Attention to detail is something everyone can and should do especially in a tight job market. Bob Crossley, a human resources expert notices this in the job applications that come across his desk every day. “It’s amazing how many candidates eliminate(淘汰) themselves, ” he says.

Resumes arrive with stains. Some candidates don’t bother to spell the company’s name correctly. “Once I see a mistake, I eliminate the candidate, ” Crossley concludes, “If they cannot take care of these details, why should we trust them with a job? ”

Can we pay too much attention to details?  Absolutely, perfectionists struggle over little things at the cost of something larger they work toward. “To keep from losing the forest for the trees, ” says Charles Garfield, associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, “We must constantly ask ourselves how the details we’re working on fit into the larger picture. If they don’t, we should drop them and move to something else. ”

Garfield compares this process to his work as a computer scientist at NASA.

“This allowed us to make adjustments(调节) as necessary. Knowing where we want to go helps  judge the importance of every task we undertake. The Apollo 11 moon launch was slightly-off course 90 percent of the time, ”says Garfield, “but a successful landing was still likely because we knew the exact position of our goal. ”

Too often we believe what accounts for others’ success is some special secret or a lucky break. But rarely is success so mysterious. Again and again, we see that by doing little things within our grasp well, large rewards follow.

1. According to the passage, some job applicants were rejected ______.

A. because of their carelessness as shown or their failure to present a clean copy of resume

B. because of their limited education as shown in their poor spelling in writing a resume

C. because they failed to give a detailed description of their background in their application

D. because they eliminated their names from the applicants’ list themselves

2. The word “perfectionist” (Para. 3, Line 1) refers to those who ______.

A. demand others get everything absolutely right

B. know how to adjust their goals according to the circumstances

C. pay too much attention to details only to lose their major objectives

D. are capable of achieving perfect results in what ever they do

3. The example of Apollo 11 moon launch is given to illustrate that ______.

A. minor mistakes may not be noticed in achieving major objectives

B. failure is the mother of success

C. adjustments are the key to the successful completion of any work

D. keeping one’s goal in mind helps in deciding which details can be over looked

4. The best title for this passage would be ______.

A. Don’t Be a Perfectionist

B. Importance of Adjustments

C. Details and Major Objectives

D. Hard Work Plus Good Luck

A green light means traffic is moving forty-five miles an hour, yellow means thirty to forty-five miles an hour, and red means heavy traffic-cars standing still or moving less than thirty miles an hour.

    “See that red light near Austin Avenue (大道)？”the controller asked a visitor. “There’s a repair truck fixing the road, and the traffic has to go around it.”

    At the Roosevelt Road entrance to the expressway, the light kept changing from green to red and back to green again. “A lot of trucks get on the expressway there.” the controller explained. “They can’t speed up as fast as cars.”

    The sensors(传感器) show immediately where an accident or a stopped car is blocking traffic, and a truck is sent by radio to clear the road. The system has lowered the number of accidents by 18 percent. There are now 1.4 deaths on Chicago’s expressways for each one hundred million miles traveled, while in other parts of the country there are2.6

    Traffic experts say that the Chicago system is the “coming thing”. Systems like Chicago’s are already in use on some expressways in Los Angeles and Houston. “Chicago has taken the lead.” says New York City’s traffic director; and he adds, “we are far being…”

1.What would be the best title for this text?

A. Computerized Traffic Control System　　 B. Rush Periods Getting Longer

C. The Nation’s Busiest Road　　　　　　　　　　 D. Sensors on Expressways

2.How does the controller follow Chicago’s traffic?

A. By learning how to use a computer.

B. By waiting for the red light to turn to green.

C. By watching the sensors built into expressways.

D. By looking at a set of lights on the map in the control room.

3.The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to　　    .

A. a truck which needs repairing   B. a truck doing repairs on the road

C. Austin Avenue　　　　　　　　  D. a red light

4.The system in Chicago　　   .

A. is really effective　　　　　　  B. is actually of very little use

C. will be sent to Los Angeles D. is looked down upon by New York’s traffic director

Important meeting today．Discussion on putting on Blazing Saddles．Union room 302，3-4 p．m．New members（both actors and non-actors，living and dead）are welcome．

History Students' Association

Prof．Michael Cross of Dalhousie University will be speaking on“Unskilled Labors on Rivers and Canals in Upper Canada，1820- 1850：The Beginnings of Class Struggle" at 10 am．In Peacock 230.

