Reading Comprehension

　　The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away．An initiative(措施)started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day．

　　If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent(一贯的)way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices．And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve．

　　Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach．But given that the federal government spends nearly ＄190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students．

　　Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency(透明)from colleges．The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates．And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account．

　　But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place．The administration's new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools．

　　President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about ＄10 billion from the current ＄2．7 billion．He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job．That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence to determine how colleges are doing．

　　The transparency initiatives are a good place to start and should be embraced by both parties in Congress．If students and families, facing higher tuition and rising debt, are to make sound choices, they need more and better information．

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Reading Comprehension

　　There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown．They probably came about just to give children something to do．

　　In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another．In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers．This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world．

　　What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same．The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology．It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing．In Egypt, the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic(北极的)peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared．Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys imitate their surroundings．Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles．

　　Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use．The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of ascent(进步)．The progress from a rattle used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness．Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of available materials．

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Reading Comprehension

Directions：Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read．

　　The rise of multinational corporations(跨国公司), global marketing, new communications technologies, and shrinking cultural differences have led to an unparalleled increase in global public relations or PR．

　　Surprisingly, since modern PR was largely an American invention, America's relations is being threatened by PR efforts in other countries．Ten years ago, for example, the world's top five public relations agencies were American-owned．In 1991, only one was．The British in particular are becoming more sophisticated and creative．A recent survey found that more than half of all British companies include PR as part of their corporate(公司的)planning activities, compared to about one-third of U．S．companies．It may not be long before London replaces New York as the capital of PR．

　　Why is America lagging behind in the global PR race? First, Americans as a whole tend to be fairly provincial and take more of an interest in local affairs．Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country．Secondly, Americans lag behind their European and Asian counterparts(相对应的人)in knowing a second language．Less than 5 percent of Burson－Marshall's U．S．employees know two languages．Ogilvy and Mather have about the same percentage．Conversely, some European firms have half or more of their employees fluent in a second language．Finally, people involved in PR abroad tend to keep a closer eye on international affairs．In the financial PR area, for instance, most Americans read the Wall Street Journal．Overseas, their counterparts read the Journal as well as the Financial Times of London and The Economist, publications not often read in this country．

　　Perhaps the PR industry might take a lesson from Ted Turner of CNN(Cable News Network)．Turner recently announced that the word “foreign” would no longer be used on CNN news broadcasts．According to Turner, global communications have made the nations of the world so interdependent that there is no longer any such thing as foreign．

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阅读下列短文．从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771．At the age of ten he went to work．His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself．He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent(监工)at a Manchester cotton mill．He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland．

　　When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2, 000 people．Nobody paid any attention to the workers' houses or their children's education．The conditions in the factories were very bad．There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks．

　　Owen improved the houses．He encouraged people to be clean and save money．He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well－made goods to help them．He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks．Above all, he fixed his mind on the children's education．In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain．

　　People came from all over the country to visit Owen's factory．They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns．Their children were better fed and better educated．Owen tried the same experiment in the United States．He bought some land there in 1825, but the community was too far away．He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money．

　　Owen never stopped fighting for his idea．Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad．He was a practical man and his ideas were practical．"If you give people good working conditions, " he thought, "they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people．"

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阅读下列短文．从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　NOT all memories are sweet．Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences．Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars．Often they relive these experiences in nightmares．

　　Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories．The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience．They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase(抹去), the effect of painful memories．

　　In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France．The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain．So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased．

　　The research has caused a great deal of argument．Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it．

　　Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war．They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories．

　　"Some memories can ruin people's lives．They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare．They usually come with very painful emotions, " said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School．"This could relieve a lot of that suffering．"

　　But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity(特质)．They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past．

　　"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are．I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist．

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阅读下列短文．从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Do dogs understand us?

　　Be careful what you say around your dog．It might understand more than you think．

　　A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany．The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3－year－old child．Its word－learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩)．

　　In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects．Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back．In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right．As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words．

　　In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew．The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before．

　　The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法)．A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive．

　　Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog．For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed(品种)known for its mental abilities．In addition, the 9－year－old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months．

　　It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say．Even if they do, they can't talk back．Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet－talk your dog every now and then．You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!

