InCanadayoucanfinddogs，cats，ho-优题课

It was a party. I was 18 and it was fresher(大一新生) week. I was at the beginning of a course in English Literature and full of enthusiasm for my subject. She was also 18 and enrolled in a course in physics.
“Your major is of no use to society. What will you do with it when you graduate, other than teach? Plus, you’re going to be poor your whole life,” she said. “You have no soul and your degree is boring. I don’t care how much money you’re going to earn. I’d rather be poor and don’t mind being a teacher. If I love my work I’ll have something far more meaningful than a big bank account!” came the reply.
And so it went, back and forth, neither of us giving the other an inch, each of us stubbornly committed to our prejudice. We were both ignorant, but our ignorance was also society’s ignorance. It had always been that way. Scientists mocked(嘲笑) humanists; humanists laughed at scientists. Back in the 1960s, the physicist-turned novelist C. P. Snow labeled the sciences-humanities divide “a problem of ‘the two cultures’” . He said it was bad for society. The modern world needed well-rounded people.
I think I know better now, but it would have helped if we had been encouraged to think a little more outside our science and arts “boxes”.
That’s why I believe it is healthy that China is beginning a debate on whether it’s wise for young people to have to choose which direction their careers – and lives – will take at such an early age. At the moment, in their second year of high school, students must choose either the sciences or the humanities. After making the choice, they focus their energies on passing the appropriate college entrance exam.
But now, people in China are asking: Is this forced, early decision good for young people or society? Young people need time to explore, to discover where their real talents and interests lie. There are more than just a few middle-aged people out there, stuck in jobs they hate because they made the wrong choice at the wrong time.
And from the point of view of society, isn’t it better for students to delay a while before they decide what to study? Scientists can benefit from learning to develop the critical skills associated with the humanities; students in the humanities, surely, only stand to gain by finding out a little more about science and technology, which are so important to the future of a developing country like China.
With any luck, in the future young people fresh to college will be better informed about the possibilities of education than people of my generation.
The author describes what happened at a fresher party to ________.

A．show that he was ready to defend the subject he enjoyed

B．lead up his argument that the sciences-humanities divide is harmful

C．prove that doing something meaningful is better than having a lot of money

D．describe how fierce students of different majors can be when arguing with each other

What was C. P. Snow’s attitude towards the sciences-humanities divide?
A. Indifferent. B. Uncertain. C. Positive. D. Negative.
In the sixth paragraph, an example mentioning middle-aged people is used to show that ________.

A．students should not make decisions too early

B．not all people have a talent for or are interested in the sciences

C．these people did not have the chance to make a choice earlier in life

D．the earlier young people make a decision, the better it will be for them

According to the text, it is safe to say that ________.
A. sciences are more practical in the modern world
B. C. P. Snow was a novelist who became a physicist
C. future generations will be able to get more out of education
D. a command of both the sciences and humanities is important to society
What’s the best title for the article?

A．The sciences or the humanities, which to choose?

B．High school education in China

C．Isn’t it better to delay the choice of the career direction?

D．A better time to decide what to study

CANYOUIMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKETHIS? The ancient Greeks wrote this way. The lack of punctuation marks(标点符号) probably didn’t bother good readers, though. As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time, sentences switched directions. A sentence read from left to right. The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc.
The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They·put·a·point·between·each·word·in·a·sentence. The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a prick(刺).
When the 5^th century arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points. The space separated words and while the points showed pauses in reading. Then in the 13^th century, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation. He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence. He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause. Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma.
Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family. The exclamation mark comes form the Latin word xt. It was originally formed by putting an upper-case(大写字母) I on the lower-case xt. The Latin word xt means “exclamation of joy.” The question mark originally started out as the Latin word question, meaning question. Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question. Over time, it became a symbol formed by putting a lower-case q on an o.
Punctuation is still changing today. New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways. Take for example, the “interrobang.” This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both. For example, “She did what‽” or “How much did you pay for that dress‽” Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized – yet. But its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation.
Which of the following is a comma?

A．,

B．:

C． ;

D．!

What’s the first paragraph mainly about?

A．The history of punctuation.

B．The introduction of punctuation.

C．The very beginning of punctuation.

D．The ancient Greek way of writing witho

ut punctuation.

Please put the following events in the order they happened.
a. The exclamation mark and question mark came into the punctuation family.
b. Comma came into existence.
c. Romans put a dot between words to separate words.
d. A period was used to end a sentence.
e. The “interrobang” was invented.

A．cbdae

B．dcbae

C．dbcea

D．cdbae

What is the most possible situation for “She did what‽”?

A．You are told she gave her baby boy a good beat.

B．You are wondering what she did to save the poor boy.

C．You want to know what she did for a living after fleeing to a foreign country.

D．You demand someone else tell you what in the world happened to her.

According to the article, we learn ________.

A．punctuation didn’t come into being until the 5^th century.

B．no one can really tell what new marks we may have in the future.

C．the invention of “interrobang” is a failure since it is not widely used.

D．both the exclamation mark and the question mark come from Greek words.

