高中英语 Unit 1 Learning about Language语篇训练卷 新人教版必修2.docVIP

PAGE  Unit 1　Learning about Language 阅读理解 A It is a plain fact that we are in a world where competition is going on in all areas and at all levels. This is exciting. Yet, on the other hand, competition breeds a pragmatic(实用的)attitude. People choose to learn things that are useful, and do things that are profitable. Today’s college education is also affected by this general sense of utilitarianism(功利主义). Many college students choose business or computing programming as their majors convinced that these professions are where the big money is. It is not unusual to see the college students taking part-time jobs as a warming-up for the real battle. I often see my friends taking GRE tests, working on English or computer certificates and taking the driving lessons to get a license. Well, I have nothing against being practical. As the competition in the job market gets more and more intense, students do have reasons to be practical. However, we should never forget that college education is much more than skill training. Just imagine, if your utilitarianism prevails on campus, living no space for the cultivation(培养)of students’minds, or nurturing of their soul, we will see university is training out well trained spiritless working machines. If utilitarianism prevails society, we will see people bond by mind-forged medicals lost in the money-making ventures; we will see humanity losing their grace and dignity, and that would be disastrous. I’d like to think society as a carriage and people’s pursuit for profit or fame as the horse that pulls the carriage. Yet without the driver picking direction the carriage would go straight and may even end up in a precarious situation. A certificate may give you some advantage, but broad horizons, positive attitudes and personal integrities(正直), these are assets you cannot acquire through any quick fixed way. In today’s world, where highest level of competition is not of skills or expertise(专业技能), but of vision and strategy, your i