广东学位英语阅读理解（三）

Passage 3

Traditionally, universities have carried out two main activities: research and teaching. Many

experts would argue that both these activities play a critical role in serving the community. The

fundamental question, however, is how does the community want or need to be served?

In recent years universities have been coming under increasing pressure from both the

governments and the public to ensure that they do not remain “ivory towers” (象牙塔)of study

separated from the realities of everyday life. University teachers have been encouraged, and in

some cases constrained(强逼)， to provide more courses which produce graduates with the

technical skills required for the commercial use. If Aristotle wanted to work in a university in the

UK today, he would have a good chance of teaching computer science but would not be so readily

employable as a philosopher.

A post-industrial society requires large numbers of computer programmers, engineers,

managers and technicians to maintain and develop its economic growth but “man” , as the Bible

says, “does not live by bread alone.” Apart from requiring medical and social services, which

do not directly contribute to economic growth, the society should also value and enjoy literature,

music and the arts. In these cost-conscious times, it has even been pointed out in justification for

the funding of the arts that they can be useful money earners. A successful musical play, for

instance, can contribute as much to the Cross National Product through tourist dollars as any other

things.

1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.

A. traditional universities do a good job serving the society

B. universities must meet the needs of the society

C. research and teaching are of great importance in universities

D. universities play an important role in our society

2. We can infer from the second paragraph that ______.

A. the society is not satisfied with the present college education

B. the governments interfere too much with college education

C. the teacher are forced to do what they don’t like to do

D. teachers dislike teaching commercially useful courses

3. The example if Aristotle is used to make the point that_____.

A. universities in the UK have produced too many good –for-nothing graduates

B. such abstract subjects as philosophy is no longer useful

C. education should serve the social needs

D. it is advisable for today’s philosophers to know computer science

4. According to the passage, literature, music and the arts_____.

A. do not contribute to economic growth at all

B. are less useful to the society because they do not make direct contribution to economy

C. are similar to medical and social services in their way of promoting economic growth

D. should develop only when they are good for economic growth

5. The author believes that____.

A. art is useful only when it is made into a money earner

B. the promotion of economic growth is the only goal of today’s society

C. universities should not provide literature or art courses

D. the society needs both technical skills and arts.

答案与解析

1.【答案】 B 主旨题。 第一段最后一句“The fundamental question ,however, is how does

the community want or need to be served？ 告诉了我们答案。 其中的信号词“however”表转折。

2.【答案】 A 推理题。 “In recent years universities have been coming under increasing

pressure from both the governments and the public to ensure that they do not remain ‘ivory

towers’(象牙塔)of study separated from the realities of everyday life.”第二段的第一句中说大学

现在面临来自政府和百姓的压力， 要求大学不能再保持其脱离现实生活的象牙塔的地位了，

由此可见， 社会对大学是不满的。

3.【答案】 B 推理题。 亚里士多德的例子是为了论证上一句“to provide more courses

which produce graduates with the technical skills required for the commercial use.”现在大学开的

课程主要是为经济服务的， 而哲学这样的抽象课程是没有用的。

4. 【答案】 C 信息题。 “Apart from requiring medical and social services， which do not

directly contribute to economic growth， the society should also value and enjoy literature， music

and the arts.” 文学、 艺术、 音乐和医疗、 社会服务一样， 都不能直接推动经济的发展。

5. 【答案】 D 推理题。 “it has even been pointed out in justification for the funding of

the arts that they can be useful money earners.” 艺术同样可以挣钱。