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Attending university offers a multitude of benefits that can significantly impact an individuals personal and professional life.Here are some of the key advantages of pursuing higher education:1.Academic Growth:University education provides a structured environment for deep learning.Students have the opportunity to delve into subjects they are passionate about, acquiring specialized knowledge and critical thinking skills.2.Career Opportunities:A university degree often serves as a stepping stone to better job prospects.Many employers require a degree for certain positions,and higher education can lead to higherpaying jobs.working:Universities are hubs for meeting people from diverse backgrounds. Students can build a network of peers,professors,and alumni that can be invaluable for future collaborations and career opportunities.4.Personal Development:Living away from home and being part of a university community can foster independence and maturity.Students learn to manage their time, finances,and responsibilities,which are crucial life skills.5.Cultural Exposure:Universities often host a variety of cultural events,lectures,and exhibitions,exposing students to different perspectives and ideas,broadening their worldview.6.Research Opportunities:For those interested in academia,universities provide a platform to engage in research projects,often under the guidance of experienced faculty members.This can lead to publications and a strong foundation for a career in research.7.Extracurricular Activities:Universities offer a wide range of clubs,societies,and sports teams.Participation in these activities can help students discover new interests, develop leadership skills,and make lifelong friends.8.Access to Resources:Students have access to extensive libraries,research databases, and stateoftheart facilities that can enhance their learning experience and provide a wealth of resources for academic and personal projects.9.International Experience:Many universities offer study abroad programs,allowing students to experience different cultures and education systems,which can be a lifechanging experience.10.Social Responsibility:Higher education often encourages students to think about their role in society and to engage in community service or activism,contributing to the betterment of society.11.Graduate Studies:A bachelors degree is typically a prerequisite for graduate studies, such as masters and doctoral programs.This opens up further opportunities for specialization and advanced research.12.Lifelong Learning:The habit of learning that is cultivated in university often extends beyond the academic years,leading to a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and personal growth.In conclusion,university education is not just about obtaining a degree it is a comprehensive experience that can shape an individuals future in multiple ways,from enhancing employability to fostering a sense of global citizenship.。
学校和专业哪个更重要英语作文写作一篇英语作文来探讨学校和专业哪个更重要时，可以采取对比论述的方式，并结合个人见解与实际案例来支持论点。
以下是一篇示例性的英语作文：---Title: The Dilemma of Choice: University Reputation or Major Suitability - Which Matters More?In the realm of higher education, prospective students often grapple with the crucial decision of prioritizing university prestige over the suitability of their chosen major. This debate is a persistent one, with compelling arguments on both sides.On one hand, proponents of prestigious universities argue that the reputation and ranking of an institution can significantly impact a graduate's career prospects. A renowned university typically boasts state-of-the-art facilities, distinguished faculty members, and a powerful alumni network. These resources not only enhance the quality of education but also provide ample opportunities for internships, research collaborations, and future job placements. Moreover, employers often hold graduates from top-tier institutions in high regard, which could potentially open doors to elite careers.However, advocates for selecting the right major contend that passion and aptitude are key drivers of success. Choosing a field that aligns with personal interests and talents is pivotal since it ensures commitment, enjoyment, and ultimately, professional satisfaction. An individual may thrive in a less renowned university if they are immersed in a subject area they genuinely love and excel at. Additionally, many industries value specialized knowledge and practical skills more than just a prestigious alma mater, especially in fields such as technology, arts, and certain vocational disciplines.A balanced perspective suggests that while the reputation of a university certainly counts, it should not overshadow the importance of choosing a compatible major. It would be unwise to compromise on one's true calling merely for the sake of attending a well-known university. Conversely, opting for a famous university without due consideration for the major might lead to dissatisfaction and limited growth potential in the long run.Ultimately, the decision should rest upon a combination of factors – the compatibility of the major with the student's goals, the educational environment provided by the university, and the long-term benefits each option offers. A student's journey to success may be greatly facilitated by a reputable university, yet it is equally vital that they engage in a course of study that fuels their passion and prepares them effectively for their desired career path.In conclusion, neither the university nor the major alone can guarantee future success; rather, it is the synergy between the two that truly matters. Therefore, it is essential for students to weigh up these aspects carefully, seeking counsel and conducting thorough research before making a decision that will influence their lives and careers profoundly.---Please note that this is a general outline and could be further developed with specific examples, statistics, and references to support the points made.。
My university is a place where I have spent some of the most formative years of my life.It is not just an institution for learning but also a community that has shaped my character and outlook on life.Location and Campus:The university is nestled in the heart of a bustling city,yet it maintains an atmosphere of tranquility and academic focus.The campus is vast,with a mix of modern and traditional architecture that reflects the institutions rich history and commitment to innovation.Lush green lawns,wellmaintained gardens,and stateoftheart facilities create an environment conducive to both study and recreation.Academic Programs:The university offers a wide range of academic programs across various disciplines,from the humanities to the sciences.The faculty is diverse and highly qualified,with many professors being leaders in their respective fields.The curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in critical thinking,research,and problemsolving skills,preparing students for the challenges of the professional world.Campus Life:Campus life is vibrant and dynamic.There are numerous clubs and societies that cater to a variety of interests,from sports and arts to social and political activism.These extracurricular activities not only provide a break from academic pursuits but also help in building leadership and teamwork skills.Library and Resources:The university library is a treasure trove of knowledge,housing an extensive collection of books,journals,and digital resources.It is a quiet sanctuary for students to delve into their studies,with comfortable seating,individual study rooms,and a helpful staff.Student Support Services:The university provides a range of support services to ensure that students have a wellrounded experience.These include academic advising,career counseling,mental health services,and a robust student affairs department that organizes various events and workshops throughout the year.International Exposure:One of the highlights of my university is its commitment to internationalization.There are many opportunities for students to participate in exchange programs,attend international conferences,and engage with a diverse student body from around the globe.Campus Facilities:The campus is equipped with stateoftheart facilities,including computer labs,science labs,a sports complex,and a performing arts center.These facilities not only enhance the learning experience but also provide a platform for students to explore their passions and talents.Alumni Network:The university boasts a strong alumni network that spans across various industries and continents.This network is a testament to the quality of education and the opportunities provided by the university,offering current students a chance to connect with successful professionals and gain valuable insights into their chosen fields.Conclusion:Attending this university has been a transformative experience.It has not only equipped me with the knowledge and skills necessary for my chosen career but has also instilled in me a sense of curiosity,resilience,and a global perspective.The friendships,experiences, and memories I have made here will undoubtedly last a lifetime.。