Design Mirror Sale

All types and sizes of design mirrors priced to please．Sale today in Union room 108．

McGill Teaching Assistants' Association

A general meeting，for all the TAs，will be held at 4 p．m．in Peacock 116．

Women's Union

Important．General meeting at 6 p.m． Union room 423．Speaker on "Importance of Deciding Basic Goals of the Women's Union"．Everyone，old， new and those interested，please attend．

Film Society

Last meeting of the term for all members． All managers are required to be present．6p．m．sharp，Union room 434．

Canadian University Students Overseas

CUSO presents "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast" at 7 p.m．Newman Centre，3484Peel．Find out about CUSO here and overseas．Everyone welcome．

1．Where can you probably find this text？

A．In a school magazine． 　　    B．In a national paper．

C．In a guide book． 　　　　　　    D．In a university daily newspaper．

2．If you are interested in arts，where would you go for a visit？

A．Peacock 116． 　　　　　　 B．Union room 423．

C．Union room 108． 　　    D．Newman Center，3484 Peel．

3．Which of the following is the name of a play？

A．Blazing Saddles．

B．Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast．

C．Importance of Deciding Basic Goals of the Women's Union．

D．Unskilled Labors on Rivers and Canals in Upper Canada，1820-1850．

What makes a person a scientist? Does he have ways or tools of learning that are different from those of others? The answer is“no”. It isn’t the tools a scientist uses but how he uses these tools which makes him a scientist. You will probably agree that knowing how to use a power is important to a carpenter(木匠). You will probably agree, too, that knowing how to investigate(调查), how to discover information, is important to everyone. The scientist, however, goes one step further. He must be sure that he has a reasonable answer to his questions and that his answer he gets to many questions is into a large set of ideas about how the world works.

The scientist’s knowledge must be exact. There’s no room for half right or right just half the time. He must be as nearly right as the conditions permit. What works under one set of conditions at one time must work under the same conditions at other times. If the conditions are different, any changes the scientist observes in a demonstration(论证) must be explained by the changes in the conditions. This is one reason why investigations are important in science. Albert Einstein, who developed the Theory of Relativity, arrived at this theory through mathematics. The accuracy(正确性) of his mathematics was later tested through investigation. Einstein’s ideas were proved to be correct. A scientist uses many tools for measurements. Then the measurements are used to make mathematical calculations(计算) that may test his investigations.

1. What makes a scientist according to the passage?

A. The tools he uses.

B. His ways of learning.

C. The way he uses his tools.

D. The various tools he uses.

2. “.knowing how to investigate, how to discover information, is important to everyone. ”The writer says this to show__________.

A. the importance of information

B. the difference between scientists and ordinary people

C. the importance of thinking

D. the difference between carpenters and ordinary people

3. A sound scientific theory should be one that__________.

A. works under one set of conditions at one time and also works under the same conditions at other times

B. leaves no room for improvement

C. doesn’t allow any change even under different conditions

D. can be used for many purposes

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Scientists are different from ordinary people.

B. The Theory of Relativity.

C. Exactness is the core(核心) of science.

D. Exactness and way of using tools are the keys to making of a scientist.

Over 60 million persons in the United States own a credit card, which has had the effect of increasing consumption possibilities for households by allowing them to make heavy purchases without giving up a single dollar and coin for them. In fact, thousands of dollars of merchandise, ranging from autos, clothing, to electrical appliances (电器) are purchased by buyers through the credit card. Credit cards have also been of significant importance to the national economy. Businessmen have been encouraged to expand plant and equipment and hire additional personnel to meet the heavy demand for their products. The tendency  of employment and income would be to rise significantly (显著的).

Unfortunately, the ease with which buyers can increase their purchase with credit cards has caused them to overlook the additional costs. Purchases on credit cards are postponed payments.  Buy-now-and-pay-later encourages buyers to use credit cards extensively.  Since the buyer is in effect borrowing money for a specific purpose, he must expect to pay an interest charge. Interest is the price of using money over a long period of time. A close analysis of the use of credit cards for heavy purchases will show that the buyer has added to the cost of making these purchases. It must also be kept in mind that unpaid monthly balance means added interest charges. Furthermore, the use of credit cards will add to the cost of the product since the shopkeeper does not receive the money at the time of purchase. Shopkeeper might add on the cost of handing credits to the bill.

