the passage that ____ .
A.Kenya is the only African country that has students in the USA
B.now foreign students are encouraged to study in the USA
C.the number of students studying in America always increases
D.the number of foreign students in the USA will keep increasing in the future
5.In which section of a newspaper could you most probably read this passage?
A.Culture. B.Science. C.Education. D.Business.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place.
Asians are immigrating (移民) to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before. Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West. In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university. Students must first pass the strict national examination. However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university, and anyone who wants to go can go. As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university.
The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East. Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes. For these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West. Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”.
Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem. Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school. To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well. Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere. What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university education.
1.Some Asian parents send their kids abroad because ________.
A.they hope their children may easily find a job there
B.all foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries
C.the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries
D.the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends
2.“Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________.
A.without parents B.speaking no English
C.with university education D.living abroad alone
3.Some Asian immigrant children become “satellite kids” because their parents ________.
A.want to leave their own country B.want them to go to university
C.return to their countries to work D.want them to be independent
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Parents want better education for their kids.
B.Parents feel lonely and miss their families.
C.Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family.
D.Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new study shows that fat people in the United States suffer direct economic and social effects because of their size . The findings are from an 8-year study of about 100,000 people . The people studied were between the ages of 16 and 25 when the research began .
The researchers who carried out the study say they consider the people fat if they are in the top of 5% of the measurement in which weight is connected with height . For example , fat women in the study were about 160 centimeters tall and weighed about 90 kilograms . Fat men in the study were about 175 centimeters tall and weighed 100 kilograms . The researchers say that more than 1,000,000 Americans are that big . The researchers found that fat young women were more likely to lose social and economic power even if they were from wealthy families . The fat women also were 20% less likely to get married and they earned an average of about $6,700 a year less than other women . The study showed less severe effect on fat men . They earned an average of about $3,000 a year less than other men . Fat men also were 11% less likely to get married .
64. From this passage we know fat people in America were
A. admired B. respected C. unhealthy D. unpopular
65. Which of the following was not mentioned in this passage ?
A. The reason why fat people suffered .
B. The cause that caused people to be fat .
C. The standard of fat people .
D. The number of fat people .
66. The underlined word “severe” means .
A. economic B. social C. serious D. favorable
67. Fat people were inferior to(比……差)other people in .
A. brain , human rights and payment
B. income , marriage and political rights
C. brain , education and marriage
D. marriage , getting jobs and income
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place.
Asians are immigrating (移民) to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before. Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West. In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university. Students must first pass the strict national examination. However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university, and anyone who wants to go can go. As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university.
The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East. Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes. For these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West. Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”.
Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem. Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school. To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well. Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere. What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university education.
1.Some Asian parents send their kids abroad because ________.
A.they hope their children may easily find a job there
B.the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries
C.all foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries
D.the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends
2.“Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________.
A.without parents B.living abroad alone
C.with university education D.speaking no English
3.Some Asian immigrant children become “satellite kids” because their parents ________.
A.want to leave their own country B.want them to go to university
C.return to their countries to work D.want them to be independent
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Parents want better education for their kids.
B.Parents feel lonely and miss their families.
C.Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem.
D.Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
B
A new college guide in the United States compares educational requirements in seven subjects. These include math, science, writing and United States history or government. The other subjects are economics, foreign language and literature.
The free online guide is from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The council is a nonprofit group that supports liberal arts education.
Its president, Anne Neal, says these areas of knowledge are needed to succeed in a twenty-first century society and an increasingly connected world. Yet she told VOA’s Faiza Elmasry it was surprising how many students can graduate with, in her words, a “thin education.”
Forty-two of the one hundred colleges and universities surveyed received the lowest marks. This meant they required two or fewer of the seven subjects. Five schools received a top grade for requiring six subjects. These were Brooklyn College in New York City, Texas A&M, the University of Texas-Austin, West Point and the University of Arkansas.
Robert Costrell is a professor of education reform and economics at the University of Arkansas. He says many, if not all, of the top American colleges once had a core curriculum —a set of courses required for all students.