高等教育自学考试自考《英语二》模拟试题与参考答案一、阅读判断（共10分）第一题Passage:In the era of globalization, English has become the dominant language in international communication. As a result, the importance of learning English has been increasingly recognized worldwide. The following passage discusses the benefits of learning English and the challenges faced by language learners.1.English has become the primary language for international communication.2.Learning English is not as important as it used to be.3.The passage mentions the benefits of learning English.4.The passage talks about the challenges faced by language learners.5.The passage suggests that the importance of learning English is decreasing.Questions:1、The passage states that English has become the dominant language for international communication. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. English is not the primary language for international communication.B. English has become the primary language for international communication.C. The passage does not mention anything about the role of English in international communication.D. The importance of English is decreasing in international communication.2、The passage discusses the benefits of learning English. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. Learning English has no benefits.B. The passage mentions the benefits of learning English.C. The passage does not discuss the benefits of learning English.D. The benefits of learning English are not mentioned in the passage.3、The passage talks about the challenges faced by language learners. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. The passage does not mention any challenges faced by language learners.B. The passage discusses the challenges faced by language learners.C. The challenges faced by language learners are not mentioned in the passage.D. The passage suggests that language learners face no challenges.4、The passage suggests that the importance of learning English is decreasing. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. The importance of learning English is decreasing.B. The passage does not mention anything about the importance of learning English.C. The passage suggests that the importance of learning English isincreasing.D. The passage suggests that the importance of learning English remains the same.5、Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. English is not as important as it used to be.B. The passage does not mention the importance of learning English.C. The passage suggests that learning English is more important now than ever before.D. The passage states that learning English is not as important as it used to be.Answers:1、B2、B3、B4、A5、C第二题Read the following passage and then answer the questions by choosing the correct answer (True, False, or Cannot be determined) from the options given.Passage:The evolution of the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and access information. With the advent of social media platforms, people can nowconnect with others from all over the world in real-time. This has had a significant impact on global culture and society, as it has made information more accessible and has facilitated the exchange of ideas.1、The internet has had a major impact on global culture and society.A. TrueB. FalseC. Cannot be determined2、Social media platforms allow people to connect with others from different parts of the world.A. TrueB. FalseC. Cannot be determined3、The internet has made information less accessible.A. TrueB. FalseC. Cannot be determined4、The exchange of ideas has been hindered by the internet.A. TrueB. FalseC. Cannot be determined5、The evolution of the internet has not changed how we communicate.A. TrueB. FalseC. Cannot be determinedAnswers:1、A. True2、A. True3、B. False4、B. False5、B. False二、阅读理解（共10分）Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.The advent of the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and access information. One of the most significant impacts of the internet is the ease with which we can now learn new skills and knowledge. Online learning platforms and courses have made education more accessible and flexible than ever before.Online courses offer several advantages over traditional classroom settings. Firstly, they provide students with the convenience of learning at their own pace and in their own time. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for working professionals and those with family commitments. Secondly, online courses often offer a wide range of subjects and topics, allowing students to explore areas of interest that may not be available in their local educationalinstitutions. Additionally, online learning platforms often provide interactive tools and resources that enhance the learning experience.However, despite these benefits, online learning also presents certain challenges. One of the main concerns is the lack of face-to-face interaction, which can be crucial for building a strong foundation in certain subjects. Additionally, the self-discipline required to complete online courses without the structure of a traditional classroom can be a barrier for some students.Many educational institutions have recognized the potential of online learning and have started to offer their own online courses and degrees. This has expanded the reach of higher education and made it more inclusive. Moreover, governments around the world have been investing in online learning initiatives to bridge the education gap and improve literacy rates.Question:What is one of the main advantages of online courses mentioned in the passage?A)They require more self-discipline than traditional courses.B)They lack the interactive tools and resources of traditional classrooms.C)They offer the flexibility of learning at one’s own pace and in one’s own time.D)They are less likely to be beneficial for working professionals.Answer:C) They offer the flexibility of learning at one’s own pace and in one’s own time.三、概况段落大意和补全句子（共10分）第一题Passage:The following passage is from a book about the history of higher education in the United States. Read the passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow.In the United States, higher education has a rich and complex history. The first colleges were established in the 17th century, and they were primarily founded by religious institutions. These early colleges were small, with a focus on classical education and religious training. Over time, however, the scope of higher education expanded significantly. The 19th century saw the rise of the research university, which combined teaching and research in a new way. Today, higher education in the U.S. includes a wide range of institutions, from small liberal arts colleges to large research universities.Questions:1、The passage discusses the history of higher education in the United States. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor in the early establishment of colleges?A. Religious institutionsB. Classical educationC. Professional trainingD. Religious training2、The 19th century marked a significant change in higher education. What was this change characterized by?A. The decline of religious institutionsB. The rise of the research universityC. The increase in the number of studentsD. The focus on vocational education3、The passage mentions that early colleges were “small.” What does the author imply by this statement?A. Early colleges were not well-funded.B. Early colleges were only for the wealthy.C. Early colleges had limited resources.D. Early colleges were more exclusive.4、The author states that “Today, higher education in the U.S. includesa wide range of institutions.” What is the author suggesting about the current state of higher education?A. Higher education is becoming less diverse.B. There is a trend towards larger, more specialized institutions.C. Higher education is more accessible to a wider population.D. Higher education is becoming more expensive.5、The passage concludes with a comparison of early colleges to contemporary institutions. What is the author’s purpose in making this comparison?A. To show the continuity of higher education over time.B. To highlight the differences between early and modern colleges.C. To emphasize the importance of religious education in early colleges.D. To discuss the role of research in modern higher education.Answers:1、C2、B3、C4、C5、A第二题Read the following paragraph and then answer the questions that follow.Paragraph:The rapid advancement of technology has significantly transformed the way we live and work. In the field of education, online learning platforms have gained immense popularity, offering flexibility and accessibility to students worldwide. These platforms provide a wide array of courses, ranging from basic skills to advanced professional development. However, despite the benefits, some challenges persist, such as the need for self-discipline and potential lack of personal interaction. Additionally, the increasing reliance on technology in education raises concerns about the future of traditional classroom settings.1.What is the main topic of the paragraph?A) The benefits of traditional classroom settings.B) The challenges of online learning platforms.C) The transformation of education through technology.D) The future of online learning platforms.2.According to the paragraph, what are the advantages of online learning platforms?A) They require high levels of self-discipline.B) They limit personal interaction between students.C) They offer flexibility and accessibility.D) They are less effective than traditional education.3.What challenge is mentioned in the paragraph regarding online learning platforms?A) The need for frequent updates.B) The potential lack of personal interaction.C) The high cost of online courses.D) The difficulty in assessing student progress.4.The paragraph discusses the impact of technology on what aspect of education?A) Teaching methods.B) Student engagement.C) The physical classroom environment.D) The availability of resources.5.What is one of the concerns raised about the reliance on technology in education?A) The decline in student attention spans.B) The future of traditional classroom settings.C) The potential for increased cyberbullying.D) The reliance on outdated teaching materials.Answers:1.C) The transformation of education through technology.2.C) They offer flexibility and accessibility.3.B) The potential lack of personal interaction.4.C) The physical classroom environment.5.B) The future of traditional classroom settings.