　　 1. This passage is mainly concerned with——.

　　　　   A. the cashless economy

　　　　   B. the cost of making payments by credit cards

　　　　   C. the advantages of credit cards

　　　　  D. the necessity of using credit cards

　　 2. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the use of credit cards?

　　　　  A. It affects the level of employment and income.

　　  B. It is significant to the national economy.

　　　　  C. It stimulates people to buy more.

　　　　  D. It makes purchasing more complicated.

　　 3. Interest charges for the use of credit cards reflect——.

　　　　  A. the cost of owning a credit card

　　　　  B. the unpaid balance of a monthly bill

　　　　  C. the shopkeeper's cost of handling credit cards

　　   D. the price of using money for a long period of time

　　 4. The author of the passage implies that——.

　　　　  A. credit cards tend to raise interest charges

　　　　  B. buyers should not use credit cards at all

　　　　  C. buyers should make purchases with credit cards cautiously

　　　　  D. the use of credit cards reduces the consumption possibilities

“Is Jazz a kind of folk music? ... Is it a performing style?” “How is it different from other kinds of music?” There is no simple answer to these questions, because the most important quality of jazz comes from its unique combination of different musical sources over a period of almost 400 years.

The quality that unites the many different jazz forms is, in some degree, separate from its musical sources. That quality is the expression of freedom. The idea of freedom is central.

The ancestors of jazz were black people from West Africa who were brought to America as slaves, or forced laborers, from the early 1600s to the mid-1800s. Most of them remained slaves until President Lincoln set them free on January 1863, at the midpoint of the American Civil War.

With the loss of their personal freedom and the breaking up of their families, the slaves also lost the social traditions of their music from Africa. The complex rhythms of this music involved a number of people performing together. The breaking apart of these social groups forced slaves to create new songs—that is, to develop a completely new musical tradition.

Using some of the remembered African rhythms, the slaves gradually began to add some features of the European classical music that was played by the white slave owners. The slaves were also influenced by American folk songs. But the result of adding these borrowed elements to the complex African rhythms was the beginning of a completely new kind of music. Still, this music only existed privately among groups of slaves.

The slaves' work had another effect on their music. It introduced new kinds of music rhythms. Some of these rhythms became work songs to accompany their planting and picking 0f cotton. Other rhythms were developed by teams of workers who needed to lift heavy loads of cotton onto carts that passed through the fields. Later, during the building of the railroads, individual workers created new songs to match the sharp rhythms of steel striking, as they fixed the rails into place.

　　 1. The main musical sources used by the slaves to develop a new kind of music were

　　　　   A. folk music, jazz music, and modern music

　　　　   B. classical music, American rhythms, and African folk songs

　　　　   C. African music, European classical music, and American folk music

　　　　   D. slaves' work songs rhythms of lifting heavy loads, and sounds of steel striking

　　 2. “It introduced new kinds of musical rhythms.” (in the last paragraph). Here “it” refers to

　　　　   A. the slaves' music　　    　　　　　　B. a new musical rhythm

　　　　   C. the slaves' work　　　　　　　　　　 D. another effect

　　 3. When the slaves lost their personal freedom and their families,

　　　　   A. they still retained their African musical tradition

　　　　   B. they no longer had any social traditions

　　　　   C. a number of people performed together

　　　　   D. they began to create a musical style quite different from that of Africa

　　 4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

　　　　   A. The ancestors of jazz music were free black people from West Africa.

　　　　   B. Jazz music has mixed different kinds of musical sources.

　　　　   C. Some of the rhythms of jazz music later became work songs.

　　　　   D. It took quite a long time to develop jazz music.

There is much discussion today about whether economic growth is desirable. At an earlier period, our desire for material wealth may have been justified. Now, however, this desire for more than we need is causing serious problems. Even though we have good intentions, we may be producing too much, too fast.

Those who criticize economic growth argue that we must slow down. They believe that society is approaching certain limits on growth. These include the fixed supply of natural resources, the possible negative effects of industry on the natural environment, and the continuing increase in the world's population. As society reaches these limits, economic growth can no longer continue, and the quality of life will decrease.

