In the UK, students’ residence halls are run as profit-making business, but this can occasionally be to students’ disadvantage.
As many universities choose to contract out their hall’s management to private companies, room rents are rising and student rights are suffering.
In 2006, 55 percent of student rooms were managed by private companies — only 27 percent by universities and colleges, the National Union of Students (NUS) has reported.
These private companies are improving the hall’s facilities in return for higher room rents. The most noticeable example of this trend is the growth in luxury halls. These are halls for students willing to pay more for larger rooms with better services.
Chancellors Court, at Edinburgh University in Scotland, is one such luxury hall. Rooms are divided between standard and large, with larger rooms costing 173 pounds each week, 40 pounds more than smaller rooms. They come with a scenic view, color TV, fast Internet connection and a modern bathroom.
Other luxury halls have private gyms for their residents. Private companies capitalize (用…以牟利) on their investment by renting out the students rooms to travelers over the summer vacation period.
But the NUS is concerned that luxury halls are affecting room rents at standard un-privatized halls. Most students in the UK pay on average 126 pounds a week for a private room in catered (提供餐飲的) halls of residence, the International Students Advice and Welfare organization has reported. According to the NUS, rent in UK halls of residence has risen by almost a quarter from 2005 to 2007.
Veronica King, NUS vice-president of welfare, wants the privatization of university accommodation to stop.
“For the students for whom luxury is not affordable, there is a significant risk that accommodation costs, coupled with the burden of complete fees, may reduce the choice of where to go to university,” she said.
Legal quarrels with privatized halls may also account for some of the 10 percent per year rise in student complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). The OIA is an independent student complaints scheme that has authority over all higher education institutions in England and Wales.
Rob Behrens, chief executive of the OIA, said he was unsurprised by the rise in complaints. “The bottom line is that students are today more self-confident in thinking about what their rights are and what are the things they can get form the commitments they make.”
1.Why are room rents rising in British universities?
A.Because the world is facing a financial crisis.
B.Because most universities are getting bored about students’ complaints.
C.Because many universities let private companies run students’ halls.
D.Because not all universities can meet the demands of the students.
2. Which of the following is not mentioned about a luxury hall?
A.Students have to pay more for a luxury hall.
B.Students can have a good view in a luxury hall.
C.Students can enjoy their own gym in a luxury hall.
D.Students can have an Internet connection free of charge.
3.Why do some students want to pay more for a luxury hall?
A.Because they just want to show that they are rich. 
B.Because they are better served in a luxury hall.
C.Because there are too much complaints about small rooms.
D.Because there are no other choices.
   
小題1:C
小題2:D
小題3:B
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


There is nothing else but economy that occupies the minds of Americans at present times of economic crisis(危機(jī)). The statistics on unemployment,housing costs and consumer confidence keep coming and coming,leaving people not just scared to spend money but also very stressed and emotionally exhausted. This stress has an effect on everything,starting with our sleep,mood,physical health,relationships and eating habits.
“Time of economic stress leads to increase rates of depression(憂郁),”says Dr. Christopher Palmer,director of continuing education at McLean Hospital in Belmont,Massachusetts. “It worsens illness in people who have been constantly depressed. But it also causes new cases of depression. Just the fear of losing one’s job can put people over the edge. ”
And,without any doubt,just depression alone can create a variety of bad health effects.
●Sleep
33 percent of Americans reported that they have lost sleep due to the economic crisis. 26 percent say they are sleeping less than 6 hours per night,which is considered to be at least one hour less than the most favorable 7 to 8 hours recommended by sleep experts.
●Mental health,stress and heart attack
80 percent of Americans reported that last year the economy is a huge source of stress; 49 percent said the situation makes them feel nervous or anxious; 48 percent reported that they feel very sad and have developed depression.
Nearly twice the risk of heart attack or death was found in patients with the highest levels of depression or anxiety. Among those individuals,a 10 percent higher rise of heart attack or death was found in those whose anxiety rose over time.
●Relationships
The chances of violent behavior are nearly 6 times higher for individuals who are left without a job. Workplace stress can lead to domestic violence.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Now Americans don’t dare to spend money.
B. Now all Americans have problems in sleeping.
C. Economy is the most troubling problem for Americans now.
D. Economic crisis has destroyed many American families.
2. How does the economic crisis affect most Americans according to the passage?
A. They sleep fewer than six hours.                  B. They sleep less than the proper amount.
C. Diseases caused by economy make them sleepless.  D. They lose sleep at night.
3. If a person is out of work,he might   __________.        .
A. become more violent   B. get divorced    C. get rid of workplace stress   D. go mad
4. The best title of this passage is probably______________  .        .
A. The World Economic Crisis Is Getting Worse
B. Economic Crisis Affects Our Health
C. Economic Crisis Causes Trouble to Sleep
D. Ordinary People Suffer Greatly in Economic Crisis
5.What does the underlined word “favorable” mean?
A. proper    B. perfect    C. useful     D. fashionable