四、填空补文（共10分）Reading PassageIn the modern world, language learning has become increasingly important. English, in particular, is considered a global language, and proficiency in Englis h is often a key factor in career success. One way to improve one’s English skills is through self-study. The self-study examination system for higher education, known as “self-study examination” or “self-study degree examination,” allows individuals to st udy and take exams independently. In this passage, we will discuss the English subject for the second level of self-study examination.The English subject for the second level of self-study examination focuses on the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Theexamination aims to test candidates’ comprehensive English proficiency and ability to apply English in practical situations.Fill in the blanks with the appropriate options:1.The self-study examination system for higher education is also known as the _______.A. English examinationB. self-study examinationC. degree examinationD. comprehensive examination2.The English subject for the second level of self-study examination is designed to improve_______skills.A. mathematicsB. ChineseC. EnglishD. physics3.The examination aims to test candidates’_______proficiency.A. mathematicalB. ChineseC. EnglishD. scientific4.One way to improve one’s English skills is through _______.A. traditional classroom learningB. self-studyC. group studyD. online learning5.English is considered a_______language in the modern world.A. localB. regionalC. globalD. nationalAnswers1.B. self-study examination2.C. English3.C. English4.B. self-study5.C. global五、填词补文（共15分）第一题Read the following passage and complete the sentences with the appropriate words in the box below.In the bustling city of New York, there are numerous 1 that attract tourists from all over the world. Times Square, with its 2 of neon lights and towering skyscrapers, is a symbol of 3 and modernity. The 4 of Broadway theaters offers a wide range of performances, from classic plays to contemporary musicals. The5 of Central Park provides a6 escape from the urban jungle, offering serene walks and beautiful landscapes.A. attractionsB. shimmeringC. vibrancyD. repertoireE. oasis1.__________2.__________3.__________4.__________5.__________6.__________Answers:1.A. attractions2.B. shimmering3.C. vibrancy4.D. repertoire5.E. oasis6.E. oasis第二题阅读内容：In today’s fast-paced world, 1, it is crucial for individuals tocontinuously 2 their knowledge and skills. One such way is through self-study examinations, which allow learners to progress at their own pace. The following passage is about the benefits of self-study examinations.If you are preparing for the self-study examination known as “English Level Two,” you should be familiar with the following vocabulary and phrases that are commonly used in the test.Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the list below:a)broadenb)pursuingc)adaptd)accessiblee)motivatedf)effectiveg)enhanceh)fundamentali)diversej)comprehensivePassage:The self-study examination for 1 has become increasingly 2 for professionals and students alike. It offers a 3 and flexible learning environment, allowing individuals to 4 their learning experience according to their own needs and schedules. The examination covers a wide range of topics, ensuring that learners gain 5 knowledge and skills in English.1.__________2.__________3.__________4.__________5.__________Answers:1.d) accessible2.e) motivated3.j) comprehensive4.a) broaden5.f) enhance六、完型补文（共15分）第一题Read the following passage and fill in the blanks with the most suitable words from the options given below.James was an intelligent and ambitious young man who always dreamt of traveling the world. He knew that to achieve his goal, he needed to learn a new language. After much research, he decided to take the self-study examination for college English, specifically the second level (CET-4).James spent hours studying every day, focusing on improving his vocabulary and grammar. He also practiced listening and speaking to become more fluent.One day, while he was reading an article about language learning, he came across a tip that suggested reading newspapers and magazines in the target language could be very helpful.1、James decided to start reading newspapers and magazines in English to improve his ________.A. vocabularyB. grammarC. listening skillsD. speaking skills2、By reading newspapers and magazines, James hoped to become more ________.A. intelligentB. ambitiousC. fluentD. ambitious3、James believed that reading newspapers and magazines in English would________his learning process.A. complicateB. simplifyC. frustrateD. hinder4、After a few months of consistent practice, James noticed a significant improvement in his ________.A. vocabularyB. grammarC. listening skillsD. speaking skills5、James’ hard work and dedication eventually paid off when he________the self-study examination with flying colors.A. passedB. failedC. postponedD. canceled答案：1、A2、C3、B4、A5、A第二题The following passage has eight blanks. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. You should choose the one that best fits into the passage.Reading passage:In the past few decades, the internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and access information. From social media to online shopping, ithas become an integral part of our daily lives. However, this digital age has also brought about several challenges, one of which is the issue of online privacy.1、__________, many users are concerned about the security of their personal information when using online services.A. As a resultB. For instanceC. In additionD. On the other hand2、__________, data breaches have become increasingly common, leading to the exposure of sensitive information.A. FurthermoreB. HoweverC. ConsequentlyD. Moreover3、__________, it is crucial for individuals to take steps to protect their online privacy.A. Despite the above challengesB. In order to overcome these challengesC. As a result of the digital ageD. In light of the current situation4、__________, using strong passwords and enabling two-factorauthentication can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access.A. For one thingB. For anotherC. On the one handD. On the other hand5、__________, it is important to be cautious about the information we share online.A. FinallyB. In conclusionC. In the endD. UltimatelyAnswers:1.A2.A3.D4.A5.A七、写作（30分）Task: Write an essay of about 200 words on the following topic:“Online learning has become increasingly popular in recent years. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, and give your opinion onwhether it can fully replace traditional classroom teaching.”Sample Essay:Online learning has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we acquire knowledge and skills. There are several advantages to this mode of education. Firstly, it offers flexibility, allowing students to study at their own pace and schedule. This is particularly beneficial for working professionals or those with family commitments who cannot attend regular classes. Secondly, online learning provides access to a vast array of resources, including e-books, videos, and interactive tools, which can enhance the learning experience. Lastly, it encourages self-motivation and independence, as students must take responsibility for their own learning.However, there are also disadvantages to consider. One major drawback is the lack of face-to-face interaction, which can hinder the development of communication skills. Additionally, some students may struggle withself-discipline and time management when learning independently. Moreover, not all subjects are well-suited for online learning, and certain practical skills might require hands-on experience that cannot be replicated online.In my opinion, while online learning can be a valuable supplement to traditional classroom teaching, it is unlikely to fully replace it. The social and collaborative aspects of classroom learning are crucial for personal and academic growth. However, with advancements in technology, online learning can be integrated into traditional education to create a more comprehensive learningexperience.Parsing:•The essay begins with a statement of the topic and then introduces the advantages of online learning.•The advantages are presented with clear and concise points, each followed by a brief explanation.•The essay then turns to the disadvantages of online learning, again using clear and structured sentences.•The author’s opinion is clearly stated, followed by a logical argument supporting the viewpoint.•The conclusion summarizes the main points and reinforces the author’s stance on the topic.•The essay is coherent, well-organized, and adheres to the word limit requirement.。
