Friendship is one of the basic bonds (纽带) between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.

　　Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft (失去). If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to articulate（清楚表达） their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief.

　　“No man is an island.” In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life.

　　As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Extroverts (性格外向者) enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas introverts（性格内向者）are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships.

　　Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of intimacy (密切) is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one’s life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of intimacy, all friendships are based on reciprocity（相互性）, honesty and a certain amount of love and affection.

53. The second paragraph implies that _____..

　 A. teenagers without friends will suffer from psychological problems

　 B. a widow or a widower will die very soon without companionship

　 C. human beings need companionship and a sense of belonging

　 D. both A and B

54. The degree of intimacy of friendship mainly depends on _____ .

　 A. age 　　　　　　　　　 B. belonging　　　　 C. personality 　　　　　　 D. culture

55. The author thinks that close friends _____ .

　 A. can be easily formed when one is young 　　　　 B. cannot be long-lasting

　 C. are not rare for everyone 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. are rare for most people

56. The word “irrespective”(Last sentence, Para. 5) means _____ .

　 A. not respecting 　 　B. dishonoring 　　　 C. regardless 　 D. considering

There were difficulties but he decided to carry on _________.

A. regardless of　

B. in spite of　

C. regardless　

D. in spite

Not so long ago almost any student who successfully completed a university degree could find a good career quite easily．Companies toured the academic institutions, competing with each other to select graduates．However, those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs．

Most careers organizations highlight three stages for graduates to follow in the process of securing a suitable career：recognizing abilities, matching these to available jobs and presenting them well to possible employers．

Job seekers have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities．One area of assessment should be of their academic qualifications, which would include special skills within their subject area．Graduates should also consider their own personal values and attitudes．An honest assessment of personal interests and abilities such as creative skills, or skills acquired from work experience, should also be given careful thought．

The second stage is to study the opportunities available for employment and to think about how the general employment situation is likely to develop in the future．To do this, graduates can study job and position information in newspapers, or they can visit a careers office, write to possible employers for information or contact friends or relatives who may already be involved in a particular profession．After studying all the various options, they should be in a position to make informed comparisons between various careers．

Good personal presentation is essential in the search for a good career．Job application forms and letters should, of course, be filled in carefully and correctly, without grammar or spelling errors．Where additional information is asked for, job seekers should describe their abilities and work experience in more depth, with examples if possible．They should try to balance their own abilities with the employer’s needs, explain why they are interested in a career with the particular company and try to show that they already know something about the company and its activities．

When graduates go to an interview, they should prepare properly by finding out all they can about the possible employer．Dressing suitably and arriving for the interview on time are also important．Interviewees should try to give positive and helpful answers and should not be afraid to ask questions about anything they are unsure about．This is much better than pretending to understand a question and giving an unsuitable answer．

1.“Those days are gone, even in Hong Kong” in Paragraph 1 suggests that__________．

       A．finding a good career used to be easier in Hong Kong than elsewhere

    B．now everyone in Hong Kong has an equal chance of finding a good job

　　C．graduates now face stronger competition in Hong Kong than elsewhere

    D．even in Hong Kong companies tour universities trying to select graduates

2.It is implied in Paragraph 3 that graduates should_____________．

    A．aim to give a balanced account of what the employer needs

    B．consider careers which suit their values, interests and abilities

    C．stress their personal attitudes and values in job applications

    D．recognize their own abilities regardless of what the employer looks for

3.According to Paragraph 4, graduates should______________．

    A．find a good position and then compare it with other careers

    B．ask friends or relatives to secure them a good job

    C．get information about a number of careers before making comparisons

    D．study the opportunities and the kinds of training that will be available

4.In the last paragraph, the writer seems to suggest that ________________．

    A．interviewees should appear humble if they can’t give an answer

    B．dressing properly is more important than being able to give an answer

    C．it is better for interviewees to be honest than to pretend to understand

D．it is a good idea for interviewees to be boastful in their answers