Somepeopleliketoliveinhouseofthepast.Theymaychoosetoliveinawoodenhouse.Theysaytheseofhousesareeasytobuildandwarminwinter.Othersliketoliveinhousesofthefuture.Theymayliveinahousewhichgetsitsenergyfromthesun.Afewotherpeopleliketoliveinhousesthathavecharacteristics(特征)ofboththepastandfuture.Thesepeoplemayliveinahouseundertheground.Manypeoplethinkundergroundhousesarecoldanddark,butthatisnottrue.Thesehouseshavespecialwindowsintherooforlargewindowsononeside.Thesewindowsgivethehousesalotoflight.Theideaofundergroundhousesisveryold.PeopleinthepastlivedinundergroundhousesandundergroundcitiesinChina,JapanandCanada.Somecountriesalsobuildundergroundfactoriesandstore-houses(仓库)toholdthings.Intheunitedstates,morepeoplearebeginningtobuildundergroundhousessincetheysaveopenlandforparks,gardensandsportfields.Undergroundhousesalsosaveenergy.Theyuseonlyalittleenergytostaywarmorcool.Ownersofthesehouseslikethem.JohnBoardisanarchitect(建筑师)whobuiltanundergroundhouseinNewYork.Hiswife,Barbaraisanoutdoorperson,butshelikesherundergroundhome.“It’sperfect.Iloveit.”shesays.31.Oneexampleofhousesofthepastis______houses.
Cantreestalk?Yes,butnotinwords.Scientistshavereasontobelievethattreesdocommunicatewitheachother.Notlongago,researcherslearnedsomesurprisingthings.Firstawillowtreeattackedinthewoodsbycaterpillars(毛虫)changedthechemistryofitsleavesandmadetheirtastesoterriblethattheygottiredoftheleavesandstoppedeatingthem.Thenevenmoreastonishing,thetreesentoutaspecialsmell----asignal(信号)causingitsneighborstochangethechemistryoftheirownleavesandmakethemlesstasty.Communication,ofcourse,doesn'tneedtobeinwords.Wecantalktoeachotherbysmiling,raisingourshouldersandmovingourhands.Weknowthatbirdsandanimalsuseawholevocabularyofsongs,soundsandmovements.Beesdancetheirsignals,flyingincertainpatternsthattellotherbeeswheretofindnectar(花蜜)forhoney.Sowhyshouldn'ttreeshavewaysofsendingmessage?31.Itcanbeconcludedfromthepassagethatcaterpillarsdonotfeedonleavesthat______.
Whatawasteofmoney!Inreturnforanaverageof~44,000ofdebt,studentsgetanaverageofonly14hoursoflectureandtutorialtimeaweekinBritain.Annualfeeshaverisenfrom£1,000to£9,000inthelastdecade,butcontacttimeatuniversityhasbarelyrisenatall.Andgraduatingdoesn'tevenprovideanyguaranteeofadecentjob:sixintengraduatestodayareinnon-graduatejobs.Nowonderithasbecomefashionabletodenouncemanyuniversitiesaslittlemorethanelaboratecon-tricks(骗术).There'salotforstudentstocomplainabout:therepaymentthresholdforpayingbackloanswillbefrozenforfiveyears,meaningthatlower-paidgraduateshavetostartrepayingtheirloans;andmaintenancegrantshavebeenreplacedbyloans,meaningthatstudentsfrompoorerbackgroundsfacehigherdebtthanthosewithwealthierparents.Yetitstillpaystogotouniversity.Ifgoingtouniversitydoesn'tworkout,studentspayverylittle--ifany--oftheirtuitionfeesback:youonlystartrepayingwhenyouareearning£21,000ayear.Almosthalfofgraduates--thosewhogoontoearnless--willhaveaportionoftheirdebtwrittenoff.It'snotjustthelecturesandtutorialsthatareimportant.Educationisthesumofwhatstudentsteacheachotherinbetweenlecturesandseminars.Studentsdonotmerelybenefitwhileatuniversity;studiesshow-theygoontobehealthierandhappierthannon-graduates,andalsofarmorelikelytovote.Whateveryourtalents,itisextraordinarilydifficulttogetaleadingjobinmostfieldswithouthavingbeentouniversity.Recruiterscircleeliteuniversitieslikevultures(兀鹰).Manytopfirmswillnotevenlookatapplicationsfromthosewholacka2.1,i.e.,anupper-secondclassdegree,fromaneliteuniversity.Studentsatuniversityalsomeetthoselikelytobeinleadingjobsinthefuture,formingcontactsforlife.Thismightnotberight,butschool-leaverswhofailtoacknowledgeasmuchriskmakingthewrongdecisionaboutgoingtouniversity.Perhapsthereasonwhysomanyuniversitiesoffertheirstudentssolittleistheyknowstudyingatatopuniversityremainsabrilliantinvestmentevenifyoudon'tlearnanything.Studyingatuniversitywillonlybecomelessattractiveifemployersshifttheirfocusawayfromwheresomeonewenttouniversity--andthereisnosignofthathappeninganytimesoon.Schoololeaversmaymoan,buttheyhavelittlechoicebuttoembraceuniversityandthestudentdebtthatcomeswithit.31.Whatistheauthor’sopinionofgoingtouniversity?