2024届浙江省义乌市高三下学期5月第二次适应性考试英语试卷学校:___________姓名：___________班级：___________考号：___________一、阅读理解Would you like to come to the Royal Opera House to experience incredible opera productions for only £ 7.50? Students’ applications for 2024/25 are now open!La bohème13 May 2024 12: 30 pm Applications openOPERA (Italian with English surtitles)Paris, 1900. Penniless writer Rodolfo believes that art is all he needs-until he meets Mimi, the lonely seamstress who lives upstairs. So begins a timeless love story that blooms, fades, and rekindles with the passing seasons. [Content Warning: this production contains loud noises and flashing lights]Hansel and Gretel9 January 2025 11: 30 am Applications openOPERA (English with surtitles)This famous fairy tale of two children who get lost in the forest and are lured into the home of an evil witch makes for a magical experience for you. Will Hansel and Gretel escape the witch’s gingerbread house and manage to return home? This performance includes a special Everybody Sing at the end of the production with the cast and orchestra!Carmen11 June 2025 11: 30 am Applications openOPERA (French with English surtitles)Carmen is a rebel with a passionate cause-she wants to live and love in her own way. Though Carmen warns Don José not to love her, he gives up his job, reputation, and girlfriend for her with disastrous consequences. [Content Warning: this production contains themes of moderate violence]1．What do La bohème and Carmen have in common?A．They are both comedies.B．They are both love stories.C．They are both set in France.D．They are performed in the same language. 2．What sets Hansel and Gretel apart from the other performances?A．It is adapted from a biography.B．It includes some violent scenes.C．It allows audience participation.D．It is available to enjoy this year.3．Where is this text probably from?A．A guidebook.B．A website.C．A brochure.D．A review.Last night, I told my Argentinian friend that I had been using LangAI to practice my Spanish. It can not only correct my errors, I told him, but also give me different regional expressions in the language, including Mexican Spanish, Argentinian Spanish, and Spanglish. And, unlike when I am chatting with him on WhatsApp, I do not have to factor in time zone differences.My friend seemed less excited. “So, you’ve replaced me?” he joked. I haven’t, of course. The convenience and width of an AI chatbot can’t compete with the pleasures of chatting with someone whose personality I have learned over the course of years.It is, however, a useful supplement.LangAI, one specific language-learning chatbot, was launched in March by Federico Ruiz Cassarino. He drew on his own experiences of learning English after moving from Uruguay to Britain.Many people get self-conscious about making mistakes in a language they barely speak, even to a tutor, Ruiz Cassarino notes. But a chatbot won’t judge you. And the new wave of generative AI is so advanced that rather than stick to boring pre-scripted（照本宣科的）role-plays, “you can speak about things that are interesting to you, which makes it feel like not as much of a chore to learn.” To this end, the team customized LangAI’s interface to match users’ vocabulary levels, added the ability to make corrections during a conversation, and enabled the conversion of speech to text.AI-powered language learning apps have weaknesses. Users are reporting that chatbots are quite competent in widely spoken European languages, but the quality substantially worsens for languages that are less represented online or that have different writing systems. Even in common languages, the chatbots make errors, sometimes inventing words. This may not bother advanced learners much, but with these chatbots delivering text so confidently, it would be easy for a relatively new learner to take what they say as correct.4．What advantages does AI have over my friend?A．Fix every error in conversations.B．Display differences in languages.C．Provide enjoyable conversations.D．Offer round-the-clock assistance.5．What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph 2 refer to?A．The course of years.B．Practices on LangAI.C．Chats on WhatsApp.D．The pleasures of chatting.6．Why is Cassarino’s language learning experience mentioned?A．To highlight the inspiration behind LangAI’s creation.B．To illustrate the challenges faced by language learners.C．To compare the differences between different languages.D．To show LangAI’s emphasis on personalized experiences7．What can LangAI do to support language learners?A．Scoring users’ performance in conversations.B．Generating speech according to the given text.C．Creating new words by the rules of word formation.D．Providing dialogues based on users’ language proficiency.The corn eaten around the world today originated in Mexico nearly 10,000 years ago. From the ancient rituals of the Mayans to modern-day dishes like tortillas, corn is central to culture, cuisine, and identity in this region.To protect this heritage, Mexico is fighting to phase out genetically modified (GM) U. S. — grow n corn this year. The Mexican government claims that banning GM corn will protect the country’s native corn varieties. Yet the announcement aroused strong objections from the U. S., whose largest annual customer for GM corn is often Mexico. The U. S. claims that the GM ban breaks the trade agreement between the two countries.Mexico insists that modified seeds threaten Mexico’s agricultural traditions and cultural identity. In the U. S., most corn is grown with seed produced by large companies, which create just a handful of genetically identical corn varieties grown at mass scale. In Mexico, however, seeds come from seed-sharing practices among small-scale farms, which facilitates more diversity and allows farmers to grow corn that ranges widely in color and size.“Traditional varieties maintain a substantial amount of genetic diversity,” says JeffreyRoss-Ibarra, an ecologist at the University of California, but he doesn’t think banning GM corn will help preserve these varieties, and points to adec line in small-scale farms as the greater threat to native corn. “If traditional farmers abandon subsistence farming, we’re potentially losing diversity whether that crop is GM or traditionally bred, so economic policy has a much bigger impact on the risk of corn diversity than an adoption of GM corn.” Since Mexico began importing U. S. corn, small-scale farms have been declining.Mauricio Bellon, a research professor at the Swett Center for Sustainable Foods Systems, believes that while threatened species are often stored in gene banks, the relationship between a farmer and their crop plays a crucial conservation role. “Evolution at scale continues with corn in Mexico through millions of farmers,” says him.8．Why is Mexico prohibiting GM corn?A．To safeguard its own types of corn.B．To reduce the cost of importing corn.C．To get rid of the dependence on the US.D．To stop the decrease of small-scale farms. 9．What is different in corn production practices between the US and Mexico from paragraph 3?A．The technology of farming.B．The source of corn seeds.C．The ownership of farmland.D．The relationship between farmers. 10．What’s Jefferey’s attitude toward the Mexican government’s claim?A．Approval.B．Concerned.C．Critical.D．Tolerant. 11．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A．GM corn has negative effects on traditional farms.B．Endangered species are well preserved in gene banks.C．Species diversity contributes to the evolution of speciesD．Traditional farming practices help in preserving corn varieties.The colorful anemonefish (海葵鱼), also known as clownfish, possesses a cheerful and carefree image among humans. However, their actual behavior might not always align with the family-friendly portrayal seen in a Pixar film. They can aggressively defend their territory against other anemonefish they perceive as threats.To investigate how these fish identify group members, a team from Japan conducted two experiments with lab-raised common clownfish that had never encountered any other species.In the first experiment, researchers introduced different species of anemonefish, distinguishable by the number of white bars on their bodies, into a tank in small cases. They observed that the common clownfish were particularly hostile toward members of their own species that displayed three white bars. These fish fought 80 percent of their specific-targeted fish for up to three seconds. In contrast, invaders from other species, like the orange skunk clownfish with no side bars and a white line along its back, were barely attacked. The two-barred Clarke’s clownfish and three-barred saddleback clownfish were “mildly bullied”, according to the team.During the second experiment, the researchers exposed a colony of clownfish to various plastic discs. The discs were painted with anemonefish coloration and measured the level of aggression towards these artificial models. Similar to reactions to live fish, models with two bars were less frequently attacked, and those without any bars saw the least aggression. According to study co-author and ecologist Kina Hayashi, the findings “suggest that clownfish is capable of counting the number of bars to recognize the species of the invader”.The team also found that a rigid hierarchy (社会等级) within clownfish colonies determines which specific fish attack the invader. Earlier studies have shown that the social position of the clownfish is determined by very slight differences in size. This study used fish that had not matured and were in a lab setting, but the team still observed the same size-based hierarchy. The largest clownfish led the charge against the invader.12．