If you know exactly what you want, the best way to get a job is to get specialized training. A recent
report shows that companies like graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work
immediately with very little on-the-job training.
     That's especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornell's School of Hotel
Administration, for example, bachelor's degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries
ranging from the high to low and plenty of chances for rapid advancement. Large companies especially like
a background of formal education coupled with work experience. But in the long run, too much specialization
does not pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic
stamp of approval. The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree
washes out after five years.
     As further evidence of the erosion of corporate faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State's Scheetz cites
a pattern in corporate hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often
seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. This sounds like a formal statement that you
approve of the liberal-arts (文科) graduate. Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents
that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-
mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. David Birch, manager of the Boston
Red Sox, says that he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree."I hire only liberal-arts
people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things," says Birch.
     For a liberal-arts degree, students focus on some basic courses that include literature history, mathematics,
economics, science, human behavior and a computer course or two. With these useful and important courses,
you can feel free to specialize, "A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is
a very good combination in the marketplace," says Scheetz.

1. The job market is in great need of people with _____.

A. special training in special fields
B. a bachelor's degree in education
C. formal schooling and work experience
D. an MBA degree from top universities

2. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means _____.

A. an MBA degree does not help in future promotion
B. MBA programs will not be as popular as they are now
C. people will not forget the degree the MBA graduates have got
D. most MBA programs fail to provide students with a foundation

3. David Birch says that he only hires liberal - arts people because _____.

A. they will follow others' ways of solving problems
B. they can do better in bundling changing situations
C. they are well trained in a variety of specialized fields
D. they have attended special programs in management

4. The author supports the idea that _____.

A. on-the-job training is less costly in the long run
B. formal schooling is less important than job training
C. specialists are more expensive to hire than generalists
D. generalists will do better than specialists in management

     My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software. If you come to visit,
you'll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN (个人身份号码)
to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what
you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you
walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The
music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If
you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
     Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console
(控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
     The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want
to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you
because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
     I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I've put in my house. The
systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've put in today.
     I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one
day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, "How will I live without them?"

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. How to develop a new system.
B. The function of the PIN.
C. A home for the future.
D. Easy life in the future.

2. What's the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?

A. To let readers know why his ideas are new.
B. To let readers know how special his house is.
C. To explain the importance of the PIN and the console.
D. To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are.

3. The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.

A. it has been controlled by computers
B. you can make a telephone call anywhere
C. it has your favorite music following you
D. the writer is able to change his new idea into practice

4. What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?

A. An IT expert.
B. A famous doctor.
C. An idealist.
D. An experienced teacher.

5. What can't be done in the writer's new house?

A. turns on the lights
B. play music
C. get a telephone call
D. go swimming

     How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms food and 120 liters of water
per day survive in a desert environment?
     In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert elephant
does just that.
     Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in many
ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy
surfaces. They are taller to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks, and most importantly, longer
trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
     Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and water holes, and have a
larger group of families. They drink only 3-4 days, and can store water in a "bag" at the back of their throat,
which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders-they seldom root up trees and
break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat
the dung (粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
     During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase
greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine (尿) to make them muddy!
     As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt (调
整适应) as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.

1. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means "_____".

A. remains in the African countries
B. drinks 120 liters of water a day
C. managed to live in desert areas
D. eats 150 kilograms of food daily

2. Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they _____.

A. rarely ruin trees
B. drink only every 3-4 days
C. search for food in large group
D. protect food sources for their young

3. The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with _____.

A. stories and explanation
B. facts and descriptions
C. examples and conclusion
D. evidence and arguments

4. What can he inferred from the last sentence in the passage?

A. Overheating the earth can be stopped
B. Not all animal species are so adaptable
C. The planet will become hotter and hotter
D. Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants

     There are varieties of bee in the world. Scientists are interested in honeybees because of the "language" they
use to communicate with each other. Karl von Frisch, a professor from Austria, devoted many years of his life
to researching the ways honey-bees communicate in their hives (蜂房). Karl von Frisch built special hives, a
glass wall and painted some honey-bees with different colors.
     A marked bee which returned to the hive from the feeding table performed a dance on the surface of the
honeycomb (蜂巢). First it made a circle to the right, then to the left. It repeated these circles again and again.
The surrounding bees copied its dances and then they left for the feeding place.
     Karl von Frisch set up two feeding places. One was close to the hive the other was farther away. The bees
that had been at the nearby feeding place were doing the circling dance. The bees at the distant feeding place
were dancing differently. The dancer ran in a straight line, wagging (摇摆) from side to side. Then it turned in
a semicircle (半圆), ran straight again, and turned in another semicircle to the opposite side. It repeated the
dance over and over. The dances convey messages about the far-away feeding place. Karl von Frisch and his
assistants slowly moved a feeding place close to the hive farther and farther away and they counted how many
times the bees repeated the dance in one minute. Finally they found out the number of wagging dances per
minute told the exact distance to the feeding place.

1. Scientists are interested in honeybees just because _____.

A. The honey-bees have bright colors.
B. The honey-bees enjoy a strange way of communication.
C. The honeydew is delicious.
D. there are several kinds of bees in the world.

2. Professor Karl von Frisch was from _____.

A. America
B. Australia
C. Sweden
D. Austria

3. What information does the dance convey?

A. There is no feeding place around.
B. The feeding place is farther away.
C. The feeding place is too far for the bees to get to.
D. The feeding place is near the hive.

