期末试卷阅读题(六级预测试卷)

Passage One:

On

August

18

th

US

News

&

W

orld

Report

released

its

2007

rankings of American

’

s top college. The survey began in 1983 as an

unofficial

opinion

poll

，

when

the

magazine

asked

662

college

presidents

to

identify

the

country

’

s

best

places

of

learning.

It

has

since changed into an annually frightening experience for reputable

universities. A strong showing in the rankings spurs student interest

and

alumni

giving

while

a

slip

has

grave

consequences

for

public

relations.

University administrators deeply dislike the survey. Many reject

the idea that schools can be stacked

up against one

another in any

meaningful

way.

And

the

survey

’

s

methodology

is

suspect.

The

rankings are still based partly on peer evaluations. The compare rates

of

alumni

giving,

which

has

little

to

do

with

the

transmission

of

knowledge. Besides

，

the magazine

’

s data are supplied by the schools

and unproved.

But

whether

the

rankings

are

fair is

beside

the

point,

because

they

are

wildly

influential.

In

the

1983

survey

barely

half

of

the

presidents

approached

bothered

to

respond.

Today,

only

a

handful

dare refuse.

Most,

in

fact,

do

more

than

simply

fill

out

the

survey.

Competition between colleges for top students is increasing, partly

because

of

the

very

popularity

of

rankings.

Colin

Diver,

the

president of Reed College in Oregon, considers that

“

rankings create

powerful

incentives

to

manipulate

data

and

distort

institutional

behavior.

”

A

school

may

game

the

system

by

luring

applications

from students who stand no chance of admission

，

or by leaning on

alumni

to

arrange

jobs

for

graduates.

Reed

is

one

of

the

few

prominent college that dares to despise taking part in the

US News

survey.

In

some

ways

，

the

cramble

to

attract

applicants

has

helped

students.

Universities

such

as

Duke

in

North

Carolina

and

Rice

in

House

are

devoting

more

money

to

scholarships.

That

seems

a

reasonable response to the challenge of the rankings, as the National

Centre

for

Education

Statistic

reckons

that

roughly

two- thirds

of

undergraduates rely on financial aid.

Other

college,

though,

are

trying

to

drum

up

excitement

by

offering privileges that would have bee unheard of a generation ago.

Students at the University of California

，

Los Angeles (UCLA) now

appreciate

weekly

maid

service

in

the

dorms.

“

The

elevators

”

,

replied an enthusiastic respondent to an online survey,

“

smell lemon

fresh.

”

Students at Pennsylvania State

University enjoy

free access

to

Napster

，

the

music-sharing

service.

Multi-million

dollar

gyms

have become so common that are unremarkable.

University

officials,

defending

this

strategy,

often

imply

that

they are only responding to student demand. Discouraging words for

those who believe that a college

’

s job is to educate, not indulge.

1.

What do the top universities take the annual rankings as?

A)

A sever test.

B)

A routine schedule.

C)

A chance to distinguish themselves.

D)

An official public-opinion poll.

2.

The

university

administrators

most

probably

agree

that

the

rankings should______.

A)

count completely on peer evaluations

B)

count out the rates of alumni giving

C)

be done by a more convincing magazine

D)

be based on date supplied by the presidents

3.

What does Colin Diver think of the purpose of a school

’

s leaning

on alumni to arrange jobs for graduates

？

A)

To attract more top applicants.

B)

To make the rankings reliable.

C)

To take advantage of its public relations.

D)

To become more popular in the rankings.

4.

The

author

tends

to

think

that

the

weekly

maid

service

of

the

UCLA is meant to be ______.

A)

beneficial

B)

innovative

C)

appealing

D)

indulgent

5.

The passage is intended to tell most clearly about ______.

A)

the result of the competition for top students

B)

the defects in the American educational system

C)

the influence of the rankings of top universities

D)

the ways to increase the number of top applicants

Passage Two:

Google

must be the

most ambitious company in the world. Its

stated

goal,

organize

the

world's

information

and

make

it

universally

accessible

and

useful,

deliberately

omits

the

world

to

indicate

that

the

company

is

reaching

for

absolutely

all

information

everywhere

and

in

every

form.

From

books

to

health

records and videos, from your friendships to your click patterns and

physical

location,

Google

wants

to

know.

To

some

people

this

sounds uplifting, with promises of free access to knowledge and help

in

managing our daily lives. To others, it is somewhat like another

Big Brother, no less frightening than its totalitarian

（极权主义的）