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


It was Thanksgiving morning and in the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags(破舊衣服) huddling together inside the storm door on the top step.
"Any old papers, lady? " asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say "no" until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little sandals(涼鞋), wet with heavy snow.
“Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa.”
They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor. I served them cocoa and bread with jam to fight against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.
The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, "Lady, are you rich? "
"Am I rich? no!"
I looked at my shabby slipcovers(舊家具套). The girl put her cup back in its saucer (茶托;淺碟)carefully and said, "Your cups match your saucers." Her voice was hungry with a need that no amount of food could supply. They left after that, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn't said "Thank you." They didn't need to. They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful.
Plain blue china(瓷的) cups and saucers were only worth five pence. But they matched.
I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job--these matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am.
1. Why did the writer let the children in?
A. She showed great pity on them.
B. She wanted to sell old papers.
C. She knew them and wanted to make them a cup of cocoa.
D. She wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving party.
2. The girl thought the writer was rich perhaps because_________
A. she saw that the lady's room was comfortable
B. she saw the cups matched the saucers
C. the writer's slipcovers were very new
D. the woman had expensive clothes
3.What was the weather probably like when the story happened?
A. cloudy     B. sunny      C. windy      D. snowy
4. From the passage, we can infer that whether you are rich depends on_______
A. how much money you have had    B. how you feel about your life
C. how you have helped others       D. what job you are doing

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


For many years, no one could communicate with people who had been born without hearing. These deaf people were not able to use a spoken language.
But, beginning in the 1700s, the deaf were taught a special language. Using this language, they could share thoughts and ideas with others. The language they used was a language without sound. It was a sign language.
How did this sign language work? The deaf were taught to make certain movements using their hands, faces, and bodies. These movements stood for things and ideas. People might move their forefingers across their lips. This meant, “You are not telling the truth.” They might tap their chins with three fingers. This meant “my uncle.”
The deaf were also taught to use a finger alphabet (字母). They used their fingers to make the letters of the alphabet. In this way, they spelled out words. Some deaf people could spell out words at a speed of 130 words per minute.
Sign language and finger spelling are not used as much as they once were. Today, the deaf are taught to understand others by watching their lips. They are also taught how to speak.
1. The deaf “talked” to other people __________.
A. by moving their hands, faces and bodies
B. by shouting and singing
C. without using any letters         
D. without using any language
2. The deaf could spell out words __________.
A. by reading them aloud
B. by going here and there
C. by expressing the letters with their fingers
D. by watching others
3. Now, the deaf are trained to __________.
A. write sentences quickly
B. understand others by lip-reading
C. be good at mind-reading
D. keep alone happily
4. The story as a whole is about __________.
A. learning to spell                      B. teaching the deaf to speak   
C. how the deaf communicate             D. understanding Indian sign language

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


Beijing leading schools say “No” to students’ mobile phones.
Three reasons make some leading schools in Beijing discourage middle school students from bringing mobile phones to campus.
First, it is dangerous for children to bring valuable mobile phones along to school for it is possible for them to be lost during physical exercise and other activities and may cause unnecessary trouble to teachers.
Second, mobile phones are bad for students’ studies. Many teachers complain that some students have phone calls in class, disturbing themselves and others.
Third, mobile phones serve as a hotbed for students’ vanity(虛榮). A new Grade One senior high school student in a leading school asked his parents to buy a 4000-yuan colored-screen mobile phone, which turned out to be his fifth one ever since he entered the middle school.
Most headmasters and teachers in leading schools of Beijing thought that IC telephones on campus have made it very easy for students to get in touch with others, so middle school students should not bring mobile phones to school at present.
1. According to the passage, without mobile phones, how can the students get in touch with others?
A. By writing letters to each other.                       B. By sending e-mails.
C. By using IC telephones.                          D. By no means.
2. Which is NOT the reason that makes the schools say “No” to students’ mobile phones?
A. It is not safe for children to bring mobile phones to school.
B. It may give students a feeling of vanity.
C. It is bad for students’ studies.
D. Most headmasters and teachers don’t want students to bring mobile phones to campus.
3. Why did the new Grade One student ask to buy him the fifth mobile phone since he entered the school?
A. His family had a lot of money.
B. He wanted to show that his family was very rich.
C. His parents loved him too much.
D. The first four mobile phones were all lost.
4. What is the writer’s attitude towards students’ bringing cell phones to school?
A. negative.         B. acceptable.        C. not mentioned.     D. positive. 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