Today, when there are many top graduates looking for top jobs, graduates can differentiate(区别) themselves by obtaining a double major or even a double degree. Increasingly, employers are looking for individuals who are not only competent and intelligent, but who have different skill sets and who are knowledgeable in many areas. Part of the appeal to employers is that your extra work demonstrates a willingness to take on difficult tasks. Additionally, if your majors overlap (重叠), you are able to show potential employers that you have both breadth and depth of knowledge.
By studying for a double major, although you will be studying for only one degree, you will be focusing on two related and integrated subjects that complement (补充) each other. Classes overlap between the majors, meaning fewer classes are required than with a double degree, so it is easier to finish within four years.
In contrast, with the more rigorous (严格的) double degree, you will be studying for two different degrees in two completely different areas of study. Although pursuing such a course of study allows students to complete two wholly separate degrees in less time than if they were to earn them separately, many strong students still find it incredibly difficult to complete in four or five years.
If you are committed to a double major/degree, it is wise to do a little bit of planning. Some students try to find two courses of studies that are related, while others seek to round out their academic studies by choosing two completely unrelated fields.
For double majors, common pairings include: (i) economics and a foreign language; (ii) political science or government and journalism; (iii) economics and psychology.
For double degrees, common pairings include: (i) engineering and a business program such as finance or accounting; (ii) engineering and economics.
What do employers think of the graduates with different skill sets and knowledge in many areas?

A．They should be given top jobs.

B．They are willing to take difficult tasks.

C．They are bette

r than those who are competent and intelligent.

D．They must have attained a double major or even a double degree.

According to the passage, the underlined word “breadth” most probably means_________.

A．width

B．amount

C．quantity

D．quality

To obtain a double major, you _________.

A．should complete two wholly separate degrees

B．need to focus on two related and integrated subjects

C．need to spend more time than obtaining a double degree

D．have to take courses in two completely different areas of study

If you are devoted to a double major or degree, you should _________.

A．find two subjects with overlapping classes

B．learn about what your potential employers want

C．decide what to learn with your intentions considered

D．try to decide on some common pairings as soon as possible

Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?
A. Economics is a major while engineering is a degree.
B. Every college student should take a double major or degree.
C. Earning a double degree is more difficult than obtaining a double major.
D Some students choose two completely unrelated fields to show their ability in academic study.

David Beckham was born on 2nd May, 1975, in the suburbs of London, at a place called Leytonstone. When he was a young boy, his greatest passion was football. He played it whenever he had the chance. Sometimes he would go and watch a game with his friends. When David Beckham was 12 years old, he won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills award. This was an important step forward for this young boy, and it led to him going for a visit to a football training camp in Spain. As a boy at secondary school he played for tile schools of Essex and also for his country team.
On 8th July, 1991, he became a trainee with Manchester United. This meant that he could practice football as much as he wanted to and play for the highly successful Manchester United Youth Cup team and Under-21 team. On 2nd April, 1995, he played his first major football league game against Leeds United. During 1995 and 1996, David became a regular member of the team and Manchester United won in both seasons, with David scoring many goals.
His goals made him a household name. In the first game of the 1996 — 1997 season, he scored an amazing goal from beyond the halfway line. Seeing the goalkeeper a little way out of his goal, David sent the ball over the goalkeeper’s head and into the goal. It was a Wonderful goal and Beckham became famous overnight. He continued to score astonishing goals, especially from free-kicks. The speed of one of his shots was timed at 157kph. He also had the ability to make the ball curl from left to right, or right to left, whenever he chose. He could made it glide high through the air, or dive down steeply. Goalkeepers were never sure where the ball was going, and it regularly ended up in the goal.
When David Beckham was young ______.

A．he played football all the time

B．his main interest was football

C．one of his interests was football

D．he watched football whenever he had the chance

During the 1995 and 1996 seasons, Beckham ______.

A．was normally a member of the Manchester United team

B．played all the time

C．won most of the matches for Manchester United

D．was the winner in both years

Beckham became famous because he showed that he had the ability ______.

A．to move the ball in any direction in the air

B．to trick the goalkeepers and score goals

C．to swing the ball through the air and score goals

D．to kick the ball very hard and score goals

“His goals made him a household name” probably means ______.

A．he became very famous because of his goals

B．his family became very popular

C．many people started to come to see the house where he lived

D．his name became popular in England

Picasso, the famous Spanish painter, was born in 1881. His father was an art teacher. Picasso began to paint very early. He was admitted to the Royal Academy at the age of 15. After 1900, he spent much time in Paris, living there from 1904 to 1947, when he moved to the south of France.
Throughout his career, Picasso moved from style to style with ease. He practiced sculpture, illustrated books and also showed great interest in pottery design and other fields of art.
Picasso produced a great number of drawings during his lifetime. No later artist of the School of Paris has replaced him in international influence.
Picasso is generally considered to be the foremost figure in 20th century French art. His paintings are now exhibited in leading European and American galleries.
The main idea of the passage is ______.

A．Picasso is considered to be the foremost figure in the French art

B．Picasso is a famous Spanish painter

C．Picasso spent much time in Paris, living there from 1904 to 1947

D．Picasso’s life and art

According to the writer, Picasso was ______.

A．more important than any other French artist in international influence

B．more important than any other Spanish artist in international influence

C．the most important figure in Spain

D．the most important figure in France

How long did he stay in Spain and France?

A．Over 19 years in Spain and the rest life in France.

B．15 years in Spain and 43 years in Paris.

C．15 years in Spain and the rest life in Paris.

D．He did not stay so long in Pads than in Spain.

Picasso moved from style to style with ease. It means ______.

A．he did not like only one style

B．he changed his style without difficulty

C．he liked not only sculpture, but also pottery design

D．he showed great interest in other fields of art