The Open University in Britain
1 In 1963 the leader of the Labor Party made a speech explaining plans for a “university of the air ”1-an educational system which would make use of television, radio and correspondence courses.2 Many people laughed at the idea ,but it became part of the Labor Party ‘programmed to give educational opportunity to those people who, for one reason or another, had not had a chance to receive further education.
2 By 1969plans were well advanced and by August 1970 the Open University, as it is now called, had received400, 000 applications. Only 20,000 could be accepted for the four “foundation “courses offered: social sciences, arts, science and mathematics. Unsuccessful candidates were told to apply again the following year, when a foundation course in technology would also be offered.
3 The first teaching programmers appeared on the air and screen in January1971, with clerks, farm workers, housewives, teachers, policemen and many others as students. Correspondence units had been carefully prepared and science students were given devices for a small home laboratory. Study centers have been set up all over the country so that students can attend once a week, and once a year they will spend a week at one of the university’s summer schools.
4 It has been nearly 30years since the Open University started to offer courses. Nowit is a very important part of the British educational system. Not only does it offer foundation courses like those mentioned above, it also carries out very advanced scientific researches, some of which lead to Master’s or Ph.D. Degrees. Many other countries have started similar educational programmers following the successful example of the Open University in Britain.
1. Paragraph1
2．Paragraph2
3．Paragraph3
4．Paragraph4
A. Progress since its founding
B. Special facilities of the university
C. Enrollment in the early days
D. Teaching staff of the university
E. Plans for easy access to further education for the masses
F. Educational programs provided by the university
5．In Britain, besides taking academic courses on TV and on radio, people can also _____.
6．The Labor Party was the first party in Britain that _____.
7．In 41971,the Open University first started, there were more applicants _____.
8．When the Open University first started, there were more applicants than it _____.
A．put forward the ideal of founding the open university.
B. could admit
C. learn through correspondence
D. offer foundation courses in technology
E. charge students a low tuition fee
F. appeared on the air and screen
Passage 2
The Mir Space Station
The Russian Mir Space Station, which came down in 2001 at last after 15 years of pioneering the concept of long-term human space flight, is remembered for its accomplishments in the human space flight history. It can be credited with many firsts in space.
During Mir's lifetime, Russia spent about US$4.2 billion to build and maintain the station.
The Soviet Union launched Mir, which was designed to last from three to five years, on February 20, 1986, and housed 104 astronauts over 12 years and seven months, most of whom were not Russian. In fact, it became the first international space station by playing host to 62 people from 11 countries. From 1995 through 1998, seven astronauts from the United States took turns living on Mir for up to six months each. They were among the 37 Americans who visited the station during nine stopovers by space shuttles.
The more than 400 million the United States provided Russian for the visits not only kept Mir operating, but also gave the Americans and their partners in the international station project valuable experience in long-term flight and multinational operations.
A debate continues over Mir's contributions to science. During its existence, Mir was the laboratory for 23,000 experiments and carried scientific equipment, estimated to be worth $80 million, from many nations. Experiments on Mir are credited with a range of findings, from the first solid measurement of the ration of heavy helium atoms in space to how to grow wheat in space. But for those favoring human space exploration, Mir showed that people could live and work in space long enough for a trip to Mars. The longest single stay in space is the 437.7 days that Russian astronaut Valery Polyakov spent on Mir from 1994 to 1995. And Sergie Avdeyev accumulated 747.6 days in space in three trips to the space station. The longest American stay was that of Shannon Lucid, who spent 188 days aboard Mir in 1996.
Despite the many firsts Mir accomplished, 1997 was a bad year out of 15 for Mir. In 1997, an oxygen generator caught fire. Later, the main computer system broke down, causing the station to drift several times and there were power failures.
Most of these problems were repaired, with American help and suppliers, but Mir's reputation as a space station was ruined.
Mir's setbacks are nothing, though, when we compare them with its accomplishments. Mir was a tremendous success, which will be remembered as a milestone in space exploration and the space station that showed long-term human habitation in space was possible. But it's time to move on to the next generation. The International Space Station being built will be better, but it owes a great debt to Mir.
1. Paragraph 4
2. Paragraph 5
3. Paragraph 6
4. Paragraph 8
A Rewards following the U.S. financial injection
B Mir's firsts in scientific experiments and space exploration
C Undeniable Mir's achievements
D Mir regarded as a complete failure
E Mir's problem year
F A great debt owned to the International Space Station
5. Mir enhanced the confidence in the scientists that humans living in space for a long time was ..........
6. In Mir, the U.S. astronauts created ..........
7. When we think of Mir in terms of its achievements, its setbacks are ..........
8. The writer tends to think that Mir was ..........
A everything.
B nothing.
C a tremendous failure.
D quite possible.
E many firsts.
F a great success.