But over the years, many have dropped these requirements. Or they have watered them down, Professor Costrell says, into what became known as distribution requirements. This system lets a student choose from a number of different courses to satisfy a requirement.
ROBERT COSTRELL: “And in many cases these courses went too far, I would say, towards the fluffy treatment of serious material, and students could satisfy their requirement by taking such courses.”
Professor Costrell says schools should not only re-examine what they teach. They should also measure what students have learned — for example, through some form of examinations or papers.
A new report this week from the College Board showed that college prices continue to rise. But Anne Neal from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni says higher prices. do not guarantee a better general education. In fact, the group found that the higher the tuition, the more likely that students have to develop their own general education.
The college guide is on the Web at whatwilltheylearn.com. Anne Neal says her group is surveying more colleges. The hope, she says, is to discover what college graduates have really learned, and how ready they are to compete in the global marketplace.
61. Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A scientific fiction. B. A research newspaper.
C. A fashion magazine. D. An entertainment newspaper.
62. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni does all the following EXCEPT _________.
A. support liberal arts education
B. concern itself with education in America
C. devote time to helping improve college education
D. make money by helping with college education
63. The words “watered them down” underlined in Paragraph 6 most likely mean “_______.”
A. reduced required courses B. improved required courses
C. increased required courses D. developed required courses
64. In this passage, the new college guide mainly tells its readers that American colleges should _____.
A. meet the requirements of the new century B. reduce the number of required courses
C. have different standards on required courses D. cut down on their tuitions
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
The Beagle Brigade
When returning to the United States from a trip abroad, passengers will have their baggage inspected at U.S. airports by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beagle Brigade, a team of beagles and their human partners. Working with their human partners, the beagles search for agricultural products carrying diseases and pests which are likely to infect American agriculture.
An orange or apple, for example, might harbor a Mediterranean fruit fly. Ham could carry a disease such as cholera. These and other pests could do harm to farmers’ crops. “Once we introduce something that is not part of the environment, there may not be any controls for it in the environment,” notes USDA’s Lisa Davis at the National Dog Detector Training Center in Orlando, Florida. “The best thing for us to do is to prevent it from coming across the border and spreading.”
When a beagle smells food smells, it signals its partner by sitting there. The human partners then investigate. When the dog is right--which happens 90 percent of the time—it gets something to eat.
“The dog is not out there working,” explains Davis. “It’s out there playing. It’s a game to the dog.” The partners give the beagles plenty of food and loving. They make sure they get first-class medical attention, too. When the dogs finally retire after 9 to 11 years, the USDA finds caring homes for them. It’s a dog’s life indeed!
Their people partners work and study somewhat harder. As specialized quarantine(检疫) officers, most hold degrees in the biological sciences or related sciences.
How well does the Beagle Brigade do its job? “On the average,” notes Davis, “each year our 54 teams prevent around 75,000, restricted(限制的) items.” Since even one infected item could cause widespread destruction, that’s a great result for America’s agricultural environment.
1.The beagles at the airport in the USA are used to __________.
A. conduct the check on foreign passengers’ baggage
B. stop the local products from being taken abroad
C. help inspect the baggage brought from abroad
D. keep their people partners safe
2.What will the beagle do when it finds a possible food product?
A. Signal by sitting next to it.
B. Bark and run around it.
C. Draw it to its partner.
D. Play a game.
3.How is the last paragraph mainly developed?
A. By listing the restricted food.
B. By analyzing the result.
C. By providing the facts.
D. By using examples.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the use of beagles?
A. Curious. B. Uninterested.
C. Doubtful. D. Positive.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The National Park Service in the United States will mark its one hundredth anniversary in 2016. As it nears its second century, the Park Service plans to increase its educational programs for students and teachers.
The plans include transportation support for one hundred thousand students each year to visit national parks to learn about nature and history. Yellowstone is believed to have been the world’s first national park when it was established in 1872. Other students will get a chance to see parks in faraway places through Skype and other online programs.
