2014年6月大学英语四级阅读理解真题及答案804

Thequestionofwhetherourgovernmentshouldpromotescienceandtechnologyortheliberalartsinhighereducationisn'taneither/orproposition（命题），althoughthecurrentemphasisonpreparingyoungAmericansforSTEM（science,technology,engineering,maths）-relatedfieldscanmakeitseemthatway.Thelatestcongressionalreportacknowledgesthecriticalimportanceoftechnicaltraining,butalsoassertsthatthestudyofthehumanities（人文学科）andsocialsciencesmustremaincentralcomponentsofAmerica'seducationalsystematalllevels.Botharecriticaltoproducingcitizenswhocanparticipateeffectivelyinourdemocraticsociety,becomeinnovative（创新的）leaders,andbenefitfromthespiritualenrichmentthatthereflectiononthegreatideasofmankindovertimeprovides.Parentsandstudentswhohaveinvestedheavilyinhighereducationworryaboutgraduates'jobprospectsastechnologicaladvancesandchangesindomesticandglobalmarketstransformprofessionsinwaysthatreducewagesandcutjobs.Underthesecircumstances,it'snaturaltolookforwhatmayappeartobethemost“practical”wayoutoftheproblem“Majorinasubjectdesignedtogetyouajob”seemstheobviousanswertosome,thoughthisignoresthefactthatmanydisciplinesinthehumanitiescharacterizedas“soft”often,infact,leadtoemploymentandsuccessinthelongrun.Indeed,accordingtosurveys,employershaveexpressedapreferenceforstudentswhohavereceivedabroadly-basededucationthathastaughtthemtowritewell,thinkcritically,researchcreatively,andcommunicateeasily.Moreover,studentsshouldbepreparednotjustfortheirfirstjob,butfortheir4thand5thjobs,asthere'slittlereasontodoubtthatpeopleenteringtheworkforcetodaywillbecalledupontoplaymanydifferentrolesoverthecourseoftheircareers.Theoneswhowilldothebestinthisnewenvironmentwillbethosewhoseeducationshavepreparedthemtobeflexible.Theabilitytodrawuponeveryavailabletoolandinsight—pickedupfromscience,arts,andtechnology—tosolvetheproblemsofthefuture,andtakeadvantageoftheopportunitiesthatpresentthemselves,willbehelpfultothemandtheUnitedStates.Whatdoesthelatestcongressionalreportsuggest?STEM-relatedsubjectshelpstudentsfindjobsintheinformationsociety.ThehumanitiesandSTEMsubjectsshouldbegivenequalimportance.Theliberalartsinhighereducationhelpenrichstudents'spirituallife.Highereducationshouldbeadjustedtothepracticalneedsofsociety.Whatisthemainconcernofstudentswhentheychooseamajor?Theirinterestinrelevantsubjects.Theacademicvalueofthecourses.Thequalityofeducationtoreceive.Theirchancesofgettingagoodjob.Whatdoestheauthorsayaboutthesocalledsoftsubjects?Thebenefitstudentsintheirfuturelife.Theybroadenstudents'rangeofinterests.Theyimprovestudents'communicationskills.Theyareessentialtostudents'healthygrowth.Whatkindofjobapplicantsdoemployerslookfor?Thosewhohaveastrongsenseofresponsibility.Thosewhoaregoodatsolvingpracticalproblems.Thosewhoarelikelytobecomeinnovativeleaders.Thosewhohavereceivedawell-roundededucation.Whatadvicedoestheauthorgivetocollegestudents?Seizeopportunitiestotaptheirpotential.B） Trytotakeavarietyofpracticalcourses.C） Preparethemselvesfordifferentjoboptions.D） Adoptaflexibleapproachtosolvingproblems.密码：BDADCBThehumanitiesandSTEMsubjectsshouldbegivenequalimportance.DTheirchancesofgettingagoodjob.ATheybenefitstudentsintheirfuturelife.DThosewhohavereceivedawell-roundededucation.CPreparethemselvesfordifferentjoboptions.Energyindependence.Ithasaniceringtoit.Doesn'tit?Ifyouthinkso,you'renotalone,becauseenergyindependencehasbeenthedreamofAmericanpresidentfordecades,andnevermoresothaninthepastfewyears,whenthemostrecentoilpriceshockhasbeenpartlyresponsibleforkickingoffthegreatrecession.“Energyindependence”anditsrhetorical（修辞的）companion“energysecurity”are,however,slipperyconceptsthatarerarelythoughthrough.Whatisitwewantindependencefrom,exactly?Mostpeoplewouldprobablysaythattheywanttobeindependentfromimportedoil.Buttherearereasonsthatwebuyallthatoldfromelsewhere.Thefirstreasonisthatweneedittokeepoureconomyrunning.Yes,thereisatrickle（涓涓细流）ofbiofuel（生物燃料）available,andmoremaybecomeavailable,butmostbiofuelscauseeconomicwasteandenvironmentaldestruction.Second,Americanshavebasicallydecidedthattheydon'treallywanttoproducealltheirownoil.Theyvaluetheenvironmentalqualitytheypreserveovertheiroilimportsfromabroad.VastareasoftheUnitedStatesareoff-limitstooilexplorationandproductioninthenameofenvironmentalprotection.TowhatextentareAmericansreallywillingtoenduretheenvironmentalimpactsofdomesticenergyproductioninordertocutbackimports?Third,therearebenefitstotrade.Itallowsforeconomicefficiency,andwhenwebuythingsfromplacesthathavelowerproductioncoststhanwedo,webenefit.Andalthoughyoudon'treadaboutthismuch,theUnitedStatesisalsoalargeexporterofoilproducts,sellingabout2millionbarrelsofpetroleumproductsperdaytoabout90countries.ThereisnoquestionthattheUnitedStatesimportsagreatdealofenergyand,infact,reliesonthatsteadyflowtomaintainitseconomy.Whenthatflowisinterrupted,wefeelthepaininshortsuppliesandhigherprices,Atthesametime,wederivemassiveeconomicbenefitswhenwebuythemostaffordableenergyontheworldmarketandwhenweengageinenergytradearoundtheworld.WhatdoestheauthorsayaboutenergyindependenceforAmerica?Itsoundsveryattractive.C)Itwillbringoilpricesdown.Itensuresnationalsecurity.D)Ithaslongbeeneveryone'sdream.Whatdoestheauthorthinkofbiofuels?TheykeepAmerica'seconomyrunninghealthily.Theyprovetobeagoodalternativetopetroleum.Theydonotprovideasustainableenergysupply.Theycauseseriousdamagetotheenvironment.WhydoesAmericarelyheavilyonoilimports?Itwantstoexpanditsstorageofcrudeoil.Itsownoilreservesarequicklyrunningout.Itwantstokeepitsownenvironmenti