Students and professionals can all benefit from reading scholarly research. While many works may be of
a technical nature, some of the best research is published in professional journals. While not all journals get
published on the Internet, the trend toward the electronic format is growing. You probably also have free
access to some of the online sources outlined below, but many don"t know where they can consult online
sources when in need of excellent research.
Science
The journal Science is perhaps the most prestigious science journal. This journal is also well known
enough to be featured on media outlets. It has all the latest news. Science is also interested in scientific policy,
and frequently publishes articles that report the achievement of technology and science in general. Free partial
access is available after registration.
Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
The world famous scholar reviewed journal has its articles and reviews on their website. While reading
the abstracts of articles is free, PNAS charges for downloading the entire article in full. There is also an option
for paying a flat rate to view several articles for a week-long period. There are some "open access" articles
which are available for download free of charge. Nature Nature is another popular and famous journal. Nature
has a wide approach publishing scientific papers on a wide variety of topics.
Nature in fact is considered interdisciplinary (各学科间的), going beyond its name which would seem to
show it only belongs to the natural sciences. Nature is aimed at researchers and academics, but readers can
find out about major breakthroughs through summaries and other notes that appear in this weekly publication.
While there is an effort to provide so-called "open access", it is at the moment limited. Students and those
with academic access can access these major journals for free because of contractual relationships.
B. Fewer and fewer journals will be put out online in the future.
C. Reading professional journals is quite helpful for students.
D. A small number of the online sources can be attained for free.
A. complicated
B. famous
C. special
D. instructive
B. the entire journal Nature
C. one article of the journal Science
D. "open access " PNAS articles
B. about a few academic magazines in the world
C. about free access to some of the online sources
D. which journal is most famous in the world
Aimlessness has hardly been typical of the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmony are
the envy of the United States and Europe. But increasingly the Japanese are seeing a decline of the traditional
work-moral values. Ten years ago young people were hardworking and saw their jobs as their primary
reason for being, but now Japan has largely fulfilled its economic needs, and young people don"t know
where they should go next.
The coming of age of the postwar baby boom and an entry of women into the male-dominated job market
have limited the opportunities of teenagers who are already questioning the heavy personal sacrifices involved
in climbing Japans rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs. In a recent survey, it was found that only 24.5
percent of Japanese students were fully satisfied with school life, compared with 67.2 percent of students in
the United States. In addition, far more Japanese workers expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs than their
counterparts did in the ten other countries surveyed.
While often praised by foreigners for its emphasis on the basics, Japanese education tends to stress test
taking and mechanical learning over creativity and self-expression." Those things that do not show up in the
test scores, personality, ability, courage or humanity are completely ignored," says Toshiki Kaifu, chairman
of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party"s education committee." Frustration against this kind of thing leads kids
to drop out and run wild." Last year Japan experienced 2,125 incidents of school violence, including 929
assaults on teachers. Amid the outcry, many conservative leaders are seeking a return to the prewar emphasis
on moral education. Last year Mitsuo Setoyama, who was then education minister, raised eyebrows when he
argued that liberal reforms introduced by the American occupation authorities after World WarⅡ had
weakened the"Japanese morality of respect for parents."
But that may have more to do with Japanese life-styles." In Japan," says educator Yoko Muro,"it"s never
a question of whether you enjoy your job and your life, but only how much you can endure." With economic
growth becoming centralization, fully 76 percent of Japans, 119 million citizens live in cities where community
and the extended family have been abandoned in favor of isolated, two generation households. Urban Japanese
have long endured lengthy commutes (travels to and from work) and crowded living conditions, but as the old
group and family values weaken, the discomfort is beginning to tell. In the past decade, the Japanese divorce
rate, while still well below that of the United States, has increased by more than 50 percent, and suicides have
increased by nearly one-quarter.
