07级四级快读材料学生版.docx

07级四级快读材料学生版.docx

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07级四级快读材料学生版

ReadingComprehension（SkimmingandScanning）（15minutes）

PASSAGE1

UniversitiesBranchOut

　　Asneverbeforeintheirlonghistory,universitieshavebecomeinstrumentsofnationalcompetitionaswellasinstrumentsofpeace.Theyaretheplaceofthescientificdiscoveriesthatmoveeconomiesforward,andtheprimarymeansofeducatingthetalentrequiredtoobtainandmaintaincompetitiveadvantage.Butatthesametime,theopeningofnationalborderstotheflowofgoods,services,informationandespeciallypeoplehasmadeuniversitiesapowerfulforceforglobalintegration,mutualunderstandingandgeopoliticalstability.

　　Inresponsetothesameforcesthathavedriventheworldeconomy,universitieshavebecomemoreself-consciouslyglobal:

seekingstudentsfromaroundtheworldwhorepresenttheentirerangeofculturesandvalues,sendingtheirownstudentsabroadtopreparethemforglobalcareers,offeringcourseofstudythataddressthechallengesofaninterconnectedworldandcollaborative（合作的）researchprogramstoadvancescienceforthebenefitofallhumanity.

　　Oftheforcesshapinghighereducationnoneismoresweepingthanthemovementacrossborders.Overthepastthreedecadesthenumberofstudentsleavinghomeeachyeartostudyabroadhasgrownatanannualrateof3.9percent,from800,000in1975to2.5millionin2004.Mosttravelfromonedevelopednationtoanother,buttheflowfromdevelopingtodevelopedcountriesisgrowingrapidly.Thereverseflow,fromdevelopedtodevelopingcountries,isontherise,too.Todayforeignstudentsearn30percentofthedoctoraldegreesawardedintheUnitedStatesand38percentofthoseintheUnitedKingdom.Andthenumbercrossingbordersforundergraduatestudyisgrowingaswell,to8percentoftheundergraduatesatAmerica'sbestinstitutionsand10percentofallundergraduatesintheU.K.IntheUnitedStates,20percentofthenewlyhiredprofessorsinscienceandengineeringareforeign-born,andinChinamanynewlyhiredfacultymembersatthetopresearchuniversitiesreceivedtheirgraduateeducationabroad.

　　Universitiesarealsoencouragingstudentstospendsomeoftheirundergraduateyearsinanothercountry.InEurope,morethan140,000studentsparticipateintheErasmusprogrameachyear,takingcoursesforcreditinoneof2,200participatinginstitutionsacrossthecontinent.AndintheUnitedStates,institutionsarehelpingplacestudentsinthesummerinternships（实习）abroadtopreparethemforglobalcareers.YaleandHarvardhaveledtheway,offeringeveryundergraduateatleastoneinternationalstudyorinternshipopportunity—andprovidingthefinancialresourcestomakeitpossible.

　　Globalizationisalsoreshapingthewayresearchisdone.Onenewtrendinvolvessourcingportionsofaresearchprogramtoanothercountry.YaleprofessorandHowardHughesMedicalInstituteinvestigatorTianXudirectsaresearchcenterfocusedonthegeneticsofhumandiseaseatShanghai'sFudanUniversity,incollaborationwithfacultycolleaguesfrombothschools.TheShanghaicenterhas95employeesandgraduatestudentsworkingina4,300-square-meterlaboratoryseminarswithscientistsfrombothcampuses.Thearrangementbenefitsbothcountries;Xu'sYalelabismoreproductive,thankstothelowercostsofconductingresearchinChina,andChinesegraduatestudents,postdoctorsandfacultygeton-the-jobtrainingfromaworld-classscientistandhisU.S.team.

　　Asaresultofitsstrengthinscience,theUnitedStateshasconsistentlyledtheworldinthecommercializationofmajornewtechnologies,fromthemainframecomputerandtheintegratedcircuitofthe1960stotheInternetinfrastructure（基础设施）andapplicationssoftwareofthe1990s.Thelinkbetweenuniversity-basedscienceandindustrialapplicationisoftenindirectbutsometimeshighlyvisible:

SiliconValleywasintentionallycreatedbyStanfordUniversity,andRoute128outsideBostonhaslonghousedcompaniesspunofffromMITandHarvard.Aroundtheworld,governmentshaveencouragedcopyingofthismodel,perhapsmostsuccessfullyinCambridge,England,whereMicrosoftandscoresofotherleadingsoftwareandbiotechnologycompanieshavesetupshoparoundtheuniversity.

　　Forallitssuccess,theUnitedStatesremainsdeeplyhesitantaboutsustainingtheresearch-universitymodel.Mostpoliticiansrecognizethelinkbetweeninvestmentinscienceandnationaleconomicstrength,butsupportforresearchfundinghasbeenunsteady.ThebudgetoftheNationalInstitutesofHealthdoubledbetween1998and2003,buthasrisenmoreslowlythaninflationsincethen.Supportforthephysicalsciencesandengineeringbarelykeptpacewithinflationduringthatsameperiod.Theattempttomakeuplostgroundiswelcome,butthenationwouldbebetterservedbysteady,predictableincreasesinsciencefundingattherateoflong-termGDPgrowth,whichisontheorderofinflationplus3percentperyear.