People who want more economic growth, on the other hand, argue that even at the present growth rate there are still many poor people in the world. These proponents of economic growth believe that only more growth can create the capital needed to improve the quality of life in the world. Furthermore, they argue that only continued growth can provide the financial resources required to protect our natural surroundings from industrialization.

This debate over the desirability of continued economic growth is of vital importance to business and industry. If those who argue against economic growth are correct, the problems they mention cannot be ignored. To find a solution, economists and the business community must pay attention to these problems and continue discussing them with one another.

　　 1. According to those who argue against economic growth we must slow down for the following reasons except that

　　　　 A. our natural surroundings are in danger of being destroyed by industry

　　　　 B. the fixed supply of natural resources marks a point beyond which economic growth cannot continue

　　　　 C. the world population is ever increasing

　　　　 D. more efforts should be made to improve the quality of our material life

　　 2. We may infer from the context that “proponents” (Para. 3) most probably means

　　　　  A. arguments in support of something　　  B. disagreements

　　　　  C. people who argue for something

　　   D. people who argue against something

　　 3. The passage is mainly about——.

　　　　  A. the contradiction between economists and the business community

　　　　  B. the present debate on economic growth

　　　　  C. the advantages and disadvantages of economic growth

　　　　   D. the importance of the debate on economic growth

　　 4. We may infer from the passage that

　　  　　 A. the author describes the case as it is

　　　　   B. the author is for economic growth

　　　　   C. the author is against continued economic growth

　　　　   D. the author is very much worded about the problems caused by continued economic growth

Most job seekers have a general idea of what to expect during a job interview. You'll be ready to discuss your work history and respond to a series of standard questions, such as “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Depending on the position, you may also be asked about your proficiency (熟练程度) with various software applications or be asked to take a skills test. The hiring manager wants to know if' you have the requisite (必不可少的) experience so you'll hit the ground running once hired.

The process is more complex when you reach the executive level. Management will be entrusting you with significant responsibilities, and you'll be playing a role in setting policy for the firm. As a result, you'll be judged on qualities not easily summarized on a resume. You will likely go through several rounds of interviews, not just one or two. The people you meet with will be conducting an in-depth evaluation to determine whether you have the vision, experience, creativity, and management skills to be a successful leader. You'll not only need to provide thoughtful answers to questions but also present a clear picture of why you're right for the position.

Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the organization's business priorities, its strengths and weaknesses, and its chief competitors. Consider how you would address some of the issues facing the company. Your research efforts are critical to a successful interview. Those with whom you meet will be assessing how well you understand the business and what ideas you bring to the table. You'll need to show that you're knowledgeable about not only accounting and finance but also the broader issues impacting the company.

　　 1. From the first paragraph, we can learn that——.

　　　　  A. most job seekers can realize their expectations for the job when having an interview

　　　　  B. you will have to respond to a series of standard questions or be asked to take a skills test during a job interview

　　　　  C. the hiring manager wants to know if you are requisite to his company

　　　　  D. work experience is important to job seekers

　　 2. If you apply for a position of the executive level, you——.

　　　　  A. must set policy for the firm during the course of interview

　　　　  B. don't need a resume because it can not summarize all qualities you have

　　　　  C. must present a clear picture of the organization's development in the future

　　　　  D. need to show clearly why you are the most appropriate person for the position

　　 3. The following statements are false EXCEPT——.

　　　　 A. You must go through several rounds of interviews, not just one or two, when you apply for a position of the executive level

　　　　 B. You must provide thoughtful answers to questions when interviewing

　　　　 C. You need to know not only the basic things about the company but the broader issues impacting the company

　　　　 D. You need to have a thorough understanding of competitors applying for the jobs in the organization

　　 4. The passage is mainly about ——.

　　　　 A. the requirement of a job interview

　　　　 B. how to succeed in a job interview

　　　　 C. the content of a job interview and how to prepare it

 D. the interview of the executive level

Cancer specialists in Europe and North America are using the Internet to spread knowledge of the latest treatments in the hope that more lives can be saved from the killer disease.

The European Cancer Institute, a privately-funded body in Milan, recently uncovered a database with its own site on the worldwide computer network which can help doctors in treating cancer.  Known as START, the on-line pool of information drawn from 170 leading cancer specialists throughout Europe will be available flee of charge from the end of the year on.