B. a positive example
C. a rival to the West
D. on the decline
B. More workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.
C. Excessive emphasis has been placed on the basics.
D. The life-style has been influenced by Western values.
B. Japanese education is characterized by mechanical learning as well as creativity.
C. More stress should be placed on the cultivation of creativity.
D. Dropping out leads to frustration against test taking.
B. the divorce rate in Japan exceeds that in the U.S.
C. the Japanese endure more than ever before
D. the Japanese appreciate their present life
growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way
the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken
as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout
history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly
rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and
any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product
it was relatively inefficient.
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers
to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.
This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices
are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero
impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static (稳定的) measures of sustainability, which
centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic
interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different
ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity,
carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain
to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.
B. By its contribution to economic growth
C. By its productivity
D. By its sustainability
B. The shrinking of farmland
C. the decrease of biodiversity
D. competition from overseas
B. They have not kept pace with population growth
C. They have remained the same over the centuries
D. They are environmentally friendly
B. It will mainly keep traditional farming
C. It will go through complete changes
D. It will cause zero damage to the environment
B. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.
C. To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.
D. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.
watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few
minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those
who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous,
confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation (诱惑) early were more likely to be lonely,
easily frustrated and inflexible (固守己见的).
Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn"t show up on an IQ test.
The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists" concerns. But brain
theory can"t explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face
of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul.
Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting
people"s success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once
thought of as"character".
EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together;
how one"s ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use.
Among the ingredients (要素) for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%;
the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously,
some few fear EQ invites misuse.
B. emotional intelligence won"t show up until adolescence
C. the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success
D. candy can be used to measure a person"s emotional intelligence
B. The higher a person"s IQ is, the higher his or her EQ is.
C. Some people can be blessed with lots of both, but some with little of either.
D. Scientists are trying to discover the way in which EQ and IQ work together.
B. floating
C. excited
D. optimistic
B. Examples showing the opposite voice about EQ.
C. Some reasons why EQ is a relatively new field.
D. Strong demand for basic emotional education.
| A. Solving Problems Scientifically B. Making a Hypothesis C. Recognizing the Problem D. Organizing the Information E. The Experiment F. Collecting Information |
| 阅读理解。 |
| Providing small classes for at least several grades starting in early primary school gives students the best chance to succeed in late grades, according to groundbreaking new research from a Michigan State University scholar. The research by Spyros Konstantopoulos, a professor of education, is the first to examine the effects of class size over a period and for all levels of students. The study appears in the American Journal of Education. He is also a member of a group for the Department of Education"s Institute of Education Sciences that will give official advice on class size to the states. He said the advice will mirror his research: the best plan is to provide continuous small classes(13 to 17 students) for at least several years starting in kindergarten or first grade. "For a long time states thought they could just do it in kindergarten or first grade for one year and get the benefits," He said."I don"t believe that. I think you need at least a few years in a row where all students, and especially low-achievers, receive the treatment, and then you see the benefits later." His research used data (数据)from the Project Star study in Tennessee that analyzed the effects of class size on more than 11,000 students in primary and middle school. He found that students who had been in small classes from kindergarten through third grade had actually higher test scores in grades four through eight than students who been in larger classes early on. Students from all achievement levels benefited from small classes, the research found."But low-achievers benefited the most, which narrowed the achievement gap (差距) with high -achievers in science, reading and math," he said. Although the study didn"t consider classroom practices, he said the reason for the narrowing gap is likely due to low-achieving students receiving more attention from teachers. "This is especially important in poorer schools because teacher effectiveness matters more in schools with more disadvantaged and low-performing students," he said. |
| 1. The professor argues about _____. |
| A. the size of the class B. the period of the class C. the attention from teachers D. the achievements of students |
| 2. The result of the research shows that _____. |
| A. small classes for one year in early grade are enough B. continuous small classes help students achieve more C. it"s best to attend small classes in kindergarten D. small classes do equal good to students of all levels |
| 3. What can we infer from the passage? |
| A. High achievers will not benefit from small classes. B. Continuous small classes have not been widely accepted. C. Low-achievers should be separated from high-achievers. D. Teachers" attention matters less than classroom practices. |
| 4. The underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refers to _____. |
| A. the gap between low and high achievers B. continuous small classes C. classroom practices in later grades D. the Project Star Sturdy |