What does the underlined word “hostile” mean in the third paragraph?A．Unfriendly.B．Tolerant.C．Patient.D．Sympathetic. 13．How is the study conducted?A．By introducing a new concept.B．By comparing different clownfish.C．By observing clownfish’ behaviors.D．By analyzing statistics of previous studies. 14．What is the finding of the two experiments?A．Clownfish can’t reach maturity in a lab setting.B．Skunk clownfish is the most modest clownfish.C．The social position of a clownfish depends on its size.D．Clownfish identify threats by the number of vertical bars.15．Which is the best title of the passage?A．Barred and Bullied: Attacks from Anemonefish.B．Clownfish and Conflicts: Strict Social Hierarchies.C．Beyond the Screen: The identification of Clownfish.D．From Lab to Tank: Aggression Among Anemonefish.I am always confused when reading statements like “Princeton University is the number one college in the United States.” Are those who attend Princeton inherently brighter than their peers? 16 Or is Princeton the best across all academic subjects overall?I didn’t care about college rankings for years until I recently saw something different. This past October, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy unveiled the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023, which assesses universities worldwide across 55 subjects in five disciplines. 17 And this makes it easier for prospective students to choose the best college for their specific subject.18 When I delved deeper into the methodology behind these rankings, I discovereda complex web of criteria, including academic reputation, research output, and international collaboration. 19 However, they do not capture the entirety of the college experience. Factors like campus culture, extracurricular opportunities, and faculty-student interactions can profoundly shape your undergraduate years, yet they often remain unquantifiable in ranking systems.20 What may be the ideal environment for one student pursuing engineering might not suit another studying literature. It’s crucial to consider your personal preferences, career aspirations, and learning style when evaluating potential colleges. While prestigious universities may offer unparalleled resources and networking opportunities, a smaller, lesser-known college might provide a more nurturing and supportive environment for your individual growth and development. Ultimately, the best college for you is the one that aligns with your values, ambitions, and vision for the future.A．The value of a university education goes beyond its ranking.B．Is Princeton the most beautiful campus all around the world?C．Is Princeton able to produce more geniuses upon graduation?D．That being said, how much weight should be given to these rankings?E．Actually, the concept of a “best” college is subjective and context-dependent.F．These measures provide valuable insights into the academic strength of universities.G．It is said to employ a more in-depth approach to evaluate the performance of universities.二、完形填空In the heart of Gaza, a 15-year-old Palestinian teen, Hussam Al-Attar, has become a beacon of hope. He has been 21 the’Newton of Gaza’because he came up with a brilliant and practical solution to address the power 22 issue in displacement shelters in Rafah.Equipped with 23 basic tools, Hussam generated electricity to illuminate the dark shelters. The 24 behind his solution was simple-he wanted to 25 the loneliness and fear his twin nephews experienced in the dark tent.Despite the 26 of resources, Hussam managed to create fans that generate electricity. Firstly, he 27 components from damaged electronic devices, gathering essential elements for his power generators. These components have included coils, 28 , and magnets. Next, Hussam 29 a simple yet effective turbine (涡轮) using locally 30 materials. The turbine’s blades (叶片) were constructed from lightweight but strong materials to 31 the force of the wind. As the wind32 these blades, it activated the turbine.With dreams of becoming an inventor, Hussam remains 33 about life’s possibilities despite Palestine’s challenges. He also notes that there are many 34 teens like him in Gaza. As the’Newton of Gaza,’Hussam Al-Attar is not just brightening shelters; he is lighting the way for a brighter future in the face of 3521．A．rewarded B．nicknamed C．awarded D．marked 22．A．balance B．abuse C．control D．failure 23．A．nearly B．almost C．only D．much 24．A．instruction B．situation C．motivation D．explanation 25．A．overcome B．ease C．release D．escape 26．A．supply B．waste C．shortage D．distribution 27．A．recycled B．restored C．refreshed D．reformed 28．A．wires B．buttons C．switches D．batteries 29．A．obtained B．transformed C．repaired D．fashioned30．A．affordable B．sustainable C．available D．organic 31．A．resist B．capture C．measure D．generate 32．A．interacted with B．cooperated with C．dealt with D．agreed with 33．A．curious B．optimistic C．amazed D．sympatric 34．A．energetic B．bold C．promising D．innovative 35．A．change B．adventure C．danger D．adversity三、语法填空阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
英国大学内老师的学术头衔Company Document number：WUUT-WUUY-WBBGB-BWYTT-1982GT英国大学内老师的学术头衔在英国大学里，有Professor，Reader，Fellow，Lecturer等，还有Chancellor，Principla，Dean 等，颇令人眼花缭乱，下面具体解释：学术头衔 Academic Titles在英国大学的课堂上，你会接触到Professor，Reader，Senior Lecturer和Lecturer等，他们遵照严格的体系一级级往上晋升：Professor：意为教授，是英国大学向资深学者授予的最高学术头衔。
有的Professor在院系里担任院长或者系主任，又被称作Chair Professor；有的不担任院系的行政职位，被称作Personal Professor。
英国的professor并不等同于中国的教授。
在英国当上Professor要比在中国当上教授难度大得多。
Reader：字面意思是读者，是英国大学授予研究或学术成就名扬海内外的资深学者的头衔，它比Senior Lecturer高一级，比Professor低一级。
要想成为Reader，需要具有优良的学术出版物，获得过研究资助并有外部推荐。
Senior Lecturer：字意是高级讲师。
在英国大学里，Senior Lecturer需要具有良好的教学和行政能力，又要展示出很强的研究能力。
从级别上看，它介于普通的Lecturer和Reader之间，需要先晋升为Reader，然后才有机会成为Professor。
Lecturer：字意是讲师，但并不等同于中国大学里的讲师。
在英国大学里，它是初级的学术头衔，负责开设讲座课程，带领研究小组和指导研究生。
英国大学里还有一些教学头衔，如Assistant Lecturer（助理讲师），Demonstrator（指导人员），Seminar Leader（研讨主持），Associate Lecturer（副讲师）和Graduate Teaching Assistant（本科生助教）等，它们比Lecturer低，不算是正式的学术头衔。
Online courses have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially with the advancement of technology and the widespread use of the internet. This phenomenon has both advantages and disadvantages that are worth discussing.Advantages of Online Courses:1. Accessibility: One of the most significant benefits of online courses is their accessibility. Students from all over the world can enroll in courses offered by prestigious institutions without the need to physically attend classes.2. Flexibility: Online courses offer a flexible learning environment. Students can learn at their own pace and on their own schedule, which is particularly beneficial for those who work or have other commitments.3. CostEffectiveness: Many online courses are more affordable than traditional classroom courses. This costeffectiveness makes higher education more accessible to a broader range of students.4. Diversity of Subjects: Online platforms offer a wide variety of courses, from academic subjects to professional development and hobbies. This diversity allows students to explore different areas of interest.5. Technological Skills: Engaging in online courses helps students develop technological skills that are increasingly important in todays digital world.Disadvantages of Online Courses:1. Lack of Personal Interaction: One of the main drawbacks of online courses is the absence of facetoface interaction. This can make it difficult for students to engage in discussions, ask questions, and build relationships with peers and instructors.2. SelfDiscipline Required: Online learning requires a high level of selfdiscipline and motivation. Without the structure of a traditional classroom, some students may struggle to stay on track with their coursework.3. Technical Issues: Reliance on technology for online courses can lead to problems such as internet connectivity issues, software incompatibilities, and the need for uptodate hardware.4. Quality Assurance: The quality of online courses can vary greatly. Not all courses arecreated equal, and some may lack the depth and rigor of traditional classroom instruction.5. Limited HandsOn Experience: Certain subjects, especially those that require practical, handson experience, can be challenging to teach and learn online. This can limit the effectiveness of the course for certain disciplines.In conclusion, while online courses offer numerous benefits such as accessibility and flexibility, they also present challenges related to personal interaction and selfdiscipline. As technology continues to evolve, it is likely that the quality and effectiveness of online education will improve, making it an even more viable option for learners worldwide.。
