When your parents advise you to “get an education” in order to raise your income, they tell you only half the truth. What they really mean is to get just enough education to provide manpower（人力资源） for your society, but not so much that you prove an embarrassment to your society.
Get a high school diploma, at least. Without that, you will be occupationally dead unless your name happens to be George Bernard Shaw or Thomas Alva Edison, and you can successfully dropout in grade school.
Get a college degree, if possible. With a B. A., you are on the launching pad. But now you have to start to put on the brakes. If you go for a master’s degree, make sure it is an M.B.A., and the famous law of diminishing(逐渐减少的) returns begins to take effect.
Do you know, for instance, that long-haul truck drivers earn more per year than full professors? Yes, the average salary for those truckers was $24000 while the full professors managed to earn just $23030.
A doctorate is the highest degree you can get. Except for a few specialized fields such as physics or chemistry where the degree can quickly be turned to industrial or commercial purposes, if you pursue such a degree in any other field, you will face a future which is not bright. There are more doctors unemployed or underemployed in this country than any other part of the world.
If you become a doctor in English or history or anthropology or political science or languages or—worst of all—in philosophy, you run the risk of becoming overeducated for our national demands. Not for our needs, mind you, but for our demands.
Thousands of doctors are selling shoes, driving cars, waiting on table, and endlessly filling out applications month after month. They may also take a job in some high school or backwater(闭塞) college that pays much less than the doorkeeper earns.
You can equate the level of income with the level of education only so far. Far enough, that is, to make you useful to the gross national product, but not so far that nobody can turn much of a profit on you.According to the writer, what the society expects of education is to turn out people who ______.
| A．will not be a disgrace to society |
| B．will become loyal citizens |
| C．can take care of themselves |
| D．can meet the nation’s demand as a source of manpower |
Many doctors are out of job because ______.
| A．they are improperly educated |
| B．they are of little commercial value to their society |
| C．there are fewer jobs in high schools |
| D．they prefer easier jobs that make more money |
The nation is only interested in people ______.
| A．with diplomas |
| B．who specialize in physics and chemistry |
| C．who are valuable to the gross national product |
| D．who receive little education |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Bernard Shaw didn’t finish high school, nor did Edison. |
| B．One must think carefully before pursuing a master’s degree. |
| C．The higher your education level, the more money you will earn. |
| D．If you are too well-educated, you’ll be overeducated for society’s demands. |
The writer sees education as ______.
| A．a means of providing job security and financial security and a means of meeting a country’s demands for technical workers |
| B．a way to broaden one’s horizons |
| C．more important than finding a job |
| D．an opportunity that everyone should have |
“Old wives tales” are beliefs lasting for many generations. For example, most of us remember our parents’ telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time.
Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration. Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic is good for you, too. It can kill the type of virus that causes colds.
Unfortunately, not all of Mom’ s advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes. However, sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars.
Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don’t hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives’ tales. After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated from thousands of years of experience in family health care. We should respect this body of knowledge even as we search for clear scientific support to prove it true or false.Which of the following is TRUE according to the test?
| A．Eating garlic is good for our eyes. |
| B．Sticky sweets are damaging our teeth. |
| C．Swimming after a meal is dangerous. |
| D．Carrots prevent people from catching colds. |
The phrase “hold water” in the last paragraph most probably means”_____”.
| A．to be believable | B．to be valuable |
| C．to be admirable | D．to be suitable |
What is the author’s attitude toward “old wives tales” in the text?
| A．Subjective | B．Objective | C．Dissatisfied | D．Curious |
A young woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness（不治之症）and given three months to live. So as she was getting her things “in order”, she asked her pastor（牧师）to come to her house to discuss her final wishes. With everything in order, the pastor was ready to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
“What’s that?” asked the pastor.
“I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”
The pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing what to say.
“That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.
“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the pastor.
The young woman explained, “In all my years of going to church meetings and dinners, I remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would always lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming, like chocolate cake or apple pie，some dessert like that. Something wonderful! I just want people to see me there in that casket（棺材）with a fork so that when they ask you why I have a fork, you can tell them: ‘Keep your fork—the best is yet to come.’”
The pastor hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question “Why does she have a fork?” And over and over again he smiled.
So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it reminded you of this young woman gently. Send the message to everyone you consider a friend even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you.
And, keep your fork!!In the author’s opinion, the woman in this passage is _______.
| A．bored | B．optimistic |
| C．pessimistic | D．crazy |
When enjoying a Western dinner, in the later part you have to “Keep your fork.” This usually mean “____________”
| A．Watch out for your fork. |
| B．I wish you good luck with the fork |
| C．Prepare your fork so that you can enjoy the dessert |
| D．You can not take away your fork |
Which of the following is WRONG about the young woman?
| A．She is optimistic about life and diseases. |
| B．She loves sweet food. |
| C．She wants her friends to remember her forever. |
| D．She is a regular church-goer. |
According to the passage, “Keep your fork”, the message may mean “__________”
| A．Don’t be discouraged. Everything will be better. |
| B．What is the matter? I am worried. |
| C．Have you heard the story of a young woman? |
| D．Enjoy your dinner. |
Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in intercultural experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness of being unclear.
Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm even when things do not go as one wants them to, or hopes they will, or has even been sure they will. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.
A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in her own reactions than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.
“The awareness of being unclear” is a more difficult concept than patience or a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear to the newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in the situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said, “things are just so different here.”The passage mainly tells us .
| A．that it’s not easy to travel abroad |
| B．that humor is very important in communication |
| C．about some characteristics in dealing with foreigners |
| D．about three main ways useful for communicating with foreigners |
According to the passage, what characteristic should be most focused on?
| A．Patience | B．The awareness of being unclear |
| C．The sense of humor | D．Understanding each other. |
“The awareness of being unclear” refers to .
| A．knowing the meaning of an exact situation |
| B．not stating clearly what happens |
| C．realizing the possible misunderstanding in a situation |
| D．being aware of the unclear situation |
According to the writer, the Chinese students is .
| A．a hard-working student | B．recently back from the moon |
| C．interested in the study of moon | D．not used to the culture in America |
OUR PROMISE
Making your stay a complete success is our goal. Just let our manager on duty of front-desk staff know if any part of your stay isn’t satisfactory. We promise to make it right or you won’t pay for that part of your stay.
FORGET SOMETHING?
If you forget to pack any standard toiletry item(tooth brush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor or comb), just call the front desk and we’ll get you a free replacement（替代）right away.
PLEASE REUSE THE TOWELS
We invite you to join with us to save water by using your towels（毛巾）more than once.
In addition to decreasing water and energy waste, you can help us reduce the amount of waste water that must be recycled within our community.
Please hang the towels up if you wish to participate in the program---if not, simply leave them on the floor.
We appreciate your help!
PLEASE CHANGE THE SHEETS TODAY
The Project Planet Program is an effort of this hotel to protect the environment through saving water and decreasing waste water. If you are staying with us more than one night, as part of the Project Planet Program, we will wash your sheets every three days.
If you would prefer not to participate in this program, simply hang this card on the outside of your door and sheets will be changed right away. As always sheets are automatically changed after every guest checks out.
We appreciate your help! We can find this passage in a in a hotel.
| A．café bar | B．front desk | C．fitness center | D．guest room |
If you forget your comb, you can .
| A．buy one in the hotel shop | B．replace one with a tooth brush |
| C．ask for one from the service center | D．go in person and get one at the front desk |
Leaving the towels on the floor means .
| A．you want to participate in the program | B．you want the room-maid to hang it up |
| C．you need them collected and washed | D．you want to use them more than once |
What is the Project Planet Program trying to do?
| A．Make your bed sheets cleaner. | B．Work for a better environment. |
| C．Help guests checking out faster. | D．Persuade guests to stay longer. |
One woman in nine will develop breast cancer (乳腺癌) over her lifetime. However, a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing the disease by 40 to 60 percent.
Generally speaking, eating more vegetables can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by 60 percent. Vegetables like cabbage are rich in fiber (纤维), can lower your risk of developing breast cancer. To get the most from their goodness, it’s recommended that you eat at least three to four cups of these vegetables per week.
It’s the oleic acid (油酸) contained in olive oil. American scientists conducting laboratory research have observed that oleic acid has a beneficial effect on breast cancer cells. Olive oil is the richest source of this acid, so whenever possible, use it in place of butter.
Eating fruit is another excellent way to help prevent the development of breast cancer. In fact, women who do eat fruit are six percent less likely to develop the disease. The American Institute for Cancer Research considers berries (浆果类) (blueberries, strawberries, etc.) to be powerful for breast cancer fighters.
It’s the lycopene (番茄红素), found in great quantities in tomatoes, that can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The lycopene found in canned tomatoes is more readily absorbed by the body than that contained in fresh ones, so add tomato juice, paste, and sauce to your diet.
As a result of various studies, the American Institute for Cancer Research has concluded that components (成分) found in green tea can help halt the development of cancerous tumours (瘤) and even prevent them from appearing in the first place. Three cups a day will help you get the benefits of green tea. What does the author mainly tell us?
How to cure breast cancer by eating healthy foods.
Healthy diets help fight against breast cancer.
Proper fruits, vegetables and drinks keep you fit.
Breast cancer is the most terrible killer for women.We learn from the passage that ________.
eating more fruit and vegetables can stop your risk of developing cancer
olive oil can help breast cancer cells develop
women eating tomatoes won’t suffer from breast cancer
components found in green tea can reduce the risk of developing cancerWhat does the underlined word "halt"in the last paragraph mean?
| A. stop |
B. increase |
C. change |
D. pull |
According to the passage, the author may agree that ________.
| A．Ten percent of women suffer from breast cancer |
| B．Berries are the richest source of the oleic acid |
| C．The lycopene found in olive oil has a good effect on breast cancer cells |
| D．Drinking green tea properly can help you keep healthy |