How would you like to study at an American university in China? With the news that New York University (NYU) is considering setting up a branch（分校）on Chinese mainland, the possibility of getting an American education becomes a reality. But how will Chinese students deal with a very different style of teaching? One that encourages debate（辩论）, discussion and critical thinking (批判思维)； one which puts little attention on rote learning.

You know how kids ask questions all the time? Asking questions shows they are curious (好奇). So when does that natural curiosity get weak? Not at kindergarten or nursery, nor at primary school. As you grow older perhaps refusing to draw attention to yourself by asking the teacher questions, you grow quiet. If so, that's a pity, because questioning your teachers should be encouraged. After all, they're the ones who've been educated, have a lot more experience than you and perhaps have a little wisdom. When I taught joumalim at college in Scotland I enjoyed answering students' questions. Some of them raised difficult questions. I didn't always know the answers. If I didn't, I'd accept it and try to find out later.

At university we were encouraged to challenge our classmates and teachers. There was often a regular meeting between teachers and some students. A student would prepare a paper on a subject and the other students would criticize it. It could be frightening. But it was a way of developing critical thinking.

We need to differentiate critical thinking with loudmouths. We've all come across loudmouths who speak out quickly as if they knew what they were talking about. I know one loudmouth who is paid a great deal of money by a British tabloid newspaper to entertain readers with his deeply-held prejudices(偏见). You might not agree with columnist(专栏作家) Richard Littlejohn, but you have to say that he is entertaining and there is an internal logic（内在的逻辑）to his statements. Having a logical mind can help develop critical thinking.

My wife doesn't have a logical mind, but she does have emotional intelligence（情商）. I can't say that I have anything like her emotional intelligence. but I'd like to think some of it rubbed off on me. If you can't at least try to put yourself in someone else's shoes, how can you understand their situation, their problems and issues?

So try to develop your powers of critical thinking. Start with books, films, music and newspapers. And don't believe everything you read or see. Think independently.

57. According to the passage, to develop your critical thinking, you can____________.

A. keep curious and follow your heart

B. think logically, not emotionally

C. do more reading and think actively

D. voice your opinion like a loudmouth

58. The underlined words 66rubbed off on mc" in Paragraph 5 probably mean " __________".

A. helped me solve the problem better

B. had some influence on me in a way

C. moved it backwards and forwards

D. advised me to wear others' shoes

59. What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Want to be different? Think critically

B. Want to be critical? Think for yourself

C. Choose NYU, choose critical thinking

D. Importance of improving critical thinking

(补全单词)What s _____ shoes would you like?

Though we were poor, my sister managed to buy me a pair of “magic shoes” that changed my life.
      Anne is six years older than me. Growing up, we were very poor, and my mother worked evenings at a factory in a small town. Not seeing my mother much, Anne took over much of the support. During those teenage years, Anne was always there for me, not only as a big sister, but as a mother and my best friend.
      When I was seventeen，I had no money. I thought my only chance of going to college was trying to win a scholarship. I had an important interview for such an award. I told her about my interview, that General Motors was sending me a bus ticket, and I would get to visit the city for my scholarship interview. I was excited about the adventure* and asked her advice on what to wear. I showed her my best coat and how I planned to be careful, how I sat so that the hole in the bottom of my shoe would not be seen, but I wasn’t sure what I would do if it rained.
      Anne suggested that we should go shopping, and we took the bus to a store. There we found a beautiful pair of leather shoes on sale. She told me to try them on, but I thought it was just for fun .As neither of us had ever owned anything that expensive before. But this time was different. Anne handed me the boxed shoes and said, “Here, I’ll buy these for you.”
      “But…” was all I could say.
      “You deserve* them,” she replied. “I want to see you get that scholarship.”
      I went to the interview and crossed my legs so that my beautiful new shoes shone with pride. I won the scholarship and became an engineer. Now, after twenty years have passed, I still have that pair of shoes with me, and I just wear them on those occasions* when I need to feel special. It’s kind of like having magic slippers when you’re homesick.

52. The writer said that Anne was like the author’s mother because____________?
A. she took care of the author.
B. Anne was much older than the author.
C. Anne looked like the author’s mother.
D. Anne admired the author’s mother.

53. Anne suggested that they go shopping in order to ____________.
A. buy a pair of new shoes for the author
B. buy a pair of new shoes for herself
C. repair the author’s poor shoe
D. try on different kinds of clothes

54. The interview was successful probably because _____________.
A. the interviewers noticed her new shoes and liked them
B. the author looked especially beautiful wearing the shoe
C. the author was confident with the new shoes on
D. the shoes are a pair of “magic shoes”

55. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Growing Up   B. An Interview    C. Going to College   D. Magic Shoes.

As prices and building costs keep rising, the do-it-yourself(DIY) trend(趋势) in the U.S. continues to grow.
“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross, “And we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decide to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at time job at home as well as in a shoe-making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I’ve finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourselfer”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
【小题1】We can learn from the text that many newly married people      .

A．find it hard to pay for what they need

B．have to learn to make their own furniture

C．take DIY courses run by the government

D．seldom go to a department store to buy things

【小题2】When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim      .

A．makes shoes in his home

B．does extra work at night

C．does his own car and home repairs

D．keeps house and looks after his children

【小题3】Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when      .

A．his car repairs cost too much

B．the car repair class was not helpful

C．he could not possibly do two jobs

D．he had to raise the children all by himself

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．The Joy of DIY

B．You can DO It too!

C．Welcome to our DIY Course

D．Ross and Hat field; Believe in DIY