A religious person will have a different thought from one who is not.And a Democrat usually doesn’t view issues the same way as a Republican.
Take the shoes for example.It has the same principle.Some like custom shoes for personalization.But some don’t.Someone will buy a shoes printer only for one desired image.That all depends on different conceptions.So when you have a negative thought about yourself, don’t consider it a fact until you also reflect on the opposite view.And if the alternative is more positive, accept that to be your truth.
An anorexic (厭食癥患者) looks in the mirror and thinks she’s fat.As a result she starves herself and rids her body of vital nutrition.But society thinks she’s too skinny.Unless she can change her perception, she’ll never agree with society.And she’ll never get better.What are you seeing in you that is preventing you from realizing how beautiful you are? Or how smart you are? Or how lovable? If you take the positive view, that is how other people will see you too.
More often than not the critical statements that damage your self-esteem come from your own mind.Now you know how you can silence them.A bad comment is usually not about you; it’s about something that is going on with the commenter.Don’t believe anything that is said to you that isn’t in your best interest.And don’t waste any time or brainpower on anyone who doesn’t think you are amazing.
It’s what you think that creates how you feel.Design your own custom shoes, despite other one’s critical eyes.If you like it, it will be the top one.If someone tells you you’re fat, or stupid or otherwise unappealing, the only person you should think badly about is them!
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Try to be different.         B.Different beliefs make different views.
C.You are actually amazing.    D.Trust what people say to you.
2.Which of the following sentences contains a metaphor (暗喻)?
A.A Democrat usually doesn’t view issues the same way as a Republican.
B.Some like custom shoes for personalization.
C.An anorexic looks in the mirror and thinks she is fat.
D.Design your own custom shoes, despite others’ critical eyes.
3.The reason why the writer wrote this passage is to        .
A.confuse people as how to think
B.help people learn how to do self – reflection
C.tell people different ways of thinking
D.show he is smarter than most of the people

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


Leehom Wang(王力宏)is different from other pop singers. He has a lot of musical talent. He can play the violin, the drums and the piano.
However, this time it is his environmentally-friendly behavior that is making him stand out. When his latest album Change Me came out, Wang used recycled paper rather than plastie to package his album and went by bicycle to the press conference.  “Everyone can make the world a better place on a daily basis,” he said.
Wang gives 10 pieces of advice in his new album. For example, he suggests that the temperature of an air-conditioner(空調(diào))should not be lower than 28 ℃.
Wang has Captured the hearts of millions of fans by singing, dancing, acting, composing songs, and working as a producer of many major records.  “I admire Wang for his sense of duty, responsibility and hard work,” said Li Xiaoshan, 17, who traveled from Nanjing to see Wang when he was in Beijing to promote (促銷(xiāo))his new CD.
Wang has established himself as a versatile (多才多藝的)musician in the pop scene and a good role model for Chinese youths around the world. He grew up in New York and first became fascinated at the sight of a violin at the age of six. His ambition has always been to be a musician. However, this was not what his parents’ wanted. They hoped he would be a doctor, which they saw as a steady and well-paid job.
Decisions about what Wang should do when he was older created tension in his family. So Wang decided to study biology at university to please his parents. But while he was studying, he continued practising singing and dancing and finally landed a record contract, which was the beginning of his career.
1. Wang rode a bicycle to attend the press conference ________.
A. to avoid the traffic jams              B. to show off his cycling skills
C. to cut down on the cost of trips        D. to show his environmental awareness
2. Li Xiaoshan travelled to Beijing ________.
A. to buy Wang’s latest album           B. to promote his own new CD
C. to welcome Wang’s new album        D. to make friends with Wang’s fans
3. Why did Wang’s parents intend him to become a doctor?
A. Doctors have a big and stable salary.   
B. Doctors enjoy a high social status.
C. It is easy for doctors to become famous.
D. It is doctors’ duty to save lives.
4. What can we learn from Leehom Wang’s story?
A. Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
B. The wisest men follow their own direction.
C. Determination today leads to success tomorrow.
D. Other people’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


