Tristesse Jones will probably never drive a tractor or guide a combine at harvest time. There isn't a farm within miles of where she grew up on Chicago's west side, but she's set to graduate with a bachelor's degree in crop sciences from the University of Illinois' agriculture school next spring. "People ask me what is my major, and they say 'What is that? So you want to grow plants?'" Jones said. She is one of a growing number of students being drawn to agriculture schools around the country, not by ties to a farm but by science, the job prospects for those who are good at it and, for some, an interest in the environment. Enrollment (入学人数) in bachelor's degree programs in agriculture across the country grew by 21.8 percent from 2005 to 2008, from about 58,300 students to nearly 71,000. Yet the number of farms nationwide has dropped for decades. Many students are choosing to major in agriculture, educators from across the country say, after finding out that much of what they'll learn is science—biology, chemistry and a long list of more specialized areas that can land them jobs at companies that produce the seeds and chemicals for farmers.Demand for science graduates, agriculture industry officials say, outstrips supply . Monsanto, the St. Louis agricultural business giant that makes seeds, pesticides (杀虫剂) and a series of other farm products, can't hire enough. UC-Davis' College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is one of the country's biggest agriculture schools and still has plenty of students studying in traditional areas, said Diane Ullman, the college's associate dean. But more than 3,200 of its agriculture students are studying so-called human sciences, such as nutrition, or environmental sciences, such as environmental policy. "I think that young people are recognizing all of the issues that surround our society that have to do with food, and I think there's a real interest in new ways of doing things and solving some of these problems," Ullman said.1. How do people feel when they have known Tristesse Jones's major?A) Excited.B) Annoyed.C) Surprised. D) Disappointed.2. Tristesse Jones chose to study agriculture because ________.A) she had great interest in agricultural studiesB) she intended to manage her family's farmC) it could help her to get a satisfactory job D) it could realize her childhood dreams3. According to the passage, students majoring in agriculture will ________.A) compete with students in other majors in the job marketB) have a wide range of potential job opportunities C) study quite a few courses about environmentD) mostly work in large farms after graduation4. What does the author imply by saying "Demand for science graduates, agriculture industry officials say, outstrips supply" (Para. 6)?A) It is easy for agriculture students to find jobs after graduation. B) It is advisable for agriculture students to learn more about science.C) People's prejudice against agricultural studies has been eliminated.D) Agricultural studies have attracted increasing attention from students.5. According to Ullman, why are there so many students studying the so-called human sciences?A) Because they think human sciences are more important than agriculture.B) Because they are inclined to get a satisfactory job easily after graduation.C) Because they think human sciences can better help those who are in need.D) Because they are fond of solving social problems with what they've learned.
题目解答
答案
解析
考查要点:本题主要考查学生对文章主旨的理解,以及根据上下文推断隐含信息的能力。文章围绕“农业专业吸引力的转变”展开,需抓住以下关键点:
- 农业专业不再局限于传统农场背景,而是因科学、就业前景和环境问题吸引学生。
- 数据对比(如入学人数增长与农场数量减少)暗示农业学科的现代转型。
- 隐含逻辑:企业对科学人才的高需求与学生职业规划的关联。
解题核心:通过人物事例、数据和专家观点,分析农业专业的新定位,结合选项匹配文章细节或合理推断。
第1题
关键句:
"People ask me what is my major, and they say 'What is that? So you want to grow plants?'"
解析:
Jones提到他人对她的专业感到困惑,认为农业仅涉及“种植物”,这表明人们对其选择感到惊讶(C)。
第2题
关键句:
"not by ties to a farm but by science, the job prospects for those who are good at it and, for some, an interest in the environment."
解析:
Jones选择农业的原因是科学和就业前景(C),而非传统农场关联或个人兴趣(A、D)。
第3题
关键句:
" Demand for science graduates... outstrips supply"(企业需求超过供给);Monsanto“无法招到足够人才”。
解析:
农业科学毕业生就业机会广泛(B),而非与其它专业竞争(A)、仅学环境课程(C)或去大农场工作(D)。
第4题
关键句:
“Demand... outstrips supply”(需求超过供给)。
解析:
此句暗示农业科学毕业生供不应求,即“容易找到工作”(A),而非其他选项的表面推断。
第5题
关键句:
"young people are recognizing all of the issues that surround our society that have to do with food... solving some of these problems"
解析:
Ullman认为学生因想用知识解决社会问题(D)而选择人类科学,而非认为其更重要(A)或易就业(B)。