　　Americanpoliticianshavegreatdifficultyrecognizingthatadmittingmoreforeignstudentscangreatlypromotethenationalinterestbyincreasinginternationalunderstanding.Adjustedforinflation,publicfundingforinternationalexchangesandforeign-languagestudyiswellbelowthelevelsof40yearsago,inthewakeofSeptember11,changesinthevisaprocesscausedadramaticdeclineinthenumberofforeignstudentsseekingadmissiontoU.S.universities,andacorrespondingsurgeinenrollmentsinAustralia,SingaporeandtheU.K..ObjectionsfromAmericanuniversityandthebusinessleadersledtoimprovementsintheprocessandreversalofthedecline,buttheUnitedStatesisstillseenbymanyasunwelcomingtointernationalstudents.

　　MostAmericansrecognizethatuniversitiescontributetothenation'swell-beingthroughtheirscientificresearch,butmanyfearthatforeignstudentsthreatenAmericancompetitivenessbytakingtheirknowledgeandskillsbackhome.TheyfailtograspthatwelcomingforeignstudentstotheUnitedStateshastwoimportantpositiveeffects:

first,theverybestofthemstayintheStatesand—likeimmigrantsthroughouthistory—strengthenthenation;andsecond,foreignstudentswhostudyintheUnitedStatesbecomeambassadorsformanyofitsmostcherished（珍视）valueswhentheyreturnhome.Oratleasttheyunderstandthembetter.InAmericaaselsewhere,fewinstrumentsofforeignpolicyareaseffectiveinpromotingpeaceandstabilityaswelcominginternationaluniversitystudents.（1009）

1.Fromthefirstparagraphweknowthatpresent-dayuniversitieshavebecome__________.

　　A）moreandmoreresearch-orientedB）in-servicetrainingorganizations

　　C）morepopularizedthaneverbeforeD）apowerfulforceforglobalintegration

2.Overthepastthreedecades,theenrollmentofoverseasstudentshasincreased__________.

　　A）by2.5millionB）by800,000

　　C）atanannualrateof3.9percent　　D）atanannualrateof8percent

3.IntheUnitedStates,howmanyofthenewlyhiredprofessorsinscienceandengineeringareforeign-born?

A）10%B）20%C）30%D）38%

4.HowdoYaleandHarvardpreparetheirundergraduatesforglobalcareers?

　　A）Theyorganizeaseriesofseminarsonworldeconomy.

　　B）Theyofferthemvariouscoursesininternationalpolitics.

　　C）TheyarrangeforthemtoparticipateintheErasmusprogram.

　　D）Theygivethemchancesforinternationalstudyorinternship.

5.Anexampleillustratingthegeneraltrendofuniversities'globalizationis__________.

　　A）Yale'scollaborationwithFudanUniversityongeneticresearch

　　B）Yale'shelpingChineseuniversitiestolaunchresearchprojects

　　C）Yale'sstudentexchangeprogramwithEuropeaninstitutions

　　D）Yale'sestablishingbranchcampusesthroughouttheworld

6.WhatdowelearnaboutSiliconValleyfromthepassage?

　　A）IthousesmanycompaniesspunofffromMITandHarvard.

　　B）ItisknowntobethebirthplaceofMicrosoftCompany.

　　C）ItwasintentionallycreatedbyStanfordUniversity.

　　D）ItiswheretheInternetinfrastructurewasbuiltup.

7.WhatissaidabouttheU.S.federalfundingforresearch?

　　A）Ithasincreasedby3percent.B）Ithasbeenunsteadyforyears.

　　C）Ithasbeenmorethansufficient.D）Itdoubledbetween1998and2003.

8.ThedramaticdeclineintheenrollmentofforeignstudentsintheU.SafterSeptember11wascausedby____________________________.

9.ManyAmericansfearthatAmericancompetitivenessmaybethreatenedbyforeignstudentswhowill____________________________.

10.ThepolicyofwelcomingforeignstudentscanbenefittheU.S.inthattheverybestofthemwillstayand____________________________.

PASSAGE2

KeepOurSeasClean

Bytheyear2050itisestimatedthattheworld’spopulationcouldhaveincreasedtoaround12billion.Ofthese,some60percentwilllivewithin60kmofthesea.Theagriculturalandindustrialactivitiesrequiredtosupportthispopulationwillincreasethealreadysignificantpressuresonfertilecoastalareas.DeathanddiseasecausedbypollutedcoastalwaterscoststheglobaleconomyUS$12.8billionayear.Plasticwastekillsupto1millionseabirds,100,000seamammalsandcountlessfisheachyear.

Pollutionandthesea–likeoilandwater

Onesignificantimpactofhumanactivityismarinepollution.Themostvisibleandfamiliarisoilpollutioncausedbytankeraccidentsandtankwashingatsea,andinadditiontothegrossvisibleshort-termimpacts,severelong-termproblemscanalsoresult.InthecaseoftheExxonValdezwhichranontoashoreinAlaskain1989,biologicalimpactsfromtheoilspillcanstillbeidentified15yearsaftertheevent.ThePrestigewhichsankofftheSpanishcoastlatein2002,resultedinhugeeconomiclos