Pursuing higher education is a significant milestone in ones life,and attending university offers a multitude of benefits that can shape an individuals future.Here are some compelling reasons why people choose to go to university:1.Academic Advancement:Universities provide a platform for students to delve deeper into their chosen field of study.The rigorous academic curriculum helps in building a strong foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills.2.Professional Opportunities:A university degree is often a prerequisite for many professional careers.It serves as a stepping stone to better job prospects and higher earning potential.3.Personal Development:The university experience is not just about academics it is also about personal growth.Students learn to be independent,manage their time effectively, and develop essential life skills.working:Universities are hubs for networking.Students have the opportunity to meet peers from diverse backgrounds,faculty members,and industry professionals, which can be invaluable for future collaborations and career opportunities.5.Research and Innovation:For those interested in research,universities offer the resources and mentorship needed to explore new ideas and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their field.6.Cultural Exposure:Attending university often involves exposure to different cultures and ideas,fostering a broader understanding of the world and promoting tolerance and openmindedness.7.Extracurricular Activities:Universities offer a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sports to clubs and societies,which can help students discover new interests and passions.8.Access to Resources:Universities provide access to stateoftheart facilities,including libraries,laboratories,and online resources,which can enhance the learning experience.9.Career Services:Most universities have career services that help students with job placements,internships,and career guidance,making the transition from academia to the professional world smoother.10.Lifelong Learning:The habit of lifelong learning is often instilled during universityyears.This mindset can lead to continuous personal and professional development throughout ones life.11.Social Responsibility:Universities often encourage social responsibility and civic engagement,providing opportunities for students to contribute to their communities and make a positive impact.12.Credentials and Recognition:A university degree is a recognized credential that can open doors in various sectors.It signifies that the individual has achieved a certain level of expertise and education.In conclusion,attending university is a comprehensive experience that goes beyond academics.It is a transformative journey that equips individuals with the knowledge, skills,and experiences necessary to thrive in their personal and professional lives.。
PROS:A Personalized Ranking Platformfor Web SearchPaul-Alexandru Chirita1,Daniel Olmedilla1,and Wolfgang Nejdl1L3S and University of HannoverDeutscher Pavillon Expo Plaza130539Hannover,Germany{chirita,olmedilla,nejdl}@learninglab.deAbstract.Current search engines rely on centralized page ranking algorithmswhich compute page rank values as single(global)values for each Web page.Recent work on topic-sensitive PageRank[6]and personalized PageRank[8]hasexplored how to extend PageRank values with personalization aspects.To achievepersonalization,these algorithms need specific input:[8]for example needs a setof personalized hub pages with high PageRank to drive the computation.In thispaper we show how to automate this hub selection process and build upon the lat-ter algorithm to implement a platform for personalized ranking.We start from theset of bookmarks collected by a user and extend it to contain a set of hubs withhigh PageRank related to them.To get additional input about the user,we im-plemented a proxy server which tracks and analyzes user’s surfing behavior andoutputs a set of pages preferred by the user.This set is then enrichened using ourHubFinder algorithm,whichfinds related pages,and used as extended input forthe[8]algorithm.All algorithms are integrated into a prototype of a personalizedWeb search system,for which we present afirst evaluation.1IntroductionUsing the link structure of the World Wide Web to rank pages in search engines has been investigated heavily in recent years.The success of the Google Search Engine[5, 3]has inspired much of this work,but has lead also to the realization that further im-provements are needed.The amount and diversity of Web pages(Google now indicates about4.3billion pages)lead researchers to explore faster and more personalized page ranking algorithms,in order to address the fact that some topics are covered by only a few thousand pages and some are covered by millions.For many topics,the exist-ing PageRank algorithm is not sufficient tofilter the results of a search engine query. Take for example the well-known query with the word“Java”which should return top results for either the programming language or the island in the Pacific:Google defini-tively prefers the programming language because there are many more important pages on it than on the island.Moreover,most of the existing search engines focus only on answering user queries,although personalization will be more and more important as the amount of information available in the Web increases.Recently,several approaches to solve such problems have been investigated,building upon content analysis or on algorithms which build page ranks personalized for users or classes of users.The most2ambitious investigation so far for personalized ranking has been[8],which we have used as starting point for our work.This paper describes the design and implementation of PROS,a personalized rank-ing platform which uses the algorithm presented in[8](called the“PPR algorithm”–Personalized PageRank–hereafter)plus new algorithms for automated input gen-eration to drive and optimize this algorithm.Our platform is based on HubFinder,an algorithm we developed tofind related pages(or hubs,depending on the user)and on a proxy server meant to(temporarily)capture user’s surfing behavior.Hubs in this con-text are Web pages pointing to many other important pages(i.e.with a high rank).Their counterpart are authorities,which are high quality pages pointed by many hubs.In the original[8]paper,PPR user profiles,used as input for building personalized ranks,are gained by presenting users a set of pages/hubs with high PageRank(as com-puted using[14])from which they can choose a set of preferred pages.The disadvantage of this procedure is that this operation takes time and might often be superfluous as most Internet users have some bookmarks of their own already,which could be used to de-rive their user profile.We therefore wanted to build such a preference set automatically, using user’s bookmarks and/or most surfed pages(i.e.pages read for a longer period of time,or voted for by a user).This resulting set can then be extended using an algorithm whichfinds high quality related pages.The contributions of this paper are:(1)a platform which automates the computation of personalized ranks by generating more comprehensive input data with less user ef-fort,and which consists of two modules:one based on user’s bookmarks and the other based on the output of a specialized proxy server which computes the pages most likely to be considered interesting by the user;(2)both modules use HubFinder–a fast and flexible algorithm forfinding related pages using the link structure of the World Wide Web,and HubRank–a modified PageRank algorithm which combines the authority value with the hub value of Web pages,in order to further extend these sets of Web pages into the input data needed by the PPR algorithm;and(3)first experimental re-sults from integrating PROS into a personalized Web search system.We will start by covering the algorithms related to or directly used as background of our research in section2.Section3discusses our PROS platform,which automates the computation of personalized ranks.First experimental results are presented in section4. Finally,section5describes other related Web search systems,and section6concludes with discussion of further work.2Background2.1Web GraphIn the paper we will use a notation similar to[8].G=(V,E)represents the Web graph, where V is the set of all Web pages and E is the set of directed edges<p,q>.E contains an edge<p,q>iff a page p links to page q.I(p)denotes the set of in-neighbors(pages pointing to p)and O(p)the set of out-neighbors(pages pointed to by p).For each in-neighbor we use I i(p)(1≤i≤|I(p|),the same applies to each out-neighbor.We refer v(p)to denote the p-th component of v.We will typeset vectors in boldface and scalars(e.g.,v(p))in normal font.3Let A be the adjacency matrix corresponding to the Web graph G with A ij=1|O(j)| if page j links to page i and A ij=0otherwise.2.2PageRankPageRank is an algorithm for computing a Web page score based on the graph inferred from the link structure of the Web.The motivating idea for PageRank is that pages with many backlinks are more important than pages with only a few backlinks.As this simple definition would allow a malicious user to easily increase the”importance”of his page simply by creating lots of pages pointing to it,the PageRank algorithm uses the following recursive description:“a page has high rank if the sum of the ranks of its backlinks is high”.Stated another way,the vector PR of page ranks is the eigenvector of A corresponding to its dominant eigenvalue.Given a Web page p,the PageRank formula is:P R(p)=(1−c)q∈O p P R(q)O(q)+cE(p)(1)The dumping factor c<1(usually0.15)is necessary to guarantee convergence(A is not irreducible,i.e.G is not strongly connected)and to limit the effect of rank sinks [2].Intuitively,a random surfer will follow an outgoing link from the current page with probability(1−c)and will get bored and select a different page with probability c. 2.3Personalized Page RankingPageRank.Initial steps towards personalized page ranking are already described by [14]who proposed a slight modification of the PageRank algorithm to redirect the ran-dom surfer towards preferred pages using the E vector.Several distributions for this vector have been proposed since.Topic-sensitive PageRank.