The National Park Service also works with partners to provide education. One of its partners is a nonprofit organization called NatureBridge. NatureBridge is celebrating its fortieth anniversary and says one million young people have taken part in its programs. The organization works with students from kindergarten through twelfth grade and uses national parks as its classrooms. It provides field science programs at Yosemite National Park and four other locations in California and the northwestern state of Washington.
Now, NatureBridge is launching an East Coast center with a fourmilliondollar grant from Google. The program will begin in April at the Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Students stay for three to five days in NatureBridge programs. The activities are aimed at developing their science skills. For example, they learn about different soils and study water quality under a microscope.
Jason Morris is executive vice president of NatureBridge. He says when they are not sleeping, eating or in a laboratory, the students spend their time outdoors. Julia Washburn is associate director of education and interpretation for the National Park Service. She says in a time of budget cuts, the agency has to find ways to still meet its goals. Ms. Washburn says one of the most important services that the Park Service provides every day is nature interpretation. Park rangers (公园管理员) try to make visiting the outdoors more meaningful. Interpretation is a form of informal education. Essentially, it is a word that we use for the people in parks that explain the park or help orient (确定方向) you. So park rangers are interpreters. They orient you to the place you are in and help you make connections, emotional and intellectual connections, with the place.
1.What’s the general idea of the passage?
A. National parks are used as outdoor classrooms for students.
B. Students are called on to be members of NatureBridge.
C. Some famous national parks in US are attractive to students.
D. Park rangers make visiting parks much more interesting.
2.Which of the following is the correct structure of the whole passage? (Para.=Paragraph)
A. B.
C. D.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Most people will recognize Bill Clinton, ex-president of the United States. Bill Clinton is a very popular speech giver and regularly gives talks all over the world, to many different audiences. He is so effective at giving talks because he has a special quality which we call “charisma (魅力)”.
Nowadays, psychologists (心理学家) are becoming very interested in charisma and want to describe its meaning in a better way. People often misunderstand what charisma is and think of it as a kind of fame, but it is not the same as fame. Charisma is a kind of magic and is relatively rare. A well-known American psychologist thinks that charismatic people are basically excellent communicators. However, they have other qualities such as self-confidence, eloquence (口才) and vision.
Charismatic personalities are able to draw people to them, and people feel happy in their company. There is a sense of “togetherness” when a charismatic person is with other people. A good example of this ability, some say, is the famous American, Oprah Winfrey. She is a highly-successful businesswoman and is probably best known as the presenter of a very popular talk show. Oprah is able to relate to audiences at her shows and they respond well to her. Her charismatic personality has made her one of the richest women in the world. She owns several houses and publishes her own magazines. Presently, she is presenting a new series of the Oprah Winfrey Show. She also runs a book club, which influences the nation’s reading habits and may be one of the reasons why people are reading more these days in the USA.
A woman who had extraordinary charisma was the film star, Marilyn Monroe. A beautiful woman and a talented (有天赋的) actress, she was always the centre of attention wherever she went.
Unlike fame, charisma doesn’t disappear over time. Even now, more than fifty years after her death, when young people see Monroe in her films, her charisma seems as fresh and powerful as ever.
1.Bill Clinton is good at giving talks because _____.
A.he was once president of the USA B.he has a quality called charisma
C.he has many fans that support him D.he is well-known all over the world
2.According to the text, charismatic people _____.
A.can easily attract and interest people B.are all effective speech makers
C.are all confident and successful D.often try to create a calm atmosphere
3.What do we know about Oprah Winfrey?
A.She writes books to influence Americans’ reading habits.
B.She often gives talks to American young people.
C.She is most famous as a magazine publisher.
D.She has a happy relationship with her audiences.
4.The author mentions the popularity of Marilyn Monroe to show that _____.
A.Monroe is an extraordinarily talented actress
B.charisma doesn’t become weaker over time
C.fame is as important as charisma
D.famous people always have charisma
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析