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阅读下列短文．从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange and red? If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement．Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy and you would rather follow than lead．If you love green, you are strong－minded and determined．You wish to succeed and want other people to see you are successful．At least this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, and the effect that colors have on human beings．They tell us that we don't choose our favorite color as we grow up．If you happen to love brown, you did so as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly．

　　A yellow room makes us feel more cheerful and more comfortable than a dark green one, and a red dress rings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day．On the other hand, black is depressing．Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active．It is a fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or dark gray．

　　Remember, then, that if you feel low, you can always brighten your day or your life with a new shirt or a few colorful things．Remember also that you will know your friends and your enemies better when you find out what colors they like and dislike．And don't forget that anyone can guess a lot about your character when you choose a piece of handkerchief．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给出的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。

　　Steven Spielberg's 2002 science－fiction thriller Minority Report produced a world where computers could read minds and predict the future．It seemed fanciful at the time, but fantasy is edging closer to fact．

　　On Jan．31, a team of scientists at the UC Berkeley, led by Robert Knight programmed computers to decode(解码)brain waves and replay them as words．Five months earlier, another group of Berkeley scientists showed their colleagues movie trailers and used computers to play back in color what people saw．

　　These experiments are a big leap forward from 2006, when a French scientist first replayed images from a human mind, a crude black－and－white checkerboard pattern．The possibilities are immense：a paralyzed person could “speak”; doctors could access the mind of a patient in a coma; you could rewatch your dreams on an iPad．There are, of course, equally dark prospects, such as the involuntary extraction of information from the brain．

　　Despite these breakthroughs, Jack Gallant, the neuroscientist who led the first Berkeley team, says current technology for decoding brain activity is still “relatively primitive．” The field is held back by its clunky machinery, in particular the fMRI．

　　“Eventually,” says Gallant, “someone will invent a decoding machine you can wear as a hat．” Such leaps into the human mind, he says, might take 30 years．

　　Still, the recent advances at Berkeley offer small answers, which scientists can use to begin unlocking the secrets of memory and consciousness．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给出的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。

　　When Allison Winn was eight and her family adopted a dog named Coco, they had no idea how much the little creature would change her life．“Coco helped me feel better,” says Allison, who was recuperating from 14 months of treatment for a brain tumor at the time．“She would cuddle(偎依)with me when I didn't want to play．”

　　Allison loved Coco so much that she told her parents she wanted to help other sick kids find the same kind of comfort．She started small, raising money by selling lemonade and homemade dog biscuits in front of her house．Her first customer was the mailman．By the end of that summer, she had raised nearly ＄1, 000, enough to adopt, train, and spay or neuter two dogs and give them to children with cancer．Now, a little more than two years later, some groups gather to make dog treats at a Denver kitchen for Allison's cause．

　　Her organization, the Stink Bug Project, named after a picture she drew in memory of the end of her treatment, is run and managed in partnership with the Morgan Adams Foundation．Stink Bug helps families adopt pets from the Trained K9 Companion Program, where the rescued dogs．Are taught commands．Allison's mother, Dianna Litvak, who helps run Stink Bug, hopes to extend the pet－adoption program statewide and continue donating some of the proceeds to help fund pediatric cancer research．

　　“Allison has figured out how to help－in a way that no one else has,” Litvak says proudly．“We involve her younger sister, Emily, her friends, the adopting families, and the women at the prison．It took the love of a little girl to wrap all that together into one amazing package．”

　　Go to stinkbugproject．org to donate or to buy Allison's dog biscuits．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给出的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。

　　In the past year, the number of parenting contracts－statements signed by parents agreeing to bring their child to school－has gone up by 41％ to 6, 861．The number of court－issued penalty notices went up by 12％ to 7, 793 last year．

　　The Department for Children, Schools and Families said that part of the rise was due to a crackdown on parents taking their child out of school during term time to go on holiday．The Labour government has a target to cut truancy(逃学)by a third, but the current rate of unauthorised absence in England is a third higher than in 2001．

　　The government has introduced tough new sanctions to force parents to tackle their child's truancy．Parents can be fined, asked to sign contracts, or ordered to make their child go to school．Ultimately they can face custodial sentences．The first parent to be jailed was Patricia Amos, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, in 2006．Separate figures from the Ministry of Justice today reveal that 133 parents were jailed between 2004 and 2011 for failing to prevent their child's truancy．

　　Children's minister Delyth Morgan said："It's important that we back schools and local authorities in using these powers to tackle problem absentees and bad behaviour．They rightly make parents take responsibility for their children．These latest figures show that schools and local authorities continue to make good use of these measures"．

　　David Laws, the Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said："While parents need to take responsibility for their children's behaviour and have an obligation to ensure they attend school, the government's draconian strategy is failing．Truancy rates across the country remain sky high．What is needed is a more effective lecal approach involving parents, schools and the police．Extra money to cut class sizes and provide more one－to－one support will enable teachers to work with individual children and make sure that they are occupied in the classroom．”

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