[6]builds a topic-oriented PageRank,starting by com-puting off-line a set of16PageRank vectors based on the16main topics of the Open Directory Project[13].Then,the similarity between a user query and each of these topics is computed,and the16vectors are combined using appropriate weights.Personalized PageRank.Description.As the most recent investigation,[8]uses a new approach:it focuses on user profiles.One Personalized PageRank Vector(PPV)is computed for each user.The personalization aspect of this algorithm stems from a set of hubs(H),each user having to select her preferred pages from it.PPVs can be expressed as a linear combination of basis vectors(PPVs for preference vectors with a single non-zero entry corresponding to each of the pages from P,the preference set),which could be selected from the precomputed basis hub vectors,one for each page from H,the hub set.To avoid the massive storage resources the basis hub vectors would use,they are decomposed into partial vectors(which encode the part unique to each page,computed at run-time)and the hub skeleton(which captures the interrelationships among hub vectors,stored off-line).Algorithm.In thefirst part of the paper,the authors present three different algorithms for computing basis vectors:”Basic Dynamic Programming”,”Selective Expansion”4and”Repeated Squaring”.In the second part,specializations of these algorithms are combined into a general algorithm for computing PPVs,as depicted below:pute one partial vector for each page in H using a specialization of the SelectiveExpansion algorithm.pute the hubs skeleton using a specialization of the Repeated Squaring algo-rithm and taking the intermediate results from step1as input.pute the PPV using the computed partial vectors and hubs skeleton,and thepreference vector.For an in-depth view of this process,we refer the reader to[8].3PROS:A Personalized Ranking PlatformIntroduction.As explained before,personalized rankings can improve current Web search systems by adapting results to user preferences.The algorithm presented in[8] is the most recent step in this direction.An issue left open in[8]is how a set of highly rated hubs,needed as input for the adaptation process,is selected by the user.The personalization(and therefore success)relies on the user’s ability to choose such high quality hubs which match her preferences.In this section,we describe how to exploit information collected from the user to de-rive the highly rated hubs that represent the user profile.The computation is performed automatically based on the following input:–Most surfed pages.Pages visited by the user are tracked using a specialized proxy we implemented.The proxy records information about the duration the user looked at a page and how frequently she returned to it.–User’s bookmarks.Additionally,we use the user’s bookmarks as an indication for user preferences.Currently,bookmarks are directly provided by the user,but this interaction could also be automated(ing a browser plugin).Architecture.The PROS platform consists of two main modules,which use the two input sets described above.They use HubFinder and HubRank,two algorithms we developed forfinding related pages using the Web link structure and for ranking Web pages,respectively(presented briefly later in this section and in more detail in[4]).Thefirst module consists of applying the following operations:1.Get bookmarks from the user.2.Add bookmarks to the preference set.3.Apply HubFinder,using user’s bookmarks as input and HubRank scores as trim-ming criterion.HubRank is the best criterion in this situation,because the PPR al-gorithm needs hubs with high PageRank as input and HubRank has been designed as a biasing of PageRank towards hubs,as discussed later in this section.4.Add the preference set and the output from the previous step to the hub set.The second module is based on using a proxy server for a limited period of time in order to capture user’s”surfing behavior”.Its modus operandi is described below:1.The user surfs the Web using a given proxy.The proxy will output the pages exam-ined by the user for a certain period of time(there must be both a lower threshold and an upper one to avoid the situation when the user leaves the browser open for5a long period of time without using it),as well as those most frequently revisited.The more time it is used,the better ranking accuracy will be aquired.2.Add the user’s most surfed pages(as recorded by the proxy)to the preference set.3.Apply HubFinder with HubRank as criterion and a small radius and number ofoutput pages.We want the pages related to user’s bookmarks to be more important than the pages related to his/her most surfed ones and using a smaller radius is a way to achieve this.4.Add user’s most surfed pages,as well as the pages related to them to the hub set.Finally,the PPR algorithm is executed using the newly computed preference and hub sets.The complete process is depicted infigure1.Fig.1.Personalized Ranking PlatformHubFinder is an algorithm forfinding hubs,related to an initial base set of Web pages.We define related similarly to[7],ing only link information as input.Two pages are related if one is accessible from the other via the link structure of the Web graph(following either in-going or out-going links).We should also add that the dis-tance(the number of links followed)between such two pages is usually less than6 (according to our experiments,in cases where the distance is bigger the link informa-tion becomes insufficient to say that pages are similar in context with a high enough probability),and thus the related hubs are in the vicinity of the starting page.The max-imum distance(notedσand also called radius)is a parameter for HubFinder.In order to get a good set of related pages we took into account the following as-pects:the set has to be small,rich in relevant pages and it should contain many of the strongest authorities.[10]extracts the top results of a query sent to a search engine and builds a focused sub-graph of the WWW around them.It then extends this base set by adding all pages pointed to and at most d pages pointing to each page from it.This op-eration is called Kleinberg extension.The author extends the initial set only once,but he focused on computing Hub and Authority scores,whereas we were focusing onfinding related pages or hubs.Therefore we iteratively apply the Kleinberg extension several times on the resulting set of each previous iteration in order to obtain more pages and thus more representative results.As this scenario leads to very big output sets(up to6500,000pages),trimming is necessary after each intermediate step.The pseudo-code of the resulted HubFinder algorithm is as follows:LetΓbe the Base Set of pages whose related hubs we are looking forΓ←Apply the Kleinberg Extension onΓonceΓ ←ΓFor i=1toσdo:Γ ←Apply the Kleinberg Extension onΓ onceTrimΓ to contain only interesting pages,not contained inΓΓ←Γ+ΓΓ ←ΓEnd ForTrimΓto contain as many interesting pages as desiredReturnΓTwo aspects have to be considered:how many pages should we keep after each iteration and which are the interesting pages?Regarding the former one,we keep one percent of the current set size,whereas the best criterion tackling the latter issue are global rank scores(e.g.as computed with PageRank or a similar algorithm).