參考答案
The Open University in Britain
1．E。該段介紹了面向大眾的“空中教學”計劃。
2．C 本段介紹了建校初期的招生人數(shù)。
3．B 這段講了開放大學的一些特殊的教學方式和設施。
4．A 本段講了建校三十多年來各方面的發(fā)展。
4．C 從語意上看C合適（在英國，除了在電視和收音機里學習課程，人們也能通過函授學習。）。文章在第三段里講到在各地設立函授點。
5．A A在語意上合適（工黨是英國第一家提出建立開放大學這一設想的政黨。）。而文章一開始就講到開放大學這一設想是工黨先提出來的。
6．D 第二段的后一句確定的語意上的選擇（提供技術方面的基礎課程）。
7．B 第二段涉及該問題。
The Mir Space Station
1． A 該段只有一句話。而該句話的主語就是“貨幣投入-- more than 400 million”，而與該主語相呼應的只有A（美國資金投入的回報），這樣沒有讀句子就直接確認答案了。實際上該句談到：美國的經(jīng)濟支持不僅使和平號空間站的航行得以繼續(xù)，而且使美國及其他國家的宇航員取得了在宇宙空間長時間航行和多國合作的經(jīng)驗。
2． B 該段一開始（段首句）就提到了“和平號”的貢獻問題。而在該段中列舉了和平號空間站取得的一些“第一”和“之”。對比備選項，不難發(fā)現(xiàn)B（和平號在科學實驗和太空探索上所取得的“第一”）是合適的答案。
3. E 該段的句子不復雜，我們不難在該段段首句發(fā)現(xiàn)“a bad year”，并在段末發(fā)現(xiàn)“failures”這樣的字眼，對比備選項不難確認E（和平號遇到不少麻煩的一年）是正確的。
4. C 第8段是文章的后一段。我們不難在該段的段首句（和平號出現(xiàn)的問題與其取得的成就相比是微不足道的）和段尾句（正在興建的國際太空站將會更好，但是這一成就很大程度上歸功于和平號）讀出作者對和平號空間站積極的評價。
5． D 從語法上說除了E以外，其他的選項都可以。該句的前面部分說“和平號增加了人們的信念，使人們相信人類在太空長時間的生活是。?！保瑥拇钆湔Z意上看D（很可能的）合適。
6． E 從語法上說剩下的被選項都合適。該句的前句說“在和平號上，美國宇航員創(chuàng)造了。?！?，從搭配語意上看E（許多“第一”）合適。
7． B 該句的前面部分說“當我們考慮到和平號的成就，它的缺點是。。”，從搭配語意上看B（算不了什么）合適。
8． F 該句前面部分說“作者認為和平號是。。?！?。實際上我們在為文章后一段選小標題時已經(jīng)注意到作者對和平號的積極的評價。所以選擇答案F（一個巨大的成功）。
1 In 1963 the leader of the Labor Party made a speech explaining plans for a “university of the air ”1-an educational system which would make use of television, radio and correspondence courses.2 Many people laughed at the idea ,but it became part of the Labor Party ‘programmed to give educational opportunity to those people who, for one reason or another, had not had a chance to receive further education.
2 By 1969plans were well advanced and by August 1970 the Open University, as it is now called, had received400, 000 applications. Only 20,000 could be accepted for the four “foundation “courses offered: social sciences, arts, science and mathematics. Unsuccessful candidates were told to apply again the following year, when a foundation course in technology would also be offered.
3 The first teaching programmers appeared on the air and screen in January1971, with clerks, farm workers, housewives, teachers, policemen and many others as students. Correspondence units had been carefully prepared and science students were given devices for a small home laboratory. Study centers have been set up all over the country so that students can attend once a week, and once a year they will spend a week at one of the university’s summer schools.
4 It has been nearly 30years since the Open University started to offer courses. Nowit is a very important part of the British educational system. Not only does it offer foundation courses like those mentioned above, it also carries out very advanced scientific researches, some of which lead to Master’s or Ph.D. Degrees. Many other countries have started similar educational programmers following the successful example of the Open University in Britain.
1. Paragraph1
2．Paragraph2
3．Paragraph3
4．Paragraph4
A. Progress since its founding
B. Special facilities of the university
C. Enrollment in the early days
D. Teaching staff of the university
E. Plans for easy access to further education for the masses
F. Educational programs provided by the university
5．In Britain, besides taking academic courses on TV and on radio, people can also _____.
6．The Labor Party was the first party in Britain that _____.
7．In 41971,the Open University first started, there were more applicants _____.
8．When the Open University first started, there were more applicants than it _____.
A．put forward the ideal of founding the open university.
B. could admit
C. learn through correspondence
D. offer foundation courses in technology
E. charge students a low tuition fee
F. appeared on the air and screen
Passage 2
The Mir Space Station
The Russian Mir Space Station, which came down in 2001 at last after 15 years of pioneering the concept of long-term human space flight, is remembered for its accomplishments in the human space flight history. It can be credited with many firsts in space.
During Mir's lifetime, Russia spent about US$4.2 billion to build and maintain the station.
The Soviet Union launched Mir, which was designed to last from three to five years, on February 20, 1986, and housed 104 astronauts over 12 years and seven months, most of whom were not Russian. In fact, it became the first international space station by playing host to 62 people from 11 countries. From 1995 through 1998, seven astronauts from the United States took turns living on Mir for up to six months each. They were among the 37 Americans who visited the station during nine stopovers by space shuttles.