The START idea draws its inspiration from a highly successful US computer database called PDQ which has been in use for more than ten years. PDQ, which is brought up to date every month by a selected group of cancer specialists, has a vast range of information on treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care and drugs which have either been approved or are under investigation. It goes a step further than START by trying to help patients as well as the doctors that treat them. Most of the information is presented in two versions in technical language for specialists and in simplified form for patients. Its principal goal is to spread knowledge.

PDQ exports invite their European colleagues to join their monthly sessions to make the database up-to-date. They also plan to start offering multimedia (多媒体) presentation later this year.

One of the main aims of database services is to give doctors, who are often confused by the enormous volume of new medical research, the opportunity to keep up with latest cancer treatments. Besides, it is believed that giving cancer-stricken patients access to the best available treatments could reduce death rates by up to ten percent.

　　  1. The passage is mainly about——.

　　　　  A. a successful computer database ran by the US

　　    B. a new way of spreading knowledge on cancer

　　　　  C. a new way of restricting cancer development

　　　　  D. a new association of cancer specialists

　　  2. The European Cancer Institute——.

　　　　  A. is sponsored by individuals

　　　　  B. is supported by the governments of European countries

　　　　  C. was established by the government of Italy

　　　　 D. is one of the branch organizations of the UN

　　  3. Which of the following is true?

　　　　  A. The START idea has derived from that of PDQ.

　　　　  B. Both the databases provide information on treatment rather than on prevention.

　　　　  C. PDQ draws its information on cancer from expects all over the world.

　　　　  D. The START information is gathered from all cancer specialists in Europe.

　　  4.  It can be inferred from the passage that

　　　　  A. ten percent of patients all over the world will be saved thanks to the two databases

　　　　  B. doctors have to learn all their lives so as not to be left behind their field

　　　　  C. doctors are always confused by the great volume of new medical research

　　　　  D. PDQ has been presenting its idea on line for more than ten years through multi media

Living things can regulate their own activities in such a way that they fit into the rhythms (节奏) in nature. For example, plants consume (大量吸收) sunshine during the day and do most of their breathing at night. Small animals which live in very hot regions remain deep in their holes during the heat of the day and only come out at night to obtain food. These rhythmic patterns of activity in living things can be called biological clocks.

Scientists have discovered some very interesting facts about biological clocks. Their most important discovery is that although  biological clocks approximately (近似地) correspond to the rhythms of day and night, light and darkness, they do not always depend on them. Many biological clocks are independent. How can this be proved? It can be proved by showing that a biological clock will continue to operate even when its surroundings are changed so that it can no longer respond to alternating periods of lights and darkness.

We will take the crab (蟹) as an example. This animal is a living clock. It indicates (指出) the time by the color of its skin, which is dark during the day and lighter in color during the night. The daytime darkness of the crab's skin, which prevents its enemies from noticing it and also prevents the crab from getting too hot, is repeated every 24 hours. The alternating colors of the skin appear to follow the alternating rhythm of day and night. How can we prove the statement that crab is an independent clock which creates its own rhythm, its own time? Perhaps it only responds to sunlight, by growing darker when in contact with sunshine and growing lighter in color when the sun sinks behind the horizon (地平线)?

To answer this question, biologists did a simple experiment. They kept the crab in a dark room at a constant temperature for two months. They found that the skin of the crab continued to change color according to the same 24-hour rhythm, following the movements of the sun outside. In this way they proved that the crab's biological clock was independent of events in its natural surroundings. It was not just a series of responses to external events.

　　 1. Biological clocks in living things are——.

　　　　  A. natural rhythms

　　　　  B. the alterations of day and night

　　　　  C. living thing's activities corresponding to some natural rhythms

　　　　  D. the repetition of activities of living things

　　 2. The author compares a crab to——.

　　　　  A. a biological clock　　　　　　　　   B. an example of biological clock

　　　　  C. a living clock　　　　　　   　　　　 D. a model of biological clocks

　　 3. A crab is an example of biological clocks in living things because it

　　　　  A. looks like clocks

　　　　  B. has dark skin

　　　　  C. creates its own time

　　　　  D. alternates color of its skin to follow the alternating rhythm of day and night

　　 4. The colors of the crab's skin can

　　　　   A. indicate the time

　　　　   B. prevent its enemies from noticing it

　　　　   C. prevent it from getting too hot

　　   D. do all the above