[4]contains an in-depth discussion of the algorithm,a formula on the exact number of pages to keep, as well as a proposed extension based on text analysis.HubRank.We started from the idea that a page pointing to a good hub is a candidate for having a high hub rank as well.Often we encounter pages(perhaps good authorities) with only a few out-going links,but towards very important hubs.We consider such pages more important than the hubs themselves,because while a hub can cover lots of topics,such a page will usually contain information about the content addressed by the hubs it is pointing to,about the value of their content(e.g.author opinions),etc.To compute these hub scores,we modified the PageRank personalization vector to consider the out-degree of the pages.Intuitively,the random surfer prefers pages with a big out-degree when it gets bored.This way,the global importance of the pages will play an important role in defining general scores,as the random surfer will follow the out-going links with a higher probability than the random ones,and on the other hand,the out-degree of pages will always be considered.In PageRank,the vector E isa uniform distribution with1NP in each entry(where NP is the total number of pages).We set the value of each entry i of E to E i=|O(i)|NP|O|where|O|is the summation ofthe out-going links over the whole Web graph.As PageRank focuses on authorities in thefirst part of the formula,we focused on hubs in the second part.Prototype.Current Web search systems apply only basic personalization techniques (e.g.presenting a user interface in Spanish if the access is from a Spanish IP address). However,this refers only to how the search engine interacts with the user,but it uses the same ranking process no matter who submits the query.To exemplify this problem, let us imagine that a user searches using the keyword”architecture”.Output topics may vary from computer architecture to building architecture or even something else.By extracting user’s interests from her bookmarks(if she likes building architecture she would have some bookmarks on it)and from her most visited pages(she would check buiding architecture pages often),we can create a personalized view of the global ranks, and thus provide tailored output for each user.A screenshot of our prototype can be seen7 infigure2.As a comparison,we present the results obtained when ranking URLs with the PageRank algorithm[14]on the left side,and with PROS on the right.Our tester was interested in building architecture.While with PageRank only two output URLs were relevant,allfive generated by PROS were worthchecking.Fig.2.Prototype of the PROS Web Search System4Experiments and ResultsInput Data.We performed tests on several small Web crawls(3to40thousand pages) and on two bigger ones,one with one million and one with three million Web pages. The results presented in this paper use the largest set.Furthermore,we ran PPR and PROS using several data sets as input and several users,but selected only the most representative experiments here because of space constraints.Algorithm Preference Set Hub Set PPR30user defined er’s bookmarks(30)plus top rankedPageRank pages.Totally about1200pages.PROS30user defined bookmarks plus78pages selected tracking user’s surfingbehavior(108pages in total).The preference set plus its related pages plustop ranked PageRank pages.Totally about1700pages.Table1.Input Data for the PPR algorithm experimentsOurfirst experiment follows all guidelines of the original paper.It has30user book-marks as preference set and a hub set mixing user’s bookmarks with top PageRank doc-8uments.The second experiment uses the input we obtained with our ranking platform.A tester surfed the Web for about two weeks using our proxy and we selected78pages as her”fingerprint”.These were merged with her30bookmarks(same as in thefirst experiment)into the preference set.Then,we applied HubFinder with HubRank as cri-terion on both the set of bookmarks and the set of most surfed pages,obtaining about 900pages from the former one and about400from the latter one(we used a radius of5for the bookmarks and a radius of2for the most surfed pages).To these1300 pages some top PageRank pages were added and the resulting set was used as hub set.A description of the input data used can be found in table1.Our tester was an archi-tect,having traveling and software as other hobbies,and sports as a secondary interest. Her bookmarks were distributed accordingly:15on architecture,7on traveling,6on software and2on sports.Results.To analyze the resulting ranks,we selected some general keywords(see table2)and performed Web searches,exactly as in a search engine.Results were sorted with respect to their ranks,without considering term frequency of keywords in output documents.The ranking algorithms used were PageRank,PPR,and PROS.Although thefirst one does not involve any personalization,we decided to implement it too,as it is the most popular algorithm and useful as background for our evaluation.Query Keywords PageRank PPR PROSRel.Par.Rel.Irrel.Rel.Par.Rel.Irrel.Rel.Par.Rel.Irrel.architecture532370820building325235415Paris604235622park6048021000surf307424721Total235221915163578 Table2.Relevancy value for different search keywords and different algorithms The top10URLs obtained by ranking the search results with each algorithm were classified into the following categories:(a)Relevant(denoted by”Rel.”in table2)if the URL was on one of the four topics of interest of our tester;(b)Partially Relevant(noted as”Par.Rel.”)if it was on a topic related to one of the above-mentioned four ones(e.g.an URL on hardware architectures was considered partially related to computer software); or(c)Irrelevant(”Irrel.”in table2)if it was not in any of the previous categories.A detailed list with all the output URLs can be found in[15].Discussion.The most important issue is that,as expected,the original PageRank algorithm provides top results on several topics,even though the searcher is almost al-ways interested in only a specific one.This behavior is understandable,as the algorithm cannot disambiguate results based on user preferences.The PPR algorithm performs only slightly better in this experiment(the total num-ber of possibly relevant URLs is34,whereas for PageRank it is28),mostly because the input sets were too sparse and qualitatively not very good.This might be improved by adding additional top PageRank pages to the preference set,but we did not use this9 approach,as it would have definitely damaged the personalization aspect(remember that top PageRank pages can be on any topic).Finally,we see significant improvements when using PROS.The number of relevant pages is much higher than for the other two algorithms.However,we still got some bad output URLs(e.g.for the search keyword”building”).We think this happened because of the general profile of our tester.Other tests performed with more focused testers(i.e. with a profile on exclusively one topic,such as”architecture”)provided even better results,but we consider the experiment presented in this paper to be the closest to a real-life situation.As we know from[8],pages from the preference set may have different importance.In our tests,all pages had the same weight,that is1|P S|,where P S is the preference set.Let us denote by B the set of bookmarks and S the set of user’s most surfed pages.Inthis case,we can give for example23∗|B|importance to bookmarks and13∗|S|to user’smost surfed pages.We think this approach(or a more complex one which automatically gives an importance value to each of the most surfed pages,depending on the amount of surfing time or revisits)would provide even more accurate ranks.Further experiments are needed to define the correct biasing of these pages.Generally,our experiments allow us to conclude that PROS increases the ranks of pages similar to user’s bookmarks,as well as those that are most likely to be considered interesting by the user(and thus the granularity of relevant results when performing a Web search).If the tester uses the proxy server for longer periods,the accuracy of the latter set is proportionately bigger(i.e.the size of the”most surfed pages”set is bigger, and therefore the rankings are more accurate).5Other Web Search SystemsResearch on Web searching usually focused on algorithms,as they comprise the most important part of such an engine.However,these algorithms are not always straight-forward to integrate into a search engine and attention must also be paid to the user-search engine interaction.[12]for example aims at satisfying all types of users(either experienced,or novice)by translating the search goal into good query keywords.Al-though search goals must be manually disambigued(e.g.solve a problem,find people who,etc.),the system allows users to type queries in natural language and produces the search keywords automatically using an inference engine.[11]is somehow similar to PROS in the sense that user profiles are built automat-ically and Web pages are recommended to users based on personalization approaches. However,its contributions are orthogonal to ours:surfers are guided towards rele-vant pages while they are browsing judging on the pages they have previously visited, whereas we focus on integrating such personalization into page ranks used by a search engine.[16]presents a new system for computing Web page ranks in a distributed fash-ion,which could be nicely extended by our PROS approach.Another interesting approach is described in[1],which adds personalization to the JobFinder[9]search engine.It uses profile jobs and Information Retrieval operators to classify retrieved jobs as relevant or irrelevant.106Conclusions and Further WorkWe presented the design and implementation of a personal ranking platform(PROS), providing personalized ranking of Web pages based on user preferencees,while au-tomating the input generation process for the PPR algorithm[8].To achieve this,we use user bookmarks as well as a record about the user’s surfing behavior(gained with a proxy),which are then extended using our new HubFinder algorithm with HubRank scores as trimming criterion.HubRank score is based on PageRank but additionally takes hub quality of pages into account.We are currently extending our tests towards more users and different environments in order to get in depth evaluations of our platform.Furthermore,we are investigating the additional inclusion of collaborativefiltering algorithms to PROS,which would allow us to also use personalize ranking based on groups of similar users instead of single users,to further increase the input set available for the personalization algorithm. 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