The more than 400 million the United States provided Russian for the visits not only kept Mir operating, but also gave the Americans and their partners in the international station project valuable experience in long-term flight and multinational operations.
A debate continues over Mir's contributions to science. During its existence, Mir was the laboratory for 23,000 experiments and carried scientific equipment, estimated to be worth $80 million, from many nations. Experiments on Mir are credited with a range of findings, from the first solid measurement of the ration of heavy helium atoms in space to how to grow wheat in space. But for those favoring human space exploration, Mir showed that people could live and work in space long enough for a trip to Mars. The longest single stay in space is the 437.7 days that Russian astronaut Valery Polyakov spent on Mir from 1994 to 1995. And Sergie Avdeyev accumulated 747.6 days in space in three trips to the space station. The longest American stay was that of Shannon Lucid, who spent 188 days aboard Mir in 1996.
Despite the many firsts Mir accomplished, 1997 was a bad year out of 15 for Mir. In 1997, an oxygen generator caught fire. Later, the main computer system broke down, causing the station to drift several times and there were power failures.
Most of these problems were repaired, with American help and suppliers, but Mir's reputation as a space station was ruined.
Mir's setbacks are nothing, though, when we compare them with its accomplishments. Mir was a tremendous success, which will be remembered as a milestone in space exploration and the space station that showed long-term human habitation in space was possible. But it's time to move on to the next generation. The International Space Station being built will be better, but it owes a great debt to Mir.
1. Paragraph 4
2. Paragraph 5
3. Paragraph 6
4. Paragraph 8
A Rewards following the U.S. financial injection
B Mir's firsts in scientific experiments and space exploration
C Undeniable Mir's achievements
D Mir regarded as a complete failure
E Mir's problem year
F A great debt owned to the International Space Station
5. Mir enhanced the confidence in the scientists that humans living in space for a long time was ..........
6. In Mir, the U.S. astronauts created ..........
7. When we think of Mir in terms of its achievements, its setbacks are ..........
8. The writer tends to think that Mir was ..........
A everything.
B nothing.
C a tremendous failure.
D quite possible.
E many firsts.
F a great success.
參考答案
The Open University in Britain
1．E。該段介紹了面向大眾的“空中教學”計劃。
2．C 本段介紹了建校初期的招生人數(shù)。
3．B 這段講了開放大學的一些特殊的教學方式和設施。
4．A 本段講了建校三十多年來各方面的發(fā)展。
4．C 從語意上看C合適（在英國，除了在電視和收音機里學習課程，人們也能通過函授學習。）。文章在第三段里講到在各地設立函授點。
5．A A在語意上合適（工黨是英國第一家提出建立開放大學這一設想的政黨。）。而文章一開始就講到開放大學這一設想是工黨先提出來的。
6．D 第二段的后一句確定的語意上的選擇（提供技術方面的基礎課程）。
7．B 第二段涉及該問題。
The Mir Space Station
1． A 該段只有一句話。而該句話的主語就是“貨幣投入-- more than 400 million”，而與該主語相呼應的只有A（美國資金投入的回報），這樣沒有讀句子就直接確認答案了。實際上該句談到：美國的經(jīng)濟支持不僅使和平號空間站的航行得以繼續(xù)，而且使美國及其他國家的宇航員取得了在宇宙空間長時間航行和多國合作的經(jīng)驗。
2． B 該段一開始（段首句）就提到了“和平號”的貢獻問題。而在該段中列舉了和平號空間站取得的一些“第一”和“之”。對比備選項，不難發(fā)現(xiàn)B（和平號在科學實驗和太空探索上所取得的“第一”）是合適的答案。
3. E 該段的句子不復雜，我們不難在該段段首句發(fā)現(xiàn)“a bad year”，并在段末發(fā)現(xiàn)“failures”這樣的字眼，對比備選項不難確認E（和平號遇到不少麻煩的一年）是正確的。
4. C 第8段是文章的后一段。我們不難在該段的段首句（和平號出現(xiàn)的問題與其取得的成就相比是微不足道的）和段尾句（正在興建的國際太空站將會更好，但是這一成就很大程度上歸功于和平號）讀出作者對和平號空間站積極的評價。
5． D 從語法上說除了E以外，其他的選項都可以。該句的前面部分說“和平號增加了人們的信念，使人們相信人類在太空長時間的生活是。?！保瑥拇钆湔Z意上看D（很可能的）合適。
6． E 從語法上說剩下的被選項都合適。該句的前句說“在和平號上，美國宇航員創(chuàng)造了。?！?，從搭配語意上看E（許多“第一”）合適。
7． B 該句的前面部分說“當我們考慮到和平號的成就，它的缺點是。。”，從搭配語意上看B（算不了什么）合適。
8． F 該句前面部分說“作者認為和平號是。。?！?。實際上我們在為文章后一段選小標題時已經(jīng)注意到作者對和平號的積極的評價。所以選擇答案F（一個巨大的成功）。