4. What did Karl von Frisch want to find out while moving a feeding place close to the hive farther and farther
    away?

A. How the bees continued their dances.
B. How the bees communicated the distance to the feeding place.
C. The differences between the circling dance and the wagging dance.
D. How the bees flew to the feeding place.

     Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not
necessary so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how:
     1. Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you
have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating,
sleeping, dressing, etc. then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough
time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize
what is happening to your time.
     2. Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which
may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios,
or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
     3. Make good use of your time in class. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the
teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what
the teacher says.
     4. Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points
that your teacher mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read
that material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
     5. Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about
a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so
don't be overly worried.
     There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others
after you have tried these.

                                             How to become a better student

     One end of the lamp wick (灯芯) is immersed (把......浸入......之中) in oil and the other end is not
immersed. When you light the end which is not immersed, it will burst into flame. This is because the oil
is able to rise up the lamp wick thus helping it to burn.
     In the same way, if you immerse the end of a piece of chalk into a glass of water, the water will soon
climb up the chalk making it wet.
     If a piece of ordinary glass tubing is heated in a gas flame until it becomes soft, it can be pull into a tube
of a very small hole. Immerse the tube into water or any other liquid which wets glass, you will find that
the liquid rises to a height of several centimeters. This is known as capillary action. The liquid rises because
there is an attractive force between the liquid and the glass. The attractive force depends on the diameter of
the tube and the type of liquid used.

1. Why can an oil lamp work?

A. Because there is oil.
B. Because there is oil climbing up the wick.
C. Because the other end is immersed.
D. Because the wet end is lighted.

2. The passage mentions all the things except _____.

A. oil
B. water
C. chalk
D. paper

3. The last sentence means that _____.

A. the thinner the diameter, the greater the attractive force
B. the diameter of the tube and the kind of the liquid decide the greatness of the force
C. the thinner the diameter, the smaller the attractive force
D. oil climbs up higher than water

4. The liquid rises up a tube because _____.

A. the tube is thin
B. the glass has an attractive force
C. the liquid tends to rise up
D. both glass and liquid act on each other

5. The passage mainly talks about _____.

A. an oil lamp B. an ordinary tubing
C. liquid climbing up things
D. capillary action

     If you are planning to study in the United States, you need to consider several factors. Everyone has
different opinions about where is the best place to live in. Also, the best places to live are not always home
to the best schools. Finally, many schools specialize in different areas of study. The Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, for example, is a great school for computer science and technology-related fields of study.
However, if you want to study oceanography (海洋学), your interests may be better served by attending
school in a place that is on a coastline or near the ocean.
     Now I am sure that you know which schools are considered the best in the country. So I will tell you
about which states I believe are the best to live in.
     California is a nice state. Northern California specifically has very good weather. Los Angeles in Southern
California is another story though. Life in Los Angeles is full of excitement and fast,and sometimes dangerous.
As for me, I enjoy the time I spent in Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland and these states have a lot of
history and culture. The weather is not as perfect as California, but it is still quite nice. My favorite area of
America is the Mid-west. Middle America, I think, is home to the true American sense of values. In addition,
there are many good universities there.
     Also, you need to think about your likes and dislikes and then research the various states. You like sunshine
and hate snow? Then you probably won't like the Midwest or even the Northeast. Open space, nature and
peace and quiet? Then you probably should stay away from America's large cities. Are you interested in
government? Then Washington D.C. is the only place for you. Whatever you decide, put some thought into it.
The place you live could be the difference between a great study-abroad experience and a state of great
suffering on earth.

1. From the first paragraph we can conclude (得出结论) that in the USA _____.

A. all colleges and universities lie in big cities
B. all colleges and universities lie in beautiful places
C. famous colleges and universities lie in nice places
D. famous colleges and universities may not lie in nice places

2. What should be considered first if you want to study in the USA?

A. The climate.
B. The scenery.
C. The study condition.
D. The living condition.

3. From the third paragraph we can find that _____.

A. California is the best place to live in
B. California is the worst place to live in
C. California is a state with different climates
D. California is a small state in the USA

4. If you study in Middle America, you can probably _____.

A. find the best universities
B. feel the real character of the nation
C. meet the most famous professors there
D. face more difficulties

5. From the last paragraph of this passage we can get to know that _____.

A. Washington is the largest city in the USA
B. Washington is the political centre of the USA
C. you can't find sunshine in the Midwest
D. you can't find any universities out of big cities in the USA

     In order to know a foreign language thoroughly (完全地), four things are necessary. First, we must
understand the language when we hear it spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, correctly
with confidence (自信) and without hesitation (犹豫). Thirdly, we must be able to write it. We must be able
to make sentences that are correct in grammar.
     There is no short way to succeed in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough
only to memorize the rules from a grammar book. It is no much use learning by heart long lists of words and
their meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language. If we are pleased with
a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. We must "Learn through use". Practice
is important. We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we can.

1. The most important things to learn a foreign language are _____.

A. understanding and speaking
B. hearing, speaking, reading and writing
C. writing and understanding
D. memorizing and listening

2. Which of the following is the most important in learning a foreign language?

A. A good memory.
B. Speaking.
C. Practice.
D. Writing.

3. "Learn through use" means _____.

A. we use a language in order to learn it
B. we learn foreign language in order to use it
C. we can learn a language well while we are using it
D. both B and C