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. Unce
rtain. 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 th
e sciences and humanities is important to societyWhat’s the best ti
tle 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 |
When you have a post-office box, the postman doesn’t bring letters to you, but you go to the post-office and get your letters and parcels from your box. The box is locked, only you have the key, so the letters and parcels are safe.
One day the headmaster of a school wrote to the post-office and asked for a post-office box for his school. He soon got an answer. It said, “We will give you a post-office box in one month.”
Three months later, the headmaster wrote to the post-office and said, “Why haven't we got a post-office box yet?”
This was the answer from the post-office:
“Dear sir,
We gave you a post-office box two months and wrote to you then to tell you. Here is the key to your box. You will find our letter to you in it.”When you have a post-office box, _____.
| A．it is easier for you to write letters | B．you will have more letters than parcels |
| C．you get your letters in front of your house | D．you got to the post-office to get your letters |
The word “key” in this passage means _____.
| A．邮件 | B．密码 | C．编号 | D．钥匙 |
The headmaster _____.
| A．wrote many letters to the post-office | B．didn’t like the postman |
| C．didn’t know how a post-office box worked | D．forgot to pay for the post-office box |
When the post-office said that you could get a post-office, he meant _____.
| A．you may go to the post-office to get your mails |
| B．you must wait to get the post-office box |
| C．you must write again to get the key |
| D．you must pay for the box before you got it |
Which of the following might not be true?
| A．If you want to get a post-office box, you must let the post-office know. |
| B．When you get a post-office box, you have to do the work of a postman. |
| C．You go to the post-office to get the key to your box. |
| D．After you get a post-office box, the post man will not send mails to your house. |
My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren’t too many tourists in October.
We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn’t understand the bus routes, and my wife didn’t like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.
We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn’t have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn’t think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.
In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I’m sure we’ll need them sometimes.The couple chose a small hotel in the West End to stay in because _________.
| A．taxis were too expensive | B．they could go sightseeing on foot |
| C．the underground made the wife feel sick | D．all the above |
The couple had some difficulty in ________.
| A．booking in the hotel | B．finding the bus routes |
| C．going sightseeing on foot | D．having meals |
Generally speaking, the couple _________the trip to London.
| A．were satisfied with | B．disliked |
| C．were a bit unhappy about | D．regretted |
What did the couple think of English food?
| A．terrible | B．not bad | C．great | D．comfort |
Which of the following is NOT true about the couple?
| A．They thought English food was bad. | B．They will visit London again. |
| C．They visited London last October. | D．They didn’t take their umbrella last year. |
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Good fellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00. Free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic（野餐）
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Take Me out to the Ballgame
It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold …, don’t forget to wear sweaters and jackets.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”?
“The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8 at Rose Hall, City College.If you get to the Museum Theatre at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon, you can .
| A．enjoy the film: The Workers | B．enjoy the film: See Broken Window |
| C．enjoy interesting stories | D．enjoy the concert |
You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arabic food ______.
| A．at the front entrance of City Hall | B．at the ballgame |
| C．at 5:00 p.m. | D．at Central Park on Saturday |
If you are going on the Walking Tour, don’t forget ______.
| A．your worries | B．your beautiful dog |
| C．your learning about local history | D．your comfortable shoes |
The Redbirds ballgame ______.
| A．is in the afternoon | B．is outside | C．is at the gate | D．might be cold |
“The Zoo” is ______.
| A．a park with lots of animals there | B．US concert |
| C．a music group | D．going to give the concert at 8 a.m. tomorrow |
Do you know how to play a game called “Musical Chairs”？It is easy to play and most people enjoy it. All you need are some chairs, some people and some way of making music. You may use a piano or any other musical instrument, if someone can play it. You may use a tape recorder. You can even use a radio.
Put the chairs in a row. The chairs may be put in twos, back to back. A better way is to have the chairs in one row with each chair facing in the opposite direction to the chair next to it.
The game is easy. When the music starts, the players walk round the chairs. Everyone goes in the same direction, of course, they should walk in time to the music. If the music is fast they should walk quickly. If the music is slow, they should walk slowly.
The person playing music cannot see the people in the game. When the music stops, the players try to sit on the chairs. If a person cannot find a chair to sit on, he drops out. Then, before the music starts again, one chair must be taken away. When the music stops again, one more player will be out.. At last, there will be two players and one chair. The one who sits on the chair when the music stops is the winner.If ten people are playing musical chairs，you must begin with _______.
| A．nine chairs | B．ten chairs | C．eleven chairs | D．one chair |
Which of the following is not suitable for playing musical chairs？ _______.
| A．A piano | B．A radio | C．A tape recorder | D．A telephone |
The chairs should be put _______.
| A．with the desks | B．before the winner | C．all over the room | D．in a line |
When the music starts，the players must _______.
| A．run about the room | B．get down |
| C．walk around the chairs | D．sit on the chairs |
Which of the following statements is NOT true？
| A．The game “Musical Chairs” is not difficult to learn. |
| B．The last one can sit on the last chair. |
| C．The winner can sit on the chair. |
| D．If the person plays music, he cannot be the winner. |
This is a story from 28 years ago. My dad was a used car salesman. Every Thursday night, he would head off to Shreveport, LA for an auction. Most of the time, I drove a car over there for him so he could sell it at the auction.
One day, I was riding with my dad when he noticed a hitch-hiker with a backpack. Without hesitation, he pulled the car over and offered him a ride. Dad asked him his name, and proceeded to talk to him about all sorts of things. Dad asked him where he was going. The hitch-hiker told him he was heading for the west. I can’t recall why but he told Dad a lot of things that had occurred to him and that persuaded him to make that decision. He talked about the tragic events that occurred to him several years before. He was low in spirits, but I could see that the hitch-hiker’s attitude was changing as someone was really listening to him.
We drove 45 minutes before the hitch-hiker got off. We pulled over and Dad told him to keep his head up and things would start looking up for him soon. He reached into his pocket and handed the hitch-hiker a twenty-dollar bill. The guy smiled. He nearly lit up right there on the cold, dark highway.
We drove on and my dad did not say a single thing. I was still completely amazed by what I had just witnessed. I was always told by everyone never to pick up a hitch-hiker and yet my dad did it every single time he saw one. While reflecting upon that story I came to understand that just one single kind act could change someone’s life, and I am sure that my father’s deed made that poor man’s day.The underlined words “that decision” in Para. 2 refer to ___________.
| A．catching the car | B．heading for the west |
| C．talking about his experiences | D．driving 45 minutes |
What made the hitch-hiker become less upset?
| A．The writer’s father offering him a free ride |
| B．The writer’s father really listening to him |
| C．The writer’s father agreeing to driving him to his destination |
| D．The writer’s father talking to him about all sorts of things |
When his father helped the hitch-hiker, the writer ___________.
| A．was deeply moved | B．strongly disagreed |
| C．admired his father | D．couldn’t understand |
Which of the following words cannot be used to describe the father?
| A．willing to help | B．easy-going | C．far-sighted | D．full of sympathy |
The author wrote the text mainly to _________.
| A．show his respect for his father |
| B．tell a story about his kind father |
| C．prove his father is the best teacher |
| D．advise people to learn from their fathers |