Question

US universities are among the best in the world. Since World War Ⅱ, American scientists --- mostly working in universties or colleges --- have won more than half of all Nobel Prizes in physics and medicine. Foreign students rush to the United States by the tens of thousands. Last year they earned more than one quarter of the doctoral degrees awarded in the country. Yet while American universities produce the great research and great graduate program, they sometimes pay little attention to the task that lies at their very core: the teaching of undergraduate students.

With the increase in fees, educators feel obliged to improve undergraduate teaching. In speeches and interviews the nation’s higher educators have rediscovered teaching. Robert Rosenzweig, president of the Association of American Universities,  said,  “Our organization was never very concerned about teaching. In the last 18 months, we have spent more time on undergraduate education than on any other subject.”

Despite such promising efforts, no one doubts that research still outranks teaching at some of the leading universities, not least because it is a surer and faster way to earn status. Some people don’t think it has to be that way. They argue that the reward system for college faculty can be changed, so that professors will be encouraged to devote more time and effort to teaching. They say that they are beginning to believe that the first ten years of the 21st century may come to be remembered as the decade of the undergraduate.

That would bring it full circle. For more than two centuries after the founding of Harvard College in 1636, the instruction of undergraduate students was an essential condition of American higher education.

1.According to the passage, at some of the leading American universities ________.

A．research is declining in importance          B．teaching now ranks above research

C．teaching is a sure way to gain position        D．research still ranks above teaching

2.It is implied in the passage that about 200 years ago undergraduate instruction ________.

A．began to change all of a sudden

B．was already threatened by research work

C．was the central part of higher education

D．began to be neglected in most universities

3.What would be the best title for the passage?

A．University education in the US             B．University education challenged

C．Teaching and research in universities        D．Undergraduate teaching rediscovered

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.D

2.C

3.D

【解析】

试题分析：这篇文章介绍了美国的知名大学更重视研究而不是教学。现在更多的精力应该放在大学生的教育方面，因为这是高等教育的核心。

1.推理题：从第一段的句子：they sometimes pay little attention to the task that lies at their very core: the teaching of undergraduate students.可知美国的知名大学更重视研究而不是教学。选D

2.细节题：从最后一段的句子：For more than two centuries after the founding of Harvard College in 1636, the instruction of undergraduate students was an essential condition of American higher education.可知两百年前，大学生的教育问题是高等教育的核心问题，选C

3.主旨题：从文章的内容和第二段的句子：In speeches and interviews the nation’s higher educators have rediscovered teaching.可知答案是D

考点：考查教育类短文

点评：这篇文章介绍了美国的知名大学更重视研究而不是教学。现在更多的精力应该放在大学生的教育方面，因为这是高等教育的核心。做这篇阅读理解的时候，可以通过略读主题句，我们可以分别在每个段落的开头位置找到每个段落的主题句，由此可以明确这篇文章的主旨，以及了解每个段落的段落大意，再做题就容易多了。