Making greener choices, from the food you eat to the way you travel, can improve your health.A recent article advises people should try low–carbon (低碳) lifestyles which could be the most important contribution to yourself, even the earth.Some guidelines follow:
1.Use your own power rather than oil whenever you can     
Burning oil in your car makes pollution like carbon dioxide (CO2) that causes global warming.Cutting down on driving and using your own two legs helps cut global warming pollution and helps reduce weight problems over time without dangerous diets or surgery.
If all Americans used foot instead of engine as daily exercise during normal travel, we could reduce our oil dependence by more than a third.Besides, by using a push mower(剪草機(jī)) instead of a power mower to cut your lawn, you can also cut up to 80 pounds of CO2 per year! And you’ll get a great workout!
2.Drop the bottled water, drink tap (自來(lái)水)     
Drinking plenty of water is important during hot weather or when exercising.You may think bringing bottled water with you can be both convenient and harm-free to the environment.But, you may change your mind if you see the truth below in 2006, 30 billion plastic water bottles were made, which used the amount of more than 17 million barrels(桶)of oil–enough to fuel more than one million cars for a year, and produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.
If you have worries about your tap water, clean it regularly! The truth is that tap water is no worse than bottled water ant it saves much money.
3.Choose foods carefully
There are some general ways you can follow that are good for you and the planet:
a.Eating less meat and more grains and vegetables helps reduce the need to cut down forests to grow the food for animals
b.Buying local food may be environmentally–friendly.Locally grown foods often use much less oil in transport than the foods coming from somewhere far away, which would help reduce CO2 amount.
For more information, you may consult http://www.edf.org/
1.What benefit can people make if they walk more but drive less?
A.More pollution will be made during the process.
B.There will be no obvious effect on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide.
C.Every year, more than 30% of the oil can be saved, which will help weaken global warming.
D.People’s weight will stay the same, and they still need to go on a diet to get thinner.
2.Why should we change our preference to bottled water?
A.Bottled water contains more good things for our health.
B.Tap water is not clean enough for people to drink.
C.Bottled water is more expensive than tap water for its better quality.
D.Tap water is as good as bottled water, which wastes so much resource during its production.
3.If you mean to protect the environment, you will ________.
A.often buy food from foreign countries        B.seldom eat meat for dinner
C.usually drive to work and home               D.never boil tap water to drink
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Low–carbon lifestyles bring more harm than benefit to nature.
B.Man’s daily life activities have no effect on the changes of the environment.
C.What you eat can not only be good for your health, but also for the health of the earth.
D.The choice of food is completely personal, which won’t be important for nature at all.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


第三部分:閱讀理解(共15小題;每小題2分,滿分30分)
請(qǐng)認(rèn)真閱讀下列短文,從短文后各題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中,選出最佳選項(xiàng),并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
If you see a student napping (打瞌睡) in the library, don't roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour's nap can considerably improve and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a nap not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter.
"Sleep not only rights the wrong of extended wakefulness but it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap." said Matthew Walker, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the lead investigator of UC Berkeley sleep studies.
The latest study suggests that the brain may need sleep to process short-term memories, creating "space" for new facts to be learned. In their experiment, 39 healthy adults were given a hard learning task in the morning~~with broadly similar results, before half of them were sent for their nap. When the tests were repeated, the nappers improved their scores by 10 percent on average after sleeping; the scores of those who didn't nap actually dropped by 10 percent.
The results support previous data from the same research team that staying up all night―a common practice at college during midterms and finals―decreases the ability to memorize new facts by nearly 40 percent, due to a shutdown of brain regions for lack of sleep, said Walker.
"Sleep is needed to clear the brain's short-term memory storage and make room for new information." said Walker. "It's as though the e-mail inbox in your brain is full and, until you sleep and clear out those e-mails, you're not going to receive any more mail."
However, Professor Derk Jan Dijk, the director of the Surrey Sleep Research Centre, said that there was no clear evidence that daytime napping offered a distinct advantage over sleeping soundly just once over 24 hours.
"The sleep-wake cycle is not as fixed as we might think―we have the capability to sleep in different ways, "said Professor Derk Jan Djjk.
"The size of these effects is much more difficult to judge―if I have to learn something, for example, it's easier to do this when I'm feeling awake and ready than when I'm sleepy." he added.
56.According to UC Berkeley's new findings, the benefit of a nap is that   .
A.it helps to fix a napper's sleep-wake cycle
B.it makes hard learning tasks not difficult any more
C.it allows the brain to make room for new learning
D.it gives nappers chances to clear out their memory storage
57.Matthew Walker's study shows that___________.
A.learning ability in the morning is usually higher than that in the afternoon
B.extra working hours before an exam can make up for the lack of daily efforts
C.the size of the effects of napping depends on when it is taken
D.staying up late before an exam does not necessarily improve students' exam performance
58.The two research teams mentioned in the text may both agree that_____________      .
A.people's sleep-wake cycle decides the length of midday nap
B.sufficient sleep betters people's learning performance
C.scientific experiments are undependable as the results are often hard to judge
D.the differences in their findings result from different methods applied
59.What can we learn from this passage?
A.Rolling your eyes can stop you from napping.
B.Some people might move themselves when sleeping.
C.College students tend to study late into night before important exams.
D.Sleeping once over 24 hours is much better than daytime napping.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案