Is it worth it to go to college? This has been questioned a lot recently in America. According to a new survey released by the Pew Research Center, only 40 percent of Americans felt that colleges provided a good value for the cost. At the same time, 86 percent of college graduates still felt it was good for them.

There are a number of reasons for such dissatisfaction with college. First, there are plenty of problems with higher education — poor quality and out-of-control costs are two of the biggest. Second, it is true that college is not for everyone. Plenty of rewarding and important careers do not require college. And due to the slow economy, there may in fact be more graduates than the current job market needs. Besides, anti-college feelings are nothing new. Today, Microsoft’s Bill Gates or Apple’s Steve Jobs — both college dropouts — is often held up as evidence of why all that time sitting in class is better spent elsewhere.

However, getting a college education is still a good idea. College graduates earn more, and are more likely to have a job in the first place. According to the statistics last year, the average weekly earnings for someone with some college education but no degrees were $712, compared to $1,038 for a college graduate. That is almost $17,000 over the course of a year and there is an even bigger divide for those with less education. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent for those with only some college education and more than 10 percent for those with just a middle school degree, but it was 5.4 percent for college graduates. The economic gaps between college completers and those with less education are getting larger.

Although most Americans surveyed by Pew feel doubtful about the value of a college degree, an overwhelming majority of parents Pew surveyed still expect their children to go to college. “It can be inferred that the increased doubt has not significantly influenced decision making.” Pew’s Taylor says, “Despite the concern about rising costs and other problems, college remains a universal desire in this country.”

46. Recently many Americans question __________.

A. the value of receiving college education　 　 B. the ability of college graduates

C. the quality of college education　　　　 　 D. the high cost of a college degree

47. According to the passage, Bill Gates was __________.

A. a self-taught college student　　　　　 　　　　　 B. a hardworking undergraduate

C. a successful college dropout　　 　　　　　　　　 D. a unsuccessful college graduate

48. The writer seems to agree that __________.

A. there is no need to go to college

B. anti-college feelings are a new thing

C. college cannot guarantee employment

D. college education remains a wise choice

49. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The slow economy might result in more unemployment.

B. Most college graduates feel it necessary to receive college education

C. People’s earnings depend on their educational background to some extent.

D. As doubts about college education arise, people’s desire to go to college weakens.

50. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. Poor quality and high costs make college less popular among the Americans nowadays.

B. Despite the dissatisfactions with college, most Americans still favor college education

C. People with a college degree earn better money in America than those who don’t

D. American students are getting tired of college education.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2014屆吉林省東北四校協(xié)作體高三聯(lián)合考試英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

 What’s a “gift”? If you look it up in the dictionary, you’ll see that it’s another word for a present. For example, “They brought him some gifts.” However, if you’re German, “gift” means something completely different: poison!

This word “gift” is an example of a false friend--- a word that looks the same in two languages, but which actually has two different meanings. As English is basically a mixture of German, French and Latin, there are many words that are similar in these languages. For example, the English word “education” is “education” in Spanish. And the English words “word, book, nine, house” are “Wort, Buch, Neun, Haus” in german.

   These similar-looking words can be very helpful when learning other languages --- they’re our “friends”. However, sometimes they can turn out or be “false friends”. Here are a few examples.

   In English, someone who is “sensible” thinks before they act and shows good judgement. For example , “The sensible thing to do would be to consult a lawyer.” However, in Spanish, “sensible ” means “sensitive” (showing understanding of other people’s problems, needs or feelings).

   The English word “coin” refers to a piece of money made of metal. For example, “I had a few coins in my pocket.” But the French word “coin” means “corner”.

   The English word “l(fā)ibrary” is a place where you can go to borrow books. For example, “I borrowed six books from the library.” But the Spanish word “l(fā)ibreria” refers to a bookshop (where you buy books).

   The English word “actually” means “in fact”. For example, “Actually I’m not Italian, I’m form American.” But the Spanish word “actualmente” means “currently” or “at the moment”.

   Finally, the English word “embarrassed” means “ashamed”. For example, “They looked a bit embarrassed.” However, the Spanish term “embarazada” means “pregnant” (with a child).

1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that English _______.

A. is easy to master

B. is simpler than Spanish

C. has a complex background

D. has changed greatly throughout history

2. Which of the following pairs of words are true friends according to the author?

A. Nine and Neun.                         B. Library and libreria.

C. Actually and actualmente.                 D. Embarrassed and embarazada.

3. According to the text, in Spanish ______.

A. “coin” means “corner”

B. “gift” refers to something negative

C. “educacion” simply means “book”

D. “sensible” doesn’t necessarily means “wise”

4. The author develops the text mainly by ______.

A. following the order of space               B. comparing different ideas

C. providing typical examples                D. analyzing the cause and effect

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

What’s a “gift”? If you look it up in the dictionary, you’ll see that it’s another word for a present. For example, “They brought him some gifts.” However, if you’re German, “gift” means something completely different: poison!
This word “gift” is an example of a false friend--- a word that looks the same in two languages, but which actually has two different meanings. As English is basically a mixture of German, French and Latin, there are many words that are similar in these languages. For example, the English word “education” is “education” in Spanish. And the English words “word, book, nine, house” are “Wort, Buch, Neun, Haus” in german.
These similar-looking words can be very helpful when learning other languages --- they’re our “friends”. However, sometimes they can turn out or be “false friends”. Here are a few examples.
In English, someone who is “sensible” thinks before they act and shows good judgement. For example , “The sensible thing to do would be to consult a lawyer.” However, in Spanish, “sensible ” means “sensitive” (showing understanding of other people’s problems, needs or feelings).
The English word “coin” refers to a piece of money made of metal. For example, “I had a few coins in my pocket.” But the French word “coin” means “corner”.
The English word “l(fā)ibrary” is a place where you can go to borrow books. For example, “I borrowed six books from the library.” But the Spanish word “l(fā)ibreria” refers to a bookshop (where you buy books).
The English word “actually” means “in fact”. For example, “Actually I’m not Italian, I’m form American.” But the Spanish word “actualmente” means “currently” or “at the moment”.
Finally, the English word “embarrassed” means “ashamed”. For example, “They looked a bit embarrassed.” However, the Spanish term “embarazada” means “pregnant” (with a child)

  1. 1.

    We can learn from the first two paragraphs that English _______

    1. A.
      is easy to master
    2. B.
      is simpler than Spanish
    3. C.
      has a complex background
    4. D.
      has changed greatly throughout history
  2. 2.

    Which of the following pairs of words are true friends according to the author?

    1. A.
      Nine and Neun
    2. B.
      Library and libreria
    3. C.
      Actually and actualmente
    4. D.
      Embarrassed and embarazada
  3. 3.

    According to the text, in Spanish ______

    1. A.
      “coin” means “corner”
    2. B.
      “gift” refers to something negative
    3. C.
      “educacion” simply means “book”
    4. D.
      “sensible” doesn’t necessarily means “wise”
  4. 4.

    The author develops the text mainly by ______

    1. A.
      following the order of space
    2. B.
      comparing different ideas
    3. C.
      providing typical examples
    4. D.
      analyzing the cause and effect

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